Small problem.

Has anyone figured out this verse? I'm stuck.

John 20:23
"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them: if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."


I doubt this means what it appears to mean since only God can forgive sin. Can anybody shed some light on this please?
 
Has anyone figured out this verse? I'm stuck.

John 20:23
"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them: if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

I doubt this means what it appears to mean since only God can forgive sin. Can anybody shed some light on this please?
The Key To Understanding This Is In Verse 21 and 22 Verse 21 " As The Father Sent Me So I am Sending You"

Verse 22 " Now Having Received The Holy Spirit, And BEING LED AND DIRECTED BY HIM"

The Key Is (BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BEING DIRECTED BY HIM)

AS JESUS WAS SENT BY FATHER GOD

JESUS WAS SENDING THEM IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS (THE AUTHORITY)

AS IN ACTS 5:3 "Ananias Lied To THE HOLY SPIRIT"

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

CONTEXT AUTHORITY (THE HOLY SPIRIT)
Acts 5

1BUT A certain man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property,
2And with his wife's knowledge and connivance he kept back and wrongfully appropriated some of the proceeds, bringing only a part and putting it at the feet of the apostles.
3But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land?
4As long as it remained unsold, was it not still your own? And [even] after it was sold, was not [the money] at your disposal and under your control? Why then, is it that you have proposed and purposed in your heart to do this thing? [How could you have the heart to do such a deed?] You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God.
5Upon hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great dread and terror took possession of all who heard of it.
6And the young men arose and wrapped up [the body] and carried it out and buried it.
7Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not having learned of what had happened.
8And Peter said to her, Tell me, did you sell the land for so much? Yes, she said, for so much.
9Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed and conspired together to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out [also].
10And instantly she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men entering found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11And the whole church and all others who heard of these things were appalled [great awe and strange terror and dread seized them].
 
I believe that this means that you should forgive someone if they did something wrong. Because you're right, only God has that power to forgive. We do not.
 
I believe that this means that you should forgive someone if they did something wrong. Because you're right, only God has that power to forgive. We do not.
This is a tough verse, isn't it? Oh man...

Yes you should forgive somebody of their sins but what if you don't? It says that their sins have been retained. Kept. Kept? Kept to you? If you forgive them then their sins are forgiven to you, in your heart they are forgiven but if you refuse to forgive them then their sins are retained, kept? Kept to you? So if you don't forgive them their sins then it weighs you down? They are kept to you? See now that makes sense and I hope that is what it means because I know that until you forgive somebody, it will weigh you down. It will harden your heart and a grudge will form and anger will enter in. So their sins being kept in you, that would make sense to me.

If somebody sins against me and i do not forgive them then that sin will be kept unto me and it will weigh me down but if I forgive that person that sinned against me then that sin is forgiven and will not hinder me. I hope that is what It means. I think that could be what it means. It's strange how I never thought of that until I started replying to your message. I was going to just question you about it and bam, this comes in? Man...
 
Hm you have an interesting point. I don't fully agree, but I won't share anymore. I just don't want to debate :)
 
Has anyone figured out this verse? I'm stuck.

John 20:23
"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them: if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

I doubt this means what it appears to mean since only God can forgive sin. Can anybody shed some light on this please?
My first thought was to assume that if the injured party is prepared to forgive somebody, then God will also forgive them - but if the injured party is not prepared to forgive, then neither will God.

My second thought was that if God has forgiven the culprit, then the injured party will also be permitted to forgive - but if God hasn't forgiven the culprit, then the injured party will be unable to do so.
 
Has anyone figured out this verse? I'm stuck.

John 20:23
"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them: if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

I doubt this means what it appears to mean since only God can forgive sin. Can anybody shed some light on this please?

If we forgive someone who does us wrong, or even if it's a perceived wrong, we are released from the bondage of unforgivness. If we don't forgive, we are bound by that unforgiveness. I've heard it said before unforgiveness is like continually drinking poision and thinking it will kill the other person, not us. But really it may not even be bothering them yet it will cause problems for us, such as a root of bitterness taking hold which is hard to get rid of. It hinders our prayers from being answered, and negative emotions even cause sicknesses and disease according to physicians. In Mark 11 it says if we don't forgive our Father does not forgive us. All of the unforgiveness is still retained in us. It hinders us from recieving revelation and God's help. When we forgive their wrong is forgiven in our heart and we are free to move on and move up in the Lord.

Sometimes if we go to the person they will repent, but if they don't we are still free if we do our part and forgive. But its good to pray for them that one day they will repent and be right with the Lord
 
If we forgive someone who does us wrong, or even if it's a perceived wrong, we are released from the bondage of unforgivness. If we don't forgive, we are bound by that unforgiveness. I've heard it said before unforgiveness is like continually drinking poision and thinking it will kill the other person, not us. But really it may not even be bothering them yet it will cause problems for us, such as a root of bitterness taking hold which is hard to get rid of. It hinders our prayers from being answered, and negative emotions even cause sicknesses and disease according to physicians. In Mark 11 it says if we don't forgive our Father does not forgive us. All of the unforgiveness is still retained in us. It hinders us from recieving revelation and God's help. When we forgive their wrong is forgiven in our heart and we are free to move on and move up in the Lord.

Sometimes if we go to the person they will repent, but if they don't we are still free if we do our part and forgive. But its good to pray for them that one day they will repent and be right with the Lord
Thank you for the post. That clears it up wonderfully.
 
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