Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Mark 2:5-11 – Only God Can Forgive Sins?

Mark 2:5 - Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."
Mark 2:6 - But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,  
Mark 2:7 - "Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 
Mark 2:8 - Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 
Mark 2:9 - Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say, 'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?' 
Mark 2:10 - But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he said to the paralytic -- 
Mark 2:11 - "I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house." 

Luke 5:20 - Seeing their faith, he said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." 
Luke 5:21 - The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" 

Mark 2:7 and Luke 5:21 are often presented as proof that God cannot give anyone authority to forgive sins, and therefore, according to that reasoning, in order for Jesus to forgive sins, Jesus has to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thus it is being asserted that Jesus has to be God Almighty, since according to they way this often quoted, 'only God can forgive sins.'

However, if we note the context, the ones who are saying this are the Jewish leaders; these are the same Jewish leaders described as lying and deceiving, offspring of vipers, etc. (Mark 2:7), and they are saying this because of envy, as an excuse to accuse Jesus with blasphemy, in an effort to find some reason according to the Law to justify — before the eyes of the people — killing him. — Matthew 27:8; 21:37,38; Luke 20:19; 22:2.

In Mark 2:10, we find that instead of claiming to be God, Jesus claimed to be the promised Son of the Man, David, who had authority on earth to forgive sins.  And who gave Jesus this authority? Other scriptures show that he received his authority from his God.

But note this:
1 He entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city. 2 Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.” 3 Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.” 4 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’ 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to your house.” 7 He arose and departed to his house. 8But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. — Matthew 9:1-8, World English
Matthew 9:8 reveals that Jesus, as a man among men, received this authority from his God and Father.

Peter, in speaking to the Jews, described Jesus as “a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by [Greek instrumental “en”, "by means of," -- Strong’s #1722] him in the midst of you.” (Acts 2:22) The “God” that Peter refers is evidently not Jesus whom “God” approved, so Peter must be referring to the God and Father of Jesus (1 Peter 1:3), and in doing this he is presenting “God” as one person, that is the Father. This agrees with Paul's statement that there is "one God" of whom are all, and Paul identifies that "one God" as being the Father of Jesus. -- 1 Corinthians 8:6.

At the same time, the God that Peter is referring to as one person is “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob” (Acts 3:13), the God who spoke to Moses. (Exodus 3:15; Hebrews 1:1) It was this same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who spoke of raising up a prophet like Moses, which prophet was to speak the words of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and come in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. — Deuteronomy 18:15-22; Acts 3:13-26.

Throughout the scriptures, we find it stated that Jesus' power and authority is given to him from his God and Father. Jesus is not Jehovah who gives him this dominion, all authority and power (with the evident exception of the position of being the Most High himself -- 1 Corinthians 15:27). It is Jesus' God who is the source of Jesus' power (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3), since Jesus is not the "one God" of whom are all. (1 Corinthians 8:6) Nevertheless, Jesus' uses the power and authority that his God has given him to the praise of his God, Jehovah, his God and Father. The Bible writers never claimed that Jesus is the ultimate "source" of his own power. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalm 2:6-8; 45:7; 110:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:2; 42:1; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5; Ezekiel 34:23,24; 37:24; Daniel 7:13,14; Micah 5:4; Matthew 12:28; 28:18; Luke 1:32; 4:14,18; 5:17; John 3:34; 5:19,27,30; 10:18,36-38; Acts 2:22,36; 3:13-26; 10:38; Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:10; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2,4,6,9; 1 Peter 3:22.

There is nothing in the fact that the only true God who sent Jesus (John 17:3) gave to Jesus authority on earth (Matthew 9:8) to forgive sins that means that Jesus is the only true God who sent him. There is definitely nothing in any of these verses that give us reason to create many assumptions and add those assumptions to, and read those assumptions into these scriptures so as to claim that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is three persons, and that Jesus is a person of Jehovah, etc. The idea that Jehovah is more than one person is no where to be found in the Bible.

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