John 20:19-23
19. When, therefore, it was evening on that day, which was the first
day of the Sabbath and while the doors were shut, where the disciples were
assembled through fear of the Jews, Jesus came, and stood in the midst,
and saith to them, Peace be to you. 20. And when he had said this, he showed
them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw
the Lord. 21. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you; as the Father
hath sent me, I also send you. 22. When he had said this, he breathed on
them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. 23. To those whose sins
you remit they shall be remitted; and to those whose sins you retain they
shall be retained.
19. When, therefore, it was evening. The Evangelist now relates
that the resurrection of Christ was proved to the disciples by his presence.
It did not happen without the providence of God, that all were assembled
in one place, that the event might be more certain and more manifest. It
is worthy of notice how gently Christ acted towards them, in not keeping
them in suspense any longer than till the evening. Besides, he enlightened
them, bringing the pledge of a new life, while darkness was overspreading
the world.
Where the disciples were assembled. As to their having assembled,
it was an indication of faith, or, at least, of religious feelings. As
to the circumstance of their keeping themselves concealed by shut doors,
we perceive in it some proof of their weakness; for, though the strongest
and boldest minds are sometimes seized with fear, yet it may easily be
inferred that the apostles, at that time, trembled in such a manner as
to manifest the deficiency of their faith. This example is worthy of notice;
for, though they are less courageous than they ought to have been, still
they do not give way to their weakness. True, they seek concealment for
the sake of avoiding danger, but they gather courage so far as to remain
together; otherwise they would have been scattered hither and thither,
and no man would have ventured to look at his neighbor. In this manner
we ought to struggle against the weakness of our flesh, and not to indulge
fear, which tempts us to apostacy. Christ also blesses their zeal, when
he appears to them while they are assembled; and Thomas is justly deprived
of the favor bestowed on all his brethren, because, like a wandering soldier,
he had withdrawn from the standard of union. Here, then, is a lesson for
those who are excessively timid, to sharpen and encourage themselves to
correct their carnal fear; and particularly they ought to beware lest fear
should cause them to scatter.
And while the doors were shut. This circumstance was expressly
added, because it contains a manifest proof of the Divine power of Christ;
but this is utterly at variance with the meaning of the Evangelist. We
ought, therefore, to believe that Christ did not enter without a miracle,
in order to give a demonstration of his Divinity, by which he might stimulate
the attention of his disciples; and yet I am far from admitting the truth
of what the Papists assert, that the body of Christ passed through the
shut doors. Their reason for maintaining this is, for the purpose of proving
not only that the glorious body of Christ resembled a spirit, but that
it was infinite, and could not be confined to any one place. But the words
convey no such meaning; for the Evangelist does not say that he entered
through the shut doors, but that he suddenly stood in the midst of his
disciples, though the doors had been shut, and had not been opened to him
by the hand of man. We know that Peter (Acts 10:10) went out of a prison
which was locked; and must we, therefore, say that he passed through the
midst of the iron and of the planks? Away, then, with that childish trifling,
which contains nothing solid, and brings along with it many absurdities!
Let us be satisfied with knowing that Christ intended, by a remarkable
miracle, to confirm his disciples in their belief of his resurrection.
Peace be to you! This is the ordinary form of salutation among
the Hebrews; and by the word peace they denote all that cheerfulness and
prosperity which is usually desired for a happy life. The phrase, therefore,
means, “May you be well and prosperous!” I mention this, because there
are some who, in explaining these words, enter into unnecessary discussions
about peace and harmony, though Christ intended nothing else than to desire
that his disciples might be happy and prosperous.
20. He showed them his hands and his side. It was necessary to
add this confirmation, that by all these methods they might be fully assured
that Christ was risen. If any person think it strange and inconsistent
with the glory of Christ, that he should bear the marks of his wounds even
after his resurrection, let him consider, first, that Christ rose not so
much for himself as for us; and, secondly, that whatever contributes to
our salvation is glorious to Christ; for, when he humbled himself for a
time, this took nothing away from his majesty, and now, since those wounds,
of which we are speaking, serve to confirm the belief of his resurrection,
they do not diminish his glory. But if any person should infer from this,
that Christ has still the wounded side and the pierced hands, that would
be absurd; for it is certain that the use of the wounds was temporary,
until the Apostles were fully convinced that he was risen from the dead.
Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. This means,
that all the grief which had been occasional to them by the death of Christ
was dispelled by his new life.
21. Jesus saith to them again, Peace be to you. This second salutation
appears to me to have no other object than that the Lord should receive
such a degree of attention as was due to the greatness and importance of
the subjects on which he was about to speak.
As the Father hath sent me. By these words, Christ, as it were,
instals them in the office to which he had previously appointed them. True,
they had been already sent throughout Judea, but only as heralds, to issue
a command that the supreme Teacher should be heard, and not as Apostles,
to execute a perpetual office of teaching. But now the Lord ordains them
to be his ambassadors, to establish his kingdom in the world. Let it therefore
be held by us as an ascertained truth, that the Apostles were now, for
the first time, appointed to be ordinary ministers of the Gospel.
His words amount to a declaration, that hitherto he has discharged the
office of a Teacher, and that, having finished his course, he now confers
on them the same office; for he means that the Father appointed him to
be a Teacher on this condition, that he should be employed, for a time,
in pointing out the way to others, and should, afterwards, put those persons
in his room to supply his absence, for this reason Paul says that he gave
some, apostles; some, evangelists; some, pastors, to govern the Church
till the end of the world, (Ephesians 4:11.) Christ therefore testifies,
first, that, though he held a temporary office of teaching, still the preaching
of the Gospel is not for a short time, but will be perpetual. Again, that
his doctrine may not have less authority in the mouth of the Apostles,
he bids them succeed to that office which he has received from his Father,
places them in his room, and bestows on them the same authority; and it
was proper that their ministry should be ratified in this manner, for they
were unknown persons and of mean condition. Moreover, though they had the
highest splendor and dignity, yet we know that all that belongs to men
does not approach to the excellence of faith.
It is not without reason, therefore, that Christ communicates to his
Apostles the authority which he received from the Father, that thus he
may declare that the preaching of the Gospel was committed to him, nut
by human authority, but by the command of God. But he does not substitute
them in his room, in such a manner as to resign to them the highest authority
as a teacher, which the Father intended to be vested in him alone. He therefore
continues, and will eternally continue to be, the only Teacher of the Church;
but there is only this difference, that he spoke with his mouth so long
as he dwelt on earth, but now speaks by the Apostles. The succession or
substitution, therefore, is of such a nature that it takes nothing from
Christ, but his authority remains full and entire, and his honor unimpaired;
for that decree by which we are enjoined to hear him, and not others, cannot
be set aside:
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him, (Matthew
17:5.)
In short, Christ intended here to adorn the doctrine of the Gospel and
not men.
It ought likewise to be observed, that the only subject which is handled
in this passage is the preaching of the Gospel; for Christ does not send
his Apostles to atone for sins, and to procure justification, as he was
sent by the Father. Accordingly, he makes no allusion in this passage to
anything which is peculiar to himself, but only appoints ministers and
pastors to govern the Church; and on this condition, that he alone keeps
possession of the whole power, while they claim nothing for themselves
but the ministry.
22. He breathed on them. Not one of the sons of men is qualified
for discharging so difficult an office, and, therefore, Christ prepares
the Apostles for it by the grace of his Spirit. And, indeed, to govern
the Church of God, to carry the embassy of eternal salvation, to erect
the kingdom of God on earth, and to raise men to heaven, is a task far
beyond human capacity. We need not be astonished, therefore, that no man
is found qualified unless he be inspired by the Holy Spirit; for no man
can speak a word concerning Christ unless the Spirit guide his tongue,
(1 Corinthians 12:3;) so far is it from being true that there is any man
who is competent to discharge faithfully and honestly all the duties of
so excellent an office. Again, it is the glory of Christ alone to form
those whom he appoints to be teachers of his Church; for the reason why
the fullness of the Spirit has been poured out upon him is, that he may
bestow it upon each person according to a certain measure.
Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Though he continues to be the only
Shepherd of his Church, he must necessarily display the power of his Spirit
in the ministers whose agency he employs; and this also he testified by
the outward symbol, when he breathed on the Apostles; for this would not
be applicable, if the Spirit did not proceed from him. So much the more
detestable is the sacrilege of the Papists, who seize and claim for themselves
the honor which belongs to the Son of God, for their mitred bishops, when
they make priests, have the effrontery to boast of breathing the Holy Spirit
on them. But the fact plainly shows how different their stinking breath
is from the Divine breathing of Christ; for what else is it that they do
than to change horses into asses? Besides, not only does Christ communicate
to his disciples the Spirit which he has received, but he bestows it as
his own, as the Spirit which he has in common with the Father. Consequently,
all those who boast of giving the Spirit by breathing lay claim to the
glory of Divinity.
It ought to be observed, that those whom Christ calls to the pastoral
office he likewise adorns with the necessary gifts, that they may be qualified
for discharging the office, or, at least, may not come to it empty and
unprovided. And if this be true, there is no difficulty in refuting the
foolish boasting of the Papists, who, while they employ lofty terms of
commendation in extolling their hierarchy, cannot show a single spark of
the Holy Spirit in their bishops. They wish us to believe that they are
the lawful pastors of the Church, and, in like manner, that they are the
apostles and vicars of Christ, while it is evident that they are utterly
destitute of the grace of the Holy Spirit. A sure criterion is here laid
down for judging of the calling of those who govern the Church of God;
and that criterion is, if we see that they have received the Holy Spirit.
What Christ chiefly, however, intended by it was, to uphold the dignity
of the rank of the Apostles; for it was reasonable that those, who had
been chosen to be the earliest and most distinguished preachers of the
Gospel, should possess uncommon authority. But if Christ, at that time,
bestowed the Spirit on the Apostles by breathing, it may be thought that
it was superfluous to send the Holy Spirit afterwards. I reply, the Spirit
was given to the Apostles on this occasion in such a manner, that they
were only sprinkled by his grace, but were not filled with full power;
for, when the Spirit appeared on them in tongues of fire, (Acts 2:3,) they
were entirely renewed. And, indeed, he did not appoint them to be heralds
of his Gospel, so as to send them forth immediately to the work, but ordered
them to take repose, as we read elsewhere,
Remain ye in the city of Jerusalem till ye are endued with power from
on high, (Luke 24:49.)
And if we take all things properly into consideration, we shall conclude,
not that he furnishes them with necessary gifts for present use, but that
he appoints them to be the organs of his Spirit for the future; and, therefore,
this breathing ought to be understood as referring chiefly to that magnificent
act of sending the Spirit which he had so often promised.
Although Christ might have bestowed grace on his Apostles by a secret
inspiration, he chose to add a visible breathing in order to confirm them
more fully. Christ took this outward emblem from the ordinary manner of
speaking in the Scriptures, which very frequently compare the Spirit to
wind; a comparison which we briefly accounted for in the exposition of
the Third Chapter of this Gospel But let the reader observe, that with
the visible and outward sign the word is also joined; for this is the source
from which the sacraments derive their efficacy; not that the efficacy
of the Holy Spirit is contained in the word which sounds in our ears, but
because the effect of all those things which believers receive from the
sacraments depends on the testimony of the word. Christ breathes on the
Apostles: they receive not only the breathing, but also the Spirit. And
why, but because Christ promises to them ?
In like manner, in baptism we put on Christ, (Galatians 3:27,) we are
washed by his blood, (Revelation 1:5,) our old man is crucified, (Romans
6:6,) in order that the righteousness of God may reign in us. In the Holy
Supper we are spiritually fed with the flesh and blood of Christ. Whence
do they derive so great efficacy but from the promise of Christ, who does
and accomplishes by his Holy Spirit what he declares by his word? Let us
therefore learn, that all the sacraments which men have contrived are nothing
else than absolute mockeries or frivolous amusements, because the signs
can have no truth unless they be accompanied by the word of the Lord. Now,
since we never sport in this manner with sacred things, without wickedly
pouring contempt on God and ruining souls, we ought to be most carefully
on our guard against those stratagems of Satan.
If it be objected, that we ought not to blame the Popish bishops, when
by breathing they consecrate their priests, because in those cases the
word of Christ accompanies the sign, the answer is obvious. In the first
place, Christ did not speak to the Apostles so as to appoint a perpetual
sacrament in the Church, but intended to declare once what we said a little
ago, that the Spirit proceeds from no other than from himself alone. Secondly,
he never appoints men to an office without at the same time communicating
strength to his ministers, and furnishing them with ability. I do not mention
that in Popery the priests are ordained for a totally different, or rather
a contrary purpose; namely, to murder Christ daily, while the disciples
were made Apostles in order to slay men by the sword of the Gospel. Yet
we ought also to believe that it is Christ alone who gives all the blessings
which he represents and promises by outward signs; for he does not bid
the Apostles receive the Holy Spirit from the outward breathing, but from
himself.
23. To all whose sins you shall remit. Here, unquestionably,
our Lord has embraced, in a few words, the sum of the Gospel; for we must
not separate this power of forgiving sins from the office of teaching,
with which it is closely connected in this passage. Christ had said a little
before, As the living Father hath sent me, so I also send you He now makes
a declaration of what is intended and what is meant by this embassy, only
he interwove with that declaration what was necessary, that he gave to
them his Holy Spirit, in order that they might have nothing from themselves.
The principal design of preaching the Gospel is, that men may be reconciled
to God, and this is accomplished by the unconditional pardon of sins; as
Paul also informs us, when he calls the Gospel, on this account, the ministry
of reconciliation, (2 Corinthians 5:18.) Many other things, undoubtedly,
are contained in the Gospel, but the principal object which God intends
to accomplish by it is, to receive men into favor by not imputing their
sins. If, therefore, we wish to show that we are faithful ministers of
the Gospel, we must give our most earnest attention to this subject; for
the chief point of difference between the Gospel and heathen philosophy
lies in this, that the Gospel makes the salvation of men to consist in
the forgiveness of sins through free grace. This is the source of the other
blessings which God bestows, such as, that God enlightens and regenerates
us by his Spirit, that he forms us anew to his image, that he arms us with
unshaken firmness against the world and Satan. Thus the whole doctrine
of godliness, and the spiritual building of the Church, rests on this foundation,
that God, having acquitted us from all sins, adopts us to be his children
by free grace.
While Christ enjoins the Apostles to forgive sins, he does not convey
to them what is peculiar to himself. It belongs to him to forgive sins.
This honor, so far as it belongs peculiarly to himself, he does not surrender
to the Apostles, but enjoins them, in his name, to proclaim the forgiveness
of sins, that through their agency he may reconcile men to God. In short,
properly speaking, it is he alone who forgives sins through his apostles
and ministers
But it may be asked, Since he appoints them to be only the witnesses
or heralds of this blessing, and not the authors of it, why does he extol
their power in such lofty terms? I reply, he did so in order to confirm
their faith. Nothing is of more importance to us, than to be able to believe
firmly, that our sins do not come into remembrance before God. Zacharias,
in his song, calls it the knowledge of salvation, (Luke 1:77;) and, since
God employs the testimony of men to prove it, consciences will never yield
to it, unless they perceive God himself speaking in their person. Paul
accordingly says,
We exhort you to be reconciled to God, as if Christ besought you by
us, (2 Corinthians 5:20.)
We now see the reason why Christ employs such magnificent terms, to
commend and adorn that ministry which he bestows and enjoins on the Apostles.
It is, that believers may be fully convinced, that what they hear concerning
the forgiveness of sins is ratified, and may not less highly value the
reconciliation which is offered by the voice of men, than if God himself
stretched out his hand from heaven. And the Church daily receives the most
abundant benefit from this doctrine, when it perceives that her pastors
are divinely ordained to be sureties for eternal salvation, and that it
must not go to a distance to seek the forgiveness of sins, which is committed
to their trust.
Nor ought we to esteem less highly this invaluable treasure, because
it is exhibited in earthen vessels; but we have ground of thanksgiving
to God, who hath conferred on men so high an honor, as to make them the
ambassadors and deputies of God, and of his Son, in declaring the forgiveness
of sins. There are fanatics who despise this embassy; but let us know,
that, by doing so, they trample under foot the blood of Christ.
Most absurdly do the Papists, on the other hand, torture this passage,
to support their magical absolutions. If any person do not confess his
sins in the ear of the priest, he has no right, in their opinion, to expect
forgiveness; for Christ intended that sins should be forgiven through the
Apostles, and they cannot absolve without having examined the matter; therefore,
confession is necessary. Such is their beautiful argument., But they fall
into a strange blunder, when they pass by the most important point of the
matter; namely, that this right was granted to the Apostles, in order to
maintain the credit of the Gospel, which they had been commissioned to
preach. For Christ does not here appoint confessors, to inquire minutely
into each sin by means of low mutterings, but preachers of his Gospel,
who shall cause their voice to be heard, and who shall seal on the hearts
of believers the grace of the atonement obtained through Christ. We ought,
therefore, to keep by the manner of forgiving sins, so as to know what
is that power which has been granted to the apostles.
And to those whose sins you retain. Christ adds this second clause,
in order to terrify the despisers of his Gospel, that they may know that
they will not escape punishment for this pride. As the embassy of salvation
and of eternal life has been committed to the apostles, so, on the other
hand, they have been armed with vengeance against all the ungodly, who
reject the salvation offered to them, as Paul teaches, (2 Corinthians 10:6.)
But this is placed last in order, because it was proper that the true and
real design of preaching the Gospel should be first exhibited. That we
are reconciled to God belongs to the nature of the Gospel; that believers
are ad-judged to eternal life may be said to be accidentally connected
with it. For this reason, Paul, in the passage which I lately quoted, when
he threatens vengeance against unbelievers, immediately adds,
after that your obedience shall have been fulfilled,
(2 Corinthians 10:6;)
for he means, that it belongs peculiarly to the Gospel to invite all
to salvation, but that it is accidental to it that it brings destruction
to any.
It ought to be observed, however, that every one who hears the voice
of the Gospel, if he do not embrace the forgiveness of sins which is there
promised to him, is liable to eternal damnation; for, as it is a living
savior to the children of God, so to those who perish it is the savour
of death to death, (2 Corinthians 2:16.) Not that the preaching of the
Gospel is necessary for condemning the reprobate, for by nature we are
all lost, and, in addition to the hereditary curse, every one draws down
on himself additional causes of death, but because the obstinacy of those
who knowingly and willingly despise the Son of God deserves much severer
punishment.
