John 20:22
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
And when he had said this,.... That is, declared he sent them forth in like manner as his Father sent him:
he breathed on them; in allusion to God's breathing the breath of life into man, at his creation; or rather, to the Spirit himself, who is the breath of God, and proceeds from him, as from the Father; and who breathes both upon persons in regeneration, and in qualifying for ministerial service, at the instance and influence of Christ: and such an opinion the Jews have of the Spirit of the Messiah, who say {p}, that
"the Spirit went from between the wings of the cherubim,
hybvnw, "and breathed upon him" (Menasseh) by the decree, or order of the word of the Lord.''
and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; meaning not the grace of the Holy Ghost in regeneration, which they had received already; but the gifts of the Spirit, to qualify them for the work he now sent them to do, and which were not now actually bestowed; but this breathing on them, and the words that attended it, were a symbol, pledge, and confirmation, of what they were to receive on the day of Pentecost: hence it appears, that it is the Spirit of God, who, by his gifts and grace, makes and qualifies men to be ministers of the Gospel; and our Lord by this action, and these words, gives a very considerable proof of his deity: the Papists show their impudence and wickedness, in imitating Christ by their insufflations, or breathing on men; pretending thereby to convey the Holy Spirit to them.
{p} Targum in 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13.