Genuine question

[SecretOfFatima]

How does the following bible passage fits into your faith?

John 20: 19-23

"Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them:

Peace be to you. And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.

He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.

When he had said this, He breathed on them and he said to them:

Receive ye the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

 

[OntheDL]

How does the following bible passage fits into your faith?

John 20: 19-23

"Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them:

Peace be to you. And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.

He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.

When he had said this, He breathed on them and he said to them:

Receive ye the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

Christ gave no ecclesiastical right to forgive sin, nor to sell indulgences, that men may sin without incurring the displeasure of God, nor did He give His servants liberty to accept a gift or bribe for cloaking sin, that it may escape merited censure. Jesus charged His disciples to preach the remission of sin in His name among all nations; but they themselves were not empowered to remove one stain of sin from the children of Adam. . . . Whoever would attract the people to himself as one in whom is invested power to forgive sins, incurs the wrath of God, for he turns souls away from the heavenly Pardoner to a weak and erring mortal (3SP 245, 246).

Luke 24
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The Great Commission Christ gave to his disciples was to preach the message of repentance. But no mere mortals who still have to overcome sin were empowered to replace Jesus who's our high priest and intercessor.

Notice here in Jn 20:22 receive the holy spirit. The holy spirit convicts and remits sins. In verse 23, Jesus was talking the holy spirit that remits sins. In the original Greek text, there is no personal pronoune 'you'.

Hope this helps,