Questions & Answers

Holy Spirit

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Our Lord and the Faith › Holy Spirit

The question

In the Holy Gospel of St. John 20:22, what does "breathed" mean? Did our Lord give the Disciples the Holy Spirit; or prepare them to receive it?

The answer

In the Holy Gospel of St. John 20:22, "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." The Lord Jesus Christ is commissioning the disciples to continue His mission on earth and is GRANTING them the Holy Spirit through His breath.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

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Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 697 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.