These disciples needed supernatural spiritual power to carry out such a task, but what did Jesus really do next? There are several views. [source][source][source]
One view is that Jesus gave these disciples a temporary infusion of His Spirit. [1] The act of breathing on them recalls the Creation in which God breathed His life into Adam ( Genesis 2:7). Thus Jesus may have been suggesting that He was doing a new creative work by filling these men with His Spirit. Later Jesus explained that the Spirit would come upon these disciples again ( Acts 1:8). This present act of Jesus then may have represented a preliminary and temporary enabling that helped the disciples understand what they could expect more fully and permanently later. That baptizing came on the day of Pentecost ( Acts 1:5; Acts 2:4; Acts 11:15). [source][source][source]
Some problems with this view are as follows. Two bestowals of the Spirit seem unusual in view of Jesus" earlier promises to send the Spirit (chs14-16) and the importance in Acts of the Spirit"s coming at Pentecost ( Acts 1:5; Acts 2:4; Acts 11:15). Also there is no indication that this temporary infusion with the Spirit had any effect on the disciples. Furthermore there is no evidence that when Thomas returned to the scene Jesus gave him the Spirit as one would expect if the Spirit"s presence was essential for the disciples then ( John 20:26-29). [source][source][source]
Many readers of the Greek text have noted that "Holy Spirit" (Gr. pneuma hagion) does not have a definite article preceding it. This has led some of them to conclude that the Holy Spirit is not in view, but the breath (Gr. pneuma) of God is. They take this breath of God to be symbolic of God"s gift of spiritual power in an impersonal sense. [2] However, John earlier referred to the personal Holy Spirit without the article ( John 7:39). That seems to be his meaning here as well. The absence of an article before a noun often has the effect of stressing the quality of the noun. In this case that would be the holiness of the Spirit. [source][source][source]
Some modern scholars view this verse as John"s account of Pentecost. [3] However this view does not take the chronological sequence of events that these books present seriously. Clearly the occasion that John described here and the events of the day of Pentecost were different. [source][source][source]
Still others believe that Jesus was giving these disciples a symbolic and graphic reminder of the Spirit who would come upon them later. It was a demonstration of what Jesus would do when He returned to the Father and which He did do on Pentecost. He was not imparting the Spirit to them in any sense here. [4] This interpretation accounts for Thomas not receiving the Spirit before Pentecost. It also explains why this event had no changing effect on the disciples. Evidently there was only one coming of the Spirit on these disciples, and that happened on Pentecost. This view seems to me to be more defensible, and I prefer it. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
John 20:19-25 - The Risen Christ Brings Peace
Evidently our Lord was clothed in the spiritual body of which the Apostle speaks, not subject to the laws governing physical life. Twice He uttered the salutation, Peace be unto you. The first time He accompanied His words with the indication of His wounds: He showed unto them His hands and His side. This was the peace of forgiveness, falling on conscience-stricken hearts as the dew distils on the parched herbage. "Look at the wounds of Jesus!" cried Staupitz to Luther, and there is, indeed, no other sign which can give rest to the penitent. This is the peace of the evening hour, when we come back from the soil and fret of the world, and need to have our feet washed and our heart quieted.
The second time the message of peace was accompanied by an injunction to go forth into the world, as He was sent from the Father, on the great errand of world evangelization. Then He breathed on them and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, which shortly after was to descend as a rushing, mighty wind. There is no way of remitting sin but by preaching the gospel of reconciliation, with the Holy Spirit accompanying our message. This is the peace of the morning, when we go forth to our post of duty or danger. [source]
Chapter Summary: John 20
1Mary comes to the tomb; 3so do Peter and John, ignorant of the resurrection 11Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, 19and to his disciples 24The incredulity and confession of Thomas 30The Scripture is sufficient to salvation
Greek Commentary for John 20:22
He breathed on them [ενεπυσησεν] First aorist active indicative of εμπυσαω emphusaō late verb, here only in N.T. though eleven times in the lxx and in the papyri. It was a symbolic art with the same word used in the lxx when God breathed the breath of life upon Adam (Gen 2:7). It occurs also in Ezek 37:9. See Christ‘s promise in John 16:23. Jesus gives the disciples a foretaste of the great pentecost. Receive ye the Holy Ghost Second aorist (ingressive) active imperative of λαμβανω lambanō Note absence of article here (πνευμα αγιον pneuma hagion) though το πνευμα το αγιον to pneuma to hagion in John 14:26. No real distinction is to be observed, for Holy Spirit is treated as a proper name with or without the article. [source]
Breathed on them [ἐνεφύσησεν] Only here in the New Testament. The act was symbolic, after the manner of the Hebrew prophets. Compare Ezekiel 37:5. [source]
The Holy Ghost [] The article is wanting. The gift bestowed was not that of the personal Holy Spirit, but rather an earnest of that gift; an effusion of the Spirit. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 20:22
John 14:26Whom [ο] Grammatical neuter, but “whom” is correct translation. The Father will send the Holy Spirit (John 14:16; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:33), but so will the Son (John 15:26; John 16:7) as Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit upon the disciples (John 20:22). There is no contradiction in this relation of the Persons in the Trinity (the Procession of the Holy Spirit). Here the Holy Spirit (full title as in Mark 3:29; Matthew 12:32; Luke 12:10) is identified with the Paraclete. He Emphatic demonstrative pronoun and masculine like παρακλητος paraklētos Shall teach you all things The Holy Spirit knows “the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10) and he is our Teacher in the Dispensation of the Holy Spirit of both new truth (John 14:25) and old. Bring to your remembrance Future active indicative of υπομιμνησκω hupomimnēskō old verb to remind, to recall, here only in this Gospel (cf. 3 John 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:14) and with two accusatives (person and thing). After pentecost the disciples will be able better to recall and to understand what Jesus had said (how dull they had been at times) and to be open to new revelations from God (cf. Peter at Joppa and Caesarea). [source]
What do the individual words in John 20:22 mean?
Andthishaving saidHe breathed on [them]He saysto themReceive[the] SpiritHoly
Greek Commentary for John 20:22
First aorist active indicative of εμπυσαω emphusaō late verb, here only in N.T. though eleven times in the lxx and in the papyri. It was a symbolic art with the same word used in the lxx when God breathed the breath of life upon Adam (Gen 2:7). It occurs also in Ezek 37:9. See Christ‘s promise in John 16:23. Jesus gives the disciples a foretaste of the great pentecost. Receive ye the Holy Ghost Second aorist (ingressive) active imperative of λαμβανω lambanō Note absence of article here (πνευμα αγιον pneuma hagion) though το πνευμα το αγιον to pneuma to hagion in John 14:26. No real distinction is to be observed, for Holy Spirit is treated as a proper name with or without the article. [source]
Only here in the New Testament. The act was symbolic, after the manner of the Hebrew prophets. Compare Ezekiel 37:5. [source]
The article is wanting. The gift bestowed was not that of the personal Holy Spirit, but rather an earnest of that gift; an effusion of the Spirit. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 20:22
Grammatical neuter, but “whom” is correct translation. The Father will send the Holy Spirit (John 14:16; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:33), but so will the Son (John 15:26; John 16:7) as Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit upon the disciples (John 20:22). There is no contradiction in this relation of the Persons in the Trinity (the Procession of the Holy Spirit). Here the Holy Spirit (full title as in Mark 3:29; Matthew 12:32; Luke 12:10) is identified with the Paraclete. He Emphatic demonstrative pronoun and masculine like παρακλητος paraklētos Shall teach you all things The Holy Spirit knows “the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10) and he is our Teacher in the Dispensation of the Holy Spirit of both new truth (John 14:25) and old. Bring to your remembrance Future active indicative of υπομιμνησκω hupomimnēskō old verb to remind, to recall, here only in this Gospel (cf. 3 John 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:14) and with two accusatives (person and thing). After pentecost the disciples will be able better to recall and to understand what Jesus had said (how dull they had been at times) and to be open to new revelations from God (cf. Peter at Joppa and Caesarea). [source]