What does Jesus mean by forgiving sins in John 20:23?

What Does Jesus Mean by Forgiving Sins in John 20:23?

1. The Context of John 20:23

John 20:23 reads: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.” This statement appears just after Jesus’ resurrection, when He appears to His disciples in a locked room. In John 20:21–22 He says, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” Then He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Understanding the overall context is vital: the risen Christ is commissioning His followers, empowering them by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the message that reconciles sinners to God.

2. The Authority to Forgive Sins Belongs to God

Scripture uniformly testifies that only God can forgive sins. In Mark 2:7, Jewish teachers exclaim, “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Ultimately, the Bible shows that forgiveness of sins is found in Christ’s atoning work, not in human power (Hebrews 9:22; 1 John 2:2). Recognizing this principle, the statement in John 20:23 must be understood in light of God’s granting His message and Spirit to the apostles (and, by extension, to the Church) to declare forgiveness according to the gospel.

3. Understanding the Commission

Jesus’ statement is often linked to an extension of the “keys of the kingdom” (cf. Matthew 16:19), where believers are entrusted with declaring God's terms of forgiveness. When Jesus commissions His disciples, He is essentially saying: “Go, preach repentance and salvation in My name. Those who believe and repent according to your proclamation of My gospel will find forgiveness from God. Those who reject that message will remain in their sins.”

4. Proclaiming or Withholding Forgiveness

The phrase “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld” can be read as: “If you declare their sins forgiven (based on their repentance and faith in Christ), they truly stand forgiven before God. If you declare their sins not forgiven (because they refuse the gospel message), then God’s forgiveness does not rest on them.” The responsibility rests on whether individuals align themselves with repentance and faith in Jesus.

This view aligns with John 3:18: “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned.” Belief in Christ’s atoning work brings forgiveness (Romans 4:5; 8:1). Unbelief leaves a person in ongoing guilt (John 8:24). The apostles—and by extension Christians sharing the gospel—announce God’s verdict; God alone effects the forgiveness.

5. Consistency with Other Passages and Manuscript Evidence

From a textual standpoint, John 20:23 is well attested in the ancient Greek manuscripts. Research into early papyri such as P66 (circa AD 200) and Codex Sinaiticus (4th century) confirms its presence in the Gospel of John. This consistency is mirrored in patristic writings (e.g., Tertullian, Against Marcion 4.24) and compels scholars to confidently affirm that the verse reflects the original teaching.

Such alignment in the manuscript tradition supports a reliable transmission of John’s Gospel. The teaching that Jesus delegates His followers to proclaim God’s forgiveness is not an isolated doctrine but meshes perfectly with the rest of the New Testament.

6. The Role of the Holy Spirit

Immediately before declaring the power to forgive sins, Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to His followers (John 20:22). This giving of the Holy Spirit empowers believers to share the message of Christ, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the gospel; through believing that message, sinners experience genuine forgiveness from God.

7. Practical Implications for Believers

Jesus’ words remind believers that they are His representatives on earth. The message of salvation and forgiveness—completed by Christ’s death and resurrection—has been entrusted to human messengers. When believers, led by the Holy Spirit, share the gospel and an individual responds in faith, that person is truly forgiven. Conversely, if someone rejects God’s message, the believers can rightly say that person’s sins are not forgiven, because forgiveness hinges on acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice.

8. A Summary of John 20:23 in Action

1. God alone forgives sins.

2. Christ bestows the Holy Spirit and authorizes His followers to proclaim the basis of that forgiveness: repentance and faith in Him.

3. The power to “forgive” or “withhold” derives from the grace, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

4. As the Church declares the gospel, it announces God’s own verdict: forgiveness to all who believe and continued condemnation to all who reject the saving message.

9. Conclusion

John 20:23 affirms that Jesus has commissioned His followers to announce His forgiveness, based on salvation through His death and resurrection. The statement does not teach that anyone besides God can ultimately remove sin’s guilt. Rather, it highlights that God, in His wisdom and grace, uses Spirit-empowered believers to make known the forgiveness He has already provided through Christ.

This passage, corroborated by reliable manuscripts and supported by the broader testimony of Scripture, underscores the privileged yet sobering mission: to proclaim the good news that through Jesus, sins truly can be forgiven, and to warn that rejecting Him leaves one under the just penalty of sin. Through this solemn entrustment, the risen Christ demonstrates His loving desire to reconcile the world to Himself, using ordinary people in extraordinary ways—powered by the Holy Spirit—to spread life-giving forgiveness.