Why did the scribes accuse Jesus of blasphemy in Matthew 9:3? Immediate Narrative Setting (Matthew 9:1–8) Jesus returns to Capernaum, a paralytic is lowered before Him, and He declares, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven” (v. 2). At once “some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming!’ ” (v. 3). Their reaction frames the issue: why would a respected class of Torah scholars instantly label Jesus’ words blasphemous? Definition of Blasphemy in Second-Temple Judaism In Greek, “blasphemy” (blasphēmía) denotes slander or desecration of the divine name. In Hebrew thought the crime was qillēl hashem—reviling the Name (Leviticus 24:15-16). Rabbinic codifications compiled later in the Mishnah (m. Sanhedrin 7:5) show that blasphemy involved either (1) verbal cursing of God or (2) arrogating to oneself functions that uniquely belong to Yahweh. Both ideas already appear in the Old Testament: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (cf. Isaiah 43:25; Psalm 103:3). By publicly pronouncing forgiveness without any sacrificial mediation, Jesus placed Himself in category 2. Divine Prerogative of Forgiving Sins Isaiah 43:25: “I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Psalm 103:3: “[The LORD] who forgives all your iniquity and heals all your diseases.” Jewish intertestamental literature reinforces this monopoly. 11QMelch (Dead Sea Scrolls) looks to God—not angels, priests, or kings—for ultimate remission. Within that theological landscape, any mortal claiming to forgive sins trespassed on Yahweh’s exclusive right. Jesus’ Implicit Claim to Deity Jesus does not say, “God forgives you.” He declares, “Your sins are forgiven,” using the divine passive but tethered to His own authority (Mark 2:10, parallel). To prove this invisible act, He heals the visible paralysis. The healing functions as an empirical sign, demonstrating that His earlier statement carried divine power. In effect, Jesus unveils Himself as the Son of Man of Daniel 7:13-14—granted authority on earth to act with heaven’s prerogatives. The scribes, trained in strict monotheism, detect the claim immediately. Legal-Cultural Background of the Scribes’ Charge 1. Temple-centered atonement: Leviticus stipulates sacrifices performed by priests in Jerusalem as the God-ordained channel of forgiveness. 2. Scribe-Pharisee authority: They guarded this system; a Galilean teacher bypassing temple protocol threatened both theology and social order. 3. Oral Law expectations: Later rabbinic commentary (m. Yoma 8:9) underscores that even the High Priest on the Day of Atonement mediates rather than originates pardon. Jesus goes further—He originates. Parallel Gospel Witnesses and Harmonization Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26 record the same episode with near-verbatim accusation, reinforcing the authenticity through multiple independent attestations (criterion of multiple attestation used in historical Jesus research). All extant Greek manuscripts—from Codex Sinaiticus (ℵ 01) and Vaticanus (B 03) to the papyri fragments P^45 and P^75—contain the blasphemy charge, evidencing a stable textual tradition. Theological Significance: Blasphemy or Revelation? To the scribes, Jesus commits blasphemy; to Matthew’s audience, the event unveils the Messiah’s divine identity. The narrative immediately conveys divine vindication: “When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men” (v. 8). The miracle validates the claim, negating the blasphemy charge and positioning Christ as the legitimate locus of forgiveness—foreshadowing the cross and resurrection (Matthew 26:64; 28:6). Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration • First-century Capernaum excavations reveal a sizable basalt house‐structure identified by historians as “Peter’s house,” later converted into a house-church; the setting matches the crowded indoor scene. • Ossuary inscriptions from Jerusalem (e.g., Yehohanan’s crucifixion nail) illustrate how literal, bodily healings distinguish Jesus from itinerant magicians of His day. • The Dead Sea Scrolls’ heightened concern for ritual purity underscores why bypassing temple rituals shocked contemporaries. Prophetic Backdrop and Messianic Identity Isaiah 35:5-6 links messianic days with the lame leaping like deer. Jesus’ healing power fulfills this hope, signaling He is not a blasphemer but the Servant of Yahweh carrying divine prerogatives. The crowd’s glorification of God fulfills Psalm 72:18-19. |
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