Inheriting the Kingdom of God is not referring to the spirit going to heaven after separation from the body but to inheriting everything Christ is to inherit within a new body.
Those who continue to practice the above will not be amongst the latter, even if currently incorporated in the Church. The one mortal sin that will not be forgiven as can be discerned from its context464 relates to knowing or sensing in one’s conscience that something is of God working through His Holy Spirit yet asserting it to be wicked or satanic as certain Pharisees did regarding Jesus’ miracle which they maligned for their own ends to preserve their own status and traditions. One may well have challenged the working of the Spirit in ignorance, but what is done in ignorance cannot be the unforgivable sin which is why even blasphemy against Christ can be forgiven but not what is said against the direct working of the Spirit where that is perceived within the conscience. Final purification is an act of love, enabling morally damaged souls to become fitted for the eternal glory of God’s Kingdom, but clearly it is best avoided by having salt in oneself465.
“The fury of God’s vengeance is profitable for the purgation of souls. That the punishment also which is said to be by fire is understood to be applied with the object of
healing is taught by Isaiah: “The Lord will wash away the filth of the sons or daughters of 459 Mt5:22
460 2Pet3:13
461 Mk9:49-50
462 Mt12:31-33
463 1Cor6:8-10
464 Mt12:22-32
465 Mk9:50
69
Zion and shall purge away the blood from the midst of them by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning…The Lord will sanctify in a burning fire” . [Origen - 3rd century]466
It should be evident from another passage in which Jesus refers to hell that he could hardly be referring to eternal torment:
“But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with their brother without a cause will be liable to judgement; and whosoever shall say to his brother Raca!467 shall be in danger of the Sanhedrin; but whoever shall say Moros!468 shall be in danger of hell fire”469
The idea that calling one’s brother vain, a Jew may still go on to enjoy eternal bliss after a hearing with the Sanhedrin, whereas calling one’s brother stupid or foolish may result in eternal torment is clearly absurd. Given the gradation of insults outlined in the passage and the fact that Jesus is adamant about the reality of punitive fire, it is indicating the need for final purification for those who grossly insult and belittle a fellow Jew. Even where hell or punishment is specified to be eternal in the Latin Vulgate or English translations, the Greek text reads “aionian”, referring to an age – and there are to be numerous ages. Such linguistic issues may be studied in more detail on the internet.