Who can forgive sins but one: God? — Mark 2:7.
Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive
sins, but God alone? — Luke 5:21.
(The Restoration Light Improved Version of the Bible is used unless otherwise noted.)
The above quotes form Mark 2:7 and Luke 5:21 are often quoted out of context as proof that God cannot give anyone authority to forgive sins, and therefore, according that that reasoning, in order to Jesus to forgives sins, Jesus has to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
However, if we note the context, the ones who are saying this are the Jewish leaders; these are same Jewish leaders described as lying and deceiving, offspring of vipers, etc. (Mark 2:7), and they are saying this because of envy, as an excuse to charge Jesus with blasphemy, in an effort to find some reason to justify — before the eyes of the people — killing him. — Matthew 27:8; 21:37,38; Luke 20:19; 22:2.
Matthew 9:8 reveals that Jesus, as a man amongst men, received this authority from his God and Father. Peter, in speaking to the Jews, described Jesus as “a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by [Greek intrumental "en", Strong's #1722] him in the midst of you.” (Acts 2:22) The “God” that Peter refers is evidently not Jesus whom “God” approved, so Peter must be referring to the God and Father of Jesus (1 Peter 1:3), and in doing this he is presenting “God” as unipersonal, one person, that is the Father. At the same time, the unipersonal God that Peter is referring to is “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob” (Acts 3:13), the God who spoke to Moses. (Exodus 3:15) It was this same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who spoke of sending a prophet like Moses, which prophet was to speak the words of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and come in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. — Deuteronomy 18:15-22.
There is nothing in the fact that only true God who sent Jesus (John 17:3) gave to Jesus authority on earth (Matthew 9:8) to forgive sins that means that Jesus is the only true God who sent him and who gave Jesus this authority.
See also:
Mark 2:1-11 – Your Sins Are Forgiven
Luke 5:17-26 – Your Sins Are Forgiven
