“Whose
soever sins ye remit, they are remitted
unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” John 20:23.

Yahushua here
gives no liberty for any man to pass judgment upon others. In the sermon on the
mount He forbade this. It is the prerogative of Yahuwah. But on
the ekklesia in its
organized capacity He places a responsibility for the individual members.
Toward those who fall into sin, the ekklesia has a duty, to warn, to instruct,
and if possible to restore. “Reprove, rebuke,
exhort," Yahuwah says, "with all long-suffering and doctrine.”
2 Timothy 4:2.

Yahushua here
speaks to the disciples as representatives of His ekklesia on earth, to which,
acting in its corporate capacity, He has entrusted the responsibility of caring
for the spiritual interests and needs of its individual members. Yahushua had
already explained to them at length how to deal with erring members, first
personally (see Matthew 18:1-15, 21-35), and then with the authority of the ekklesia (see verses 16-20). Now He reiterates the counsel given upon that former
occasion.

The ekklesia
is to work faithfully for the restoration of its erring members, encouraging
them to repent and turn from their evil ways. When there is evidence that
things have been made right with Yahuwah and man, the ekklesia is to accept the
repentance as genuine, to release the erring one from the charges brought
against him (to “remit” his “sins”), and to receive him back into full
fellowship. Such a remitting of sins is ratified in heaven; in fact, Yahuwah has
already accepted and pardoned the repentant one (Luke 15:1-7).

The
Scriptures explicitly teach, however, that confession of sin and repentance for
it are to be made directly to the throne of grace in heaven (Acts 20:21; 1 John
1:9), and that the release of the soul from sin comes only through the merits
of Yahushua and His personal mediation (1 John 2:1). This prerogative Yahuwah has
never delegated to erring morals, themselves so often in need of divine mercy
and grace, even though they be the appointed leaders of the ekklesia.