Hi and would like you to comment on verse 22 , where the KJV translators said < Receive ye ( THE ) HOLY SPIRIT ??
The Greek word in BRACKETS ( THE ) is not in the Greek text , so my question is then , what does RECEIVE YE HOLY SPIRIT , then mean ??
Robertson's Word Pictures, an excellent commentary on the Greek meanings, has this to say:
Second aorist (ingressive) active imperative of lambanō. Note absence of article here (pneuma hagion) though to pneuma to hagion in Joh_14:26. No real distinction is to be observed, for Holy Spirit is treated as a proper name with or without the article.
That said, I believe it means quite simply that they were given the indwelling Holy Spirit at that point, and were thus the beginning of the church of born again, Spirit indwelled, believers. No one else was added to the church until they were baptized in the Spirit at Pentecost, though.
Then what do you not comment od verse 23 where the 12 disciples are given the right to REMIT SINS , so how mdid the 12 REMIT SINS ??
dan p
It is a difficult passage, to be sure. I like what John Wesley had to say in his commentary:
(According to the tenor of the Gospel, that is, supposing them to repent and believe) they are remitted, and whosoever sins ye retain (supposing them to remain impenitent) they are retained. So far is plain. But here arises a difficulty. Are not the sins of one who truly repents, and unfeignedly believes in Christ, remitted, without sacerdotal absolution? And are not the sins of one who does not repent or believe, retained even with it? What then does this commission imply? Can it imply any more than, a power of declaring with authority the Christian terms of pardon; whose sins are remitted and whose retained? As in our daily form of absolution; and a power of inflicting and remitting ecclesiastical censures? That is, of excluding from, and re - admitting into, a Christian congregation.
I also like Albert Barnes here:
It is worthy of remark here that Jesus confers the same power on all the apostles. He gives to no one of them any special authority. If Peter, as the Papists pretend, had been appointed to any special authority, it is wonderful that the Saviour did not here hint at any such pre-eminence. This passage conclusively proves that they were invested with equal power in organizing and governing the church. The authority which he had given Peter to preach the gospel first to the Jews and the Gentiles, does not militate against this. See the notes at (Matthew 16:18-19). This authority given them was full proof that they were inspired. The meaning of the passage is not that man can forgive sins that belongs only to God (Isaiah 43:23) but that they should be inspired; that in founding the church, and in declaring the will of God, they should be taught by the Holy Spirit to declare on what terms, to what characters, and to what temper of mind God would extend forgiveness of sins. It was not authority to forgive individuals, but to establish in all the churches the terms and conditions on which men might be pardoned, with a promise that God would confirm all that they taught; that all might have assurance of forgiveness who would comply with those terms; and that those who did not comply should not be forgiven, but that their sins should be retained. This commission is as far as possible from the authority which the Roman Catholic claims of remitting sin and of pronouncing pardon.
It would also be helpful to look at the notes of other theologians on Matthew 16:19:
John MacArthur:
Christ's actions mean that any duly constituted body of believers, acting in accord with God's Word, has the authority to declare if someone is forgiven or not. The church's authority is not to determine these things but to declare the judgment of heaven based on the principles of the Word. When churches make such judgments on the basis of God's Word, they can be sure heaven is in accord.
In other words, whatever they "bind" or "loose" on earth is already "bound" or "loosed" in heaven. When the church says the unrepentant person is bound in sin, the church is saying what God says about that person. When the church acknowledges that a repentant person has been loosed from that sin, God agrees.
C.I. Scofield:
The power of binding and loosing was shared Mat_18:18; Joh_20:23 by the other disciples. That it did not involve the determination of the eternal destiny of souls is clear from Rev_1:18. The keys of death and the place of departed spirits are held by Christ alone.
Bible Knowledge Commentary (Dallas Theological Seminary):
His church would then begin to be built, starting on the day of Pentecost, and Peter and the other apostles would have important roles in it. He declared that Peter would be given significant authority, the keys of the kingdom of heaven. A “key” was a sign of authority, for a trusted steward kept the keys to his master’s possessions and dispensed them accordingly (cf. “the keys of death and hades” [Rev_1:18] and “the key of David” [Rev_3:7], which Jesus possesses). Peter was told he would possess the keys and be able to bind and loose people. These were decisions Peter was to implement as he received instruction from heaven, for the binding and loosing occurred there first. Peter simply carried out God’s directions. This privilege of binding and loosing was seen in Peter’s life as he had the privilege on the day of Pentecost to proclaim the gospel and announce to all those who responded in saving faith that their sins had been forgiven (Act_2:1-47). He was able to do the same thing with the household of Cornelius (Acts 10-11; cf. Act_15:19-20). The same privilege was given all the disciples (Joh_20:22-23).