---
title: Jesus Forgives Sins — Only God Can Do That
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/jesus-forgives-sins/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/jesus-forgives-sins.md
type: argument
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
topics: [Deity of Christ]
challenges: [Jesus Is a Created Being]
verses: [Mark 2:5, Jeremiah 17:10, Mark 2:7, Mark 2:10, Luke 5:21, Luke 7:48, Luke 5:17, Mark 2:1]
strength: Very Strong
tone: Excellent
attribution: James White / Greg Koukl / R.C. Sproul
added: '2026-04-01'
last_reviewed: '2026-04-01'
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Jesus Forgives Sins — Only God Can Do That

*Mark 2:5-12*

## Doorstep Question

> "In Mark 2, the scribes say 'Who can forgive sins except one, God?' — and your NWT agrees they said it. Then Jesus forgives sins. Does Jesus agree with the scribes' theology, or does he correct it?"

## JW Claim

Jehovah delegated the authority to forgive sins to Jesus. Jesus acts on
God's behalf, not as God himself. An agent can grant forgiveness on the
authority of the one who sent him.

## Strategy

Open the NWT to Mark 2:5-12. Walk through the logic: (1) Jesus says 'your sins are forgiven' (v5). (2) The scribes think 'Who can forgive sins except one, God?' (v7). (3) Jesus knows their thoughts (v8) — already a divine attribute. (4) Jesus heals the paralytic to prove 'the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins' (v10). Notice what Jesus does NOT do: he does not correct the scribes' theology. He doesn't say 'Actually, agents can also forgive sins.' He accepts their premise — only God can forgive sins — and then demonstrates that he has that authority. The miracle proves the claim. In the NWT, even the crowd's reaction confirms it: they 'glorified God' because they saw God's authority at work in Jesus.

## Key Insight

The scribes were right: only God can forgive sins. Jesus proved he has that authority by healing the paralytic. He didn't correct their theology — he confirmed it by demonstrating he belongs in that category.

## JW Responses & Counters

### Response 1

**JW says:** "Jehovah gave Jesus the authority to forgive sins — like a judge acting on behalf of the king."

**Counter:** But the scribes didn't say 'Who can forgive sins except God and those he authorises?' They said 'except one, God.' And Jesus doesn't say 'God gave me this authority' — he says 'the Son of Man has authority.' He also knew their thoughts without being told (v8) — that requires omniscience. A delegated judge doesn't read minds. Jesus acts with divine knowledge and divine authority simultaneously.

### Response 2

**JW says:** "The elders of Israel could pronounce forgiveness in God's name too."

**Counter:** Elders declared God's forgiveness after sacrifice — they were intermediaries announcing what God had done. Jesus does not announce what Jehovah has done — he says 'I say to you, your sins are forgiven.' He speaks on his own authority. And he proves it with a miracle. No elder in the Old Testament ever did that.

### Response 3

**JW says:** "This just proves Jesus has special authority — not that he is God."

**Counter:** But what kind of authority? The authority to forgive sins — which the scribes said belongs to God alone. The authority to read hearts — which Jeremiah 17:10 says belongs to Jehovah. The authority to heal with a word. Jesus accepted the scribes' premise and then showed he meets it. The simplest explanation is the one the scribes themselves identified: only God can do this — and Jesus did it.

## What to Avoid

Don't get into a debate about whether priests 'forgive sins.' The Catholic/Orthodox practice of absolution is a different topic. Stay focused on Jesus' direct, personal authority to forgive.

## Homework

Read Mark 2:1-12 until you can retell the healing of the paralytic in order: sins forgiven (v5), the scribes' objection (v7), Jesus reading their thoughts (v8), the healing as proof (v10-11), the crowd glorifying God (v12). Check verse 7 in the NWT yourself so you can show the scribes' words are in their own Bible, and read Luke 5:17-26 and Luke 7:48 as parallels. Practise the doorstep question aloud. Prepare for the delegated-authority reply ("like a judge acting for the king"), and have Jeremiah 17:10 ready on who reads hearts.

## Next Moves

- [Thomas' Confession: My Lord and My God](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/john20-28-thomas.md)
- [Jesus' Eternality](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/psalm102-hebrews1.md)
- [The Good Teacher Dilemma](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/good-teacher.md)