On Prayer 28.9

In the Gospel according to John the words about the forgiveness given by the apostles run thus: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” If someone takes these words without examination, he might blame the apostles for not forgiving all, so that all might be forgiven, but retaining “the sins” “of some,” so that because of them they are retained with God too. But it is useful to take an example from the law in order to understand the forgiveness of sins given to men by God through men. The priests under the law are forbidden to offer sacrifice for certain sins, so that the offenses of those for whom the sacrifices are made may be forgiven. And certainly the priest, who has authority to offer for certain involuntary sins or offenses, does not on that account offer “a whole burnt offering and a sin offering” for adultery or voluntary murder or any other graver fault. So too, then, the apostles and those who have become like the apostles, being priests after the “great” “High Priest,” having received knowledge of the service of God, know, being taught by the Spirit, for which sins sacrifices should be offered, and when, and in what way, and they know for which this should not be done. The priest Eli, at any rate, knowing that his sons Hophni and Phinehas were sinning, and being unable to help them toward the forgiveness of their sins, confesses that he despairs of it in these words: “If a man sins against a man, they will pray for him; but if he sins against the Lord, who will pray for him?”