The Jew and their elders did not believe that God could, would or should become man, Dave Gilbert.
The information regarding His first coming IS in the Psalms and other prophecies, and referenced by the Lord Himself in Luke 24:44...
They knew of their Messiah's having to be born at Jerusalem and many other things.
Just because they missed it, doesn't mean it wasn't there for them to see.
Their information concerning forgiveness of sins also came from the Law of Moses, Walpole.
In addition, Christ Himself told them why they did not believe on Him in John 6...
Because it must be given to someone by the Father to come to Him ( John 6:65 ).
They didn't like that.
Did the Apostles have the authority to forgive sins when Jesus breathed on them and told them they could in the Upper Room that Easter evening?
Yes or no?
He said that they did, so that is a "yes".
" Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; [and] whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained." ( John 20:21-23 ).
However, there are no apostles left, having died many centuries ago.
Where the Roman Catholic Church gets the teaching of "apostolic succession", I do not know.
To me, it is assumed and has always been assumed.
Jesus was speaking to
the apostles and no one else.
But the process of forgiving sins is still only something that God can do.
If you wish to believe in "delegated authority" to forgive sins
outside of the office of apostle, then we will have to disagree.
The apostles were entrusted with the serious work of spreading the Gospel...
In addition to this, they were empowered by the Lord via the Holy Spirit to legitimatize that message by performing miracles.
That all ended in Paul's time.
There are no more apostles, and there is no such thing as "apostolic succession".
My Head is Jesus Christ, not an organization built by men, sir.
I do not recognize many of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church as being Scriptural ( especially their understanding of how and why someone is saved from God's wrath ), and I do not recognize any sort of authority that they may attempt to put me under, in their belief that they are the one true church.
I've lost count of the number of organizations that teach that.
Unfortunately, I've also lost count of the people who I see in history that have been killed for believing as I do.
Non-sequitur. (
Red herring.)
Respectfully, I disagree.
To me, it's fully sequitur.
Everything I stated in my post was what the Bible teaches with respect to salvation...only it was condemned and pronounced as anathema at the Council of Trent, sir.
I truly hope someday that you see what I see...
That salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ's finished work on the cross alone...and for His people alone.
In addition, God alone forgives sins.
There are no more apostles, and the forgiveness of sins being referenced in John was given
only to the apostles, and for a specific purpose...
As representatives of Christ's Gospel and the office of apostle.
In other words, it was delegated to them by God.
The bodily witnesses of Christ's death, burial and resurrection are no longer with us.
The office of apostle is no longer in effect.
Therefore, forgiveness of sins by an apostle ( demonstrated by Simon's request for Peter to pray to God for his forgiveness in Acts of the Apostles 8:24 ), given on the behalf of God, is no longer in effect.
That "delegation" died with them.
This will be my final reply in this thread.
May God bless you all in the knowledge of Him and His precious Son.