John Gill Commentary John 20:22

"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit:" — John 20:22 (ASV)

And when he had said this
That is, declared he sent them forth in like manner as his Father sent him:

he breathed on them ;
in allusion to God's breathing the breath of life into man, at his creation; or rather, to the Spirit himself, who is the breath of God, and proceeds from him, as from the Father; and who breathes both upon persons in regeneration, and in qualifying for ministerial service, at the instance and influence of Christ: and such an opinion the Jews have of the Spirit of the Messiah, who say ^F16 , that ``the Spirit went from between the wings of the cherubim, (hybvnw) , "and breathed upon him" (Menasseh) by the decree, or order of the word of the Lord.'' And saith unto them, receive you the Holy Ghost ;
meaning not the grace of the Holy Ghost in regeneration, which they had received already; but the gifts of the Spirit, to qualify them for the work he now sent them to do, and which were not now actually bestowed; but this breathing on them, and the words that attended it, were a symbol, pledge, and confirmation, of what they were to receive on the day of Pentecost:

hence it appears, that it is the Spirit of God, who, by his gifts and grace, makes and qualifies men to be ministers of the Gospel; and our Lord by this action, and these words, gives a very considerable proof of his deity: the Papists show their impudence and wickedness, in imitating Christ by their insufflations, or breathing on men; pretending thereby to convey the Holy Spirit to them.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F16: Targum in 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13.