Mark 2:10

King James Version (KJV)

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

Verses 3-12

See this miracle explained in Matthew 9:2-8.

Palsy - See the notes at Matthew 4:24.

Borne of four - Carried upon a couch Matthew 9:2 by four men.

Mark 2:4

The press - The crowd, the multitude of people. Jesus was probably in the large open area or hall in the center of the house. See the notes at Matthew 9:2. The people pressed into the area, and blocked up the door so that they could not have access to him.

They uncovered the roof where he was - See the notes at Matthew 9:2.

When they had broken it up - When they had removed the awning or covering, so that they could let the man down. See the notes at Matthew 9:2.

Mark 2:5

Their faith - Their confidence or belief that he could heal them.

Son - Literally, “child.” The Hebrews used the words “son” and “child” with a great latitude of signification. They were applied to children, to grandchildren, to adopted children, to any descendants, to disciples, followers, young people, and to dependents. See the notes at Matthew 1:1. In this place it denotes affection or kindness. It was a word of consolation - an endearing appellation, applied by the Saviour to the sick man to show his “compassion,” to inspire confidence, and to assure him that he would heal him.

We never saw it on this fashion - Literally, “We never saw it so.” We never saw anything like this.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

It was this man's misery that he needed to be so carried, and shows the suffering state of human life; it was kind of those who so carried him, and teaches the compassion that should be in men, toward their fellow-creatures in distress. True faith and strong faith may work in various ways; but it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Sin is the cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The way to remove the effect, is to take away the cause. Pardon of sin strikes at the root of all diseases. Christ proved his power to forgive sin, by showing his power to cure the man sick of the palsy. And his curing diseases was a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when it is pardoned, it is healed. When we see what Christ does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the like. Most men think themselves whole; they feel no need of a physician, therefore despise or neglect Christ and his gospel. But the convinced, humbled sinner, who despairs of all help, excepting from the Saviour, will show his faith by applying to him without delay.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

10. That ye may know. Jesus offered a miracle that all could see as evidence of the reality of a far greater miracle that they could not see (cf. Rom. 1:20).

The Son of man. Here, for the first time, all three synoptic writers use this distinctive title (Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:24). It was Christ’s favorite designation for Himself, and appears in the Gospels some 80 times. No one, however, addressed Him by this title, nor do any of the gospel writers refer to Him by it. This title was understood at least among some Jews as a name for the Messianic ruler of the new kingdom to be established. Except under oath (Matt. 26:63, 64; Mark 14:61, 62), and in private to those ready to believe in Him as the Christ (Matt. 16:16, 17; John 3:13-16; 4:25, 26; 16:30, 31), Jesus made no direct Messianic claims. It was His purpose that men should recognize in His life, His words, and His works, evidence that the prophecies of the Messiah had met their fulfillment in Him. See p. 209.

Jesus was literally “the Son of man,” both in a purely historic sense (see Luke 1:31-35; Rom. 1:3, 4; Gal. 4:4) and in a higher sense. The title, Son of man, designates Him as the incarnate Christ (see John 1:14; Phil. 2:6-8). It points to the miracle whereby Creator and creature were united in one divine-human person. It testifies to the truth that sons of men may indeed become sons of God (John 1:12; Gal. 4:3-7; 1 John 3:1, 2). Deity was identified with humanity in order that humanity might be made over again into the image of divinity (DA 25). Concerning Jesus as the Son of God, see on Luke 1:35; John 1:1-3; and as Son of man, on Luke 2:49, 52; John 1:14; see Additional Note on John 1.

Power. Gr. exousia, “authority.” The usual Greek word for “power,” in the sense of “might” or “strength,” is dunamis. To work a miracle required power, but the forgiveness of sin was a matter of authority. In the present passage, exousia stands at the beginning of the clause, and so emphasizes Christ’s authority to forgive sin. The Jewish leaders repeatedly challenged this authority (see ch. 11:28).

Forgive sins. The cause of the disease must be removed before the sufferer could be relieved of the disease from which he suffered (see on v. 5). Healing of the body without healing of the soul could result only in a repetition of the course the young man had taken that brought on the disease. Therefore Christ, who gave the man a new body, first provided him with a new heart.

He saith. The parenthetical statement introduced by these words is inserted in the middle of Jesus’ pronouncement to indicate that at this point He turned from the scribes and addressed Himself to the paralytic. It appears at the same place in all three accounts of the narrative (see Matt. 9:6; Luke 5:24). Similar examples of identical language may be found in Mark 1:16 and Matt. 4:18; Mark 5:28 and Matt. 9:21; Mark 14:2 and Matt. 26:5; Mark 15:10 and Matt. 27:18. See pp. 177, 178; cf. pp. 306, 307.

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Ellen G. White
The Desire of Ages, 267-71

In the healing of the paralytic at Capernaum, Christ again taught the same truth. It was to manifest His power to forgive sins that the miracle was performed. And the healing of the paralytic also illustrates other precious truths. It is full of hope and encouragement, and from its connection with the caviling Pharisees it has a lesson of warning as well. DA 267.1

Like the leper, this paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His disease was the result of a life of sin, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse. He had long before appealed to the Pharisees and doctors, hoping for relief from mental suffering and physical pain. But they coldly pronounced him incurable, and abandoned him to the wrath of God. The Pharisees regarded affliction as an evidence of divine displeasure, and they held themselves aloof from the sick and the needy. Yet often these very ones who exalted themselves as holy were more guilty than the sufferers they condemned. DA 267.2

The palsied man was entirely helpless, and, seeing no prospect of aid from any quarter, he had sunk into despair. Then he heard of the wonderful works of Jesus. He was told that others as sinful and helpless as he had been healed; even lepers had been cleansed. And the friends who reported these things encouraged him to believe that he too might be cured if he could be carried to Jesus. But his hope fell when he remembered how the disease had been brought upon him. He feared that the pure Physician would not tolerate him in His presence. DA 267.3

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Ellen G. White
Faith and Works, 67

I will refer to the paralytic who had not used his limbs for many years. There he was. The priests, the rulers, and scribes examined his case and pronounced it hopeless. They told him that by his own sin he had brought himself into this condition, and there was no hope for him. But the word was brought to him that there was a man called Jesus who was doing mighty works. He was healing the sick, and He had even raised the dead. “But how can I go to Him?” he said. FW 67.1

“We will carry you to Jesus,” his friends replied, “right into His presence; we have heard He has come to such a place.” FW 67.2

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Ellen G. White
Faith and Works, 68

But that mighty evidence given to the Pharisees did not convert them. Men can so encase themselves in unbelief, doubt, and infidelity that the raising of the dead would not convict them. Because of their unbelief they would be in the same unbelieving position, unconvicted, unconverted. But all those who have hearts to receive the truth and ears to hear, glorify God. They exclaim, “We have never seen it on this wise before!” FW 68.1

There was the impotent man, and as Christ talked with him, he told the pitiful story of how, just as soon as he would go down into the water to be healed, somebody else would step in before him. Christ asked him, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6). What a question! That was what he was there for, but Christ wanted to call forth the expression of desire in that man's heart to be made whole. And when Christ bade him to rise, take up his bed and walk, he did just as Christ told him to do. He did not say, “Why, I have been here thirty years and have not taken a step during that time.” He did not stop to argue, but did just as he was bidden. He took up his bed and walked out and was healed from that time. FW 68.2

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Ellen G. White
The Ministry of Healing, 73-9

Many of those who came to Christ for help had brought disease upon themselves, yet He did not refuse to heal them. And when virtue from Him entered into these souls, they were convicted of sin, and many were healed of their spiritual disease as well as of their physical maladies. MH 73.1

Among these was the paralytic at Capernaum. Like the leper, this paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His disease was the result of a sinful life, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse. In vain he had appealed to the Pharisees and doctors for relief; they pronounced him incurable, they denounced him as a sinner and declared that he would die under the wrath of God. MH 73.2

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Ellen G. White
Selected Messages Book 1, 83

[Appeared in Notebook Leaflets, Christian Experience, No. 2.]

The Gergesenes desired Christ to depart. They of Capernaum received Him, and among them He wrought wonderful miracles. 1SM 83.1

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