John Calvin Commentary Matthew 9:5

"For which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, and walk?" — Matthew 9:5 (ASV)

Whether is it easier to say? The meaning is this: since it is no easier to give life by a word to a nearly dead body than it is to forgive sins, there is no reason to wonder that he forgives sins when he has accomplished the other.

The argument our Lord uses may appear to be not well-founded: for, in proportion as the soul is more excellent than the body, the forgiveness of sins is a greater work than the healing of the body.

But the reply is easy. Christ adapts his discourse to their capacity. For, being unspiritual, they were more powerfully affected by outward signs than by all the spiritual power of Christ, which related to eternal salvation.

Thus he proves the power of the Gospel to give life to people from the fact that at the last day he will raise the dead by his voice from their graves.

Wonder not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all who are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, (John 5:28–29).

This was a sufficiently powerful argument to refute those who considered a visible miracle of more importance than anything else. They could not say that he had no right to forgive the sins of the paralytic when he restored him to health and vigor, for this was a result which followed from the forgiveness of sins.