[MHGinTN]

In the better Greek text the tense of that rendered 'are remitted' is a strict present, while that rendered 'are retained' is in the perfect-present. The difference is not easy to preserve in English, but the thought seems to be, 'Whose sins ye remit --if a change in their condition is taking place-- their sins are being remitted by God. Whose you retain --their condition remains unchanged-- they have been, and are retained.'

Jesus conveyed this meaning when He breathed on them to receive The Holy Spirit in them, thus it is God via The Holy Spirit Who is forgiving sins, not the men into whom The Holy Spirit was breathed. As far as I can tell via Scriptures, not a single person since that event of Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit into those Apostles has been so endowed directly by God with us, except perhaps Saul cum the Apostle Paul.

[MHGinTN]

Oh yeah, meant to post the Scripture verse in which the scene is found: John 20:23, if memory serves.

[ealgeone]

that’s good work on the Greek....however, the Greek is nothing to the catholic.