Your Sins have Already been Forgiven

Can humans forgive on behalf of God (John 20:23)? This verse does not support going into a booth and confessing to a priest who would forgive. That practice only grew in popularity from 7th to 11th centuries. It also does not say that a priest would have apostolic succession. There is not one Scripture to indicate that this verse was then understood to be a priest-confessor act. What it does say is that as the Father sent Jesus, so he sent them. Who were they? They were the 11 apostles specifically. Does this then apply to us? We might conclude that anyone who is sent and receives the Holy Spirit has this call. Verse 23 literally says in Greek, If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have already been forgiven. They were already forgiven at the cross.