Who else was he speaking to? You are just making things up. Not 'context' look at the actual words
Who else was he speaking to? You are just making things up. Not 'context' look at the actual words.
No. Context is critical to understand this issue. You can't just pull one verse out of context and read into it what you want.
I am looking at both scripture and context. Respectfully, I come to a different conclusion than you and the Roman Catholic church.
John 20 does not say Jesus breathed on the ‘apostles’ only. John 20 certainly infers if not states out-rightly that Mary Magdalene was included with the group of disciples that Jesus was addressing. Mary, Jesus’ mother, was obviously a believer and disciple. John the apostle was taking care of her during the time of John 20. She was likely with the disciples in John 20. “From the beginning”, Jewish women disciples, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, had accompanied Jesus during his ministry and supported him out of their private means (Luke 8:1-3). The 120 followers ‘disciples’ in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, obviously were made up of more than the 12 apostles. It wasn't as though there were only 12 disciples/apostles following Jesus up until the day of Pentecost, when miraculously 120 disciples appeared in the upper room. Furthermore, it’s recorded that Thomas, one of the ‘apostles’, was not present in John 20. What? Does this mean Thomas was excluded from Jesus bestowing authority to forgive and retain sins on His disciples? Context of scripture and understanding of who Jesus’ disciples were - tells us that the disciples referenced in John 20 were more than just the apostles.