Charles Ellicott Commentary John 20:23

"whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained." — John 20:23 (ASV)

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them . . . — Compare for the “power of the keys,” the Notes on Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18. Assuming what has already been said, it is sufficient to add that this power is here immediately connected with the representative character of the disciples as apostles sent by Christ, as He Himself was sent by the Father (John 20:21). Its validity also depends on their reception of the Holy Ghost (John 20:22), by whom Christ Himself is present in them (John 14:18; John 16:7–11).

Sent as He was sent, they are not sent to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. However, in their work, as in His, men are condemned because the light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light.

The ultimate principles upon which this power rests are those stated above: being sent by Christ and the reception of the Holy Ghost. God has promised forgiveness wherever there is repentance; He has not promised repentance wherever there is sin. From every declaration of forgiveness made in the name of the Father through Jesus Christ, it follows that hearts which penitently accept it receive remission of their sins. Conversely, the hardness of the hearts which willfully reject it is increased by their rejection, and the very words by which their sins would be remitted become the words by which they are retained. (Compare especially Notes on John 3:17 and following, John 16:8 and following, and 2 Corinthians 2:15–16.)

On individual words in this verse, it is important to note that in the better text, the tense of the phrase rendered “are remitted” is a strict present, while that rendered “are retained” is in the perfect-present. The difference is not easy to preserve in English, but the thought seems to be: “Whosever sins you remit—a change in their condition is taking place—their sins are being remitted by God; whosever sins you retain—their condition remains unchanged—they have been, and are, retained.”