- Christ tells Pilate that the Jewish leaders have committed a worse sin than him, saying “he who has handed me over to you has committed the greater sin” (Jn. 19:11).
- Certain sins in the law are distinguished in a particular context as an abomination to God, implying that others are not as severe (e.g. Lev. 18:22; Deut. 7:25, Deut. 23:18, Isa. 41:24).
- Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is set apart as a more severe sin than blasphemy of the Son (Matt. 12:31)
- Proverbs 6:16-19 lists particular sins in such a way as to single them out because of their depraved nature, separating them from others.
- There are degrees of punishment in Hell depending on the severity of the offense (Lk. 12:47-48).
- Christ often evaluates the sin of the Pharisees as greater than the sins of others. “You strain out a gnat while you swallow a camel” (Matt. 23:24). If all sins are equal, Christ’s rebuke does not make any sense. (See also Lk. 20:46-47)
- Related to the last, Christ also talked about the “weighter things of the law” (Matt. 23:23). If all sins are equal, there is no law (or violation of that law) that is “weightier than others.” They are all the same weight.
- Unforgiveness is continually referred to as a particularly heinous sin (Matt. 6:14-15; 18:23-35).
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