John 20:23 · Bible study
John 20:23 Commentary: Forgiveness and the Church’s Commission
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus grants the disciples authority to forgive and retain sins, a commission for the ministry of reconciliation, not a transfer of divine prerogative.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus authorizes the church to declare forgiveness or judgment based on response to the gospel, confirming what God has already done.
- Key words: ῎Αν + subjunctive (conditional “if”), ἀφέωνται (perfect passive, “have been forgiven”), κεκράτηνται (perfect passive, “have been retained”).
- Main debate: Does the verse confer judicial power to absolve sins (sacerdotal) or declarative authority to announce pardon (ministerial)?
- Theological theme: The church as the community of reconciliation, continuing Christ’s mission through the Spirit.
- Best use: Teaching on the nature of church authority, the means of grace, and the assurance of forgiveness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
KJV King James Version 1769
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
A los que remitiereis los pecados, les son remitidos: á quienes los retuviereis, serán retenidos.
A quem quer que perdoardes os pecados, lhes são perdoados; e a quem quer que vós retiverdes os pecados ,lhes são retidos.
Ceux à qui vous pardonnerez les péchés, ils leur seront pardonnés; et ceux à qui vous les retiendrez, ils leur seront retenus.
Welchen ihr die Sünden erlasset, denen sind sie erlassen; und welchen ihr sie behaltet, denen sind sie behalten.
Zo gij iemands zonden vergeeft, dien worden zij vergeven; zo gij iemands zonden houdt, dien zijn zij gehouden.
A chi rimetterete i peccati, saranno rimessi; a chi li riterrete, saranno ritenuti.
Którymkolwiek grzechy odpuścicie, są im odpuszczone, a którymkolwiek zatrzymacie, są zatrzymane.
Кому простите грехи, тому простятся; на ком оставите, на том останутся.
你們赦免 誰的 罪，誰的 罪就赦免了；你們留下 誰的罪，誰的罪就留下了。」
Any to whom you give forgiveness, will be made free from their sins; and any from whom you keep back forgiveness, will still be in their sins.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 20:23
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that John 20:23 does not transfer God’s exclusive power to forgive sins to human beings. Adam Clarke states clearly that “God alone can forgive sins.” Matthew Henry, Barnes, and Gill each argue the authority is declarative: the disciples announce the terms of pardon, not grant it. The Greek verb forms support this. Both ἀφέωνται (“they have been forgiven”) and κεκράτηνται (“they have been retained”) are perfect tense, a completed action. When the community, guided by the Spirit, declares forgiveness, it confirms what is already true in heaven. Calvin calls this “the sum of the Gospel”, the ministry of reconciliation through preaching. The Cambridge Bible adds that the power belongs to the whole Christian community, not only to clergy, noting that it is given to all present, including non-apostles. The commentators consistently connect this verse to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, where binding and loosing carry the same declarative force.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Ministerial/Declarative view: Perfect tense verbs; apostles never claimed to forgive sins; Matt. 16:19 and 18:18 use the same pattern; the entire commentarial tradition cited supports this.
- Sacerdotal/Absolution view: Literal reading of “remit” and “retain”; Catholic tradition of the sacrament of penance; John 20:23 as institution of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Ecclesial/Disciplinary view: Connects to Matt. 18:15-18 where binding/loosing governs church discipline; emphasizes the community’s role in excommunication and restoration.
What is clear: Jesus gives the church an authoritative role in declaring forgiveness based on the gospel, exercised under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in continuity with his own mission.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of authority | The authority is derived from Christ and exercised in dependence on the Holy Spirit; it is not independent human judgment. | One view sees it as a declarative authority to preach the terms of pardon (Protestant). Another views it as the basis for priestly absolution in the sacrament of penance (Catholic). |
| Scope of authority | Christians agree that the commission applies to the church’s ongoing mission. | Some limit it to the apostolic foundation (Lutheran, some Reformed). Others extend it to the whole church through ordination (Catholic, Orthodox) or to every believer (Cambridge Bible, Baptist). |
| Conditionality of forgiveness | Forgiveness is not automatic; it requires repentance and faith. | Some traditions teach that the church may exercise the keys to absolve the penitent even without visible evidence of repentance, trusting the sacrament (Catholic). Others insist the church can only announce forgiveness to those who demonstrate genuine faith (Reformed). |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within Jesus’s first appearance to the gathered disciples on resurrection evening. The disciples are huddled behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). Jesus enters, shows his wounds, speaks peace, and then breathes the Holy Spirit into them (v. 22). This is a new creation moment, just as God breathed life into Adam, Jesus breathes new life and mission into his followers. The commission follows: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (v. 21).
Jesus’s language echoes rabbinic practice. Jewish teachers used “bind” and “loose” to declare what was forbidden or permitted. The Poole annotations note that by “binding” the rabbis meant “declaring a thing unlawful,” and by “loosing,” “declaring by doctrine” what was lawful. Jesus adapts this for the gospel. The disciples are sent with the authority of the sender, a concept familiar in Jewish emissary law (shaliah). But this authority is not independent; it flows from the Spirit they have just received.
The timing is crucial. This is a post-resurrection commissioning. The cross has ratified forgiveness; the resurrection has vindicated Christ’s power to give it. The disciples are not creating forgiveness but authoritatively announcing what God has already accomplished. The perfect tense verbs place the real action in heaven; the church’s word on earth echoes that reality. Matthew Henry rightly sees this as part of the apostles’ preparation for worldwide witness, and Calvin calls it “the principal design of preaching the Gospel,” namely, that men and women may be reconciled to God through the unconditional pardon of sins.
Textual Notes
The Cambridge Bible notes “some doubt about the reading as regards the former” verb. A few manuscripts read the future tense (ἀφεθήσεται, “will be forgiven”) instead of the perfect (ἀφέωνται, “has been forgiven”). However, the perfect is well-attested in the earliest manuscripts (P66, P75, Vaticanus, Sinaiticus) and fits the theological point: the disciples’ declaration confirms a forgiveness already completed in heaven. The reading is not materially contested for the second verb (κεκράτηνται). No other significant variants affect the sense of the verse.
Reception History
Early church writers such as Origen and John Chrysostom saw John 20:23 as a commission to preach forgiveness and to exercise church discipline. Augustine connected it to the power of the keys for admitting and excluding from the church. In the medieval period, the verse became a cornerstone of the sacrament of penance; theologians like Thomas Aquinas argued that priests exercise judicial absolution by this authority. The Reformation brought a shift. Calvin called it “the sum of the Gospel,” but insisted the power was ministerial, not magisterial; the minister only announces what God has already accomplished. Luther likewise emphasized the declarative nature, though Lutherans retained the office of the keys for pastoral care. In modern Catholicism, the Second Vatican Council reaffirmed the sacramental character while also stressing the communal dimension. Most Protestant traditions continue to read the verse as the church’s mandate to preach the gospel of reconciliation, with discipline as a corollary.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The setting: peace and the Spirit. Jesus first speaks peace, then gives the Holy Spirit. The authority to forgive is never raw power; it is spiritual authority that flows from Christ’s presence and the Spirit’s guidance.
- The commission: sent as the Father sent him. The disciples do not invent the message; they continue Jesus’s own ministry of reconciliation. They go with his authority, his message, and his Spirit.
- The content: forgiveness declared, not created. The perfect tense (“have been forgiven”) shows that the church’s proclamation confirms what God has already done. The church names the forgiven and the unforgiven based on response to the gospel.
Five-point outline
- The risen Lord appears to fearful disciples (v. 19). Peace replaces fear. The resurrection changes everything.
- Jesus shows his credentials (v. 20). Hands and side prove he is the same crucified Lord, now alive. His wounds ground his authority to forgive.
- The sending: “as the Father sent me, so I send you” (v. 21). The church’s mission is Christ’s mission. It is not a program but participation in his work.
- The Spirit is breathed into the church (v. 22). The Holy Spirit enables discernment and authentic witness. The church cannot forgive by fleshly wisdom.
- The authority to remit and retain (v. 23). The church declares forgiveness to the repentant and holds it back from the impenitent. This is not a clerical privilege but a community responsibility, exercised in the Spirit.
Illustration hooks
- A courtroom announcement. A judge reads a verdict that has already been determined by the evidence. The church, like the judge, does not decide the outcome but announces it faithfully.
- A locked door opened by a key. Jesus gives the church the keys of the kingdom (Matt. 16:19). The key does not create the lock or the room; it opens access. The church opens access to forgiveness.
- A messenger with a royal pardon. A governor pardons a prisoner; the messenger carries the document. The messenger does not grant the pardon but delivers it. The church delivers God’s pardon.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean I can forgive my own sins, or that a pastor can forgive them for me?
- What if a church member forgives someone who is not truly repentant? Is that forgiveness valid?
- Do I need to confess to a priest to be forgiven, or can I go directly to God?
Leading a Discussion
Jesus’s words to the first disciples echo through every generation of the church. He gives the community of faith a remarkable privilege and responsibility: to declare that sins are forgiven or retained. But how does this work in practice? This passage invites us to think about the church’s role in the ministry of reconciliation.
Discussion questions
- Read John 20:19-23. What do you notice about the sequence: peace, showing wounds, sending, breathing the Spirit, and finally the words about forgiveness? Why is that order significant?
- Jesus says “Receive the Holy Spirit” before giving the commission about sins. Why is the Spirit necessary for this authority?
- The Greek verbs for “are forgiven” and “are retained” are perfect tense, indicating a completed action. What does that suggest about who actually forgives sins?
- Compare this verse with Matthew 16:19 and 18:18. How do those passages help you understand what “binding and loosing” means?
- In what ways does your church community “remit” and “retain” sins today? Think about preaching, baptism, Communion, church discipline, and private counsel.
- What would it look like for your small group to take this commission seriously? How can you help one another receive assurance of forgiveness?
- If someone says, “I don’t need the church to tell me I’m forgiven; I can go straight to God,” how would you respond? What does this passage add to that conversation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 16:19 | I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” |
| Matthew 18:18 | Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven. |
| Mark 2:5 | Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” |
| Mark 2:10 | But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— |
| Acts 2:38 | Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. |
| Acts 10:43 | All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.” |
| Acts 13:38 | Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins; |
| Acts 13:39 | and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists that no creature can forgive sins against God; only God can. The apostles were given the doctrine of reconciliation and condemnation, so that believers had sins remitted through their preaching while unbelievers remained under condemnation. He also notes Lightfoot's view that this referred to the apostles' exclusive power over life and death and delivering to Satan.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Jesus gave the same authority to all the apostles, not special power to Peter alone. The power to forgive sins is not about individuals pronouncing pardon, which belongs only to God. Instead, it means the apostles were inspired to declare the terms on which God would forgive those who repent.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that the power to forgive sins cannot be separated from the office of preaching the Gospel. The whole purpose of that embassy is reconciliation with God through unconditional pardon, which is the chief point distinguishing the Gospel from any human philosophy. Every other blessing flows from this foundation.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary stresses that the power to forgive or retain sins was given to the entire Christian community present, not just the apostles. The commission belongs to the whole Church and continues as long as the Church exists, exercising spiritual discernment to declare the conditions on which forgiveness is granted.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit, they are remitted vnto them: and whosoeuers sinnes ye reteine, they are reteined.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists that Christ never gave his apostles actual power to forgive sins, which belongs to God alone. The authority here is purely ministerial and declarative: when preachers faithfully announce forgiveness to those who repent and believe, God confirms that declaration. Unbelievers remain unforgiven, and God upholds that judgment as well.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that the power to remit sins was never understood or exercised by the apostles in any literal, authoritative sense. Christ gave this power only in a ministerial or declarative way, meaning ministers act as authorized interpreters of His word, with the true exercise seen in church discipline.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the timing: Jesus appeared to the gathered disciples on the very evening of His resurrection, not simply to comfort them but to provide firsthand, irrefutable proof. Because they would be called to testify to the world and build the church on that testimony, Christ ensured they were eye-witnesses, not mere hearers at second hand.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent observes that the Greek word for "remit" appears only here in this Gospel when speaking of sins. By contrast, it is used often in Matthew, Mark, and Luke for the same subject, making this a distinctive word choice.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley wrestles with a key difficulty: if genuine faith already secures forgiveness regardless of a priest's words, what does the commission to remit sins actually mean? He concludes it grants two things—the authority to declare God's terms of pardon and the power to impose or lift church censures like excommunication.