Luke 5:21
ESV
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
NIV
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
NASB
The scribes and the Pharisees began thinking of the implications, saying, 'Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, except God alone?'
CSB
Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves: "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
NLT
But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, 'Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!'
KJV
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
NKJV
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
What does Luke 5:21 mean?
Four men (Mark 2:3) have ripped a hole in the roof of a house Jesus was teaching in and lowered down their paralytic friend. They believe wholeheartedly that Jesus can and will heal him. In response to their faith, Jesus does the unimaginable and forgives the man of his sin (Luke 5:17–20). At the time, Jews thought specific sins caused paralysis (1 Maccabees 9:55) and the man is still unable to walk. The scribes make the connection between Jesus' claim and the man's continued state and have two questions: "Who is this?" and "Who can forgive sin?"The scribes also make a judgment call: "This is blasphemy." This is the core of the theological charges Jewish religious leaders hold over Jesus. In their eyes, He claims spiritual authority He does not actually hold. In so doing—they think—Jesus commits a capital offense against God. It will be the justification behind their push to have Jesus crucified (Luke 22:66–71).
This is the first time in the gospel of Luke where the Pharisees meet Jesus. Yet this is the second strong indication Jesus gives that He has the spiritual authority of God, beyond the power to heal. The first was in Nazareth. While speaking in the synagogue, He read—and claimed—the Messianic passage found in Isaiah 61:1–2. The audience immediately reduced Him to the boy they had watched grow up and tried to throw Him off the cliff (Luke 4:16–30). The Pharisees in Capernaum are more subtle but no less horrified.
