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Confession and Absolution

Binding and Setting Free

If the Church is the Christ today, what responsibility has it in regard to binding and loosing, pointing out sin and forgiving?

Among Jesus last words to his disciples were these:
“Peace be with you.  . . Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone his sins they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  John 20:22 (NIV)

The English Reformers had to tread a fine line in treating the sacrament of penance and absolution because of the influence the German reformers and the Puritans were having in England.  Tetzel’s selling of indulgences had offended Christians all over Europe and brought the sacrament of penance and absolution into disrepute.

The writers of the 39 articles, heavily influenced by the German reformers, extolled Baptism and Holy Communion as “sacraments of the Gospel” with the rational that they were instituted by Christ and there is a “visible sign” that is to accompany the prayerful act.  The 39 articles call the other 5 sacraments “sacraments of the church” and speak somewhat disparagingly of them and imply they are not as important as Baptism and Communion, and that indeed in some may be based on errant understandings of Scripture.  There was a political tug of war going on at the time these articles were written, and we should take that into account.  We should look at what the Scriptures have to say about the “so called” sacraments of the church. 

In the process of time, many of the Reformed and English Churches began to neglect all of the sacraments, even baptism, and Eucharist.  We should be aware, in attempting to understand sacraments, that our culture for generations has generally been prejudiced against the concept that God works through signs in this day and time.  Many a church with the word Christian over the door and in literature does not baptize and hardly ever, if at all observe communion.   After all, if the important thing is that a person believe, what need is there for sacraments?  In the past century, it became unpopular to talk about sin as it inhibited a person’s freedom.  As belief in God waned in our culture, so did personal accountability and a sense of right and wrong.  One line heard from the world is this:  “If there are no rules, there can be no sin, sin is an invention of those who would oppress others.”   If baptism and communion are neglected, what possible credence can we expect the popular culture to give to marriage, confession and absolution, orders and anointing the sick?

Reconsider penance and absolution.

Since 911 our country has had to face that the fact that there is real evil in the world.  Evil is real and it is to be found not only in the struggles in the Mid East, but also in our midst here in these United States.  It is obvious that there is a need for a national confessional, a place to begin again for leaders in government and industry when they go astray.  Too often in the last 50 years good, competent leaders have made errors and for whatever reason, found no sanctuary, no confessional, no place to admit their mistakes and begin again.  Too often husbands and wives don’t confess to one another and forgive one another as we are told we must do.

Jesus taught us forgiveness in his model prayer:  “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:11-13

The apostles likewise taught that there is a need in the church for confession and forgiveness in order to keep unity in the Church and to enjoy the blessings of the heavenly Father.  Read James  5:13-16 in context. 

The Prayer of Faith
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.      (James  5:13-16 )

Many Christians in our time read the Book of James as if it were for private instruction or devotions.  If a person were to keep the verses above in mind while reading the entire book, it is apparent that James was addressing not just individuals in what constitutes Christian piety.  He was also speaking to the congregations, the church as a whole.  Check out James 2:1-19.  James was addressing problems of discrimination with in the assembly of Christians. Bear that in mind as you read through the rest of the book.

It is apparent in James chapter 5 that he is teaching that the way for healing of the individual and the church involves the ordained ministers as well as lay people, involves sacramental signs, involves confession and the pronouncing of the forgiveness of sins.

Couple that along with the words of Jesus quoted at the beginning of this essay: Peace be with you.  . . Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone his sins they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  John 20:22 (NIV)

John penned these words, possibly in Ephesus near the end of the first century.  If it were only the 12 who had authority to pronounce forgiveness of sins, why would he leave these words of Jesus as instruction to the Church when most of the Apostles were already deceased and he himself near the time of his departure?   In I John 1:5-10
John is evidently writing not just to individuals but also to the Church.

            Walking in the light

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (I John 1:5-10) NIV

Some Christians have taken a few verses near the end of  I John to construct a doctrine of “once in grace, always in grace” affirming that a Christian cannot fall into sin.  Obviously such a conclusion fails to take into account the entire teaching of John in this epistle and the teaching of the rest of the New Testament.  Over and over Christians are warned by Jesus and the apostles to be watchful, for the Tempter is always near.  Christians are warned not to lose the salvation procured for them at such great cost.  Christians are told clearly they need to be aware when they have fallen into sin that they are to repent, confess and hear the words of forgiveness. 

Confession and Absolution then are means by which the grace of God continues to be showered on the Christian through the mediation of Jesus Christ and through the words of forgiveness pronounced by the Body of Christ.  The Spirit of God, the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Church is a continuing incarnation of Christ in this world offering assurance of God’s good will towards us and offering the comforting words of forgiveness.
 
Jesus was attacked because he affirmed “the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”    Is the Church to continue the ministry of Christ throughout history?
Has the Church the power and authority to pronounce on behalf of the Lord, the forgiveness of sins?

Jesus said, “He who hears you, hears me.”  He also said to his disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.”  He likewise points out that if they do not forgive the sins of any, they remain bound.

In Matthew 16 after Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” he also says, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus was attacked because it was hard for religious authorities in his time to accept the idea that God could speak through a human being.  Paul’s idea that we hold these mysteries in earthen vessels is still scoffed at by the world and by some Christians who can’t accept the idea that the Church is a sort of continuing incarnation, a Body of Christ in this day and time.

In my opinion, the sons of the reformation have avoided the implications of Jesus’ statements, repeated in Matthew, Mark and Luke that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.   They were so centered on attacking the errors of Rome that avoided dealing with Jesus’ clear statement “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.”

That Jesus expected his disciples to forgive sins, throughout all generations is evident; it is in His model prayer we daily repeat:  “Forgive us. . . .as we forgive those. . . .”  Jesus also said, if we don’t forgive men when they trespass against us, that we could not expect forgiveness.

In the Anglican Church tradition, even though there is a penitential office, the instruction is  it is to be used on the First Sunday in Lent. Few clergy ever exercise the option of using it at other times.  There is a litany that is also penitential in nature, but it too is a Lenten devotion.  We have the general confession that we use in our liturgy, but there is no specific reference to specific sins.  All in congregation repeat the Penitential Office, the Litany and the General Confession.  The individual is hidden in the congregation and doesn’t have to examine himself too closely; there is safety in numbers.

The prayer book advises if a person’s conscience is still troubled after the general confession, they should come to the priest and ask for private counsel.

After over 40 years of ministry, I recall few who have come for private confession.  Only three as I recall came confessing they were fornicators.  None have come saying. “ I was a gossip, I spoke ill of my neighbor, I was unforgiving, or I was a thief.”  Few have come with the problem they were having forgiving and accepting others.

The apostles as well Jesus taught how essential it is to forgive others and for the congregations to openly confess and receive forgiveness. 

My impression is that with the exception of those Anglo-Catholics who still have a confessional, many Anglicans and other sons of the reformation are content to leave people bound.  

We Anglican clergy hear a general confession in which everyone in congregation acknowledges unspecific sinfulness and then we pronounce absolution, forgiveness.  This becomes, I fear, a ritual with many consciences left unexamined and people bound. Where is the evident freeing of men from sin and restoration of physical, spiritual and mental health?  Where is the liberation from evil?  Are we really the light of the world, a beacon of salvation from evil to those around us?

My friends, we can do better.

Charles R. Scott, Vicar
Church of the Good Shepherd, Indianapolis
chasrscott@netzero.com

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