Anonymous Victoria wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
I was recently discussing the topic of Confession with a Protestant friend of mine, and I argued that John 20:21-23 shows Jesus giving His Apostles the ability to forgive sins through the power of God but then my friend questioned:
- Why, in John 20:21-23, when Jesus gave His Disciples this power, are only male priests able to forgive sins through God since some of Jesus's disciples were women?
So my question is:
- Are we supposed to assume that the disciples that are mentioned in John 20:21-23 were just His Twelve Apostles, or
- Is there something in the Bible that specifically notes that it was just them that were granted this ability to forgive sins?
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!
Victoria
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| { Seeing that Jesus also had women disciples why, in John 20:21-23, why were only men given the authority to forgive sins? } |
Eric replied:
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Victoria,
While often, the phrase "the disciples" refers to the Twelve (or Eleven) Apostles.
"The word "disciples" refers particularly to the Twelve."
(Weder, Hans, "Disciple, Discipleship," edited by David Noel Freedman, translation by Dennis Martin, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 208) |
It is also true that.
"Although the Gospels often identify the Disciples of Jesus with the Twelve, this does not mean that they were His only Disciples."
(Nässelqvist, Dan, "Disciple," The Lexham Bible Dictionary edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, and others (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016)). |
So, the meaning of the term depends on its context. Obviously, it would be impossible for all of "the disciples" of Jesus to be present in one room unless this meant the Twelve. We understand this pericope as referring to the Apostles, not to a group of random disciples.
That the power to forgive sins is granted specifically to the Eleven or to priests and bishops, in general, is not otherwise discussed in Scripture. It comes from Tradition.
If your Protestant friend presses you on it, refer him to:
Eric |
Mike replied:
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Dear Victoria,
Your friend said:
- Why, in John 20:21-23, when Jesus gave His Disciples this power, are only male priests able to forgive sins through God since some of Jesus's disciples were women?
Because as I said in another posting:
Because the theology behind Holy
Orders has an ontological aspect (ontology
means "the study of being"),
and not a social, psychological one. Jesus, who
was sent by the Father and born of
the Virgin Mary as the Man, administers
His Sacraments thru men like Him.
This is the manner by which Our Lord
chose to institute this Sacrament and therefore all sacraments.
God took flesh Himself as Man in
Jesus Christ. Jesus was the God-Man
Himself!
He could have chosen another way,
but He didn't.
It's important to know that in the Sacrament of Holy Orders,
the priest receives a divine character
that is imprinted on his soul.
This allows him, when performing
any of the Sacraments, to do them, "in the person
of Jesus", the Man. |
These postings may also help:
Hope this helps,
Mike
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