João 20

João 20

Lenski adds that eirene "is both the condition of peace, when our sins are gone, salvation is ours, and God is our friend, and the feeling of peace that results from this condition. The feeling may fluctuate and even be absent at times, but the condition abides unchanged as long as faith and salvation abide. The feeling will blossom again and again out of the condition and grow in intensity." (Borrow Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel) EIRENE IN GOSPEL OF JOHN - Jn. 14:27; Jn. 16:33; Jn. 20:19; Jn. 20:21; Jn. 20:26 Sent (649) apostello from apo = from, away from + stello = to withdraw from, avoid) means to send off, to send forth, to send out. To send out; to commission as a representative, an ambassador, an envoy. The idea is to send forth from one place to another. But the meaning of apostello is more than just to send because it means "to send off on a commission to do something as one’s personal representative, with credentials furnished" (Wuest) To send upon some business (Mt. 2:16; 10:5; 20:2). To send away in the sense of to dismiss (Mk 12:3, 4). To send or thrust forth as a sickle among corn (Mk 4:29). See New International Dictionary of NT Theology for - 8 page discussion including discussion of apostle Three things are true of the person sent from God. (1) He belongs to God, who has sent him out. (2) He is commissioned to be sent out. (3) He possesses all the authority and power of God, who has sent him out. (Practical Word Studies) APOSTELLO IN GOSPEL OF JOHN - Jn. 1:6; Jn. 1:19; Jn. 1:24; Jn. 3:17; Jn. 3:28; Jn. 3:34; Jn. 4:38; Jn. 5:33; Jn. 5:36; Jn. 5:38; Jn. 6:29; Jn. 6:57; Jn. 7:29; Jn. 7:32; Jn. 8:42; Jn. 9:7; Jn. 10:36; Jn. 11:3; Jn. 11:42; Jn. 17:3; Jn. 17:8; Jn. 17:18; Jn. 17:21; Jn. 17:23; Jn. 17:25; Jn. 18:24; Jn. 20:21 Send (3992)(pempo) means to cause to go, to send (a) of persons: Christ, by the Father, Luke 20:13; John 4:34; John 5:23, 24, 30, 37; John 6:38-40, 44; John 7:16, 18, 28, 33; John 8:16, 18, 26, 29; John 9:4; John 12:44, 45, 49; John 13:20 (2nd part); John 14:24; John 15:21; John 16:5; Rom. 8:3; the Holy Spirit, John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7; Elijah, Luke 4:26; John the Baptist, John 1:33; disciples and apostles, e.g., Matt. 11:2; John 20:21; servants, e.g., Luke 20:11, 12; officials, Matt. 14:10; messengers, e.g., Acts 10:5, 32, 33; Acts 15:22, 25; 2 Cor. 9:3; Eph. 6:22; Phil. 2:19, 23, 25; 1 Thess. 3:2, 5; Titus 3:12; a prisoner, Acts 25:25, 27; potentates, by God, 1 Pet. 2:14; an angel, Rev. 22:16; demons, Mark 5:12; (b) of things, Acts 11:29; Phil. 4:16; 2 Thess. 2:11; Rev. 1:11; Rev. 11:10; Rev. 14:15, 18, RV, "send forth" (AV, "thrust in"). (Vine's Expository Dictionary) Vines adds these notes: (1) Pempō is a more general term than apostello; apostellō usually "suggests official or authoritative sending" (Thayer). A comparison of the usages mentioned above shows how nearly (in some cases practically quite) interchangeably they are used, and yet on close consideration the distinction just mentioned is discernible; in the Gospel of John, cp. pempō in John 5:23, 24, 30, 37, apostello in John 5:33, 36, 38; pempō in John 6:38, 39, 44, apostello in John 6:29, 57; the two are not used simply for the sake of variety of expression. Pempō is not used in the Lord's prayer in John 17, whereas apostello is used six times. (2) The "sending" of the Son by the Father was from the glory which He had with the Father into the world, by way of the Incarnation, not a "sending" out into the world after His birth, as if denoting His mission among and His manifestation to the people. "Hofmann, in support of his view that Jesus is called the Son of God only in virtue of His being born of man, vainly urges that the simple accusative after apostellō also denotes what the Person is or becomes by being sent. What he states is true but only when the name of the object spoken of is chosen to correspond with the purposed mission, as e.g., in Mark 1:2; Luke 14:32; Luke 19:14. We can no more say, "God sent Jesus that He should be His Son' than we can render 'he sent his servants,' Matt. 21:34, in this manner. That the Sonship of Christ is anterior to His mission to the world … is clear from John 16:28; cp. especially also the double accusative in 1 John 4:14, 'the Father sent the Son the Savior of the world.' The expression that Jesus is sent by God denotes the mission which He has to fulfill and the authority which backs Him" (Cremer, Lexicon of NT Greek). (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Strong's = to dispatch (from the subject view or point of departure, whereas hiemi [as a stronger form of eimi] refers rather to the object point or terminus ad quem, and 4724 (stello) denotes properly the orderly motion involved), especially on a temporary errand; also to transmit, bestow, or wield :- send, thrust in. Friberg on pempo - from a basic meaning send, of causing movement from one place to another; (1) of persons send, dispatch (Mt 2.8); especially of those sent as God's representatives (Lk 4.26); in a more abstract sense instruct, appoint (Jn 1.33); in distinction from apostello (send forth, send out), where the primary focus is on the authoritative commission behind the sending, pempo focuses rather on the sender who is being represented and on the act of sending (Jn 5.37; cf. Jn 3.17); (2) of things send something to someone (Rev 11.10); idiomatically, of harvesting pempein to drepanon literally thrust in the sickle, i.e. begin to harvest; figuratively in Rev 14:15, 18 of the time of judgment at the end of this age (BORROW Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament Gilbrant - Classical Greek - Frequently pempo is used of “sending” persons, such as messengers, spies, troops. It even refers to “nominating” (“send forward”) a person for office (cf. Liddell-Scott). Pempō does not carry the same emphasis that the one who is sent has the same authority as the sender. Rengstorf (“apostellō,” Kittel, 1:398) notes that when rulers of provinces are referred to as hoi pempomenoi, “those being sent,” the stress is upon their being sent, not upon their duty or authority. According to Thayer pempō is a more general term than apostellō which often implies an authorized messenger (Greek-English Lexicon). Septuagint Usage - The Septuagint’s usage further confirms this distinction between the two words. Here apostellō and exapostellō (1805) occur over 700 times, almost invariably as a translation of the Hebrew shālach, “to send.” The Hebrew does not stress as much the sending as it does the authorization or commissioning to perform a certain duty. Consequently, shālach is only rarely (five times) translated as pempō. Pempō occurs in the Septuagint only 26 times. New Testament Usage - In the New Testament pempō appears some 80 times, compared to around 135 times for apostellō. With regard to the distribution of pempō, it is interesting to note that 22 of the occurrences are attributed to Luke (in his Gospel and Acts); 15 are Paul’s; and it occurs not less than 33 times in John’s Gospel. Equally surprising as this distribution is the unique use of the word in John’s Gospel when compared with the rest of the New Testament. Whereas the rest of the New Testament only rarely uses pempō in reference to God’s sending of His Son, for John it is used almost exclusively in this way. In addition to the 33 instances of pempō, apostello occurs in John’s Gospel 28 times; it too refers to the sending of Jesus into the world. The various attempts to explain or demonstrate a distinct difference between apostello and pempō in this regard have hardly been convincing. Both the arguments and the conclusions rest on seemingly shaky foundations. Obviously the solution is to acknowledge John’s stylistic train, in good Middle Eastern fashion, of using a variety of related words to say the same thing. Furthermore, it should be remembered that the fourth Gospel was probably written a few decades later than the Synoptic Gospels. When John wrote, the term apostolos, “apostle,” would, to a greater extent than when the Synoptics appeared, have acquired a more technical status. This in turn would have unquestionably affected the verb’s meaning to some degree. John’s use of the two words defines more precisely their actual practical use. For example, one might make a comparison between pempō in John 5:23,24,30, 37 with apostello in Jn 5:33,36,38. Or, one might compare pempō in John 6:38,39, 44 with apostellō in John 6:29, 57. Remarkably, in Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, pempō does not occur at all, while apostello occurs seven times. (Complete Biblical Library) PEMPO - 79X/78V - dispatch(1), put(2), send(24), sending(2), sent(50). Matt. 2:8; Matt. 11:2; Matt. 14:10; Matt. 22:7; Mk. 5:12; Lk. 4:26; Lk. 7:6; Lk. 7:10; Lk. 7:19; Lk. 15:15; Lk. 16:24; Lk. 16:27; Lk. 20:11; Lk. 20:12; Lk. 20:13; Jn. 1:22; Jn. 1:33; Jn. 4:34; Jn. 5:23; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 5:30; Jn. 5:37; Jn. 6:38; Jn. 6:39; Jn. 6:44; Jn. 7:16; Jn. 7:18; Jn. 7:28; Jn. 7:33; Jn. 8:16; Jn. 8:18; Jn. 8:26; Jn. 8:29; Jn. 9:4; Jn. 12:44; Jn. 12:45; Jn. 12:49; Jn. 13:16; Jn. 13:20; Jn. 14:24; Jn. 14:26; Jn. 15:21; Jn. 15:26; Jn. 16:5; Jn. 16:7; Jn. 20:21; Acts 10:5; Acts 10:32; Acts 10:33; Acts 11:29; Acts 15:22; Acts 15:25; Acts 19:31; Acts 20:17; Acts 23:30; Acts 25:25; Acts 25:27; Rom. 8:3; 1 Co. 4:17; 1 Co. 16:3; 2 Co. 9:3; Eph. 6:22; Phil. 2:19; Phil. 2:23; Phil. 2:25; Phil. 2:28; Phil. 4:16; Col. 4:8; 1 Thess. 3:2; 1 Thess. 3:5; 2 Thess. 2:11; Tit. 3:12; 1 Pet. 2:14; Rev. 1:11; Rev. 11:10; Rev. 14:15; Rev. 14:18; Rev. 22:16 PEMPO in the Septuagint - Gen. 27:42; Ezr. 4:14; Ezr. 5:17; Neh. 2:5; Est. 8:5 THOMAS IS CONVINCED John 20:21–31; 1 John 1:1–4 Croft Pentz Thomas doubted the resurrection of Christ. Though Christ promised He would arise, yet Thomas refused to believe until he saw. Faith believes before it sees. 1. THE PEACE OF CHRIST—John 20:21–25 2. THE PROOF OF CHRIST—John 20:26–31 3. THE PERSON OF CHRIST—1 John 1:1–4 Doubt is sin! Doubt will destroy faith. All doubt, fears, and worries disappear when Christ comes. When we pray, He draws near to us. When He is near, all doubt and fear will be replaced by faith and trust. No Utopia Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." —John 20:21 Today's Scripture : John 20:19-31 An exhibit at the New York Public Library was titled “Utopia: The Search For The Ideal Society In The Western World.” Time magazine called it “a show about failure,” noting that Utopia, which has never existed, “is one of the enduring phantoms of the human mind.” Sometimes the church tries to be a utopian society by welcoming agreeable saints and barely tolerating offensive sinners. Concern for our own well-being overshadows compassion for people without Christ, and we become the exact opposite of what Jesus wants us to be. The Gospels tell us that Jesus associated with dishonest businessmen, prostitutes, and people from despised minority groups. He came as a servant to seek and to save the lost, and to do His Father’s will in dying for the sins of the world. Immediately after Jesus’ resurrection, His disciples were assembled behind locked doors (John 20:19). But Jesus appeared in their midst and gave them this charge: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (v.21). Lord, help us see, through transformed eyes, A world of people in despair, And help us reach them with Your love, To show them that we really care. —Sper Keep the faith, but not to yourself. John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. He breathed: Ge 2:7 Job 33:4 Ps 33:6 Eze 37:9 Receive: John 14:16 Jn 15:26 Jn 16:7 Ac 2:4,38 Acts 4:8 8:15 10:47 19:2 Ga 3:2 Related Passages: Genesis 2:7+ Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into (Lxx = emphusao) his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Ezekiel 37:9+ Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe (Lxx = emphusao)(Lxx = emphusao) these slain, that they come to life.”’ JESUS PROPHESIES THE POWER FOR THE COMMISSION And when He had said this, He breathed on (emphusao) them and *said to them, “Receive (aorist imperative ) the Holy Spirit - He breathed on them was a symbolic way of preparing them for the promised Holy Spirit Who they would receive at Pentecost. It was a foretaste or foreshadowing of Pentecost. In the context, they would need the Spirit's power as they were sent into the hostile world to proclaim the Gospel. Note that unlike the Day of Pentecost nothing is recorded as having happened with Jesus breathed on them. THOUGHT- Have you received the Holy Spirit? Your answer to this question is vitally important. Simply put, if you have not, you are not born again. If you are born again, you have received the Holy Spirit and no additional "reception" is necessary. Filling on the other hand is something that can dissipate (GRIEVE, QUENCH) when we sin and fail to confess and repent. Paul makes it clear "However, you are not in the flesh (UNREGENERATE, DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS, DESTINED FOR HELL) but in the Spirit, if (FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL = SINCE) indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." (Ro 8:9+). Brian Bell comments on He breathed on them - For their new commission they needed spiritual power. The image and wording of breathing on them recalls God’s creative work in making Adam. (both gave life: 1 physical, 1 spiritual) This reception of the Spirit was in anticipation of the day of Pentecost and should be understood as a partial limited gift of knowledge, understanding, and empowerment until Pentecost, 50 days later. (Knowledge Bible Commentary) Like an instrument is blown into, to make music. They were to sing and sound the note of the new kingdom. NET NOTE - He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The use of the Greek verb breathed on (ἐμφυσάω, emphusao) to describe the action of Jesus here recalls Gen 2:7 in the LXX, where “the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed (lxx = emphusao) into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” This time, however, it is Jesus who is breathing the breath-Spirit of eternal life, life from above, into his disciples (cf. Jn 3:3–10). Furthermore there is the imagery of Ezek 37:1–14, the prophecy concerning the resurrection of the dry bones: In Ezek 37:9 the Son of Man is told to prophesy to the “wind-breath-Spirit” to come and breathe on the corpses, so that they will live again. In Ezek 37:14 the Lord promised, “I will put my Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you in your own land.” In terms of ultimate fulfillment the passage in Ezek 37 looks at the regeneration of Israel immediately prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom. The author saw in what Jesus did for the disciples at this point a partial and symbolic fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy, much as Peter made use of the prophecy of Joel 2:28–32 in his sermon on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:17–21. What then did Jesus do for the disciples in John 20:22? It appears that in light of the symbolism of the new creation present here, as well as the regeneration symbolism from the Ezek 37 passage, that Jesus at this point breathed into the disciples the breath of eternal life. This was in the form of the Holy Spirit, who was to indwell them. It is instructive to look again at Jn 7:38–39, which states, “Just as the scripture says, ‘Out from within him will flow rivers of living water.’ (Now he said this about the Spirit whom those who believed in him were going to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”) But now in Jn 20:22 Jesus was glorified, so the Spirit could be given. Had the disciples not believed in Jesus before? It seems clear that they had, since their belief is repeatedly affirmed, beginning with Jn 2:11. But it also seems clear that even on the eve of the crucifixion, they did not understand the necessity of the cross (Jn 16:31–33). And even after the crucifixion, the disciples had not realized that there was going to be a resurrection (Jn 20:9). Ultimate recognition of who Jesus was appears to have come to them only after the post resurrection appearances (note the response of Thomas, who was not present at this incident, in Jn 20:28). Finally, what is the relation of this incident in Jn 20:22 to the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2? It appears best to view these as two separate events which have two somewhat different purposes. This was the giving of life itself, which flowed out from within (cf. Jn 7:38–39). The giving of power would occur later, on the day of Pentecost—power to witness and carry out the mission the disciples had been given. (It is important to remember that in the historical unfolding of God’s program for the church, these events occurred in a chronological sequence which, after the church has been established, is not repeatable today.) Breathed on (1720)(emphusao from en = in, upon + phusao = to breathe or blow) means to breathe or blow on. Only once in NT - Jn 20:22. Six uses in the Septuagint - Ge. 2:7; 1Ki. 17:21; Job 4:21; Ezek. 21:31; Ezek. 37:9; Nah. 2:1. Genesis 2:7+ Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Ezekiel 37:9+ Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” Gilbrant - The verb emphusaō consists of two elements: en (1706), “in,” and phusaō, “blow.” In classical Greek it signified “blowing in” as was done in playing a flute (see Liddell-Scott). Emphusaō had a similar meaning in the Greek papyri. An example is where the word was used in reference to a medical treatment for sneezing. To stop sneezing a compound extracted from some white hellebore plants was to be blown into the nostrils (cf. Moulton-Milligan). Septuagint Usage - Emphusaō occurs 11 times in the Septuagint and has the significance of breathing upon or into. God breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life, and he became a living being (Genesis 2:7; cf. Wisdom 15:11). In the vision of the dry bones God breathed upon the slain, and they came alive (Ezekiel 37:9). Eliphaz reminded Job that men are weak and transient: “For he (God) blows upon them and they are withered” (Job 4:21). See also Sirach 43:4; Nahum 2:1; Ezekiel 21:31; 22:20. New Testament Usage - In the New Testament emphusaō is found only in John 20:22 where Jesus breathed (enephusēsen) on the disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Most likely the use of emphusaō by John refers to the bestowal of life as in the Septuagint in Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 37:9; and Wisdom of Solomon 15:11. As at the first creation when God breathed life into Adam, so Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples, bringing a new creation and spiritual life. By the Spirit the disciples were united to the risen Lord so they shared in His life. Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask Page 360 JOHN 20:22—Was the Holy Spirit given to the disciples before Pentecost? PROBLEM: In Acts, the apostles are told to wait until Pentecost before they receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4–8; cf. 2:1–2). Yet even before His crucifixion Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Didn’t they receive the Holy Spirit at this point and not later at Pentecost? SOLUTION: First of all, the John passage is a difficult one, with no direct parallels, and it is hard to know exactly what it means. And like all obscure passages, one should not base any major teaching on it. Second, some scholars believe that the imperative “receive” is intended to denote the future “you will receive.” If so, then there is no conflict. Third, even if Jesus meant them to receive the Holy Spirit at that moment (in John 20:22), it was apparently in a different sense. Here the Spirit is given “to forgive the sins” (v. 23). But in Acts 1:8 the Spirit was to be given to provide “power … [to] be witnesses” for Him to the “end of the earth.” Fourth, the promise of the Spirit in John was for His indwelling the believer (cf. John 14:16), not for His being baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; cf. 1 Cor. 12:13), which is a different act of the Holy Spirit. In this sense, then, there is no conflict between the two passages, since they speak of different activities of the Spirit which came at different times. Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask Page 360 JOHN 20:22–23—Does this passage support the Roman Catholic view that priests have the power to forgive sins? PROBLEM: Roman Catholics claim that Jesus gave His disciples the power to forgive sins and that this power has been passed on to Roman Catholic priests down through the centuries. Does this text support their position? SOLUTION: Jesus did give His disciples the power to forgive sins, and this power still exists today. However, it is not unique to Roman Catholic priests. Any believer in Christ possesses the same power to pronounce someone’s sins forgiven, based on their trust in the finished work of Christ. Notice the context of the passage. First of all, many see this as an extension of the power promised in Matthew 18:18 to bind and loose sins with the “keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19). It is given to all the apostles, not just Peter (see comments on Matt. 16:18). And inasmuch as the mission of the church extends “to the ends of the age” (Matt. 28:20), Christ is “present” to forgive sins with all who preach the Gospel at any time or place. Further, this is John’s parallel to the Great Commission. Jesus introduces it by the words, “as the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). But the clergy (priesthood) is not the only group commissioned to serve Christ; every believer is to be a witness (cf. Matt. 28:18–20; 2 Cor. 4:1ff). Finally, this power is present only through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). This is parallel to what Jesus said later, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). But all believers have this same power to pronounce forgiveness of sins as the witness to the good news of Christ throughout the world. There is absolutely no mention here about any unique priestly power resident in a select clergy. It is simply John’s equivalent of the Great Commission to all believers to proclaim the message of Christ’s forgiveness to all the world (cf. Luke 24:47) BREATHE ON ME, BREATH OF GOD (Borrow Amazing Grace - Kenneth Osbeck - page 156) Edwin Hatch, 1835–1889 As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you. And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21, 22) The good news of the gospel relates not only to what Christ once did—His death, resurrection, ascension—but to what He presently offers: Forgiveness of sin, the reuniting of our eternal fellowship with the Creator, an advocate with the heavenly Father, and the energizing indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she receives the Holy Spirit within. Often, however, the Holy Spirit does not have control of that life even though He resides there. The Scriptures teach that we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit if we are to live overcoming lives. This is not some emotional, mystical event. To be “filled with the Spirit of God” means in a very practical way that a believer has surrendered completely to the Lordship of Christ and sincerely desires to be directed by the Holy Spirit in order to worthily exalt Christ and be an effective representative for God. One of the most compelling evidences of a Spirit-filled life is our consistent, Christ-like daily living. The author of this choice text, Edwin Hatch, was an Anglican minister. He also served for a time as a professor of the classics at Trinity College in Canada. Dr. Hatch was widely known for his scholarship and lectures in early church history. Despite his scholarly attainments, Hatch was said to have possessed a faith as “simple and unaffected as a child’s.” This prayer to the Holy Spirit desiring a unity between our earthly will and God’s divine will first appeared in 1878 in a pamphlet titled “Between Doubt and Prayer.” The hymn in its present form appeared later in the Psalmist Hymnal, published in 1886. Breathe on me, Breath of God; Breathe on me, Breath of God; fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love and do what Thou wouldst do. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with Thee I will one will—to do and to endure. Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly Thine, till all this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine. Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with Thee the perfect life of Thine eternity. For Today: John 3:5–7; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:5; 1 John 4:13 Invite the Holy Spirit to have a greater control of your life—to empower you to be an even more effective representative for God. Sing this prayer as you go— Walter Kaiser- John 20:22 Receive the Holy Spirit? (Hard Sayings of the Bible page 474) Did the disciples receive the Holy Spirit before the ascension or at Pentecost? In John 20:22 Jesus breathes on the disciples and indicates that he is granting them the Holy Spirit, which fulfills a promise repeatedly made in John 14–16. However, in Acts 2:4 we learn that later, after the ascension of Jesus, the 120 disciples gathered in the upper room had an experience, and “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” When was the Holy Spirit actually received by the disciples? In John 20:21 we have the commissioning of the disciples: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” The sending of the Son in John is a sending into the world to save the world. The sending of the disciples is thus a continuation of this sending of Jesus as they go out into the world to preach the gospel. At this point Jesus grants them the power for mission with the words “receive the Holy Spirit.” Along with this empowering comes the authority to forgive sins (which, of course, is part of preaching the gospel, for in it one indicates whose sins are forgiven and whose are not). In other words, the three verses, John 20:21–23, fit together. There have been three approaches to these verses. The first notes that this linking of empowering with the Spirit and the preaching of the gospel also appears in Acts, where the disciples wait until the Spirit comes at Pentecost and then begin to preach the gospel. Therefore, it is argued, this must be John’s version of the Acts event. John, of course, never mentions the ascension. Jesus comes and disappears repeatedly right to the end of the book. This is appropriate, for in John Jesus is said to come in the Holy Spirit to the disciples (Jn 14:18). Here, according to this argument, we have a symbolic presentation of what Acts speaks of as a later event. Symbolism is the way of John. This is certainly a possible approach. In its best form it takes both John and its style seriously and Luke-Acts and its style just as seriously. It notes real parallels in the two accounts. Yet the approach also has its problems. First, the disciples do not go out and witness after receiving the Spirit. In fact, they cannot even convince Thomas (Jn 20:24–25). What is more, Thomas would then appear never to receive the Spirit. Second, this solution really says that the two accounts are not reconcilable. One is historical and the other symbolic. While it is clear that we do not always know how accounts fit together, and thus there is some truth to such solutions, it is also clear that when John reports events he thinks of them as events, not symbols of events. The events may symbolize something (as the raising of Lazarus symbolizes the final resurrection), but they are viewed in themselves as historical. Thus this solution does not fit John’s normal methodology. A second approach views John as one type of giving of the Spirit and Acts as another. John is the impersonal breath of God and Acts is the personal Holy Spirit. John is a sprinkling with the grace of the Spirit and Acts is full empowerment, saturation with the Spirit. John is the Spirit as new life and Acts is the Spirit as empowerment for ministry. The list of how these two givings are to be distinguished could be extended much further. Now this solution takes both of the events as quite historical and tries to distinguish why there should be two events. The problem with it is that neither John nor Acts seems to know about two receptions of the Spirit. Reading through John 13–16 one does not notice two receptions but rather one Holy Spirit or “paraclete” (a transliteration of the word sometimes translated as “comforter” or “advocate”). In Acts the reception of the Spirit they are awaiting is not distinguished from any previous reception, despite Luke’s interest in the topic of the Spirit. Thus this approach seems to be an explanation imposed on the texts by people who read both Acts and John rather than something that either Luke or John thought of. A third approach looks at John 20:22 as Jesus’ symbolic giving or promising the Spirit, which was experientially received on Pentecost. The breathing (not necessarily on the disciples, for there is no “on” in the text) symbolizes what the words say, namely the Holy Spirit. Yet nothing seems to happen. It is a promise. For John it is all that is needed, for those who experienced the power of the Spirit in the church knew that the disciples really did receive the Spirit. There is no need to mention that it did not occur until later, for John is not going to carry on the story that long. For Luke there is no need to mention any previous symbolic giving, for Jesus refers to the promise of the Spirit before his ascension (Acts 1:4–5). Luke is concerned with the reality of the power and how it directs the mission of the church. Thus both writers have their reasons for not needing to mention what the other includes (assuming that they knew of both stories). Naturally, it would not be surprising to think of Jesus as wanting to act out the giving of the Spirit personally, especially if he is aware that his physical presence with the disciples is coming to an end and he will not be physically present at Pentecost. In other words, John 20:22 may be John’s version of Acts 1:4–5 rather than John’s version of Pentecost. both John and Acts do indeed insist that the Holy Spirit is needed for the mission of the church It will remain for the reader to decide which of these approaches is the most satisfying in that it best fits the data of the texts in question. What is more important than harmonizing the texts is recognizing that both John and Acts do indeed insist that the Holy Spirit is needed for the mission of the church. Mere human power and authority cannot carry out the mission Jesus received from the Father. It takes the Spirit in the believer to produce the results the Father intends, the forgiveness of sins. QUESTION - What does it mean in John 20:22 that Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit?” ANSWER - During one of His post-resurrection appearances to the disciples, Jesus declared to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Then, in the next verse, “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). This is similar to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 in which Jesus promises, “Surely I am with you always,” and Acts 1:8 in which He proclaims, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” In John 20:21–22, Jesus is sending the disciples out on mission, and He is providing them with the power they will need. That power is found in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The question arises, however, as to why Jesus breathed on the disciples to give them the Holy Spirit in John 20:22 when the disciples would later receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4: “All of them [the disciples] were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Did the disciples need to receive the Holy Spirit twice? If so, why? The Bible does not directly answer this, but there is enough information provided to derive a plausible explanation. Acts 1:3 records, “After his [Jesus’] suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” The events recorded in John 20:21–22 occurred during this forty-day period. According to John 20:19, this appearance of Jesus occurred “on the evening of that first day of the week.” This places Jesus’ breathing the Holy Spirit onto the disciples at the very beginning of the forty-day period in between His resurrection and ascension. There are two views of Jesus’ breathing on the disciples in relation to their receiving the Holy Spirit. One view is that Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit onto the disciples in John 20:22 to empower them until the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:4 when they would receive the Holy Spirit permanently. The reception of the Holy Spirit in John 20:22 was a temporary filling of the Holy Spirit, preparatory to the permanent indwelling to come later. In John 20, the disciples were filled in a manner similar to how Bezalel was filled in Exodus 31:2–3. The reception of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4, then, was the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which resulted in the disciples being indwelt by the Holy Spirit permanently (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13). The other view is that Jesus’ breathing on the disciples in John 20:22 did not impart the Holy Spirit at that time; rather, the breathing was a promise—an anticipation of the coming Pentecost. The Spirit did not come upon them at that moment, but Jesus gave them a pledge that they would soon be endowed with the Holy Spirit and with power from on high. 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.” Mt 16:19 18:18 Mk 2:5-10 Ac 2:38 10:43 13:38,39 1Co 5:4 2Co 2:6-10 Eph 2:20 1Ti 1:20 Related Passages: Mark 2:5-10 And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (JESUS AS GOD HAD THE FULL AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS) 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” (THEY WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE TRUTH!) 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–He *said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 (THIS SIGN VALIDATED JESUS' AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS BECAUSE HE IS GOD) And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” THE GOAL OF THEIR MISSION FORGIVENESS OF SINS If you forgive (aphiemi) the sins (hamartia) of any, their sins have been forgiven (aphiemi in present tense) them; if you retain (krateo) the sins of any, they have been retained (krateo perfect tense - lasting effect) - This verse is horribly misinterpreted to believe that mortal men who are sinners themselves, even when forgiven by God, can themselves literally forgive the sins of other sinners. This leads to the perverted practice of confessing sins to another sinner to ostensibly receive forgiveness by that other person's decree! The only way the disciples could forgive the sins of sinners was to proclaim the Gospel and have that proclamation received and believed. In that state the recipient has in fact had their sins forgiven by God. The disciples were only the instrument of God whereby that divine forgiveness became a reality upon that person's salvation. Conversely, the only way a disciple could "retain" the sins of another person is by that person's willfully rejecting the proclamation of forgiveness in the Gospel.