If You Forgive the Sins...

Have you ever wished you did not hear or see something? What we see and hear is hard to put back into a box of non-existence. Once we experience something we simply cannot put it out of our minds. Basically, we can’t unknow what we know. This is true when it comes to interpreting the Scriptures. Knowing the context of any passage usually helps immensely in interpretation. The original languages help too, but sometimes what holds us inches away from a better interpretation is what we know, or rather, what we have been told. Here is an example of what I am trying to explain. Take this verse from the Gospel of John.

“If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” (John 20:23 NASB)

A seemingly simple verse, very straightforward teaching. It is very easy for Catholics to interpret, but a tough one for non-Catholics.

Is Jesus really saying that his disciples have the power to dispense the forgiveness of sins? It sure looks that way. They can also choose not to issue forgiveness and those sins will remain. The Protestants naturally struggle with sin absolution as they recall the practice of church selling indulgences in the Middle Ages. And for Jews, this teaching makes no sense either. This stubborn verse is hard to explain away. How else has can one read it except that the apostles have the power to dispense forgiveness of sins to anyone they find worthy?

One way the Protestant tradition deals with this verse is to suggest that this is not about “forgiveness” but the proclamation of salvation. In other words, the word “forgive” is not to be understood literally. If they proclaim the available forgiveness of sins to people, the people will have their sins forgiven, but if they withhold the message, those will not receive the forgiveness (because they will know about God’s gift of grace). Such a twist essentially makes this verse about evangelism. I do not know if this explanation satisfies you. Me… not so much.