Section 4
to them, "Whosesoever sins you forgive, their sins have been forgiven them; and whosesoever sins you retain, they have been retained" (20:23). Here we see that the Lord gave His disciples the authority to represent Him in forgiving people, granting them the authority to bind and loose. This is the authority to forgive people or to keep them under condemnation. Although the disci ples had this authority, it was not to be exercised in themselves, but in the Holy Spirit. When we are in the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the authority to decide whether or not a person is forgiven by God. If we say that he has been forgiven, it must be so. But this au thority can only be exercised when we are in the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit. Fur thermore, this authority must be in the fellow ship of the Body and for the fellowship of the Body. It is in the fellowship of the Body that we have this authority to represent the Lord in for giving people. This is also for the Body, that we, representing the Lord, may receive the God- forgiven people into the church, His Body.
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE CHURCH
BEFORE PENTECOST
The gathering of the disciples in 20:19 in the