U-19. Luke 5:20-22 What Does it TRULY MEAN? What does Luke 5:20-22 truly mean in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God? Does this passage of Scripture teach us that Jesus must be Almighty God Himself in the flesh as some Christians dogmatically demand? Let us begin this study in God’s word by reading this passage of Scripture out of its context first. And then, I will explain why some Christians interpret Luke 5:20-22 to mean that Jesus MUST be Almighty God Himself in the flesh. And after that, we will read Luke 5:20-22 left IN its CONTEXT to show why I myself no longer see that this passage of Scripture proves that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh as some Christians claim. Here is Luke 5:20-22 out of its context. “20. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, your sins are forgiven you. 21. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22. But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered and said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?” Some Christians argue that the BIBLE teaches us that God ALONE can forgive sins and Jesus FORGAVE this man's sins. Therefore, this proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh. And they continue to argue that Jesus KNEW what they were THINKING and certainly only God Himself can know what people are thinking. Now let us read Luke 5:20-22 being LEFT IN its CONTEXT. I will highlight some things and make some comments in parentheses because it is sometimes hard to remember a larger passage of Scripture. So by giving comments within the passage of Scripture itself, then I can show what I myself believe that each verse of Scripture means as you read each verse. So always treat all of my comments as being my own opinion and interpretation of what each verse means to ME. If you disagree then that is your own opinion. I write these studies to explain WHY I can no longer accept the INTERPRETATIONS made by the Oneness Pentecostal Christians and the Trinitarian Christians who dogmatically insist that we MUST believe that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the FLESH in order to be saved. I was saved by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son OF the living God. I believe in my heart that Jesus suffered and died of the cross for my sins and that God raised Jesus from the dead according to Romans 10:8-11. With that being said let us begin this study in God's word to learn why I MYSELF can no longer believe in the doctrine of the Trinity that to ME, wrongly teaches that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh. Luke 5:17-26. “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, (Jesus was already in the process of teaching the common people before the religious leaders came in abundance on that specific day) that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: (The Pharisees are unbelieving Jews that were always trying to TRAP Jesus in his words and there were a LOT of nay saying Pharisees from EVERY town) and the POWER of the Lord was PRESENT to heal them. (Always know and understand that God ANOINTED the Son of MAN, Jesus, with His Holy Spirit and POWER, according to Acts 10:38. And thus, wherever Jesus went, the POWER of Almighty God was PRESENT because God was WITH Jesus by DWELLING IN Jesus) 18. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20. And when he saw their FAITH, (Jesus was a Prophet of God and God REVEALS things to His prophets. So Jesus PERCEIVED that they had faith by God revealing their faith to him. And when Jesus saw their FAITH) he said unto him, Man, your sins are forgiven you. (Notice that Jesus did NOT say, I forgive you of your sins. But rather, Jesus only said and did what his God and Father dwelling in him TOLD him what to say and what to do. And thus, it was God DWELLING in the ANOINTED Son of MAN, Jesus, who did the WORKS of forgiving that man’s sins. For you see, God was WITH Jesus as opposed to Jesus being Almighty God Himself in the flesh. In other words, God was in the flesh OF Jesus as opposed to Jesus being Almighty God Himself transformed into a man. For you see, that INTERPRETION the Son of MAN, Jesus, is Almighty God Himself contradicts Numbers 23:19 and Hosea 11:9 which clearly teaches us that God is NOT a MAN and neither is God the Son of MAN) 21. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, (In other words, they were having a conversation among themselves) Who is this which speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? (Keep in mind that the Jews falsely accused Jesus of blasphemy. The Jews also said that Jesus had a devil so why hear you him and we all know that Jesus did not have a devil. But rather, Jesus cast out devils by the POWER of God. And in the same way, it was the POWER of God that forgave that man’s sins. For you see, Jesus himself teaches us in SIMPLICITY in John 5:19 that he could do NOTHING OF himself. And in John 14:10 Jesus teaches us in simplicity that it was the Father DWELLING in him who did the WORKS) 22. But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, (Or Jesus perceived their DISCUSSION. For you see, the Greek word translated as thoughts also means DISCUSSION and the Greek word translated as perceived also means that Jesus acknowledged their discussion pf reasoning among themselves and) he answered and said unto them, What reason you in your hearts? (Again, God dwelling IN Jesus revealed the thoughts of men to His Prophet, Jesus, to show that God was WITH His Prophet. Notice that AFTER Jesus explains why he said, Man your sins are forgiven you, that the Jews MARVELED or they were AMAZED. Notice that Jesus asked them WHAT do you REASON in your hearts? And Jesus continues asking more QUESTIONS?) 23. Whether it is easier to say, your sins be forgiven you; or to say, Rise up and walk? (In other words, do you DISCUSS among yourselves why I said to the man your sins are forgiven you rather than saying rise up and walk? Well, here is my answer) 24. But that you may know that the Son of MAN has POWER upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto you, Arise, and take up you couch, and go into your house. (Again, Jesus was GIVEN that power by his God and Father and it was God DWELLING in him who did the WORKS of forgiving that man's sin as well as doing the work to HEALING that man. Jesus could do NOTHING OF himself, according to John 5:19) 25. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. (And not glorifying Jesus) 26. And they were ALL AMAZED, and THEY glorified God, and were filled with FEAR, saying, We have seen STRANGE things today.” Keep in mind and ALWAYS remember that the unbelieving Jews also accused Jesus of having a devil, and that Jesus cast out devils to heal people by the POWER of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. And therefore, we can not take the words of the unbelieving Jews OVER what Jesus himself says of himself. You can read John 5:19 and John 14:10 on your own, which to me, proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that Jesus is NOT Almighty God Himself in the flesh. But rather, it was Almighty God DWELLING in His anointed human Son who did the WORKS. And you can also read the following passages of Scripture on your own as well which teach us that the unbelieving Jews falsely accused Jesus of having a devil and falsely accused Jesus of making himself equal to God. Read Matthew 9:32-34; Matthew 12:22-32; Mark 3:22-30; Matthew 11:18; Luke 7:23; John 10:20,21; and John 5:18-30. But for now, below are 12 points to ponder on as reasons why I myself can no longer believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, which, to ME, wrongly teaches that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh. There are MANY other reasons why Jesus was made to BECOME a God under his God and Father after the cross that I have in the study called “37 FACTS TO PONDER ABOUT JESUS BEING GOD!” But these twelve reasons below focus specifically on WHY Luke 5:20-22 does NOT prove that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh simply because Jesus said, Man, your sins are forgiven you.
#1. Jesus said of himself that he could do NOTHING OF Himself in John 5:19. #2. Jesus said that the words he spoke were not his own words, according to John 12:46-50. #3. Jesus also said that it was the Father dwelling in him who did the WORKS, according to John 14:10-20. And the same Spirit who dwelt in Jesus and now dwells in us does not mean that we are Jesus or Almighty God. #4. Jesus came in the NAME OF Yahweh. Many verses teach us this truth, such as Matthew 23:39. #5. Jesus was ANOINTED with the Holy Spirit and POWER, according to Acts 10:38. #6. Jesus only did what the Father showed him to do and told him what to say, according to John 5:19,30; John 12:49; John 14:10-20, and John 8:28, which by the way is in the very CONTEXT of John 8:58, the famous verses use by Trinitarian and Oneness Pentecostal Christians to try and prove that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh having TWO natures at the SAME time DURING the days of his FLESH, one divine, and one human. So WHY would Jesus INTEND his words in John 8:58 to mean that he was saying that he is Yahweh Himself when Jesus said in the SAME CONTEXT that he could do NOTHING of himself in John 8:28? And thus, IF their INTERPRETION of John 8:58 is correct then that would mean that Jesus is a LIAR by saying that he could do NOTHING OF himself and it was God DWELLING in him who did the works. #7. Jesus said that WE can REMIT sins in John 20:2-23 which I will go ahead and quote for you and explain some things.
John 20:21-23.
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: AS my Father has sent me, even so, send I you. (Or in the SAME way that God sent His Son, Jesus, is the SAME way that Jesus sends us. And we were not sent down from heaven and neither was Jesus sent down from heaven. It was God's word of PROPHECY that was sent down from heaven. The Greek word “apostello” that is translated as “sent” means to set apart and send out or to dispatch. So it was at the baptism of human Son of God that his God and Father called the Son of MAN to be set apart and to be sent out into the world as God’s servant to do his God and Father’s WILL) 22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive you the Holy Ghost: (Keep in mind that this could very well be a “prophecy” of the Day of Pentecost which is when they actually were filled with the Holy Spirit to be endued with POWER from on high, according to Luke 24:49. Also, this was AFTER the cross and resurrection of Jesus. which was WHEN his God and Father GAVE his human Son ALL POWER and ALL AUTHORITY. In other words, it was after the cross that it PLEASED the Father that all of the FULNESS of the Godhead should dwell in His now HIGHLY EXALTED human Son. For you see, Jesus, made in the express image of the invisible God to become the firstborn of every creature, the firstborn from the DEAD, the firstborn among many BRETHREN. And anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear knows full well that a CREATURE is a CREATED being. And Almighty God Himself is NOT a created being. So to me, the HUMAN Son of God was HIGHLY EXALTED and GIVEN all power and authority FROM his God and Father who PROPHESIED all of this to come to pass) 23. Whose so ever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose so ever sins you retain, they are retained.”
Now the Greek word translated as remit in John 20:23 is the SAME Greek word that is translated as “forgiven” in Luke 5:20.
G863 ἀφίημι aphiēmi af-ee'-ay-mee From G575 and ἵημι hiēmi (to send; an intensive form of εἶμι eimi (to go)); to send forth, in various applications: - cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up. Total KJV occurrences: 147
#8. Jesus is teaching us that the Greek word “sozo” means BOTH to save, as in, to be forgiven of all our past sins, AND to be HEALED. So again, it was the Father dwelling in Jesus who TOLD Jesus to say to the man, your sins are forgiven you. Then when the unbelieving Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, then Jesus answered them, is it EASIER to say your sins are forgiven you or to say you are healed? And it was AFTER Jesus said to the man, arise and walk that the man was immediately healed. And when they SAW that the man was healed, they were AMAZED and they ALL glorified God. So then, NONE of the people in the day of Jesus EVER thought that Jesus was Almighty God Himself in the flesh. But rather, they understood that God was WITH the MAN, Jesus, and that it was God who healed the man to SHOW that God was WITH His servant and Prophet. But they did not EXPECT God to forgive the sins of a man by a man simply SAYING, your sins are forgive you. They did not yet understand that a MAN would suffer and die on the cross for their sins.
#9. When WE pray for the sick and they are HEALED, then any sins they had are FORGIVEN them as well, according to James 5:15.
#10. 1 John 5:16 teaches us that we can pray and ask God to forgive another person’s sin.
1 John 5:16,17.
“If any man sees his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”
#11. Luke 5:20 says that when Jesus SAW their FAITH, he said unto him, Man, your sins are forgiven you.
Again, notice that Jesus did NOT say unto the man, I, Jesus, forgive you of all your sins. And IF the unbelieving Jews truly LISTENED to the words of Jesus saying in other places that he could do NOTHING OF himself and that it was the Father dwelling IN him who did the WORKS, then they would have known that it was God commanding Jesus to SAY to the man, your sins are forgiven you. And they may have known this, but it could have been that they were jealous of the FAME of Jesus. For you see, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the doctors of the law, the Rabbis, and the unbelieving Jews desired to falsely accuse Jesus of NOT being a man of God because their followers began to follow Jesus. #12. AFTER the Jews who accused Jesus of blasphemy SAW the man healed, THEN they believed that God was WITH Jesus and they were AMAZED. And they feared God giving God all to the GLORY. And they also wandered about or pondered because they saw STRANGE things.
The Greek word translated as “strange things” means that they saw and heard things that were CONTRARY to what they were expecting to hear. In other words, the Jews were taught that only God alone can forgive sins and they did not expect that God would give the POWER to forgive sins to a MAN to simply say, your sins are forgiven you. The unbelieving Jews were probably reasoning among themselves that God only can forgive sins after we offer God a SACRIFICE. So how can a man simply say your sins are forgiven you? That would sound like blasphemy to the Jews. But Jesus know that the PROPHECIES spoke of him as becoming the MESSIAH. Here is how E-Sword defines the Greek word “paradoxos” that is translated as strange things.
G3861 παράδοξος paradoxos par-ad'-ox-os From G3844 and G1391 (in the sense of seeming); contrary to expectation, that is, extraordinary (“paradox”): - strange. Total KJV occurrences: 1.
So to ME, Luke 5:20-22 does NOT prove that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh. Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God by correctly interpreting any given verse of Scripture in the LIGHT of all of the Scriptures. Below is a comprehensive list of all of the verses of Scripture that I am aware of that are used by some Christians to try and prove that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh having TWO natures at the SAME time DURING the days of his FLESH, one divine and one human. Now I believe that the Bible ITSELF teaches us that Jesus was given the divine nature of immortality to become Deity after the cross. So to me, Jesus was fully human DURING the days of his FLESH and then after the cross the Son of MAN, Jesus, was highly exalted to be made a PARTAKER of the DIVINE NATURE of immortality. I believe that the Bible ITSELF clearly teaches us in SIMPLICITY that Jesus did not become God's ETERNAL Son until after the cross and resurrection. If you want to know WHY I have come to believe this, then please continue reading the studies that I have written listed in the LINKS below. Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as your continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED! To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY IS according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God so please read ALL the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ!
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