20:23a

If you forgive anyone his sins: This clause expresses a condition that is possible. It was possible that the disciples would forgive the sins of someone. If this condition was fulfilled, those sins would be forgiven. Here are other ways of translating this clause:

If you forgive anyone’s sins (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
If you forgive people’s sins (Good News Translation)
-or-
Whenever you forgive sins (God’s Word)

you forgive: The pronoun you is plural and refers to Jesus’ disciples there with him. However, many commentaries say that this statement also applies to other Christians or Christian leaders. Still, Jesus was speaking to those people in the room with him. The verb forgive means to not punish someone for their sin. It means to remove someone’s sins from their record and accept them as though they had not sinned.

Here some people understand Jesus to talk about their preaching the gospel of forgiveness. However, others believe that it refers to Jesus giving the disciples the authority to forgive. Therefore, it is important to translate this idea literally so people can interpret it themselves. This is the only verse in John that refers to forgiveness. Refer to your translation of forgive in Matthew 6:12, 14, Mark 2:7, 10, and Luke 17:3, 4. See also Key Biblical Terms Forgive, Forgiveness. Many languages have idioms referring to the action of forgiving others. For example:

you remove/release
-or-
you pardon
-or-
you erase/wipe

sins: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sins here refers to evil actions. They are actions that people do when they disobey God. They are usually actions that harm other people. See how you translated this word in the singular in 9:41. Refer to your translation of Matthew 1:21 and Mark 2:5. See also Key Biblical Terms sins A.3. For example:

wrongdoing
-or-
evil deeds

they are forgiven: This clause is passive and implies God is the one who forgives the sins of these people. The pronoun they refers to the sins. The sins of these people are removed or pardoned. There are at least two ways to translate this clause:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

their sins are forgiven by God
-or-
they will be forgiven (Contemporary English Version)

• Use an active verb. For example:

God will also forgive their sins (Yakan Back Translation)
-or-
they receive forgiveness for their sins

Use the verb form that is most natural in your language, and make explicit any pronoun that you need to. For example:

God has forgiven their sins
-or-
The sins of these people are forgiven ⌊by God⌋ .

The tense of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they are forgiven emphasizes the continuing results of the action. God forgives the sins of these people and they remain or stay forgiven. He will not condemn or punish them for their sins at any time, in the present or the future. See how you translated this verb in the previous clause. Here are other ways to translate this verb:

⌊God⌋ has removed/released their sins
-or-
those sins are pardoned
-or-
their sins are erased/wiped
-or-

⌊God⌋ also forgives them, and they remain forgiven (TH)

20:23b

if you withhold forgiveness from anyone: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as withhold means “hold.” This clause tells a possibility that contrasts with that in 20:23a (“If you forgive the sins of any”). It suggests that the disciples may retain (hold or not forgive) the sins of some people. For example:

if you do not forgive them (New International Version)
-or-
But if you don’t forgive their sins (Contemporary English Version)

it is withheld: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it is withheld indicates that God will not forgive the sins of these people. It is a passive clause and the implied actor is God. He is the one who forgives or does not forgive sins. There are at least two ways to translate this expression:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

they will not be forgiven (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
They are not forgiven (New International Version)
-or-
They are not forgiven by God

• Use an active verb. For example:

God has not forgiven those sins
-or-
their sins remain

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