Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 2:7

"Why doth this man thus speak? he blasphemeth: who can forgive sins but one, [even] God?" — Mark 2:7 (ASV)

Here the “teachers of the law” (cf. 1:22) become directly involved with Jesus. His statement about forgiveness gave them their opportunity to ensnare him on some theological point.

Their basic premise was that for anyone but God to claim to forgive sin was blasphemy. Since for them Jesus was not God, he was blaspheming. If they were right about who Jesus was, their reasoning was flawless. In Jewish teaching even the Messiah could not forgive sins. They failed to recognize who Jesus really was—the Son of God who does have authority to forgive sins.