"And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (Jn.20:22; NIV).
How can this translation be correct? In the following passage the Lord Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would not be sent until He departed to be with the Father and He had not yet departed to be with the Father when He said those words:
"But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (Jn.16:5-7).
How is it possible that they had received "the Holy Spirit" because the Lord Jesus had not yet departed to be with the Father when He spoke the words at John 20:22?
Anyone have an answer?
Jesus had given the Holy Spirit before in Matthew 10th chapter, even to Judas Iscariot, but this was not the promise of the permanant indwelling Holy Ghost, and neither was the event in John 20th chapter: here's why.
John 7:
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 14:
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him;
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you....
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because
I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
If you consider that Jesus had to ascend to the Father to prepare a place for us by which this chapter began in leading towards God's plan of salvation being with Him as it is by Him He is leading the way for us into Heaven, then He has to be in Heaven before He actually started saving believers and thus preparing a place for us in Heaven.
John 14:1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So that ties in with you reference from your quote:
John 16:
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
So from the day at Pentecost, that was when His disciples and every other believer in Jesus Christ since then were saved because that was when they had received the promise of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, that dwells within us and abides in us forever.
If you consider that believers are now a new creature in Christ Jesus now that He is leading the way for us in Heaven,
2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.
Galatians 6:15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a
new creature.
.....then as new wineskin, they are able to hold the new wine forever thus testifying to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter in being that new wine and as we are sealed with that Spirit of adoption,
Romans 8:
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
.....we are preserved and thus saved as testifying that Jesus is the Saviour.
Matthew 9:
15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
That's Jesus explaining why He had to leave in order for us to become new wineskin and thus able to hold the new wine forever whereas before, the disciples and the believers could not because Jesus was not yet glorified in having left them to prepare a place for any and all believers to be saved for Him to prepare that place for them in Heaven to live with God.