“Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?”
The full verse · Mark 2:7 · KJV
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The Scene
In a crowded house at Capernaum, four men have let a paralyzed man down through the roof, and Jesus has told him, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:1-5).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe scribes heard Jesus claim what belongs to God alone. Gill explains, "They took Christ to be a mere man, and reasoned with themselves, that he must be a blasphemer, in assuming that to himself, which was peculiar to God." The first question accuses Jesus of blasphemy. The second states the reason: only God forgives sins. Gill calls that "a generally received maxim with them, and a very just one." Their premise was right. Their conclusion about Jesus was wrong, and they reached it silently, "reasoning in their hearts" (Mark 2:6).
The Response
What Scripture recordsJesus "perceived in his spirit" what they were thinking and asked, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2:8). He followed with a second question: "Whether is it easier...?" (Mark 2:9). Then He gave proof: "that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins," He told the man, "Arise, and take up thy bed" (Mark 2:10-11). The man "arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all," and the people "glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion" (Mark 2:12).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe scribes were experts who copied, taught, and interpreted the law of Moses. Gill says these were sitting in the house "to watch and observe what he said and did." To blaspheme God, Barnes explains, is "to speak of him unjustly, to ascribe to him acts and attributes which he does not possess." So in their eyes a man claiming to forgive sins was taking God's place.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThe scribes asked the right question and missed the answer standing in front of them. Who can forgive sins but God only? Mark's account answers it: Jesus, the Son of man, "hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:10), and He proved it by healing with a word. Matthew Henry says, "Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy."
The scene reveals how God's forgiveness comes near. The forgiveness the scribes believed belonged only to God was spoken by Jesus to one paralyzed man in a crowded room. Matthew adds that the people glorified God, "which had given such power unto men" (Matthew 9:8).
Look Closer
What did Jesus say that led the scribes to ask these questions?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You have power on earth to forgive sins; what keeps me from fully receiving Your forgiveness?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The scribes knew that only God forgives, yet missed who was in front of them. Where might your assumptions keep you from seeing what Jesus is doing?
- Tell about a time when being forgiven, by God or by someone else, changed how you lived.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
The scribes were right about one thing: only God can forgive sins. That is what makes Jesus' words so remarkable. When He says, "thy sins be forgiven thee," either He is speaking falsely, or He has the right to say it. Mark shows that He has the right (Mark 2:10-12). Matthew Henry adds that Christ knows the sinfulness of our sins better than anyone, "and yet is ready to pardon."
Watch how quickly a silent verdict can form. The scribes decided Jesus was a blasphemer without asking Him a thing. Honest questions about Jesus are welcome; the danger is settling the answer in your heart before you have looked at the evidence.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
“Why reason ye these things in your hearts?”
“Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?”
“Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?”