Thank you alien that seems pretty concise,I would for the benefit of Sass show her this conversation found in scripture.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Now Sass only God can forgive sins and Jesus said “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
~TW~
I should remind you that God forgave sins even before Christ came.
The goat who was sent away with them and the sacrifices made by the high priest.
Now Christ said: Go your sins are forgiven. You see the men who brought their friends thought his need to be healed was greater. But Christ saw he sought forgiveness and assurance of forgiveness even more than his healing.
He also says when questioned (from memory) " To show you that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, take up your bed and walk."
Just as the high priest had power on earth to take away the sins of the people by sacrifice. But it is God who forgives and we know Christ has been made the way by which men are forgiven and the power to enter through Christ to God. Hence the tearing of the veil in the Temple when Christ died now showing the way to God is through Christ and his sacrifice of himself.
So the Jews believed only God could forgive sins. But as the way shows that he forgives our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That Jesus Christ is the means by which our sins are forgiven. Are you saying that man wasn't forgiven that God was not speaking through Christ?
When the disciples said "Your sins are forgiven" were they God?
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
As judge of the quick and the dead, didn't Christ have the right to forgive sins?
You should not confuse who Christ is with the authority given to him by God who was with him.
Did the priest believe once the sacrifice was made that God had forgiven the people and so he gave them absolution? Do not the priest today in the Roman Catholic Church believe when they have heard confession that they give absolution?
But Christ is the judge of the quick and the dead, and when he has put all things back under God he will then place himself back under God.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.Last of all Christ himself becomes subject to God again.
Christ never made himself equal to God. He never placed himself above God or on equal par.
Only the Son of perdition will make himself to be as God to others.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.Christ never made himself out to be God, he was always the Son of God.
