"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Does John 20:23, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" imply that men may absolve another mans sins?

From the above Scripture it is alleged by some that the meaning thereof is that God granted to the apostles (and their alleged successors) the authority to forgive the guilt and penalty due to sin. When searching the Scriptures to see whether this is so, it is important that the context of the Scripture is considered. It is also of the utmost importance to examine "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) and to compare Scripture with Scripture for "the scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35) and "God … cannot lie" (Titus 1:2).

It should be noted that Jesus spoke this to His disciples (apostles), before the birth of the church, which took place approximately ten days later on the Day of Pentecost. It should also be noted that nowhere in the Scriptures, the Old Testament or the New, do we find any man, nor the apostles remitting anyone of their sins. It only stands to reason that the apostles knew not the hearts of men, and therefore could not possibly speak with any certainty to any man, saying, "Thy sins be forgiven thee" as Christ did.

They could conclude that individuals were yet "in the bond of iniquity" through their words and actions, as Peter did with Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:23), but never do we find in the Scriptures the apostles granting absolution for sins. They were however given authority to recognize saving faith and then give assurance to new believers.

The Scriptures bear witness that forgiveness belongs to God alone for He alone knows the thoughts and intents of the heart (Psalm 139:1-4), knowing who has truly repent and put their faith in Christ alone for salvation, without which there can be no forgiveness of sins. Consider the following Scriptures:

"To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him" (Daniel 9:9). David said, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned" (Psalm 51:4). Sin is rebellion against God, so to Him we must go for forgiveness.

"If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." (Psalms 130:3-4) The Lord is longsuffering not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

"I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." (Psalm 32:5)

"If we confess our sins, He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves (He being God knew their thoughts), he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 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? 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,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion." (Mark 2:5-12)

Indeed it is blasphemous to usurp the place of God and pretend to grant the forgiveness of sins in His place. But Jesus is God and by this mighty miracle proved that He had the authority to forgive sins. Only Christ can forgive sins, and He does so on the basis of saving faith in Himself.

John Gills Commentary on John 20:23 has stated it well. "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."

When Christ enjoined the disciples to forgive sins, He did not convey to them what is peculiar to Him. He gave them no authority to forgive individuals, but to establish in all the churches the terms and conditions on which men might be pardoned. He only enjoined them in His name to proclaim the forgiveness of sins. Jesus told his disciples "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:46-47). So in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, after Peter preached Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead, he said to the multitude, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). Today God forgives sins when we believe that Christ died for them. How can you or I remit sins? By telling the gospel.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel : not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God ... [for] it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. " (1Corinthians 1:17-18, 21)

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved , if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1Corinthians 15:1-4).

"For by grace are ye saved through faith" (Epesians 2:8).

"But they have not all obeyed the gospel . For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:16-17).

So it is by GRACE that ye are saved through FAITH , and this faith comes by hearing THE WORD OF GOD , THE GOSPEL , and when one puts their trust in the promises of God, that Christ died for their sins, and that He paid the whole penalty through his vicarious death on the cross, that repentant soul has his sins forgiven and the gift of eternal life imparted to them.

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:14-18)

"But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thes. 2:13-14)

Before Jesus gave his disciples authority to remit or retain sins He said, "as my Father has sent me, so send I you" (John 20:21). This (John 20:23) was part of the great commission. He said "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:47). Mark records it like this, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). On the day of Pentecost this sound went out into the streets of Jerusalem, " Repent , and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins , and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call ... Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:38-41). (Note: it is only believers identify with Christ in baptism: 1. Repent and believe the gospel, 2. Be baptised).

In a closing note, it is important to understand that in the New Testament all believers are priests (1Peter 2:5, 9, Revelation 1:5-6, 5:9-10), and as individuals they can come boldly to the throne of grace, even as the Publican who prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). They may come directly to God through Jesus Christ confessing their sins with the full assurance of forgiveness of sins through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvarys cross. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2). His great sacrifice was final. "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things , from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38-39). Those believers who have trusted Christ are "perfected for ever" (Hebrews 10:14), their sins and iniquities remembered no more (v. 17). "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin" (Hebrews 10:18).

God desires that "all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all , to be testified in due time." (1Timothy 2:4-6) In Him alone "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16). "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18).