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Does John 20:23 Prove that We Are God?
***What Does Luke 5:20-22 TRULY mean?
Here is Luke 5:20-22 from the KJV. “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
Does Luke 5:20,21 PROVE that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh?
In other words, does this verse of Scripture prove that the Bible teaches that only Almighty God Himself can forgive sins?
Jesus said to his disciples in John 20:23 that whose soever sins they remit, they are remitted unto them.
And the Greek word translated as “remit” and “remitted” is the SAME Greek word translated as FORGIVEN in Luke 5:20.
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The Jews Believed that Only God Himself can Forgive Sins!
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 Christian 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 then, 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.
“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, your sins are forgiven you.
Luke 20:21. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
Luke 20:22. But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered and said unto them, What reason you in your hearts?”
Some Christians argue that the BIBLE says that God ALONE can forgive sins and Jesus FORGAVE this man 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 that you know the Trinitarian INTERPRETATION, 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.
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 naysaying 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)
Luke 20:18. 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.
Luke 20:19. 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.
Luke 20:20. And when he saw their FAITH, (Jesus was a Prophet of God, and Almighty 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, according to John 12:48-50, and John 5:20.
And then, 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 by DWELLING in him as opposed to Jesus being Almighty God Himself in the flesh, according to 2 Corinthians 5:15-21)
Luke 20:21. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? (Keep in mind that the Jews falsely accuse 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)
Luke 20:22. But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, 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 MARVEL)
Luke 20:23. Whether it is easier to say, your sins be forgiven you; or to say, Rise up and walk?
Luke 20:24. 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 your couch, and go into your house.
Luke 20:25. 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)
Luke 20:26. 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 Beelzebub, the prince of devils.
And therefore, we can not take the words of the unbelieving Jesus 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.
But rather, it was Almighty God the FATHER DWELLING in His anointed human Son who did the WORKS.
And Hebrews 9:14 teaches us that Jesus offered himself to God THROUGH the Eternal Spirit.
Thus, the Eternal Spirit dwelling in Jesus is the FATHER.
Please read the study called M-5. WHY the HOLY SPIRIT is the FATHER?
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 ALSO 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, John 10:20,21, and John 5:18-30.
Below are 12 points to ponder on as reasons why I myself no longer can 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 as well that I have in the study called N-11. 37 FACTS to Ponder About Jesus Being God!
But the following twelve reasons 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 God dwelling in us does not mean the we are Almighty God Himself in the flesh
#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 12:49,50, John 14:10-20, and John 8:28, which is in the very CONTEXT of John 8:58.
#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 the God sent His Son, Jesus, is the SAME way the Jesus sends us.
And we were not sent down from heaven and neither was Jesus 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 that the human Son of God was called and set apart to be sent out into the world as God’s servant to do his God and Father’s WILL)
John 20:22. 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.
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 and all of the FULNESS of the Godhead to dwell in His HIGHLY EXALTED human Son, Jesus)
John 20:23. Whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever 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 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, as it was God who healed the man to SHOW that God was WITH His servant and Prophet.
#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.
I 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.
1 John 5:17. 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 your.
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 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 DWELLING in Jesus who commanded Jesus to SAY to the man, your sins are forgiven you.
And they may have known this but they were jealous of the FAME of Jesus.
For you see, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Saduuces, the doctors of the law, the Rabbis, and the unbelieving Jews desired to falsely accuse Jesus of NOT being a man of God.
#12. AFTER the Jews who wrongly accused Jesus of blasphemy SAW the man healed, THEN they believed that God was WITH Jesus and they were AMAZED, according to John 7:16.
And they feared God giving God all 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.
They were not expecting a man from Nazareth to be the PROPHET of God that was prophesied to come.
But the more they saw God working in Jesus, some of them knew that God had VISITED them and that Jesus was a Prophet of God, according to Luke 7:16.
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.
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.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
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Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
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