“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit' — Jesus' breathing (emphysaō) recalls God's breath animating Adam (Genesis 2:7), establishing resurrection as new creation. This bestowal of the Holy Spirit (pneuma) differs from Pentecost's subsequent wind and flame; here the risen Jesus directly imparts the Spirit, constituting the disciples as the Spirit-bearing community. The act is intimate (breathing upon them) and immediate, marking resurrection as the source of eschatological empowerment.
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John 20:22
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit' — Jesus' breathing (emphysaō) recalls God's breath animating Adam (Genesis 2:7), establishing resurrection as new creation. This bestowal of the Holy Spirit (pneuma) differs from Pentecost's subsequent wind and flame; here the risen Jesus directly imparts the Spirit, constituting the disciples as the Spirit-bearing community. The act is intimate (breathing upon them) and immediate, marking resurrection as the source of eschatological empowerment.
Community Reflections
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Be the first to write a reflection about this verse.
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit' — Jesus' breathing (emphysaō) recalls God's breath animating Adam (Genesis 2:7), establishing resurrection as new creation. This bestowal of the Holy Spirit (pneuma) differs from Pentecost's subsequent wind and flame; here the risen Jesus directly imparts the Spirit, constituting the disciples as the Spirit-bearing community. The act is intimate (breathing upon them) and immediate, marking resurrection as the source of eschatological empowerment.