How do we know the authority to remit sins is true?

The authority given to the apostles to remit sins is not based on human power but is rooted in the commission of Christ after His resurrection. In John 20:21-22, Christ sends His disciples with the same authority He received from the Father, breathing the Holy Spirit upon them. This signifies the empowering presence of God in their ministry, ensuring that their proclamation of forgiveness is not merely a human declaration but a divine mandate. The effectiveness of this authority is evident when understood through the context of Christ's atoning work, which reconciles believers to God and allows for the forgiveness of sins to be proclaimed with certainty.