Does Forgiving Sins Mean Jesus Is God?
Many Christians have been taught and believe that Jesus Christ is Almighty God because he actually forgave sins while he was on earth. Does forgiving sins mean that Jesus is God? Let’s analyze the scriptures objectively, and see for ourselves.
Mark 2:5-7 – “When Jesus saw their faith, he saw to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, ‘ Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (NAB). Does this assertion by Jesus’ enemies that, ‘only God can forgive sins’, mean that Jesus is God? Notice next what term Jesus uses to describe himself:
Mark 2:10 – “The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” (NAB). – “The Son of Man” means that Jesus was cannot be God, since “God is not a human being” (Numbers 23:19 NAB). “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). When Jesus was born on earth, he was “fully human in every way” (Hebrews 2:17 NIV), so he could not be God.
Matthew 9:2 – “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven'” (NAB). Jesus forgives sins. (See Acts 5:30-31.) Trinitarians claim this makes Jesus God. Matthew 9:6 says Jesus has authority to forgive sins. “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (NAB). The ‘authority to forgive sins’ had been bestowed on Jesus as God’s “representative” (John 5:43 Williams New Testament), obviously. God doesn’t need anyone’s authority. In fact, Matthew 9:8 says, “The crowd . . . praised God for sending a man with such great authority” (NLT 2013 edition). Jesus said, “God sent me” (John 8:42 NIV), so he could not be God.
Luke 5:20-24 – “Your sins are forgiven . . . Who but God alone can forgive sins? . . . that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .” (NAB) – Who gave Jesus this authority? – God the Father did!
Does forgiving sins mean Jesus is God? Not according to the scriptures themselves, it doesn’t.
One thought on “Does Forgiving Sins Mean Jesus Is God?”
BA1: Does Forgiving Sins Mean Jesus Is God?
GW1: Well of course not! Isn’t this obvious?
BA1: Many Christians have been taught and believe that Jesus Christ is Almighty God because he actually forgave sins while he was on earth. Does forgiving sins mean that Jesus is God? Let’s analyze the scriptures objectively, and see for ourselves.
GW1: I think we may infer from the Bible stories that Jesus was not God or even a deity, but God temporarily delegated or assigned to Jesus some supernatural powers and the authority to forgive sins. But if God did exist, he would not do this. He would do his own work and not use intermediaries. Also, God does not exist. This has been proven. Jesus did exist; he was a man who lived in the first century.
BA1: Mark 2:5-7 – “When Jesus saw their faith, he saw to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, ‘ Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (NAB). Does this assertion by Jesus’ enemies that, ‘only God can forgive sins’, mean that Jesus is God?
GW1: The scribes were mistaken. According to the theology of the Bible, God could delegate the forgiveness of sins to a man. Of course, if God did exist, he would never do this. He would do all his own work with no intermediaries or messengers.
BA1: Notice next what term Jesus uses to describe himself: Mark 2:10 – “The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” (NAB). – “The Son of Man” means that Jesus was cannot be God, since “God is not a human being” (Numbers 23:19 NAB). “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). When Jesus was born on earth, he was “fully human in every way” (Hebrews 2:17 NIV), so he could not be God.
GW1: We agree that Jesus could not have been God. I don’t know why so many Christians make this mistake.
BA1: Matthew 9:2 – “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven'” (NAB). Jesus forgives sins. (See Acts 5:30-31.) Trinitarians claim this makes Jesus God.
GW1: But the Trinitarians are obviously wrong about this. Jesus and God are two separate persons. Jesus was real, and God is only hypothetical, now proven to not exist.
BA1: Matthew 9:6 says Jesus has authority to forgive sins. “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (NAB). The ‘authority to forgive sins’ had been bestowed on Jesus as God’s “representative” (John 5:43 Williams New Testament), obviously.
GW1: Yes, according to the Bible, God DELEGATED the authority to forgive sins to Jesus.
BA1: God doesn’t need anyone’s authority.
GW1: Nor would God grant divine authority to anyone else, if he did exist.
BA1: In fact, Matthew 9:8 says, “The crowd . . . praised God for sending a man with such great authority” (NLT 2013 edition). Jesus said, “God sent me” (John 8:42 NIV), so he could not be God.
GW1: We agree that Jesus was not God.
BA1: Luke 5:20-24 – “Your sins are forgiven . . . Who but God alone can forgive sins? . . . that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .” (NAB) – Who gave Jesus this authority? – God the Father did!
GW1: Delegation.
BA1: Does forgiving sins mean Jesus is God? Not according to the scriptures themselves, it doesn’t.
GW1: We agree on this point. But you need to remember that if God did exist, he would not need or use assistants, and so he would not delegate authority or powers to other persons. And besides, God does not exist. This has been proven.