John 20:21-23

[meliz]

Can someone please explain what this verse means. I've looked at various commentaries online, but they all have me confused. Thanks!

John 20:21-23New International Version (NIV)

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

 

[ebedmelech]

Can someone please explain what this verse means. I've looked at various commentaries online, but they all have me confused. Thanks!

John 20:21-23New International Version (NIV)

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus is pronouncing His peace upon the disciples and sending them out to spread the Gospel.

When He breathes on them He is symbolically giving them the Holy Spirit. They were reminded of this when the "rushing wind" came on them in the from of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.

In saying "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” that is mistranslated.

Basically it means this:

I you forgive anyone sins (having been forgiven in heaven) they are forgiven, and if you do not forgive anyone's sins (having not been forgiven in heaven) they are not forgiven.

This correlates to what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 16:19:
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

So basically it means that it is done in heaven before it is done on earth.

I hope that helps you.

 

[ebia]

Can someone please explain what this verse means. I've looked at various commentaries online, but they all have me confused. Thanks!

John 20:21-23New International Version (NIV)

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

I'm not sure what your question is. Jesus sends us to be for the world what he was for Israel, and breathes his spirit into us to enable us.

 

[meliz]

I'm not sure what your question is. Jesus sends us to be for the world what he was for Israel, and breathes his spirit into us to enable us.

I'm getting tripped up on the last verse. Does it mean that he allows to forgive/not forgive others' sins?

 

[Fireinfolding]

Seems to be reflective of here a little


Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Or even here...

Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

The first Adam God formed from the dust of the ground, and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. This was also given as a sign which Jesus would later fulfill when he breathed the Spirit of life into his disciples.

Our first man like Adam after receiving the breath of life was made a living soul.

But our new man in Christ is made a life giving spirit by the power of God's Spirit dwelling in us.

And if Christ truly dwells in us, then we by Him are given the power to forgive sins according to His will.

2 Corinthians 2:10
To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

 

[ebia]

I'm getting tripped up on the last verse. Does it mean that he allows to forgive/not forgive others' sins?

Apparently

 

[ebedmelech]

The first Adam God formed from the dust of the ground, and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. This was also given as a sign which Jesus would later fulfill when he breathed the Spirit of life into his disciples.

Our first man like Adam after receiving the breath of life was made a living soul.

But our new man in Christ is made a life giving spirit by the power of God's Spirit dwelling in us.

And if Christ truly dwells in us, then we by Him are given the power to forgive sins according to His will.

2 Corinthians 2:10
To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

This would not be correct as speaking to the OP's passage.

What you're saying is in the context of Christians to other Christians. We have the power to forgive when we have been wronged by others, also in the context of the Church offering forgiveness to members.

However we do not have the power to pronounce a person forgiven by God. We do that based on what the scriptures say in the context of salvation, and that being based on God's word.

However forgiveness of sin against God, is Gods authority alone because we don't know the mind of God.

This is why the passage of John 20-23 is subject to "God having forgiven sin in heaven OR God having not forgiven sin in heaven". God didn't give that authority to the apostles there. Its not translated correctly.

It should be in the context of Matthew 16:19:

9 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

That correlates directly to John 20-23.

That's how I understand it and I wrestled with it years ago. Here's a link that's rather long about it, but I think explains it well:

Truth Or Tradition - Binding/loosing [Matthew 16:19, 18:18]: Is it about demons/evil spirits?

You my or may not agree with it but I think it makes the point pretty well.

 

[Fireinfolding]

However forgiveness of sin against God, is Gods authority alone because we don't know the mind of God.

This point here, is expressed by them here...

1Cr 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Does not the son of man have the power on earth to forgive sins?

Mark 9:23
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

But not all have this faith.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

This point here, is expressed by them here...

1Cr 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Acts 3:12
And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

 

[Fireinfolding]

Amen InSpiritInTruth

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

God bless you