How do you interpret John 20: 22?

This particular imparting of the Spirit is a foreshadow of what would happen at Pentecost.

 

To advance the discussion, would you discuss the difference between filling and indwelling?

 

You can find many different ideas as to what this verse conveys. Taken straight-up, Jesus is anointing or empowering the disciples with the Holy Spirit for the purpose of being apostles of Christ. From John 7, we know that Jesus had now been glorified and thus was empowered to give the Spirit, at least to some degree. Thus as apostles, out of their hearts will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38.) Indwelling seems precluded because Christ needed to go to heaven in order to send the Holy Spirit in that manner.

 

I think the Lord was switching their focus onto the Spirit. I believe in the OT "and new" all believers had the spirit dwelling in them AND at times came upon them with power. The Holy Spirit sat upon each of them at Pentecost.

 

Simply put, they received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus spoke to them through the Holy Spirit before He ascended (Acts 1:2), probably as a way of them getting used to communicating with Him while He was still upon the earth and could verify to them that they understood correctly.

The disciples were immersed (baptized) in the Spirit and received power (Acts 1:5, 8) at the feast of Pentecost.

 

I believe Jesus was giving these disciples a symbolic and a graphic reminder of the Spirit who would come upon them later. This could be said to show what Jesus would do at Pentecost. This isn't an imparting the Spirit to them. This event didn't have a real changing effect with His disciples. So I believe there was only one coming of the Spirit on the disciples, which happened on Pentecost.

Do to the Greek text does not have a definite article preceding the Holy Spirit, has led many to conclude that the Holy Spirit is not in view, but the breath of God is. This view take this breath of God to be symbolic of God’s gift of spiritual power in an impersonal sense.

 

Good articulation. Totally agree.

They were 'clothed with power from on high' at Pentecost.

 

Simply John's version of the fulfillment of gift of the Holy Spirit. It is also a major theme in John in reference to Ezekiel's promise of the Spirit being fulfilled. So it is John's way of indicating that the age to come has in some way started with the resurrection of Jesus and his disciples experiencing that in a New Covenant type of way.

 

Christ was sending His disciples out to preach. For them to be successful at it required the Holy Spirit, Because He directs the preacher and speaks through them.
MB

 

There are two instances in scripture where God breathed on a man. The first is Genesis 2:7: " Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

The second instance is John 20:22: " And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit." Since John 1 tracks Genesis 1, I don't believe this is a coincidence. It is not an allegory. We can take it at face value for what it says.

 

This was said by Christ after the resurrection. And yes this was Christ giving the disciples the Holy Spirit to indwell them. Only after Christ paid the penalty for sin could Christ do this. This is why I have said in the past that no one was saved as we are today until Christ had atoned for sin. There is no forgiveness for sin with out the shedding of blood.
MB

 

Wow, a church before Pentecost and Azuza St.

Jesus started His Church on the shores of Galilee when He called out His disciples: come, follow me, I will make you fishers of men. His methodology has not changed. The fields are ripe, the laborers few.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Bro. James