Discovery BoxLuke 1:77 
Context1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 1 through the forgiveness 2 of their sins.
Luke 5:20
Context5:20 When 3 Jesus 4 saw their 5 faith he said, “Friend, 6 your sins are forgiven.” 7
Luke 5:23
Context5:23 Which is easier, 8 to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?
Luke 17:3
Context17:3 Watch 9 yourselves! If 10 your brother 11 sins, rebuke him. If 12 he repents, forgive him.
1 sn John’s role, to give his people knowledge of salvation, is similar to that of Jesus (Luke 3:1-14; 5:31-32).
2 sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).
3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
4 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
6 tn Grk “Man,” but the term used in this way was not derogatory in Jewish culture. Used in address (as here) it means “friend” (see BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8).
7 tn Grk “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke stresses the forgiveness of sins (cf. 1:77; 3:3; 24:47). In 5:20 he uses both the perfect ἀφέωνται and the personal pronoun σοι which together combine to heighten the subjective aspect of the experience of forgiveness. The σοι has been omitted in translation in light of normal English style.
sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
8 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
9 tn It is difficult to know if this looks back or forward or both. The warning suggests it looks back. For this verb, see Luke 8:18; 12:1, 15; 20:46; 21:8, 34. The present imperative reflects an ongoing spirit of watchfulness.
10 tn Both the “if” clause in this verse and the “if” clause in v. 4 are third class conditions in Greek.
11 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a, contra BDAG 19 s.v. 2.c), but with a familial connotation. It refers equally to men, women, or children. However, because of the familial connotations, “brother” has been retained in the translation here in preference to the more generic “fellow believer” (“fellow Christian” would be anachronistic in this context).
12 tn Grk “And if.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
