Private Confession (AC Article XXV)

[@haydenmiller4789]

Praise the Lord!!! I have been struggling with sin and today specifically I have been stressing over whether or not I must be in confession to a Christian(pastor specifically) in order for the Lord to forgive me. And as I’m worrying, I open up KZbin to see this video on my feed. Thank you Dr. and Pastor Cooper for submitting to the Lord and making this video. I needed this. Of course I think I still will seek confession with a pastor in order to receive absolution. But it is such a comfort to know that my sins aren’t automatically not forgive unless I confess them to a pastor.

[@Ben_G_Biegler]

Great work Dr Cooper. These videos are really helpful and this is one of the channels I feel comfortable recommending to my non-Lutheran friends. I apriciate that you make the effort to distinguish between Medival piety and Rome's position today. You'll probably still get accused of attacking a strawman, but I think you did everything you could to cover your bases here.

[@appo8572]

Can I confess any sin directly to God alone and be forgiven?

[@KevinDay]

I don't see why that wouldn't be possible, the question is, did God tell you you are forgiven in that instance?

[@jakobi4971]

Yes, private confession is for terrified consciences that don’t feel forgiven, even if they already have been forgiven by God

[@lastchance8142]

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity." Nothing here about confessing to a priest or pastor.

[@dylan3456]

Lutheran theologians are in disagreement with one another over this. I'd be curious to know Dr. Cooper's take as well. I've asked before but just get silence from him. My Pastor, who teaches at one of the two major LCMS seminaries, teaches that you are forgiven "in God's heart" but that you are not reconciled until you receive the absolution from the Pastor alone.

[@henriquebellon4215]

Amazing work doctor Cooper, I was just wondering if you could make a video dealing with the Eastern Orthodox doctrine of salvation by Theosis, specially with the Biblical quotes that they say support their view, after all there seems to be that there isn’t any sort of attention in theological debates in KZbin dealing with the east as there is with the Catholic Church.

[@StPaulscousin]

What is the Lutheran teaching of receiving the Holy Eucharist whilst not confessing a mortal sin?

[@pauldearie9880]

I’m a Catholic seeking truth who’s really trying to understand what exactly other traditions believe and I find this video very interesting. Dr Cooper says that the practice of confession was not mandatory in the early church. In the Didachae doesn’t it say to confess your transgressions to the church? Any insights are appreciated

[@jeremybullen655]

Is the saturday confessional service analogous to a preparatory service? Or, is it the same thing?

[@mrs.teilborg649]

Thank you again for a great video!

[@Mason_O]

24:03 is there a connection with what he is saying here with something like what Paul says ”Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,“ ‭‭II Cor. 2:10? I don’t attended a lutheran church so I haven’t heard what he’s saying before, not that I disbelieve it just asking

[@erinblack9689]

I have a question about the Medieval concept of Purgatory I was wondering if you might be able to address: I was taught by my DCE when I was a teenager that the RCs used to teach that Purgatory was almost like a tightrope that people dangled from over the fires of hell, and only those who had enough merit could hang on the whole time they were there until they reached heaven, while others would fall into hell. But RCs I know have told me (as you said in this video) that everyone in Purgatory will eventually end up in heaven, it's just a matter of how much suffering they endure before they can get there. Did the RCC ever teach the former, or was that a misunderstanding?

[@markhorton3994]

I have been been a confessional Lutheran for 71 years, since my Baptism and I have a few observations. I do not remember any Pastor offering private confession. In four churches physically, several as a one time visitor some for events like funerals and my cousin's ordination, and several more via KZbin. All LCMS or WELS. Offers of private counseling yes but never private confession. Luther was obsessed with his own guilt. His abbot's annoyance with having to hear him confess for several hours every day was probably a factor in his being sent to university. His personal experience in trying to remember every passing unclean thought so he could confess it and be obsolved probably realizing that unremembered sin can be forgiven without enumeration.

[@markhorton3994]

​@@theodosios2615That is good to hear.

[@fernandoduranmanzano]

I am a member of a confessional Lutheran church (SELK) and regularly go to private confession. As far as I know, it is a practice that has always been carried out in the history of my parish by the different pastors who have ministered in it. When you enter the historic Lutheran churches here in Germany you still find the confession chairs in them. That said, it is true that it is a practice that has ended up being atypical too here in Germany and that is at risk of becoming obsolete.

[@markhorton3994]

@@fernandoduranmanzano I hope it remains. Most people are satisfied with acknowledging their status as sinners before God and the congregation and receiving public absolution. Others need more

[@divinityofblackness6330]

@@markhorton3994 I hope the lcms church I find has it. although being down here in Texas I have my doubts :( Baptist theology has squashed out such a practice...

[@markhorton3994]

@divinityofblackness6330 Private confession still officially exists. Pastors are supposed to hear private confession if asked to but are not required to offer. My experience is of Pastors not offering. The WELS red hymnal, which is being replaced, does have an order of service for private confession in the liturgy section just before the Church year and Lectionary.

[@SaintGerardMajellaInc]

Love that tie

[@BramptonAnglican]

I was shocked to learn there’s only one Lutheran church in my city.

[@JesusRodriguez-gu1wv]

I guess its confusing to me as I thought Christ forgave people through faith and personal confession. I hear things like my sin was in christ on calvary and died for my sin so it sounds like my sin is forgiven by the pastor. And it sounds scary to say the pastor is Jesus in that moment feels scary to think about if not true.

[@AndreAy1975]

In Mt 18, Jesus spoke to the Apostles according to Mt 19, 1, not the church. The office of the keys was reserved for the Apostles and ended with their death.

[@francanarsie]

Respectfully, this was not the understanding of the disciples of the Apostles like Polycarp or Clement or others. It was understood that the charism of leadership was to be passed on for example, the decision around the canon of Scripture. However, that is not to say that the modern usage of confession was like that of the Early Church. I am a Roman Catholic (grew up Methodist). Though Roman Catholic I tend to agree more with the way that Orthodox Christians see the present day use of this Sacrament.

[@lisajones7756]

I thought this passage referred to as the "mortal" sin 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 English Standard Version 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous[a] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,[b] 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. So how does forgiveness/absolution work if you have a false teacher or a deceitful worker (2 cor11:12-13) or one who maybe in "mortal sin" themselves, I'm assuming since absolution sounds like it is more for the one hearing the forgiveness than the actual forgiveness that these concerns aren't really relevant, would that be true even for a general absolution? I try to make it a practice to ask in my morning prayer before church for forgiveness be it general or specific sins, because of the above examples.

[@jdsmith2k7]

We aren't donatists, those schismatics who believed that the priest/pastor must be faultless for the sacrament to be valid. The sacraments of the Eucharist, baptism and confession are valid even if the pastor is in sin because it's God who is bestowing the grace not the pastor. So with confession and absolution, it still is effectual even if the pastor isnt faultless.

[@markhorton3994]

That is referring to those who deliberately sin without repentance. The you Paul is addressing ( all of us) have repented and are actively resisting our sinful desires. We all fail so we all ask for forgiveness for the specific sins we are aware of and those we are not aware of. To God often, publicly before the gathered believers, the pastor and God periodically but not specifically and privately to the pastor if needed.

[@johnpacheco5355]

Where are the keys given to the "whole Church"? Not only does that make no sense, but it does not fit within the Jewish context. Try again.

[@B27-o2c]

Tell me about the Jewish context.

[@sknc7541]

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but you seem to be making two contradictory criticisms of the medieval church in this video. Initially, you criticized an ex opere operato view of the sacraments where they work mechanically without requiring genuine faith and repentance. Later you criticized the RC church's teaching on confession leaving believers feeling burdened and fearful. Both of these criticisms can't be true.

[@haileyandkhloesuperheroes3473]

The point that is trying to be made is that absolution, and the sacraments are coming directly from the Lord and not the Pastor but the pastor is used as that physical instrument or element and speaks in the name of the Triune God. So what’s important is regardless of the sins of the pastor, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, or the Office of the Keys in general , there is still objectivity in confession, absolution, and sacraments meaning they’re still coming from God and not flesh. Furthermore, the criticism would be that at least from a Lutheran point of view- if you’re a repentant sinner and you have to confess and then justify your salvation through good works that is where Lutherans differ from RC. Again going back to that objectivity that God forgives sins and faith alone saves us.

[@kjhg323]

I think your exposition of eternal/temporal punishments is not quite accurate. Luther also distinguishes between eternal and temporal punishments: "I have not denied that there is such a thing as penalty, or satisfaction, for sin. I say that there is such a thing, but that it cannot be remitted. ... No one can make satisfaction to God for daily sins, but he can be punished for all his sins, either graciously in this life, or wrathfully to all eternity." (Luther, Defense of Articles Wrongly Condemned, 1520). Sure, Luther criticizes the medieval sacrament of penance specifically, but he doesn't deny temporal punishments for sin, and actually takes a harsher line than Rome: temporal punishments cannot be remitted at all. The more important disagreement is over the forgiveness of eternal punishment/guilt. Luther says it is remitted by faith alone, but Rome says an act of contrition (or at least attrition) is required in addition to faith. For Rome, you can have true faith but still be damned: "it is to be maintained, that the received grace of justification is lost, not only by infidelity, in which even faith itself is lost, but also by any other mortal sin soever, though faith be not lost" (Trent, Justification Chapter XV).

[@SinceAD33]

They keys are not given to the whole Church nor to all the apostles. They’re given to Peter. The power to bind and loose is given to the apostles.

[@Jacob-cz4rq]

nope n the same way also Jesus attributes to him the special character of the Church…By this he shows, in consequence, that this is the common good of the Church, since also the common element of the confession was to come to be first in Peter. This then is what He says, that in the Church would be the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Fragment 92, quoted in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament, Volume Ib, p. 46). -Theodore of Mopsuestia James was invested with the chief rule, and think it no hardship. So clean was their soul from love of glory. And after that they had held their peace, James answered, etc. Peter indeed spoke more strongly, but James here more mildly: for thus it behooves one in high authority, to leave what is unpleasant for others to say, while he himself appears in the milder part (Homily 33 on Acts of the Apostles). And I say unto you, You are Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church; that is, on the faith of his confession. Hereby He signifies that many were now on the point of believing, and raises his spirit, and makes him a shepherd (Homily 54 on Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 3).chrysostom clearly saw James as leader of church in jerusalem NOT Peter. rock is peter's confession not Peter himself.

[@davidstamburski9487]

Since Luther was kicked out of the one church and went from 7 sacraments to two Lutheranism is null and void. Sorry for you guys.

[@B27-o2c]

Null *AND* void?

[@katecambron8250]

Lutherans do recognize the other 5 sacraments we just call them rites instead of sacraments

[@davidstamburski9487]

@@katecambron8250 Lutheranism does not recognize seven they only recognize 2. You don't have holy orders, you don't have marriage as a sacrament, and you don't have anointing of the sick