Transcription
Well, we're gonna continue with John 20 and we're gonna look at John 20:23. And so this is within that same context. So Jesus is preparing his disciples for many, as I, as I have been sent, so I am sending you. So this is a sending, a commissioning that Jesus is doing with his disciples, much like the Great Commission in Matthew 28, go out into the world, which you have already talked about.
And so in this particular passage, it reads this: If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld. Now, that's how most translations or American translations, English translations translate this particular verse. The actual Greek is a little more limited. It says, "Whosoever sins you remit or forgive, they are remitted or forgiven unto them. And whosoever you retain, they are retained." So in that second phrase, the words "sin" or "forgiveness" are not included, part of it, or not, not part of it at all.
So there's a couple of ways to look at this. And and first, we need to, I think, set some premises at the foundation. That this is not a passage that gives us the authority to forgive or withhold forgiveness. We don't have that ability. Only God can forgive sins. And he says that in Mark chapter 2. Jesus said that that only God has the authority to forgive sins. And when he looked at the paralytic and said, "Son, your sins are forgiven," he was claiming to be God in the flesh. So only God has the authority to forgive sins.
And without the shedding of blood, Hebrews 9:22, we've talked about this passage time and time again. If you've not marked it, if you've not started, just go and open your Bible as quickly as you can. Go to Hebrews chapter 9 and star, underline, highlight, memorize this passage. Without the shedding blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. So Jesus shed his blood once for all sin. So when we receive Him, as Peter made clear to Cornelius and his household, anyone who receives Jesus, believes in His name, receives forgiveness of sin. So if you're in Christ, you've already received forgiveness of sins. That's the good news.
Yes. So there's a couple of ways to look at this particular passage. He is giving the Apostles authority to deliver the good news. To those who receive the good news, they receive forgiveness. Yes. To those who reject the good news, then they remain under the power of sin and death. Yes. So this forgiveness that you receive in Christ releases you from that power of sin and death, so that you can be made alive together with Christ. That's the gospel. That's the good news.
So those who believe in Jesus, and that message concerning Jesus, is was going to be delivered by the Apostles. It's being delivered out there in the world today by us believers in Christ. We deliver that good news of Jesus. To those who believe, they receive the forgiveness of sins and are made alive together with Christ. Those who reject, they remain under the wrath of God. The power of sin and death retains its hold on them. Yes. So that's what this passage is, is talking about. The Apostles, all they have is the authority to deliver the good news. Once they deliver the good news, either somebody receives it or they reject it. That's just the way it is. Somebody who receives it, they receive all the gifts of grace. Somebody who rejects it, and they're only going to reject it because of their own pride. They're not gonna experience that grace of God. That doesn't mean they won't experience it later, but at that moment, they, they're choosing to remain under the power of sin and death. You.