"...He breathed on them, and said to them, 'receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained'" (John 20:22-23).
These are powerful words. Is he telling his followers that they have power within themselves to save people from hell or send them there? We know this cannot be the meaning because there is only one who has the power to save and to destroy (James 4:12).
The only person who can forgive an offense is the one who has been offended. Unbelief is an offense against God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. But when someone harms or offends us, we have the choice to forgive or retain un-forgiveness. This responsibility is set against the backdrop of God forgiving us.
Jesus also told the disciples, "“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
The choice is clear.
