It is just the Greek of John 20:22-23 that you asked me to read. But I will give the English translation again:
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (New American Bible Revised Edition)If you prefer, I will also give the KJV:
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.As for the specific tenses of the verbs:
ἀφῆτε-aorist subjunctive (you may forgave)
ἀφέωνται-present passive indicative (they are forgiven)
κρατῆτε-present active subjunctive (you may be retaining)
κεκράτηνται-perfect passive indicative (they have been retained)
Surprise, a Catholic who has actually studied Koine Greek. Do not assume that I have not studied the Bible.
Well, it is a start. You get credit for *doing something*, which is more than most humans. 😊
The second part of each conditional clause in this verse is in the passive voice and the perfect tense in the Greek text. The passive voice indicates that someone has already done the forgiving or retaining.That person must be God since He alone has the authority to do that (Matt. 9:2–3; Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21).
The perfect tense indicates that the action has continuing effects; the sins stand forgiven or retained at least temporarily if not permanently.
If people (“any” or “anyone,” plural Gr. tinon) believed the gospel, the disciples could tell the believers that God had forgiven their sins. If they disbelieved, they could tell them that God had not forgiven but retained their sins. Jesus had done this (cf. 9:39–41), and now His disciples would continue to do it.
One last thought for your dear friend, no where in Scripture do we find an Apostle remitting the sins of anyone. They proclaim the forgiveness of sins everywhere.
best
ἀφέωνται-present passive indicative (they are forgiven)
Should be a perfect, passive, indicative.
Now, what does all of this mean?