Paralytic story - Where Is Shed Blood?
By Jeff Ward
There is a doctrine that is often stated:
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
Though the primary source is Hebrews 9:22, secondary sources for the doctrine would be Ephesians 1:7 and Matthew 26:28.
The problem arises when a story emerges in which God Incarnate himself breaks this rule. In the story of the paralytic, there is no shedding of blood an any of the accounts.
- Matthew 9:1-8
- Mark 2:1-12
- Luke 5:17-26
- John 5:8-9
No sheep was offered. No goat. No bullock.
We don’t even see repentence.
And Jesus had not yet gone to the cross.
We find this foundational requirement simply ignored in the story.
🙋❓Why does Christianity insist 'no forgiveness without shedding of blood' when the Paralytic was clearly forgiven WITHOUT any blood?