John 20:23

Contemporary English Version

If you forgive anyone's sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don't forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven."

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
"If you forgive, they are forgiven. If not, then they are not."

Legacy Standard Bible
If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

Bible in Basic English
Any to whom you give forgiveness, will be made free from their sins; and any from whom you keep back forgiveness, will still be in their sins.

Darby Translation
whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.

New King James Version
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Christian Standard Bible®
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

World English Bible
Whoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven to them. Whoever's sins you retain, they are retained."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Weymouth's New Testament
If you remit the sins of any persons, they remain remitted to them. If you bind fast the sins of any, they remain bound."

King James Version (1611)
Whose soeuer sinnes yee remit, they are remitted vnto them, and whose soeuer sinnes yee retaine, they are retained.

Literal Translation
Of whomever you may remit the sins, they are remitted to them. Of whomever you hold, they have been held.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whose synnes soeuer ye remytte, they are remytted vnto the: and whose synnes so euer ye retayne, they are retayned.

Mace New Testament (1729)
whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye leave unpardoned, they are lest unpardoned."

Amplified Bible
"If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven [because of their faith]; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained [and remain unforgiven because of their unbelief]."

American Standard Version
whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Revised Standard Version
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Whosoevers synnes ye remyt they are remitted vnto the. And whosoevers synnes ye retayne they are retayned.

Update Bible Version
whosever sins you forgive, they are forgiven to them; whosever [sins] you retain, they are retained.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.

Young's Literal Translation
if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.'

New Century Version
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you don't forgive them, they are not forgiven."

New English Translation
If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained."

Berean Standard Bible
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld."

Complete Jewish Bible
If you forgive someone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you hold them, they are held."

English Standard Version
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit, they are remitted vnto them: and whosoeuers sinnes ye reteine, they are reteined.

George Lamsa Translation
If you forgive a man his sins, they shall be forgiven to him; and if you hold a man''s sins, they are held.

Hebrew Names Version
Whoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven to them. Whoever's sins you retain, they have been retained."

International Standard Version
If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven. If you retain people's sins, they are retained."Matthew 16:19; 18:18;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
if you forgive sins to a man, they shall be forgiven to him; and if you retain (the sins) of a man, they are retained.

Murdock Translation
If ye shall remit sins to any one, they will be remitted to him; and if ye shall retain [fn] of any one, they will be retained.

New Living Translation
If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

New Life Bible
If you say that people are free of sins, they are free of them. If you say that people are not free of sins, they still have them."

English Revised Version
whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

New Revised Standard
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whosesoever sins ye shall remit, they are remitted unto them, whosesoever ye shall retain, they are retained.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

King James Version
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Lexham English Bible
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit, they are remitted vnto them: And whosoeuers sinnes ye retayne, they are retayned.

Easy-to-Read Version
If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven. If there is anyone whose sins you don't forgive, their sins are not forgiven."

New American Standard Bible
"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

Good News Translation
If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
whos synnes ye foryyuen, tho ben foryouun to hem; and whos ye withholden, tho ben withholdun.

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on the evening of that same Sunday they locked themselves in a room. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group. He greeted them ²⁰ and showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they became very happy. ²¹ After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, "I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me." ²² Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone's sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don't forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven." ²⁴ Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn't with the others when Jesus appeared to them. ²⁵ So they told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But Thomas said, "First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won't believe unless I do this!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18, Mark 2:5-10, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43, Acts 13:38, Acts 13:39, 1 Corinthians 5:4, 2 Corinthians 2:6-10, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Timothy 1:20

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:3 - pronounce Deuteronomy 17:12 - the priest Luke 5:24 - power 2 Corinthians 2:10 - whom ye Ephesians 1:7 - the forgiveness

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whose soever sins ye remit,.... God only can forgive sins, and Christ being God, has a power to do so likewise; but he never communicated any such power to his apostles; nor did they ever assume any such power to themselves, or pretend to exercise it; it is the mark of antichrist, to attempt anything of the kind; who, in so doing, usurps the divine prerogative, places himself in his seat, and shows himself as if he was God: but this is to be understood only in a doctrinal, or ministerial way, by preaching the full and free remission of sins, through the blood of Christ, according to the riches of God's grace, to such as repent of their sins, and believe in Christ; declaring, that all such persons as do so repent and believe, all their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake: and accordingly,

they are remitted unto them; in agreement with Christ's own words, in his declaration and commission to his disciples; see Mark 16:16. On the other hand he signifies, that

whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained: that is, that whatsoever sins ye declare are not forgiven, they are not forgiven; which is the case of all final unbelievers, and impenitent sinners; who dying without repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel declaration, shall be damned, and are damned; for God stands by, and will stand by and confirm the Gospel of his Son, faithfully preached by his ministering servants; and all the world will sooner or later be convinced of the validity, truth, and certainty, of the declarations on each of these heads, made by them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whose soever sins ... - See the notes at Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18. It is worthy of remark here that Jesus confers the same power on all the apostles. He gives to no one of them any special authority. If Peter, as the Papists pretend, had been appointed to any special authority, it is wonderful that the Saviour did not here hint at any such pre-eminence. This passage conclusively proves that they were invested with equal power in organizing and governing the church. The authority which he had given Peter to preach the gospel first to the Jews and the Gentiles, does not militate against this. See the notes at Matthew 16:18-19. This authority given them was full proof that they were inspired. The meaning of the passage is not that man can forgive sins that belongs only to God Isaiah 43:23 but that they should be inspired; that in founding the church, and in declaring the will of God, they should be taught by the Holy Spirit to declare on what terms, to what characters, and to what temper of mind God would extend forgiveness of sins. It was not authority to forgive individuals, but to establish in all the churches the terms and conditions on which men might be pardoned, with a promise that God would confirm all that they taught; that all might have assurance of forgiveness who would comply with those terms; and that those who did not comply should not be forgiven, but that their sins should be retained. This commission is as far as possible from the authority which the Roman Catholic claims of remitting sin and of pronouncing pardon.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. Whose soever sins ye remit — See the notes on Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18. It is certain God alone can forgive sins; and it would not only be blasphemous, but grossly absurd, to say that any creature could remit the guilt of a transgression which had been committed against the Creator. The apostles received from the Lord the doctrine of reconciliation, and the doctrine of condemnation. They who believed on the Son of God, in consequence of their preaching, had their sins remitted; and they who would not believe were declared to lie under condemnation. The reader is desired to consult the note referred to above, where the custom to which our Lord alludes is particularly considered. Dr. Lightfoot supposes that the power of life and death, and the power of delivering over to Satan, which was granted to the apostles, is here referred to. This was a power which the primitive apostles exclusively possessed.