The Power of Prophecy: A Septuagintal Echo in John 20:19-23 TOBIAS HÄGERLAND University of Gothenburg SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden CATHOLIC THEOLOGIANS commonly agree that the Council of Trent, although infallibly and definitively establishing the dogmatic meaning of John 20:22-23, did not thereby rule out further discussion concerning the original sense of this passage.' In the terminology ofthe theory of Catholic biblical interpretation, the sacramental understanding of John 20:22-23 could well be seen as an instance of sensus plenior rather than the sensus litteralis to be established by historical-critical means.^ My aim in the present article is to make a new proposal concerning the latter of these two senses of John 20:19-23, that is, the meaning put into this text by its human author. I will draw attention to the possibility of hearing in this scene ' Raymond E. Brown, The Gospei according to Joiin XlIl-XXl: A new translation with intro- duction and commentary (AB 29A; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1970) 1041; Rudolf Schnacken- burg. Das Johannesevangelium (4 vols.; HTKNT 4; Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 1986) 3. 388; Joseph Ratzinger, "Congregation for the Doctrine ofthe Faith: Presentation ofthe Apostolie Letter in the Form of Motu Proprio Misericordia Dei: Intervention," May 2, 2002, http://www . Vatican. va/romancuria/eongregations/efaith/doeuments/rc_concfaithdoc_20020502_ ratzinger-penance_en.html (accessed November 17, 2008). For a dynamic discussion ofthe poten- tial of John 20:22-23 within a contemporary hermeneuties of faith, see Luke Timothy Johnson and William S. Kurz, The Future of Cathoiic Bihiicai Scholarship: A Constructive Conversation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002) 237-48, 257-58. ^For recent discussion of sensus ptenior, see Pontifieal Biblical Commission, The Interpre- tation oftiw Bible in the Church (Boston: St. Paul, 1993) II.B.3; Peter S. Williamson, Cathoiic Prin- ciples for Interpreting Scripture: A Study ofthe Pontifical Bibiical Commission s The Interpretation ofthe Bible in the Church (Subsidia Biblica 22; Rome: Pontificio Istituto Biblieo, 2001) 204-15; Carolyn Osiek, "Catholic or catholic? Biblical Scholarship at the Center," JBL 125 (2006) 5-22, here 21. 84