The Voice of God:
Toward Retaining Private Absolution, Part I
There are certain practices in the Lutheran Church that have fallen into disuse over the centuries since the Reformation. Among these is the practice of private confession and absolution with one’s pastor. This is unfortunate. We would do well to regain lost ground with this blessed gift and not so quickly eschew it as “Roman Catholic.”
In 1530 the Lutheran reformers wrote in the Augsburg Confession: “Confession is retained in our churches and is not abolished among us. The Body of the Lord is not usually given to those who have not been examined [1 Cor 11:27-28] and absolved” (AC XXV 1). They are referring to private confession and absolution! Our current practice of corporate confession and absolution was unknown to the 16th century Church. Thus private absolution (for we call a thing what it is according to its Gospel character) was retained and commonly practiced among the early Lutherans.
When Dr. Luther published his Small Catechism in 1529 he included among the Six Chief Parts of the Christian faith catechesis (i.e. instruction) on private confession and absolution. The catechism is based on the Bible, summarizing its content. The purpose of catechism instruction is to lead those who study it deeper in Holy Scripture. The Six Chief Parts - The Ten Commandments, the Apostle’s Creed, the Our Father, Holy Baptism, Confession and Absolution, the Sacrament of the Altar – are a complete summary of all of Scripture. Our Lord delights in teaching us these things over and over again in His Word. Therefore we ought never tire of learning of them and seek to accord our teaching and practice with them.
Therefore, for sake of Christian consciences burden and stricken by the terrors of the Law, which condemns all our sin and casts us into doubt about God’s favor and love, Dr. Luther taught concerning private confession and absolution, saying, “Therefore, when I exhort you to go to confession, I am doing nothing but exhorting you to be a Christian” (The Large Catechism, Brief Exhortation to Confession, 32). Indeed the entire life of the Christian is one of repentance; a daily dying to sin by repentance and rising to life through faith in God’s promises.
Consider the closing question to the Fourth Chief Part: Holy Baptism:
What does such baptizing with water indicate?
It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be
drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge
and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?
St Paul writes in Romans chapter six: “We were therefore buried with Him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, we too may live a new life.” [Rom 6:4]
We are baptized only once, just as we are born only once. Yet as we live each day by breathe and respiration, so do we live each day in our baptism through contrition and repentance. The absolution is the very breathing in the Spirit of God that forgives us all our sins. Jesus breathed on His disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (Jn 20:22-23). We cannot live merely by taking one deep breath and holding it. As often as we breathe, so too do we need the life-breathing breath of God in the absolution. How this inhalation occurs is addressed in the very next section of the Small Catechism – Confession.
Likewise, the Augsburg Confession, cited above, goes on to say, “The people are very carefully taught about faith in the Absolution. Before, there was profound silence about faith. Our people are taught that they should highly prize the Absolution as being God’s voice and pronounced by God’s command. It is not the voice or word of the man who speaks it, but the Word of God, who forgives sin, for it is spoken in God’s stead and by God’s command” (AC XXV 3). In other words, in private confession and absolution, God Himself, through the pastor, forgives each individual the sins that are confessed. Jesus taught this to His apostles on the evening of His resurrection and gave this blessed gift to His Church.
“Thus we teach what a wonderful, precious, and comforting thing confession [and absolution] is, and we urge that such a precious blessing should not be despised, especially when we consider our great need.” So says Dr Luther in his Brief Exhortation to Confession, mentioned above. He goes on, “If you are a Christian, you should be glad to run more than a hundred miles for confession [and absolution], not under compulsion but rather coming and compelling us to offer it. For here the compulsion must be reversed; we are the ones who must come under the command and you must come in freedom. We compel no one, but allow ourselves to be compelled, just as we are compelled to preach and administer the sacrament.” (KW 479 28, 31).
You see how highly Dr Luther prizes this blessed gift – he equates it to preaching and the Lord’s Supper! The Lutheran Church would dare never do without these indispensable gifts and marks of the Body of Christ, but guard and cherish them as holy, divine, sacred things. We ought to regard private confession and absolution of similar necessity.
Lord help us ever to retain
The Catechism’s doctrine plain
As Luther taught the Word of truth
In simple style to tender youth. (LSB 865:1)
Your unworthy servant,
Pastor Mierow
The Visitation to the Virgin Mary
Toward Retaining Private Absolution, Part I
There are certain practices in the Lutheran Church that have fallen into disuse over the centuries since the Reformation. Among these is the practice of private confession and absolution with one’s pastor. This is unfortunate. We would do well to regain lost ground with this blessed gift and not so quickly eschew it as “Roman Catholic.”
In 1530 the Lutheran reformers wrote in the Augsburg Confession: “Confession is retained in our churches and is not abolished among us. The Body of the Lord is not usually given to those who have not been examined [1 Cor 11:27-28] and absolved” (AC XXV 1). They are referring to private confession and absolution! Our current practice of corporate confession and absolution was unknown to the 16th century Church. Thus private absolution (for we call a thing what it is according to its Gospel character) was retained and commonly practiced among the early Lutherans.
When Dr. Luther published his Small Catechism in 1529 he included among the Six Chief Parts of the Christian faith catechesis (i.e. instruction) on private confession and absolution. The catechism is based on the Bible, summarizing its content. The purpose of catechism instruction is to lead those who study it deeper in Holy Scripture. The Six Chief Parts - The Ten Commandments, the Apostle’s Creed, the Our Father, Holy Baptism, Confession and Absolution, the Sacrament of the Altar – are a complete summary of all of Scripture. Our Lord delights in teaching us these things over and over again in His Word. Therefore we ought never tire of learning of them and seek to accord our teaching and practice with them.
Therefore, for sake of Christian consciences burden and stricken by the terrors of the Law, which condemns all our sin and casts us into doubt about God’s favor and love, Dr. Luther taught concerning private confession and absolution, saying, “Therefore, when I exhort you to go to confession, I am doing nothing but exhorting you to be a Christian” (The Large Catechism, Brief Exhortation to Confession, 32). Indeed the entire life of the Christian is one of repentance; a daily dying to sin by repentance and rising to life through faith in God’s promises.
Consider the closing question to the Fourth Chief Part: Holy Baptism:
What does such baptizing with water indicate?
It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be
drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge
and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?
St Paul writes in Romans chapter six: “We were therefore buried with Him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, we too may live a new life.” [Rom 6:4]
We are baptized only once, just as we are born only once. Yet as we live each day by breathe and respiration, so do we live each day in our baptism through contrition and repentance. The absolution is the very breathing in the Spirit of God that forgives us all our sins. Jesus breathed on His disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (Jn 20:22-23). We cannot live merely by taking one deep breath and holding it. As often as we breathe, so too do we need the life-breathing breath of God in the absolution. How this inhalation occurs is addressed in the very next section of the Small Catechism – Confession.
Likewise, the Augsburg Confession, cited above, goes on to say, “The people are very carefully taught about faith in the Absolution. Before, there was profound silence about faith. Our people are taught that they should highly prize the Absolution as being God’s voice and pronounced by God’s command. It is not the voice or word of the man who speaks it, but the Word of God, who forgives sin, for it is spoken in God’s stead and by God’s command” (AC XXV 3). In other words, in private confession and absolution, God Himself, through the pastor, forgives each individual the sins that are confessed. Jesus taught this to His apostles on the evening of His resurrection and gave this blessed gift to His Church.
“Thus we teach what a wonderful, precious, and comforting thing confession [and absolution] is, and we urge that such a precious blessing should not be despised, especially when we consider our great need.” So says Dr Luther in his Brief Exhortation to Confession, mentioned above. He goes on, “If you are a Christian, you should be glad to run more than a hundred miles for confession [and absolution], not under compulsion but rather coming and compelling us to offer it. For here the compulsion must be reversed; we are the ones who must come under the command and you must come in freedom. We compel no one, but allow ourselves to be compelled, just as we are compelled to preach and administer the sacrament.” (KW 479 28, 31).
You see how highly Dr Luther prizes this blessed gift – he equates it to preaching and the Lord’s Supper! The Lutheran Church would dare never do without these indispensable gifts and marks of the Body of Christ, but guard and cherish them as holy, divine, sacred things. We ought to regard private confession and absolution of similar necessity.
Lord help us ever to retain
The Catechism’s doctrine plain
As Luther taught the Word of truth
In simple style to tender youth. (LSB 865:1)
Your unworthy servant,
Pastor Mierow
The Visitation to the Virgin Mary
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