Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 68:2 (Jun 2025)
Article: Interpretive Questions Related To The Gift Of The Spirit In John 20:22
Author: Adrian P. Rosen

Interpretive Questions Related To The Gift Of The Spirit In John 20:22

Adrian P. Rosen

Adrian P. Rosen is an adjunct professor of New Testament and Greek at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: Any attempt to present a history of interpretation of the impartation of the Spirit in John 20:22 faces the difficulty of categorizing the various views within a satisfactory taxonomy. The challenge arises from the degree of interpretive diversity among the proposals presented by scholars; the overlap of many of these interpretations; and the disparate ways in which scholars frame the interpretation in terms of the degree of Spirit-reception, or the functionality of this reception, or how it relates to Pentecost or the Paraclete sayings. This article does not attempt to categorize these interpretations or defend a particular interpretation of this difficult verse. Instead, the goal is to offer a thorough enumeration of the interpretive questions that must be considered to determine the meaning of this text and to offer a thorough and coherent interpretation thereof. It offers a guide to the issues to assist the exegete who seeks to navigate them.

Key words: Gospel of John, John 20, Johannine pneumatology, Holy Spirit, gift of the Spirit, new-covenant ministry of the Spirit, history of redemption

Any attempt to present a thorough history of interpretation of the impartation of the Spirit in John 20:22 will quickly face the difficulty of categorizing the various views within a satisfactory taxonomy.1 This difficulty stems from several factors: (1) the surprising degree of interpretive diversity among the proposals presented by scholars; (2) the overlap of many of these interpretations, which often incorporate aspects of other views and sometimes appear to swallow them whole; (3) the disparate ways in which scholars frame the interpretation in terms of the degree of Spirit-reception, or the functionality of this reception, or how it relates to Pentecost or the Paraclete sayings; and (4) a lack of clarity and/or thoroughness in the articulation of some scholars—their views are hard to categorize because their explanations are vague or cursory.

This article does not attempt any such categorization of the seemingly endless proposed interpretations of this crux interpretum. Nor will it attempt to defend any particular interpretation of the verse. Instead, the goal here is to offer a detailed enumeration of the interpretive questions that any exegete will want to consider in t...