Mark 2:9

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? WHETHER IS IT EASIER TO SAY TO THE SICK OF THE PALSY, THY SINS BE (OR 'ARE') FORGIVEN THEE; OR TO SAY, ARISE, AND TAKE UP THY BED, AND WALK? 'Is it easier to command away disease than to bid away sin? If, then, I do the one, which you can see, know thus that I have done the other, which you cannot see.'...

1-12 It was this man's misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress. True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases. Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. And his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed. When we see what Christ does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the like. Most men think themselves whole; they feel no need of a physician, therefore...

See this miracle explained in Matthew 9:2. PALSY - See the notes at Matthew 4:24. BORNE OF FOUR - Carried upon a couch Matthew 9:2 by four men. Mark 2:4 THE PRESS - The crowd, the multitude of people. Jesus was probably in the large open area or hall in the center of the house. See the notes at Matthew 9:2. The people pressed into the area, and blocked up the door so that they could not have access to him....

EXPOSITION MARK 2:1 The first sentence of this verse is better rendered thus: AND WHEN HE ENTERED again (εἰσελθῶν πάλιν) INTO CAPERNAUM AFTER SOME DAYS; literally, after days (δι ̓ ἡμερῶν). It is probable that a considerable interval had taken place since the events recorded in the former chapter. IT WAS NOISED THAT HE WAS IN THE HOUSE (ὅτι εἰς οἶκόν ἐστὶ); or, if the ὅτι be regarded as recitative, it was noised, _He is in the house_,_ at home_,_ _in his usual place of residence at Capernaum. MARK 2:2 MANY WERE GATHERED TOGETHER, so that there was no longer room for

WHETHER IS IT EASIER TO SAY TO THE SICK OF THE PALSY,.... This question was put to them by Christ, in order to prove his deity, and clear himself from the charge of blasphemy; for he that could cure the sick of the palsy, by a word speaking, had power to forgive him his sins: and therefore proposes it to them, which was easiest to say, THY SINS BE FORGIVEN THEE, OR TO SAY ARISE, AND TAKE UP THY BED, AND WALK? Both of them were easy to say, but not with power and effect: they were both instances of divine power, and proofs of deity; and only he that could do the one, could do the other, and the one was as easy to be performed, by a divine person, as the other: and though it may be hard to say which is the greatest instance of power, or the strongest proof of deity, to pardon a sinner, or to cure a paralytic by a word speaking; perhaps forgiveness of sin may be the greatest evidence of di...

Mark 2:1. _And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, inasmuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them._ He could not be hid; the healed leper had made his name so famous that men crowded to see him, and he took advantage of their curiosity, and «preached the word unto them.» Mark 2:3. And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be for

SINS SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

MARK 2:9 avfi,entai {B} See the comment on ver. 5....

CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The Servant again in Capernaum. The healing of the Paralytic. (Mark 2:1 .Matthew 9:1; Luke 5:17 .)_ 2. Levi called. With the Publicans and Sinners. (Mark 2:13. Matthew 9:9; Luke 5:27 .) 3. The Question concerning Fasting. (Mark 2:18 .Matthew 9:14;...

THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC. Loisy (pp. 86- 88) regards the discussion of the right to forgive sins as artificially interwoven by Mk. into a simpler story of healing. He says it is not like Jesus to prove a spiritual claim by the argument of a miracle. Jesus refused to work signs. The power to forgive is also asserted by Jesus personally as a Messianic endowment. This conflicts with the attitude towards the Messianic secret (p. 670) preserved elsewhere in the gospel. But forgiveness is undoubtedly one of the blessings of the kingdom (_cf. Mark 4:12_). It is the offer of forgiveness which is challenged by the Pharisees when they ask why Jesus eats with sinners, and why His disciples do not fast. There is an inward connexion between the three incidents in Mark 2. The work of evangelization requires Jesus to forgive sins as well as to drive out demons and heal diseases. These are so many i...