John 20:22-23 KJV
And when he had said this, he breathed on them , and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
[23] Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Now, in Lower(textual) criticism of theology, the principle of scripture intertextuality and intratextuality are key to achieving contextual understanding of a text or a subject.
Scripture intertextuality is the rule that the texts of the scripture have center references of other(author) texts. Hence, a texts must be understood in the light of others of the same thought, theme, and emphasis.
Scripture intratextuality is the principle that an emphatic content or term of a text of the scripture, of a particular author, resonates in meaning in all its usages of the same theme, by the same author.
The rule of context, mentions, and corroboration in biblical hermeneutics, are offsprings of Intertextuality and intertextuality. These things are very simple, as you will see, as we go on.
Now, let’s see our text again.
John 20:22-23 KJV
And when he had said this, he breathed on them , and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
[23] Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
To start with, the statement “receive ye the Holy Ghost” as it is, is a contextual translational misfit in the texts, and does not mean what it reads, but thats for another day!
My punchline today is specifically, the content of verse 23;
Now does it(vs.23) mean that the believer can go around forgiving men their sins; as it has been making rounds in some quarters? NO!
That would in fact be ridiculous! As we do not have any reference to corroborate such submission. Such doctrine is a bad dividing! Hence its practice is afield the subject context.
We do not have any evidence stated or implied, in the New Testament that the believer has the power to forgive sins other than the sins(offences done to him).
Matthew 18:21-22 KJV
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
[22] Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
2 Corinthians 2:5-8 KJV
But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
[6] Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
[7] So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him , and comfort him , lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
[8] Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
[9] For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
[10] To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it , for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
James 5:16 KJV
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Now, to understand what this text mean, we must compare with the other accounts and see how the same content was rendered or presented(intertextuality) by the other gospels.
That said.
Back to our pilot text,
John 20:22-23 KJV
And when he had said this, he breathed on them , and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
[23] Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Now, using intertextuality, let’s see how Matthew rendered that part of Jesus’ words in that same meeting.
Matthew 28:16-20 KJV
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
[17] And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
[18] And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
MATTEW presented the same content in context, as the PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL to all nations.
Now, lets see Mark’s presentation of the same context and theme of the same meeting;
Mark 16:14-16 KJV
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
[15] And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark also presented that portion of Jesus words as the PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL to all men.
Let’s now examine LUKE’S rendering of the same context and meeting.
Acts 1:4-8 KJV
And, being assembled together with them , commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he , ye have heard of me.
[5] For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
[6] When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
[7] And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
[8] But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Luke also, presented that part of Jesus words as the PREACHING(witnessing) OF THE GOSPEL to all men, everywhere.
Thus, putting all the accounts regarding Jesus’ instruction to them in that assembly together, and understanding them together as a whole, it is clear what John 20:23 means, in the light of the others.
What the other Gospel authors accounted as the PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL, Apostle John accounted as FORGIVING MEN THEIR SINS.
If you have observed, John’s accounting of the gospel has an underlying theme of spiritual significance of Jesus personality, life, words and ministry. Hence, his gospel is the most distinctive of all the gospel accounts.
Let’s see our text again;
John 20:22-23 KJV
And when he had said this, he breathed on them , and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
[23] Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Hence, It means that the power to FORGIVE MEN THEIR SINS is in the PREACHING of the gospel. That is, the believer brings forgiveness of sins to men in the preaching of the gospel.
Mark 16:14-15 KJV
[15] And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
The term “believeth” here implies to receive. The word “saved” here implies forgiven, and the word “damned” implies not forgiven. And saved or damned is in the receiving or rejecting of the gospel preached, respectively.
Acts 13:37-39 KJV
But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
[38] Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
[39] And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Here we see that the preaching of the gospel is equivalent to the preaching of forgiveness of sins
Acts 26:15-18 KJV
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
[16] But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
[17] Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
[18] To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
The same thought is conveyed here!
And since the Gospel word and ministry is committed to the believer, it implies that the power of forgiveness of sins is committed to the believer,..in the preaching of the gospel.
Romans 1:16 KJV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 KJV
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
[18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
[19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
The word(message) and the ministry(service) of reconciliation(forgiveness) has been GIVEN TO the beleivers.
More over, it is worthy of mention that the forgiveness(reconciliation) is in the message(the gospel),…hence it is called the word of reconciliation. 2Cor.5:19
And the preaching and or teaching of the message(the Gospel) is the ministry.
Hence the FORGIVENESS OF SINS of men(unsaved) is with the church, in the gospel.
The SAVED MAN already has frogiveness of sins in SALVATION, upon faith(receipt) of the gospel!
Ephesians 1:5-7 KJV
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
[6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
[7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Ephesians 4:32 KJV
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Colossians 1:13-14 KJV
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
[14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Colossians 2:13 KJV
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Please note how that forgiveness of sins is never separated from salvation.
Salvation is(all inclusive) forgiveness of sins. Halleluiah!
Now, someone might ask;
‘but Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins’?
YES! Only Jesus could and did!
‘But as He is, so are we in this world’
No sir! Not in this context!
The context here, is the PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL by the believer. Therein is the forgiveness of the sins of the whole world!
Halleluia!
15/01/2017
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Apostle Theo’philips Danjuma
