²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “^(A)Peace be to you; ^(B)just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ^23 (C)If you forgive the sins of any, their sins ^[a]have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

Why This Gospel Was Written

^30 (A)So then, many other ^[a](B)signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these have been written ^(C)so that you may believe that Jesus is the ^[b]Christ, ^(D)the Son of God; and that by ^(E)believing you may have life in His name.