Introduction
Christ lived, died and rose from the dead to win forgieness and salvation for all people. God wants this truth proclaimed to the whole world an dhas empowered His church to declare to all people that their sins are fully and freely forgiven for Christ’s sake.
The Office of the Keys
What is the Office of the Keys?
The Office of the Keys is the special authority which Christ has given to His Church on earth: to forgive the sins of penitent sinners but to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent.
Where is this written?
The evangelist writes, John 20:22-23:
- What is this command that Christ has given His church?
Christ has given His church the command to- preach the Gospel and
- administer the Sacraments. (See Questions 205, 208 and 209.)
- What special authority does Christ include in this command?
In this command Christ includes the special authority to forgive and not to forgive sins, thus opening or closing heaven (Office of the Keys).
- Who are to be forgiven?
Penitent sinners, that is, htose who are sorry for their sins and believe in Jesus Christ, are to be forgiven (Absolution). (See Question 295.)
Bible Example: Nathan forgave the penitent David.
- Who are not to be forgiven?
Impenitent sinners, that is, those who are not sorry for their sins and do not believe in Jesus Christ, are not to forgiven as long as they do not repent.
- What must Christians do when it is clearly evident that a sinner is impenitent?
When it is clearly evident that a sinner is impenitent, Christians must exclude him/her from their fellowship. (See Question 78.)
Bible Reference: Steps of church discipline
- What is the purpose of such excommunication?
The loving purpose of such excommunication is to convince the excluded person of the greatness of his/her sin so that that person will repent and be saved.
- How is the excommunicated person to be dealt with when he repents?
When the excommunicated person confesses a sin to a fellow Christian and promises to amend, that person is to immediately forgive him and receive him again as a fellow Christian.
Bible Example: An excommunicated person is reinstated.
- To whom has Christ give the Office of the Keys?
Christ has given this special authority to His church, that is, to every Christian (Priesthood of All Believers).
- How do Christians publicly administer the Office of the Keys?
Christians publicly administer the Office of the Keys by calling qualified men to forgive and to retain sins on their behalf (Office of the Public Ministry). The Bible forbids women to serve as pastors.
Confession
What is Confession?
Confession consists of two parts: one, that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from the pastor or confessor as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven.
What sins should we confess?
Before God we should acknowledge ourselves guilty of all sins, even those which we do not know about, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer. But before the pastor or confessor we should acknowledge those sins only which we know and feel in our hearts.
Which are these?
Here consider your own situation according to the Ten Commandments, whether you are a father. mother, son, daughter, employer, employee; whether you have been disobedient, dishonest, lazy; whether you have injured anyone by word or deed; whether you have stolen, neglected, wasted anything or done any harm.
- What does it mean to confess our sins?
To confess our sins means to acknowledge from the heart that we have sinned against God and are guilty before Him.
- How may we make this confession?
We may make this confession with our fellow Christians in our worship services (general confession) or alone before the pastor or some other Christian (private confession). (See “Private Confession and Absolution” and the Order of Service in the hymnbook.) - What does it mean to receive absolution?
To receive absolution means that we believe that Christ forgives us through the word of absolution pronounced by the pastor or some other Christian.
- Why has the church connected confession with the Lord’s Supper?
The church has connected confession with the Lord’s Supper so that the communicant may come with true confidence as a guest to the Lord’s Table, assured that his sins are truly forgiven before God. (See “Christian Questions and Answers”.)
Conclusion
When a Christian pastor or layman announces the forgiveness of sins to a penitent sinner (absolution), he is to be believed as though God Himself is speaking it. The layman announces such forgiveness on the basis of the Office of the Keys, which God has given to every Christian. The pastor announces such forgiveness in the place of Christ and on behalf of fellow Christians, who have called him to be their shepherd.
Hymn
“What ye shall bind, that bound shall be;
What ye shall loose, that shall be free;
Unto My Church the keys are giv’n
To ope and close the gates of heav’n.”
The words which absolution give
Are His who died that we might live;
The minister whom Christ as sent
Is but His humble instrument. (ELH 417:4, 6)
Bible Readings
At home:
In class: