📖 Jesus told His disciples in John 20:23:
“Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
😮 That sounds like the disciples had power to forgive sins — but is that true?
Let’s answer this rightly divided, with Scripture as our final authority. ✝️
🧭 1. What Did Jesus Actually Say?
In John 20:22–23, Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection and breathes on them, saying:
“Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them…”
This was not given to the Body of Christ or for this current dispensation of grace.
It was part of Christ’s post-resurrection instructions to His kingdom apostles under Israel’s prophetic program.
📜 2. Remission of Sins in Israel’s Program
Under Israel’s kingdom gospel (Luke 1:77, Acts 2:38), remission of sins was part of the prophetic promise:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
— Acts 2:38
Peter and the Twelve were given authority to minister forgiveness in Jesus’ name — according to God’s covenant with Israel.
They were preaching:
✅ The gospel of the kingdom
✅ To Israel only (Matthew 10:5–6)
✅ Based on prophecy, not mystery
🧠 Jesus also said in Matthew 16:19 that He would give Peter the “keys of the kingdom.”
The power to “bind and loose” was kingdom authority, not Church doctrine.
📖 3. But Who Can Actually Forgive Sins?
Let’s be clear: Only God can forgive sins.
Even the Pharisees knew this:
“Who can forgive sins but God only?”
— Mark 2:7
✔️ The disciples were not divine — they were given authority to proclaim forgiveness based on Israel’s covenant.
🧾 That’s very different from having divine power to cleanse the soul.
They didn’t “absolve” sins like some modern religions claim. They were ministers of what God had declared.
🤔 4. What About Today?
💡 In this current dispensation of grace, there is no priesthood, no apostleship like Peter’s, and no kingdom gospel being preached.
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, said:
“Be it known unto you therefore… that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
And by him all that believe are justified from all things…”
— Acts 13:38–39
🙌 Forgiveness today is not through apostolic authority, but through faith in Christ’s finished work.
🔥 5. The Cross Changed Everything
The power to forgive sins today is not passed through men, but received by grace through faith:
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins…”
— Colossians 1:14
No one today can remit or retain sins like the apostles under the kingdom program.
That was prophecy — we live in the age of the mystery (Ephesians 3:9).
✅ Final Answer:
Did the disciples have power to remit sins?
✔️ Yes — within Israel’s kingdom program, as part of their apostolic commission from Christ.
❌ But not in the same way religious institutions claim today.
❌ And not under the gospel of the grace of God preached by Paul.
Today, forgiveness is:
✝️ By grace alone
🩸 Through Christ’s blood
🙏 Received by faith
🙅♂️ Without any priest or ceremony
📣 Bottom Line:
🔓 You don’t need a priest, pope, or preacher to remit your sins.
🕊️ You need Christ, and faith in His finished work.
👉 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” — Acts 16:31
👉 “In whom we have redemption… the forgiveness of sins.” — Eph. 1:7
