2 Corinthians 5:20

5:20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea ¹  through us. We plead with you ²  on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”

Matthew 18:18

18:18 “I tell you the truth, ³  whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.

John 20:23

20:23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; ⁴  if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” ⁵ 

John 20:1

The Resurrection

20:1 Now very early on the first day of the week, ⁶  while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene ⁷  came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. ⁸ 

Colossians 1:4

1:4 since ⁹  we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.

[5:20]  ¹ tn Or “as though God were begging.”

[5:20]  ² tn Or “we beg you.”

[18:18]  ³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[20:23]  ⁴ tn Grk “they are forgiven to them.” The words “to them” are unnecessary in English and somewhat redundant.

[20:23]  ⁵ sn The statement by Jesus about forgive or retaining anyone’s sins finds its closest parallel in Matt 16:19 and 18:18. This is probably not referring to apostolic power to forgive or retain the sins of individuals (as it is sometimes understood), but to the “power” of proclaiming this forgiveness which was entrusted to the disciples. This is consistent with the idea that the disciples are to carry on the ministry of Jesus after he has departed from the world and returned to the Father, a theme which occurred in the Farewell Discourse (cf. 15:27, 16:1-4, and 17:18).

[20:1]  ⁶ sn The first day of the week would be early Sunday morning. The Sabbath (and in this year the Passover) would have lasted from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday. Sunday would thus mark the first day of the following week.

[20:1]  ⁷ sn John does not mention that Mary Magdalene was accompanied by any of the other women who had been among Jesus’ followers. The synoptic accounts all mention other women who accompanied her (although Mary Magdalene is always mentioned first). Why John does not mention the other women is not clear, but Mary probably becomes the focus of the author’s attention because it was she who came and found Peter and the beloved disciple and informed them of the empty tomb (20:2). Mary’s use of the plural in v. 2 indicates there were others present, in indirect agreement with the synoptic accounts.

[20:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “from the tomb.”

[1:4]  ⁹ tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).