Paralytic sins forgiven with no repentance?
By Jeff Ward
The story of the “Healing of the paralytic” is found in four places:
- Matthew 9:1-8
- Mark 2:1-12
- Luke 5:17-26
- John 5:8-9
Where’s repentance??
Nowhere in any of the accounts does the paralyzed man repent of anything. Is repentance optional? Certainly seems important elsewhere:
- Matthew 3:2
- Matthew 4:17
- Mark 1:15
- Mark 6:12
- Luke 13:3-5
- Acts 2:38
In Luke 17:3-4, people are not required to forgive except there’s repentance.
Why is there no concern about whether this man had repented or not? Presuming he had already repented, then why was his repentance insufficient to remove his sin and his associated paralysis?
How did the paralytic know what sin caused his paralysis?
All four accounts lack an explanation of what sin caused his paralysis. Did this man even recognize it as a sin? How did he learn anything from the experience if he was never informed of his wrong? How should others in the community learn not to do what he had done?
How did he prevent future paralysis from the same sin?
If he never knew what specifically he had done wrong that caused his paralysis, then how could he have any assurance of staying pure and therefore healed?