From the Author of Peace

When I got up this morning our son had left a note for me concerning John 20:23. He wanted to know what I 'saw' in it.

The study was quite fascinating and since it deals specifically with peace I'll share what I'm learning.

Context: Jesus had died and had arisen from the tomb. Just before these texts He appeared to 10 of the disciples with this greeting.

Italics (King James Version)
Red (Strong's Concordance)

John 20:21 Then certainly, accordingly, said spoke Jesus Jehovah saved to them again anew, once more, Peace to join, rest between, set at one again, quietness, [be] unto you: as [my] Father heavenly parent, hath sent me set me apart, sent me on a mission, set me at liberty, even so also send dispatch (from the point of departure) I you.
20:22 And when he had said spoken this, he breathed a relation of rest , to blow at or on, on [them], and saith lay forth, relate in words, unto them, Receive take, get hold of, (offered), accept ye the Holy sacred, pure, blameless, consecrated Ghost breath, spirit, divine life :
20:23 Whose some or any, soever much, great, long, all, wish, possibility, suppositions sins any will other than God's will, ye remit send off, send away, send forth, go, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain use strength, seize, retain, hold, keep, take, they are retained.

Any sin (any will other than God's will) you 'give up', will also be given up by those who are with you. Those people you hold on to (seize, keep) in love will stay with you.

Or

When someone brings to you a sin - any will other than God's will - and you let it go (don't hold on to it) they will also 'let it go'. If you hold on to a 'wrong' attitude, will or action, they will hold on to it also.

Following is a translation I found very interesting.

The Message (Bible translation)
John 22Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. 23“If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

Think about the following in relation to the above text.

If you 'hold on' to another person's sin toward you, the effects of that sin remains inside you as a death tipped arrow, poisoning your whole life. When you no longer hold the other person as 'guilty' towards you and you release that 'poison' of 'holding the other one guilty' to God, you are freed of that poison AND God gives you His life to pass on to them for - in place of - the 'death' they gave to you.

May God's peace be in your heart and life today.

Bringer of Peace