Verse of the Day
Author Spotlight
Loading featured author...
Report Issue
See a formatting issue or error?
Let us know →
Verse Takeaways
1
Declaring, Not Pardoning
Commentators are unanimous that this verse does not grant humans the power to forgive sins, which belongs to God alone. Instead, it is a commission to authoritatively declare the terms of the gospel. As ministers proclaim forgiveness to the repentant and believing, God confirms it. As one scholar puts it, they announce a forgiveness that has already been secured by Christ and applied by God.
See 3 Verse Takeaways
Book Overview
John
Author
Audience
Composition
Teaching Highlights
Outline
+ 5 more
See Overview
Commentaries
10
Albert Barnes
On John 20:23
18th Century
Theologian
Whose soever sins, etc. See the comments on Matthew 16:19.
See the comments on Matthew 18:18.
It is noteworthy here that Jes…
AT Robertson
On John 20:23
Whosesoever sins ye forgive (αν τινων αφητε τας αμαρτιας). "If the sins of any ye forgive" (αφητε, second aorist active subjunctiv…
Charles Ellicott
On John 20:23
19th Century
Bishop
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them . . . — Compare for the “power of the keys,” the Notes on Matthew…
Go Ad-Free
Go ad-free and create your own bookmark library
Charles Spurgeon
On John 20:22–23
19th Century
Preacher
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted u…
Expositor's Bible Commentary
On John 20:23
For this ministry Jesus provided the Holy Spirit and the commission to proclaim the forgiveness of sins. These are linked together for a new minist…
John Calvin
On John 20:23
16th Century
Theologian
To all whose sins you shall remit. Here, unquestionably, our Lord has embraced, in a few words, the sum of the Gospel; for we must not sep…
John Gill
On John 20:23
17th Century
Pastor
Whose soever sins ye remit
God only can forgive sins, and Christ being God, has a power to do so likewise; but he ne…
Matthew Henry
On John 20:19–25
17th Century
Minister
This was the first day of the week, and this day is afterwards often mentioned by the sacred writers, for it was evidently set apart as the Christi…