Are some Sins greater than others?

We have all heard the term “sin is sin” right? In other words, whether one is telling a lie, or someone is committing murder it is all punished the same. Is that reasoning true? I would say generally yes. But, the Bible actually declares that some sins are worse than others and based on the offense will determine a person’s degree of punishment in hell.

In Matthew 11:20-24 we read the following: He (Jesus) began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

Here we see why the cities Jesus rebuked are going to receive a harsher judgment; because after seeing God in the flesh perform mighty deeds and preach mighty words, they refused to repent; change their mind regarding their sins. These things Tyre and Sidon along with Sodom never witnessed. Jesus is saying that the cities in which He performed mighty deeds would be judged harsher.

This is amazing when we consider how wicked Sodom was back in Genesis 18-19. The men there were homosexuals and there was not any righteous in the city save Lot and his daughters. God had to physically remove Lot, his wife and his daughters so that he could rain fire and brimstone on the city to destroy it (Genesis 19:23-25).

The cities of Tyre and Sidon were located on the Mediterranean coast. The destruction of Tyre is prophesied in extraordinary detail by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 26-28).

When Jesus was arrested by the Romans and handed over to Pilate by the chief priests; mainly the High Priest Caiaphas, Jesus declared to Pilate that, “the one that handed me over to you has the greater sin” (italics mine, John 19:11).

That statement made Pilate afraid, and from that point was determined to release Jesus. Now why would Jesus make that remark to Pilate? Those that handed Jesus over to Him witnessed his miracles and heard him teach so they were definitely without excuse for their sin. The more one knows, the more responsible and culpable that person is for what they know. Pilate’s culpability was less because he did not witness any miracles or hear Jesus teach, but he still committed a sinful act by condemning Jesus to death by crucifixion. 

Pilate was under extreme pressure to make the decision to destroy Jesus although he himself said three times, “I find no fault in Him at all!” (John 18:38; 19:4,7). That is why Pilate was determined to initially release Jesus. He did not want to be an accessory to the murder of an innocent man (whether Pilate believed Jesus was the Son of God or not), but was afraid of the crowds and released a robber named Barabbas who was an obvious convicted felon.

Pilate indeed committed a great sin, he released a son of Satan to the people who they accepted in exchange for the condemnation of the only begotten Son of God who they rejected.

Jesus said, “I come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive” (John 5:43).

Concluding, to know the truth and reject it is indeed a greater sin than someone being ignorant of truth altogether.

For it would been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them (I Peter 2:21).