Q4. Forgiving Sins

[Pastor Ralph]

Note: Christians disagree about the power to forgive sins, so be kind and loving in your responses, even if you disagree with another participant.

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church’s authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

[SoiKosum]

(John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church’s authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both? 

 

I believe only God can forgive sins. Man can forgive us when we sin against them, but ultimately we must also seek God's forgiveness of our sins. In turn, we are also to forgive sins against us.

 

• For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matt 6:14-15)

• If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

 

 

 

[JanMary]

Note: Christians disagree about the power to forgive sins, so be kind and loving in your responses, even if you disagree with another participant.

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins?

 

Jesus is our High Priest, therefore we have no need for another. He is our advocate with the Father, and He alone confers and declares that I am forgiven, based on His work and shed blood on the cross. Also, The Church is neither,  so it has no authority or responsibility to do the work of forgiveness for individuals.

 

 

Do we (or the church’s authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

 

I am commanded to forgive those who've "sinned against me" and to seek forgiveness and heartfelt reconciliation with any I've sinned against. My role ends there. I may say I forgive you for wrongs committed against me, but that is personal rather than as a church representative.

 

Perhaps if one is having difficulty forgiving oneself for sins committed against another, who is no longer alive or able to hear an apology, hearing an authority figure say Jesus forgives all sin may bring comfort, but that is the only benefit I can see in seeking out "an authorized" person for this purpose.

[haar]

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? ? 
 

God is the one who forgives sin. But sin can be defined as any wrong or act against God or man. In this case we can (and the church of course) forgive the wrongs (sin) committed against us. Jesus taught us to forgive one another so that the Father will also forgive us. [“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”...Matthew 6:14 KJV]

 

Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both

In view of my view above, we (or the Church) can both confer and declare forgiveness but not as special representatives of God. 

[Clarence]

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

 

This is a very hard question.

Jesus exhorts believers to forgive people who sin against them-

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt 6:14-15) Also in the Lords Prayer (Matt 6:12).

I have always been taught, that I do not need any priest to absolve me from my sin, other that Jesus. This is the teaching I have received according to my Protestant background.

During the Reformatiion, perhaps the Protestants rebelled against this particular teaching of the Catholic church, because of the excesses of the church at the time.

[Jen]

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

 

​I believe the church has only the power to proclaim forgiveness of sins in the Name of Christ whose death alone atoned for our sins. No one else died for my sin.  We can forgive what others have done to us (and should) as they should forgive what we have done to them if we want the Lord to forgive us. Matthew 6:14-15.  Since all are sinners and that all includes all we must all go to the Father in heaven for forgiveness.  He alone can forgive our sins.  The one good I can think of going to an earthly priest (a good Christian friend would do as well or better) for confession is that it brings the sin out so it is not internalized.  However we do have one mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us.  He is our great high priest, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord.  Every man needs his sins forgiven so how can one who is so, act as one who can forgive what is the privilege of God alone.

May we all be open to learn and  and to grow in the grace of our beautiful, precious, holy, Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  None of us has it all together.  Only God is perfect.  I have so much to learn and I want to say I enjoy the comments on this study to see the different ways my brothers and sisters in Christ express themselves.  It is beautiful and I see such love for the Lord, its like a taste of heaven.

God Bless!

Jen

Numbers 6:24-26

[lighthouse2014]

Note: Christians disagree about the power to forgive sins, so be kind and loving in your responses, even if you disagree with another participant.

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church’s authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

The church has the power to forgive sins, Jesus stated "that where 2 or 3 are gathered in his name, he is there". Being the church belongs to Christ, he has granted it power to forgive sins. I believe this is not left up to one individual, but among the 2 or 3 that gathered together in prayer for guidance on a sinful decision.

I believe the church has the power to confer on granting absolution from sin. For it is not up to one individual to forgive sins of another.Where 2 or 3 are gathered together, the Holy Spirit gives the petitioner the knowledge needed to forgive or retain one's sons, especially if an individual is not sincerely repentant.

By declaring one's forgiveness of sins to be a statement with no fore thought  of the individuals repentant state or not. Jesus gave the church the keys of heaven, what ever it bound on earth was bound in heaven, what ever was released on earth was released in heaven. Through the Holy Spirit  and prayer we should let the spirit guide us.  

[hanks]

Q4. (John 20:23) 

In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? 

Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? 

Or both? 

The forgiveness of sins is only and alone through the blood of Jesus Christ. Anything else will only debase the meaning of, and the necessity of Christ’s death on the Cross. This is my belief and I state this without any intent of criticizing other beliefs. Jesus is saying that any Christian can declare that those who genuinely repent and believe the gospel will have their sins forgiven by God. On the other hand, they can also warn that those who reject Jesus Christ will die in their sins. Jesus Himself stated earlier in John 8:24, “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins”. So it is up to us and the church to spread the gospel. By telling, we make people aware of their predicament, and then it is up to each individual person to repent and believe in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, thereby having their sins forgiven. 

 

[PeteD]

Lesson 33 question 4

I believe that the church as Christ ambassadors and priests - priesthood of all believers - can encourage and remind fellow Christians of God's love and forgiveness. That is the office of all believers. Some are - some believers - are recognized as having special gifts that allow them to do this work of building up and encouraging to a greater degree.

I really do not see a great difference in the declaring or the conferring of forgiveness. Both should, and in the best sense of their definitions, relay the fact that it is God who does the work of forgiving. And whether we confer or declare one must be careful not to assume more authority than what is given.

[RebeccaMallinson]

The Church has the power to forgive sins if the sinner is truly repentant and is going to strive not to reoffend in the same way.  I once knew a woman who used artificial contraception and thought she was fine as long as she confessed it each week.  The priest told her that there was no point confessing to something she had no intention of changing. 

 

We also have a duty to forgive one another (e.g. “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”, forgiving “seventy-seven times seven times”) without which God will not forgive us.  I think therefore that conferring forgiveness (as in confession of sins) and declaring it (forgiving others) are two sides of the same coin.  Pardon me if I have misunderstood something here!  

[Stanley Tavaziva]

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

 

Jesus was gave the disciples their Spirit-powered and Spirit-guided mission—to preach the Good News about Jesus so people’s sins might be forgiven. The disciples like the church did not have the power to forgive sins (only God can forgive sins), but Jesus gave us the privilege of telling new believers that their sins have been forgiven because they have accepted Jesus’ as our Lord and Saviour. All believers have this same privilege. We can announce forgiveness of sins with certainty when we ourselves have found repentance and faith.

 

[royk]

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

Clearly from this lesson "we" have this power, but only when we remain in HIM. Anything else is self centered, ego, impatience to grant, rather than patience to bring first the Holy Spirit into the pray or communication to a person.

 

Would we dare to try something without the Holy Spirit after doing this week's study... sadly I must say in an immature way that I might very well. Still this is a hope and prayer right now that I will seek the Holy Spirit and breath, gratefully, when the need to intercede comes about. We can only declare what God want's us to declare. So seeking His will is intimately tied to this practice and any work for the Kingdom 

[Joe_Applegarth]

Very simply;

 

The “church” has no power (or authority) to forgive sins!  Christ died on the cross for just that reason!  Jesus Christ (through the power of the Holy Spirit) is the only intercessor that we need.

[pickledilly]

Jesus is the only source of forgiveness of sins. The verses of 1John 1:9 and 2:1-2 make it clear that Christ is the One who forgives sin, purifies us from unrighteousness, and acts as our Advocate before the Father. Our only High Priest and Mediator is Jesus Christ.

 

The only sense in which a person can “absolve sins” would be in making the declaration of forgiveness offered by the Father when the gospel is received, repentance is made, and forgiveness is extended through Christ, according to the promises of Scripture not the directive of man. We may act as His voice in saying the audible words on His behalf, “Your sins are forgiven”. But it is not of us, not our doing.

 

Likewise, someone who rejects the truth of the gospel and refuses repentance is not forgiven. In following the dictates of Scripture we would have to say then that their sins remain held against them, not because of some power we have to make that decision but because of God's clear revelation of the consequence He has established.

 

When someone has wronged us and repents, we are called to extend forgiveness of that transgression against us - in our human relationship. We would forgive because of His life in us, but He does not extend forgiveness to another person on the basis of our actions.Only God can forgive and cover that offense with the blood of Jesus when that person repents and confesses before Him.  It may seem like splitting hairs, but I believe that is the bottom line.

[Old Jerry]

I think that if we confess our sins to the Church they will pray for us but I don’t think that anybody has the authority to forgive or declare it except our mediator Jesus Christ.

[Godswriter]

Q4. (John 20:23) In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins? Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?
I believe that the church can forgive sins when the sins when the sins deal with the church in general. However beyond that; I believe I don't know meaning I am unsure. I believe Scripture is quite clear. Jesus forgives us of all sins. 

[Jonathan Edwards]

What a deep Bible verse, much to ponder.  This us simply another form to express power to bind and to loose and to do the works of Christ (Matthew 18:18).   Luther underscores the teaching that when we witness and preach the Gospel, we are fulfilling John 20:23.   All present in that Upper Room, Apostles and those that were afraid of being caught by the authorities, were commissioned to remit and retain sin;  we are a holy priesthood called forth to announce the kerygma.

It is obvious both the official church and the "laity" have an immense responsibility.  It is the Church as a whole that has been called by Jesus Christ to bring the Gospel to the unbelievers; it is not an option nor just another church activity like Saturday baseball or annual Sunday school picnic.  Rev Charles Finney was a master in getting all church members engaged in revival;  the word "laity" was synonymous to "lazy".  

[Stevek]

Everyone seems to be trying to wriggle out of what the scripture says. Jesus was speaking to those gathered in the upper room at Pentecost, not directly to everyone reading a Bible. He specifically authorized them to forgive or withhold forgiveness pertaining to the sins of others, and clarified that they would not merely be making recommendations or pronouncing something that had already happened. In this instance, Jesus specifically told them that God would act in concert with their decisions, not in advance, and not in response to their petitions. He says similar things in other gospels about binding and loosing. Take it or leave it, but please don't spin it.

[Irmela]

Q4. (John 20:23)

In what sense does the Church have the power to forgive sins?

Do we (or the church's authorized representatives) confer forgiveness or declare it? Or both?

If we have sinned against someone and we confess this sin  or they have sinned against us and they confess this sin we ought to forgive them and vice-versa. For in the same measure that we forgive, we will be forgiven by our Heavenly Father.

Jesus is the One Who died for our sins, and He is the One through Whom we are ultimately forgiven.  

The binding and loosing that is referred to would be like binding the sickness  and  binding the spirit of alcohol and casting it out, or something in that line. 

Loosing whatever   we are bound by, eg., sickness, blindness, fear etc.