John 20:23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's often missed here is the subtle but crucial difference in the tenses used for "forgiven" and "withheld." When disciples declare sins forgiven, it’s described as an ongoing process, but when they declare sins withheld, it's a completed state, implying their refusal to repent has already sealed their fate. This highlights that the apostles weren't granting forgiveness on their own authority, but rather discerning and declaring the reality of God's judgment based on a person's response to the Gospel.
Jesus has just appeared to his disciples, offering peace and showing them his resurrected body, even comforting Thomas's doubt. Now, empowered by the Holy Spirit Jesus breathed onto them, he commissions them as His messengers to the world. This isn't a random statement; it's a direct charge given to the community, laying out the authority they carry in declaring God's terms of forgiveness through the Gospel.
It sounds like the disciples could just decide to forgive or not forgive, right? But the Bible is clear: this power isn't about playing judge.
When Jesus tells his disciples, 'If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld,' He's giving them a monumental task.
Declaring God's Terms
This isn't about the disciples personally having the power to absolve sin – that power belongs to God alone. Instead, they are given the authority to declare the terms of forgiveness. Their role is to be faithful messengers, proclaiming the message of reconciliation through Christ.
The Spirit as Guide
This authority is directly linked to receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). The Spirit guides them to discern and declare what God's Word says about who is forgiven and who is not. They are meant to be instruments of the Spirit, not independent judges. Their declarations are valid because they accurately reflect God's judgment, not because they originate from human authority.
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Think of it like a doctor diagnosing an illness based on symptoms and tests. The doctor doesn't cause the illness or the cure, but their accurate diagnosis and prescribed treatment align with the body's reality and the medical science available. Similarly, the disciples, empowered by the Spirit, declare the spiritual reality of forgiveness or its absence based on God's established terms.
This powerful statement wasn't just for the apostles. It has implications for how the whole community of faith functions, even today.
Jesus' words here carry significant weight for the gathered community of believers.
Universal Commission
This commission was given to the whole group present, not exclusively to the apostles. Even one apostle was absent, and others who weren't apostles might have been there. This suggests the authority is vested in the church body as a whole, guided by the Spirit.
Ongoing Authority
Since this power was given to the community and never revoked, it continues as long as the church continues. The Christian community, empowered by the Spirit, holds the authority to declare the conditions for forgiveness and to discern when those conditions are met or not met. This isn't about individuals dictating terms, but about the collective body functioning under spiritual discernment.
Ministering in Groups
The verse often uses the plural ('sins,' 'they'), suggesting that this ministry often deals with people in groups or classes, reflecting the church's broader mission to humanity, while still honoring God's personal love for each individual.
Understand the original words
aphiēmi · Greek Verb
The act of releasing an offender from the debt or guilt caused by wrongdoing. Biblically, it is rooted in God’s grace and is the process of reconciliation made possible through Christ's sacrifice.
hamartia · Greek Noun
An arch-rebel against God and His holiness; it represents the state of missing the mark of God's standard. Sin alienates humanity from God and requires an atonement, which is provided only by Jesus Christ.
This commission to the disciples, given shortly after Jesus' resurrection, was not a license for arbitrary judgment but a declaration of the spiritual reality: when they proclaimed God's forgiveness based on faith in Christ, God ratified it; when they declared unrepented sin stood unforgiven, God upheld that reality.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus Appears to Disciples
Following His resurrection, Jesus repeatedly appeared to His followers, including the eleven disciples (and later Thomas) during the "eight days" period after His resurrection. He commissioned them and empowered them with the Holy Spirit.
c. AD 30-33
Apostolic Ministry Begins
The apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, began their ministry of preaching, teaching, and establishing the early church. This involved proclaiming the terms of salvation and exercising church discipline.
c. AD 49
Council of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem addressed issues concerning the inclusion of Gentiles in the church, affirming that salvation was by grace through faith, not by adherence to the Law of Moses. This decision clarified the terms of forgiveness and acceptance into the community of believers.
c. AD 50-60s
Paul's Letters to Churches
Apostle Paul wrote letters to various churches, offering guidance on doctrine and practice, including how to deal with sin within the community and the nature of forgiveness in Christ.
This passage parallels the authority given to Peter regarding the 'keys of the kingdom,' laying a foundation for understanding the authority given to the disciples in John 20:23.
Matthew 18:18Jesus repeats a similar commission about binding and loosing to the disciples, emphasizing the corporate nature of the church and the authority given to the community to declare God's will.
2 Corinthians 2:15-16Paul describes the apostles as a 'fragrance of Christ' to God, being 'the aroma of death to death' for some and 'the aroma of life to life' for others, mirroring the concept of retaining or remitting sins through their ministry.
1 Corinthians 5:5The apostle Paul instructs the Corinthian church to 'hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved,' illustrating the disciplinary aspect of 'retaining' sins within the community.
clarkeJohn 20:23: "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
Whose soever sins ye remit - See the notes on Matthew 16:19 ; Matthew 18:18 . It is certain God alone can forgive sins; and it would not only be blasphemous, but grossly absurd, to say that any creature could remit the guilt of a transgression which had been committed against the Creator. The apostles received from the Lord the doctrine of reconciliation, and the doctrine o…
meyerJohn 20:23: "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
John 20:23 . The peculiar authority of the apostolical office, for the exercise of which they were fitted and empowered by this impartation of the Spirit. It was therefore an individual and specific charismatic endowment, the bestowal of which the Lord knew must be still connected with His personal presence, and was not to be deferred until after His ascension,[268] namely,…
What's often missed here is the subtle but crucial difference in the tenses used for "forgiven" and "withheld." When disciples declare sins forgiven, it’s described as an ongoing process, but when they declare sins withheld, it's a completed state, implying their refusal to repent has already sealed their fate. This highlights that the apostles weren't granting forgiveness on their own authority, but rather discerning and declaring the reality of God's judgment based on a person's response to the Gospel.
Jesus has just appeared to his disciples, offering peace and showing them his resurrected body, even comforting Thomas's doubt. Now, empowered by the Holy Spirit Jesus breathed onto them, he commissions them as His messengers to the world. This isn't a random statement; it's a direct charge given to the community, laying out the authority they carry in declaring God's terms of forgiveness through the Gospel.
Jesus has just appeared to his disciples, offering peace and showing them his resurrected body, even comforting Thomas's doubt. Now, empowered by the Holy Spirit Jesus breathed onto them, he commissions them as His messengers to the world. This isn't a random statement; it's a direct charge given to the community, laying out the authority they carry in declaring God's terms of forgiveness through the Gospel.
"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”" — What's often missed here is the subtle but crucial difference in the tenses used for "forgiven" and "withheld." When disciples declare sins forgiven, it’s described as an ongoing process, but when th…
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