Mark 2:7-9 New English Translation
7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming![a] Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Now[b] immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts,[c] he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?[d] 9 Which is easier,[e] to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’?
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- Mark 2:7 sn Blaspheming in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere utterances. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
- Mark 2:8 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the shift from the thoughts of the experts in the law to Jesus’ response.
- Mark 2:8 tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”
- Mark 2:8 tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”
- Mark 2:9 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
New English Translation (NET)
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