Is all sin equal in the eyes of God? "When Pilate heard what they said, he was more afraid than ever, and he went back into the governor’s residence and said to Jesus, 'Where do you come from?' But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said, 'Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority to release you, and to crucify you?' Jesus replied, 'You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin' (John‬ ‭19:8-11‬ ‭NET)‬‬‬‬. Why didn’t Jesus answer Pilate’s question? I also wonder what it means that Pilate was guilty of lesser sin than the one who handed Jesus over to him -- and what would that mean for Pilate’s eternal future? I have believed that all sin is the same in God’s sight, but I am not so sure that is biblical.
     Second, Jesus said, "For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew‬ ‭12:31-32‬ ‭NET‬‬). I don’t see any hint of sin being equal in the above verses. What Scriptures explicitly state the idea that all sin is equal in the eyes of God? -- C.G.
Jesus clarifies that all commandments are not equal (Matt 23:23; 22:37:40). And you are right, Matt 12 instances a sin more serious than the others (although I understand this as a state more than as a discrete sinful action).

The Lord speaks of logs and specks (Matt 7:1-5). In Matt 5 Jesus uses hyperbole very effectively. (No one is executed for hatred.) The burden of proof is on those who hold that all commands and sins are equal.

Judas handed Jesus over, initiating the process culminating in Jesus' execution. Pilate may have (legally) had the final say, but his role was just one in a series (Judas - Caiaphas - Pilate - the Roman soldiers). Further, Pilate may have had more responsibility in legal terms, but Judas had less excuse, having been taught about the kingdom for several years by Jesus himself. (John 18 is Pilate's first and last "lesson.")

True, any initial sin can put us out of fellowship with God. We are lost. We need salvation. But the nature and consequences of sins vary significantly. I think some people stop using common sense when they pretend all sins are equally serious. If they had been, then someone could be disfellowshipped for any sin --- not just the more serious sins listed in 1 Cor 5.

One last thought. Some say infinite, non-stop hell is the penalty for all sin, whether the individual is "far" from God (Genghis Khan? Adolf Hitler?) or a more moderate or marginal sinner. But Jesus did not present such a view. In Luke 12:47-48 he implies that punishment will end sooner for some than for others -- in other words, that hell is not infinite. For if it were, God would be unjust. (I call this view terminal punishment.)