John 20:23 – “If you remit the sins of anyone, they are remitted to them; and if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.”
Some other translations of this scripture use forgive in place of remit. A literal translation of this scripture is: “if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.”
For clarity, the Greek word from which remit derives is, aphiemi (af-ee’-ay-mee), which can mean: cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up. Also, retain comes from the Greek word, krateo (krat-eh’-o), which can mean: to use strength, i.e. Seize or retain (literally or figuratively) — hold (by, fast), keep, lay hand (hold) on, obtain, retain, take (by). Webster’s definition for remit is: to forgive; to pardon; to remove. Additionally, Webster defines retain as: to continue to hold; to keep in possession; not to lose, part with, or dismiss; to retrain from departure, escape, or the like.
(For Webster’s definition of remit, he used this scripture from John as an example of use.)
Forgiveness is a key trait to the Christian life. In fact, forgiveness is the reason for the shedding of Christ’s blood. At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus held the cup and told His disciples, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sin.”
Throughout His ministry, Jesus had preached many times on forgiveness, such as the parable of the unmerciful servant in the 18th chapter of Matthew. As a segue to that parable, Peter had asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother, if his brother should sin against him. Peter asked if he should forgive him seven times. Jesus’ reply was not seven times, but seventy times seven. Jesus used a large multiple of Peter’s number to emphasize the importance of forgiveness.
In John 20:23, we have another one of Christ’s teachings on forgiveness. However, this time, He is stressing a different kind (but equally) of importance. He states that when Christians (true disciples of Christ) forgive the sins of their brothers, the sins will be forgiven. As in the manner that Christians have the ability to bind and release things on earth, sins may be forgiven and retained. Matthew Henry explains this by saying:
“Whosesoever sins you remit, in the due execution of the powers you are entrusted with, they are remitted to them, and they may take the comfort of it; and whosesoever sins you retain, that is, pronounce unpardoned and the guilt of them bound on, they are retained, and the sinner may be sure of it, to his sorrow.” Now this follows upon their receiving the Holy Ghost; for, if they had not had an extraordinary spirit of discerning, they had not been fit to be entrusted with such an authority; for, in the strictest sense, this is a special commission to the apostles themselves and the first preachers of the gospel, who could distinguish who were in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity, and who were not…God will never alter this rule of judgment, nor vary from it; those whom the gospel acquits shall be acquitted, and those whom the gospel condemns shall be condemned, which puts immense honour upon the ministry, and should put immense courage into ministers. Two ways the apostles and ministers of Christ remit and retain sin, and both as having authority:-[1.] By sound doctrine. They are commissioned to tell the world that salvation is to be had upon gospel terms, and no other, and they shall find God will say Amen to it; so shall their doom be. [2.] By a strict discipline, applying the general rule of the gospel to particular persons. “Whom you admit into communion with you, according to the rules of the gospel, God will admit into communion with himself; and whom you cast out of communion as impenitent, and obstinate in scandalous and infectious sins, shall be bound over to the righteous judgment of God.”
References and related scriptures: Matthew 16:19, 18:18, 18:23-35, 26:28; Matthew Henry’s Whole Commentary on the Bible (John 20:19-25); Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913).
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