John 20:23 BSB — MannaFest

John 20:23

If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

KJV

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

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Commentary

1 voice

Ambrose of Milan

Concerning Repentance 1.2.6-7 (397)

They affirm that they are showing great reverence for God, to whom alone they reserve the power of forgiving sins. But in truth no one does him greater injury than those who choose to prune his commandments and reject the office entrusted to them. For the Lord Jesus himself said in the Gospel, "Receive the Holy Spirit; whoever's sins you forgive they are forgiven to them, and whoever's sins you retain, they are retained."

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Whosoever sins ye remit - (According to the tenor of the Gospel, that is, supposing them to repent and believe) they are remitted, and whosoever sins ye retain (supposing them to remain impenitent) they are retained. But here arises a difficulty. Are not the sins of one who truly repents, and unfeignedly believes in Christ, remitted, without sacerdotal absolution?

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

Whose soever sins ... - See the notes at Mat 16:19; Mat 18:18. It is worthy of remark here that Jesus confers the same power on all the apostles. He gives to no one of them any special authority. If Peter, as the Papists pretend, had been appointed to any special authority, it is wonderful that the Saviour did not here hint at any such pre-eminence.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, &c.--In any literal and authoritative sense this power was never exercised by one of the apostles, and plainly was never understood by themselves as possessed by them or conveyed to them.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

11 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἄν	an	If	G302 →
τινων	tinōn	of any	G5100 →
ἀφῆτε	aphēte	you may forgive	G863 →
τὰς	tas	the	G3588 →
ἁμαρτίας,	hamartias	sins,	G266 →
ἀφέωνται	apheōntai	they have been forgiven	G863 →
αὐτοῖς·	autois	to them;	G846 →
ἄν	an	If	G302 →
τινων	tinōn	any	G5100 →
κρατῆτε,	kratēte	you may retain,	G2902 →
κεκράτηνται.¶	kekratēntai	they have been retained.	G2902 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Matthew 18:18
Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
leads to
- 2 Corinthians 2:10
  If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Matthew 16:19
  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Through
Matthew 16:19
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
leads to
- Matthew 18:18
  Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
- Isaiah 22:22
  I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
- Revelation 1:18
  the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
- Revelation 3:7
  To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut,…
Through
Acts 10:43
All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
leads to
- Zechariah 13:1
  “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
- Acts 2:38
  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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The Word Made Flesh — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

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01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About John

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About John