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Whoever`s sins you forgive, they are forgiven to them. Whoever`s sins you retain, they are retained."
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.
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John
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11
18th Century
Presbyterian
Whose soever sins, etc. See the comments on Matthew 16:19.
See the comments on Matthew 18:18.
It is noteworthy here that Jes…
Whosesoever sins ye forgive (αν τινων αφητε τας αμαρτιας). "If the sins of any ye forgive" (αφητε, second aorist active subjunctiv…
19th Century
Anglican
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them . . . — Compare for the “power of the keys,” the Notes on Matthew…
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Baptist
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…
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…
16th Century
Protestant
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…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Whose soever sins ye remit God only can forgive sins, and Christ being God, has a power to do so likewise; but he ne…
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…
13th Century
Catholic
Having described how Christ appeared to the holy women, the Evangelist now tells of His appearance to the apostles. This is covered in th…