Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 20:22 And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [Acts 1:8; 2:1-3] |
Subject: Retain or forgive sins? |
Bible Note: Tamara, I didn't say anything about church hierarchy or pope or bishop or anything like that, I was citing scriptures that indicate authority to forgive sin (as to perform baptism) is conveyed to man through Christ: be that man an elder, priest, bishop, what have you, it's not the man who forgives or baptizes but the Spirit of Christ working through him. In all cases, the glory is to God, not to man. I also note that in James forgiveness is offered to those already in Christ but who've apparently sinned after the fact of believing in Him. This forgiveness comes via a "prayer of faith" from an elder. Webster's 1828 edition notes that presbyter is the derivation of the English "priest", btw, which, during the apostles' time, didn't have the negative connotations it has today. Colin |