Apostles Forgiving Sins: Is It Valid?

In John 20:23, Jesus gives the power of forgiveness to the apostles during his first appearance after the resurrection. The apostles' power to forgive sins has been interpreted in different ways by different Christian denominations. While some believe that Jesus gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins, others argue that the apostles were only given the ability to recognize when God had forgiven someone.

The Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Churches, and other Christian denominations interpret John 20:23 as the basis for the practice of Confession and Absolution. They teach that the Church has been given the apostolic power to forgive sins. However, Protestants generally believe that Jesus was not giving the apostles the authority to forgive sins but rather the ability to recognize when God had saved someone.

The interpretation of this verse has significant implications for the understanding of the role of the Church and the apostles in the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus gave apostles the power to forgive sins

Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins. This is recorded in the Gospel of John in the New Testament, specifically in John 20:23, which states:

> "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained."

This passage has been interpreted in different ways, with some arguing that Jesus was giving the apostles the authority to forgive sins, while others suggest that he was instructing them to preach the forgiveness of sins. However, it is important to note that the apostles were not given the power to decide on their own who would be forgiven or not; they were speaking on behalf of God and declaring what God had already decided.

The ability to forgive sins is a unique power that Jesus bestowed upon the apostles. This is evident as Jesus himself forgave sins during his ministry, but he never instructed anyone else to do so until this moment. Additionally, the act of breathing on them and giving them the Holy Spirit was symbolic, indicating that they would be inspired by God to make Spirit-led judgments.

The apostles' power to forgive sins is also linked to the gift of the Spirit, as mentioned in John 20:22. This ability was not solely based on human power but was a result of their receiving God's Spirit. The verbs for "forgiving" and "retaining" are in the passive form, indicating that God is the one in action.

Furthermore, the proper translation of John 20:23 is crucial. The New American Standard Bible translates it as:

> "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

The use of the perfect tense in the phrase "their sins have been forgiven" indicates that the individuals' sins have already been forgiven or retained by God before the apostles' recognition of the same. This translation aligns with other passages in the Bible that affirm that only God can truly forgive sins.

In conclusion, Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins, but it was a power derived from God and exercised in accordance with God's will. The apostles were given the ability to recognize when God had saved someone and to validate their acceptance into the family of God.

Only God can forgive sins

The Bible states that "only God can forgive sins". However, there is a verse in the Bible, John 20:23, that has been interpreted to mean that Jesus gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins. The verse is as follows:

> "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." (King James Version)

> "Whoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. Whoever's sins you retain, they have been retained." (World English Bible)

> "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (English Standard Version)

The interpretation of this verse is a contentious issue between Protestants and Catholics. Most Protestants believe that the apostles were given the ability to recognise when God had saved someone and to validate their acceptance into the family of God. In other words, the apostles could recognise when someone's sins were forgiven and make it official.

On the other hand, Catholics believe that Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins and that this power could be passed on to their successors. They interpret the verse to mean that the apostles were given the authority to forgive and even retain sins.

However, it is important to note that nowhere in the Bible do the apostles, including Peter, ever take upon themselves the authority to grant forgiveness. For example, in Acts 10, when Peter preaches the gospel to a group of Gentiles, he says, "To him (Jesus) all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." Peter did not say, "I forgive your sins", but rather, "The Bible says if you believe in Jesus you will receive forgiveness of sins".

Furthermore, the Greek translation of John 20:23 uses the perfect tense, which can be translated as "they have already been forgiven". This suggests that Jesus was saying that the apostles were given the ability to recognise when God had saved someone and to validate their acceptance of it.

Therefore, while the interpretation of John 20:23 differs between Protestants and Catholics, it is clear that the Bible states that only God can truly forgive sins.

The apostles could recognise when God had forgiven someone

The interpretation of this passage is that Jesus was giving the apostles the ability to recognise when God had saved someone and to validate their acceptance of it. In other words, the apostles could recognise when someone's sins were forgiven and make it official. This is further supported by the fact that the apostles never took it upon themselves to grant forgiveness. Instead, they preached the gospel and told people that they would receive forgiveness of sins through their faith in Jesus.

The apostles were given the Holy Spirit to make Spirit-led judgements about pardoning or disciplining people according to what had already been bound by God. This is reflected in the translation of the passage, which uses the perfect tense in Greek, indicating that the sins "have already been forgiven or retained by God".

The apostles' authority to forgive sins was also understood as coming from God and was passed down to their successors. This is seen in the early Christian writings, which refer to the practice of confessing to a priest as something that was already long-established.

The apostles could make someone's forgiveness official

In John 20:23, Jesus tells the apostles, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven". However, this does not mean that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins. Multiple verses in the Bible state that only God can forgive sins.

Jesus was telling the apostles that they had the ability to recognise when God had saved someone and to validate their acceptance of it. The apostles could make someone's forgiveness official by preaching the message of the Gospel. Through their preaching, others heard the message and believed.

Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins in his name. This power was passed on to their successors, as the apostles would not be on earth forever. This is reflected in the New American Standard Bible translation of John 20:23: "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained".

The apostles could not know which sins to forgive unless they were first told the sins by the sinner, implying confession. Their authority was not merely to proclaim that God had already forgiven sins or that he would forgive sins if there was proper repentance.

The apostles passed the power to future generations

The apostles were given the power to forgive sins by Jesus, who said to them, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). This power was passed down to subsequent clergy and is known as the "apostolic power to forgive sins". This practice is known as Confession and Absolution and is observed by several Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Assyrian Church of the East, and Irvingian Churches.

The ability to forgive sins was seen as a continuation of Jesus' presence on Earth and a way to offer forgiveness to future generations. The power was passed down from the apostles to their successors, the bishops, and then to the priests. This is evident in the Bible, where Paul gave authority to Timothy and told him to appoint presbyters (priests). Those who were sick were instructed to go to the priests to have their sins forgiven (James 5:14-15).

The early Christian writings also refer to the practice of confession as something that was already long-established. For example, the first-century Didache mentions confession as part of the Church's requirement. Later writers such as Origen, Cyprian, and Aphraates also clarify that confession is to be made to a priest.

The power to forgive sins is not just a human power but is understood as coming from God. The apostles were given the Holy Spirit and were told, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). This indicates that the apostles' power to forgive sins was not a human power but a divine authority granted to them by God.

The practice of confession and the power to forgive sins have been a source of debate and disagreement among different Christian denominations. Some argue that the power to forgive sins ended with the death of the apostles, while others believe that it was intended to be passed down to future generations of clergy.

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