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MARK 2:8 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Mark 2:7Mark 2:9
“And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?”
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, why are you thinking these things? — the knowledge of unspoken thoughts is presented without explanation or elaboration in Mark. The immediacy (euthys) and the location of the knowledge in his spirit communicate direct divine perception rather than human inference. The question why are you thinking these things is not a denial of their logic but a challenge to test their logic against the evidence about to be provided. Jesus does not argue against the scribes' theological premise (only God forgives sins); he is about to prove the premise correct and claim to be its fulfillment.

Church Fathers on Mark 2:8

Because the compassion of God deserts not even carnal persons, He accords to them the grace of His presence, by which even they may be made spiritual. After the desert, the Lord returns into the city.

Bede · 8th century · in Marc., 1, 10

But Matthew writes this miracle as if it were done in the city of the Lord, whilst Mark places it in Capernaum, which would be more difficult of solution, if Matthew had also named Nazareth. But seeing that Galilee itself might be called the city of the Lord, who can doubt but that the Lord did these things in His own city, since He did them in Capernaum, a city of Galilee; particularly as Capernaum was of such importance in Galilee as to be called its metropolis?

Augustine · 4th century · de Con. Evan., ii, 25

He saw the faith of the sick man himself, since he would not have allowed himself to be carried, unless he’d had faith to be healed.

Theophylact · 11th century
Read all 17 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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