The unpardonable sin is Israel's national rejection of the Holy Spirit, climaxing when the nation stoned Stephen in Acts 7.
Les Feldick teaches that Israel rejected God the Father by killing the prophets, rejected God the Son by crucifying Him, and then rejected God the Holy Spirit by stoning Stephen. He tells people not to worry about the unpardonable sin because it has nothing to do with believers in the Gentile age.
Acts 7:51-52 — Stephen's accusation names Israel's ongoing resistance to the Holy Spirit and their killing of the prophets—the context Les uses to explain the unpardonable sin.
Acts 3:15 — Peter identifies the nation as having killed the Prince of life, showing the rejection of God the Son.
Acts 7:59-60 — The stoning of Stephen is the event Les calls the crescendo of Israel's rejection of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible records that Israel, to whom God sent the prophets, persecuted and killed them. Stephen confronted the nation, saying, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers" (Acts 7:52). He also told them, "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye" (Acts 7:51). Scripture further shows that Israel rejected and killed God's Son: "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses" (Acts 3:15). When Stephen stood before the council, the record says, "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59). Earlier, Peter had offered the nation a way back: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). And at Pentecost he said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
Les Feldick teaches that the unpardonable sin is God's dealing with the nation of Israel. He explains that God the Father sent the prophets and Israel killed them. Then, in the parable of the husbandman, God sent His Son and they killed Him too. In Acts, the Holy Spirit was extended to Israel, and the nation responded by stoning Stephen. That was the climax of Israel's rejection. Les says plainly, "I always tell people, don't worry about the unpardonable sin." He says it "has nothing to do with us in the Gentile age." Instead, what condemns an individual is unbelief—not a list of personal sins.
Les traces the unpardonable sin through the three persons of the Trinity. God the Father dealt with Israel by sending the prophets, and Israel killed them. Then, as Jesus' parable of the husbandmen shows, the householder sent his son and the tenants killed him too. In Acts, the Holy Spirit was offered to the nation through the early Jewish believers; when Stephen stood before the council, the nation's rejection reached its climax and he was stoned. Les says that was Israel's response to the third person of the Trinity.
Les is emphatic: "I always tell people, don't worry about the unpardonable sin." He says it "has nothing to do with us in the Gentile age"—it was God's dealing with Israel. The national rejection of the Holy Spirit belonged to that prophetic program, not to individual believers in the present dispensation.
According to Les, Israel reached the "crescendo" of rejection when they stoned Stephen in Acts 7. From that point, Israel slid into dispersion, their temple was taken away in A.D. 70, and God turned to the Gentiles.
Les distinguishes between Israel's national sin and individual condemnation. At the great white throne, people will be judged according to their works, but it is not their sin that condemns them—it is their unbelief. He points to Hebrews 3, where Israel could not enter the Promised Land because of unbelief.
After Israel killed Christ, Peter still appealed to the nation to repent of that national sin. If they repented and recognized the one they killed as Messiah and King, God would have sent Christ back to set up the kingdom. In Acts 2, Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Les says the early Acts message was still God's offer to Israel.
Israel killed the prophets and the Son
Les shows the pattern of Israel's rejection: God sent the prophets and they were killed, and in the parable the son was also killed.
Don't worry about the unpardonable sin
Les quotes Acts 7:51-52 and tells people not to worry about the unpardonable sin because it relates to Israel's history, not to us.
The Holy Spirit rejected in Acts 7
Les explains that after the prophets and the Son came the Holy Spirit, and at Acts 7 Israel stoned Stephen—the Holy Spirit's messenger.
Peter calls Israel to repent
Les notes that Peter appealed to Israel to repent of killing their Messiah, showing the nation was still being given an opportunity.
Unbelief is what condemns
Les says individuals are not condemned by their sins but by unbelief, using Hebrews 3 as an illustration.
Crescendo of Israel's rejection
Les identifies the stoning of Stephen as the climax of Israel's rejection, after which Israel slid into dispersion and God turned to the Gentiles.
Acts 2 call to Israel
Les shows that Acts 2 still held out the kingdom to Israel, calling the nation to repent and be baptized.
Israel's rejection of the kingdom
Les explains that Israel kept rejecting the kingdom offer, and Christ could not return until the nation repented.
Acts 7:51-52: Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
This is the charge Stephen brings against Israel, tying their present resistance to the Holy Spirit to their history of killing the prophets.
Acts 3:15: And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Peter states plainly that Israel killed the Son of God, the Prince of life.
Acts 3:19: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Peter still calls the nation of Israel to repent after their rejection of Christ.
Acts 2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Peter's Pentecost message calls Israel to repent and be baptized, offering the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 3:19: So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Les cites this to show that unbelief—not personal sin—kept Israel from entering God's rest.
Acts 7:59-60: And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
This records the stoning of Stephen, the event Les identifies as Israel's final, crescendo rejection of the Holy Spirit.
According to Les Feldick, it is Israel's national rejection of the Holy Spirit—after Israel had killed God's prophets and then God's Son. The climax came when the nation stoned Stephen in Acts 7.
Les says, "Don't worry about the unpardonable sin." He says it has nothing to do with us in the Gentile age; it was part of God's dealing with Israel.
In Acts 7, Stephen confronted the nation with their history of resisting the Holy Spirit. Israel responded by stoning him, which Les identifies as the crescendo of their rejection.
Les teaches that people are not condemned by their sins but by unbelief. He uses Hebrews 3, where Israel could not enter the Promised Land because of unbelief, as the illustration.
Watch the Teaching: The Unpardonable Sin: What It Really Means for Israel