---
title: Mark 2:5
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/mark-2-5/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/mark-2-5.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Mark 2:5
testament: NT
section: Gospels
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Mark 2:5

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: 'Child, your sins are forgiven.'"

## JW Usage

The Watchtower reads Jesus's pronouncement of forgiveness as an exercise of delegated authority. Jehovah granted Jesus the right to declare forgiveness on God's behalf; Jesus speaks as Jehovah's appointed agent rather than as God himself. The verse is read as evidence of Jesus's high authority and special standing — but not as evidence of divine identity.

## Protestant Usage

Pair Mark 2:5 with vv. 6-12 as a single unit. Jesus says directly to the paralytic "your sins are forgiven" — first person, his own authority, no "by Jehovah's authority" qualifier. The scribes immediately recognise the theological category Jesus has placed himself in (v. 7: "Who can forgive sins except one, God?"). Jesus does not correct their theology — he proves the claim by knowing their thoughts (omniscience) and healing the paralytic with a word (divine power). Pair Mark 2:5 with Luke 7:48 (Jesus directly forgives the sinful woman) and Acts 7:60 (Stephen asks Jesus to forgive his killers) for the consistent New Testament pattern: Jesus exercises divine forgiveness, and the apostolic church understood him to be the one to whom such requests are addressed.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Jesus Forgives Sins — Only God Can Do That](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/jesus-forgives-sins.md) — Mark 2:5-12 [Deity of Christ]
- [Volunteer or Servant? — Why the Son's Obedience Cannot Be Angelic](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/voluntary-submission-vs-angelic.md) — John 10:18 / Philippians 2:6-8 / Hebrews 1:14 [Deity of Christ]
- [The Salvation-Name Dilemma](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/salvation-name-dilemma.md) — Old Testament — only Jehovah's name saves. New Testament — only Jesus' name saves. [Deity of Christ]
- [Yeshua — His Name Is "Jehovah Saves"](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/yeshua-jehovah-saves.md) — Matthew 1:21 — the bridge between the two saving names [Deity of Christ]