If You Forgive the Sins of Any

We began by discussing the tragic tendency to “individualize” the Gospel, missing not only the fact that the Scriptures were written to a community, but also neglecting to share God’s forgiveness and mercy to others as part of our own salvation. We then moved on to show how this understanding is connected to Jesus giving His disciples the power to forgive sins, as well as the power to retain them. Finally, we stressed the importance of recognizing Jesus as the Christ in His crucifixion.