Spiritual Recognition

Mark 2:8

Short Note

Under construction

When a paralytic was dropped through the roof to Jesus, He saw their faith and said: “Son, you sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Some of the scribes there were reasoning in their hearts about why Jesus was blaspheming. They asked in their hearts who is able to forgive sins, except God. Jesus immediately recognized in His spirit their reasoning and confronted them about their reasonings in their hearts. They had not said anything out loud, but Jesus recognized their reasonings. Therefore, Jesus proved to them that the paralytic’s sins were forgiven when He commanded the paralytic to stand up and walk and everyone saw that he did. Several words in this passage help us understand Spiritual Recognition and Exegetical Psychology.

Dialoging. The scribes were dialoging (διαλογιζόμενοι–present middle/passive participle) in their hearts (καρδίαις).  In the New Testament, dialoging occurs in the heart, and represents an internal conversation about a particular matter aimed at coming to a conclusion. In this passage, dialoging takes place in the heart, not the mind (see dialogs). In their hearts, they had concluded that Jesus was blaspheming. They were dialoging about why Jesus blasphemed, not if He blasphemed. Dialoging here was focused upon seeking a motive for the blasphemy.

Spirit. Jesus recognized (ἐπιγνοὺς–aorist active participle) in His spirit (πνεύματι) that they were reasoning about these things. Therefore, the spirit of Jesus had the ability to know what the scribes were reasoning in their hearts. 

Summary

Dialoging does not happen in the mind, but in the heart. Jesus recognized in his spirit (not His mind) the reasonings of the scribes. Jesus had supernatural recognition of the dialoging taking place in the hearts of the scribes, even without them voicing any objection.