Yochanan 20:23

23 If you grant selicha to the averos of any, they have selicha; if there be any whose averos you retain, they are retained. [Mt 16:19; 18:18; Ac 8:17-24]

Yochanan 20:23 Meaning and Commentary

John 20:23

Whose soever sins ye remit
God only can forgive sins, and Christ being God, has a power to do so likewise; but he never communicated any such power to his apostles; nor did they ever assume any such power to themselves, or pretend to exercise it; it is the mark of antichrist, to attempt anything of the kind; who, in so doing, usurps the divine prerogative, places himself in his seat, and shows himself as if he was God: but this is to be understood only in a doctrinal, or ministerial way, by preaching the full and free remission of sins, through the blood of Christ, according to the riches of God's grace, to such as repent of their sins, and believe in Christ; declaring, that all such persons as do so repent and believe, all their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake: and accordingly,

they are remitted unto them;
in agreement with Christ's own words, in his declaration and commission to his disciples; see ( Mark 16:16 ) ( Luke 24:47 ) . On the other hand he signifies, that

whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained:
that is, that whatsoever sins ye declare are not forgiven, they are not forgiven; which is the case of all final unbelievers, and impenitent sinners; who dying without repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel declaration, shall be damned, and are damned; for God stands by, and will stand by and confirm the Gospel of his Son, faithfully preached by his ministering servants; and all the world will sooner or later be convinced of the validity, truth, and certainty, of the declarations on each of these heads, made by them.

Yochanan 20:23 In-Context

21 Therefore He said to them again, Shalom Aleichem! As HaAv has sent Me, so also I send you. [BERESHIS 2:7; YECHEZKEL 37:9]

22 And having said this, Moshiach breathed on them and says to them, Receive the Ruach Hakodesh.

23 If you grant selicha to the averos of any, they have selicha; if there be any whose averos you retain, they are retained. [Mt 16:19; 18:18; Ac 8:17-24]

24 But T’oma, one of the Sheneym Asar, the one being called Didymus, was not with them when He came.

25 Therefore the other talmidim were saying to him, Ra’i’nu es Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu (We have seen Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu!) But T’oma said to them, Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and I put my finger into the place of the nails and also put my hand into his side, I will never have emunah (faith).