Confession and Holy Absolution
As taught in the Lutheran tradition
The practice of hearing God's specific word of forgiveness spoken through the mouth of the pastor.
Within the Lutheran tradition, the doctrine of Confession and Holy Absolution answers a fundamental, existential question: How can a terrified conscience, burdened by the specific weight of its own rebellion, be certain of God’s forgiveness here and now? While all Christians believe that God forgives sins, the Lutheran LENS focuses intensely on the "externality" of the Gospel. For the Lutheran, grace is not a vague feeling or a nebulous cloud of divine benevolence; it is a gift delivered through specific, tangible means—the Word, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Office of the Keys. Confession and Absolution, often referred to in the early Reformation as the "Third Sacrament," is the application of the Gospel to the individual.
By the end of this lesson
- **Distinguish** between the "Office of the Keys" as a judicial power of the Church and its primary function as a Means of Grace for the individual.
- **Identify** the two parts of Confession as defined in the Lutheran Small Catechism: the confession of sins and the receiving of Absolution.
- **Explain** the theological significance of "External Word" in the context of the pastor’s voice acting in the "stead and by the command" of Christ.
- **Articulate** the Lutheran rejection of "enumeration of sins" as a requirement for the validity of the Absolution.
- **Trace** the relationship between Holy Baptism and the daily life of repentance as expressed in Confession and Absolution.
- **Defend** the practice of Private Absolution against the charge that it "interposes a man between God and the soul," using Christological and Sacramental arguments.
- **Apply** the distinction between Law and Gospel to the internal experience of the penitent during the rite of confession.
- **Compare** the Lutheran view of Absolution as an "effective gift" with views that see it merely as a "pious wish" or a "declaration of a general truth."
Scripture
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