John 20
:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Did you read the above scriptures in your personal paperback/hardback bible today or just only on this website?
If only online, I encourage you to please open your bible and read these verses both on our website and in your bible. There is power in reading the real bible. Also, did you pray before beginning to read about this specific subject today? If not, I encourage you to take the time now to pray for understanding of truth.

John 20:19-23 is never taught in the Protestant church. It teaches that we can remit or retain/withhold forgiveness of people's sins to Heaven. This scripture is very clear. Jesus gave power and authority to his ministers, and even to anyone with the same Holy Ghost, to remit the forgiveness of sins of another person to Heaven, or to retain and hold back that forgiveness of sins. It is not us that pays the price of that forgiveness of sins. But we do hold authority and power in Heaven as representatives of Him, & representatives of His government upon this Earth. We shall be kings and priests, Rev.5:10. We shall seat in thrones and we shall judge both: angels and the world, 1 Cor.6:2-3. That's in the bible! Look it up! And according to Ephesians 2:6, we are already seated in Heavenly places. We have authority now! When a person is a manager of a business, but not the owner, many times the manager has the power to approve or disapprove of bills/invoices that must be paid. The manager must carefully examine the invoice and determine whether it should be paid or refused. I used to personally do this when I was in management of businesses. The manager marks the bill payable or not payable. This is also the authority of the true followers of Jesus. That is very contrary to what we are taught by mainstream Protestant religion, but nevertheless totally biblical. Let's look at other scriptures to be sure that we do not misinterpret or misunderstand.

Mark 2
:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, he saith to the sick of the palsy,

Most Christians believe in the ability of a person who is full of faith and who has the power of The Holy Spirit within them, to say to another person "Be Healed in Jesus Name" and it's possible that person can be healed, and that the true followers of Jesus has this power. Yet these same Protestant Christians believe that we do not have the power to say to a person "Your sins be forgiven thee" & those words be authoritative and honored both on Earth and in Heaven. Yet Jesus said basically "which is easier to say: your sins be forgiven thee or to say be healed?" Of course the correct answer to that question is that it should be easier to say that your sins are forgiven. It should take much more faith to believe in a person's physical healing, but very little faith is needed to believe that Jesus is willing to forgive sins. But when we say "your sins be forgiven you" in the context of these verses, we are actually stamping their sins as payable, and are remitting the invoice to Heaven for Jesus to pay their debt in full. As his representatives of his government/kingdom upon this Earth, we have been given that authority. Notice in verse 10, that the Son of Mankind has been given power. This wasn't just taking about Jesus alone. If it meant Jesus alone, it would have said "The Son of God", but instead, it says the Son of man, which in Greek actually should be translated as son of mankind/humans.

John 14
:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Matthew 17:20
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
(To most Christians, sins may be too huge of a mountain for any human to be able to move in Heaven or Earth, but God has given us this power to move sins in Heaven & Earth in His Name. But you need to have faith like a mustard seed that starts small, but grows as big as a mature tree. Matt.13:31-32)

Matthew 18
:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass (sin) against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
(Jesus respects & honors our decisions on Earth. When I was in management of businesses, the head manager over me told me one time that whoever I fire, or any of these managers fire, that he will respect our decisions and not un-do our actions. He gave us full authority to run the business. Jesus gives us full authority in His kingdom upon this Earth.)

Numbers 12:11
And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
(Aaron recognized that Moses had ability to remit or retain people's sins unto God.)

Objection: The Catholic Church does this. So it cannot be correct. We don't want to do what the Catholic Church does.
Answer: I agree that the Catholic Church is full of false doctrine. However, every false church/denomination also has at least one thing correct. The devil always mixes the truth with lies. You can look at any cult, at any religion or denomination upon this sin filled Earth, and find something good and correct within their bag of false doctrines. Every truth stands on its own accord. Always examine each and every doctrine on its own merits. The Catholic Church is also correct about Jesus being God, and that truly saved people must partake in communion of wine and bread. They have those things correct. We cannot say that they are wrong about every doctrine, only most doctrines.

Objection: There is only one mediator between God and man, only Jesus. We don't need to go to priest to receive forgiveness of sins.
Answer:
1 Tim. 2
:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Yes, only the Body & Blood of Jesus can atone for our sins. Only Jesus is the bridge/mediator between God and mankind. But notice that in verse 1, that Paul encourages us to intercede for people. And then in verse 7, Paul declares his office of authority and administration in the Kingdom of Jesus. Then in verse 8, Paul says that other men, in addition to himself, can and should lift up holy hands, without doubting. If we look at the overall context, and not just only verse 5, but the entire context, then we come to understand that Jesus came and paid the price but He has now returned back to Heaven and now it's our turn to administer justice on this Earth. We have been given His power and authority on this Earth. We are His Kingdom on this Earth. He lives and resides and moves within us. He works through us. We are His hands and feet on this Earth, but also His eyes and His mouth on this Earth! We speak His words and we use His authority that He has given us. No, you do not have to go to a priest, pastor or minister to receive forgiveness, I agree. But nevertheless, if a person is in need and a person who has The Holy Ghost of Jesus comes upon that person in need, and if The Holy Ghost leads the Christian to speak to that person in the same manner that Jesus spoke, and say "thy sins be forgiven thee", then that person has operated in great faith and in power and authority in Heaven and Earth, and no person should quench the spirit. (1 Thes.5:19) And if a person confesses to their true pastor who truly has The Holy Ghost, and that person is in need of encouragement, help, assistance to feel forgiven, or if the person is coming for baptism, then it is fully acceptable for the pastor or minister to say "thy sins be forgiven thee". It's totally biblical. It's actually Jesus who pays the debt of sin and we are only remitting the invoice to Him. But it is paid immediately upon receipt. He gives us power to declare it paid in His Name.

James 5:13-18
:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Matt.28
:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore,...

Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

John 20
:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Disagree? It's very difficult to let go of deeply ingrained traditional beliefs. Many times, it takes an effort in much fasting, prayer and study, and self-examination to be delivered of traditional thinking. The bible says to prove all things. 1 Thes.5:21, not just continue to follow the crowd of people in your denomination or family's beliefs. What I have shared with you in this article, I did not learn from any church, from any denomination or religion, or person or website. I have never heard this preached by anyone. I have never attended a Catholic Church, nor have I ever been raised Catholic. What I have shared in this article was taught to me only by The Holy Ghost of Jesus Christ by reading the scriptures directly and having His Soul within me, teaching me and leading me to deeper and greater truths. Please take the time to examine these scriptures. I am not making myself or any other person out to be god. I am only sharing what the bible very clearly says about the power and authority that Jesus has given His true followers. Everyone always complains that they are not seeing miracles. It is because they limit the power that God has given us.

Related Articles: What is The Holy Ghost? Have you received it? Are We Required To Always Forgive Everyone for Everything Every Time Without Exception?

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