What did Martin Luther believe about confession?

[trinitybeliever]

I wonder if Martin Luther believed in the Sacrament of confession, or was this a doctrine of the faith in the 1500’s? Are there any trustworthy objective writings or scholarship on this subject?

 

[Jean_1958]

Here is what I found about Luther’s belief for confession:

bookofconcord.org/exhortationConfession.php

It looks like he believed it was a good thing to do, but did not attach the same importance to it as does the CC.

I am sure there are Lutherans here that can explain it better.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Luther lauded and encouraged confession. But he didn’t see it as a sacrament. He only recognized the Eucharist and Baptism as confessions for only those two had an outward sign representing an inward grace given by Christ. Luther viewed confession as therepeutic, beneficial, and verbal affirmation of that which has already been declared by Jesus in heaven when we ask for His mercy. When we ask Jesus for forgiveness, He grants it in heaven. Confession with absolution is the verbal human oral declaration of what happened between God and man. Confession was more common in Luther’s day and it exists in his catechism. But as Lutheranism got more tainted by Reformed thinking and protestant influences as well as anti-Catholicism through the centuries it has become more uncommon along with making the sign of the Cross, marian devotion, etc.

 

[Oldtimer_7]

In the ELCA, there is a formal rite of confession, but it is usually done informally, and as needed. In my congregation, which leans to the high church side, a number of people may cross themselves during the service, and there is a sign in the printed service to indicate when it is to be done. Those especially of Catholic or Episcopal origins are the most likely to do so, but my wife, who was raised Disciples of Christ, does so.

I do not know how many of my congregation avail themselves of confession, but I have on occasion done so, but as I said, in an informal manner. If pastor were to say we would proceed formally, it would be her pastoral office to make that decision, and I would comply.

 

[JonNC]

I wonder if Martin Luther believed in the Sacrament of confession, or was this a doctrine of the faith in the 1500’s? Are there any trustworthy objective writings or scholarship on this subject?

Here’s what Luther says in his Small Catechism

V. Confession

How Christians should be taught to confess.

What is Confession?*

Confession embraces two parts: the one is, that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no wise doubt, but firmly believe, that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven.

What sins should we confess?

Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those which we do not know, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess those sins alone which we know and feel in our hearts.

Which are these?

Here consider your station according to the Ten Commandments, whether you are a father, mother, son, daughter, master, mistress, a man-servant or maid-servant; whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, slothful; whether you have grieved any one by words or deeds; whether you have stolen, neglected, or wasted aught, or done other injury.

Pray, Propose to Me a Brief Form of Confession.

Answer.

You should speak to the confessor thus: Reverend and dear sir, I beseech you to hear my confession, and to pronounce forgiveness to me for God’s sake.

Proceed!

I, a poor sinner, confess myself before God guilty of all sins; especially I confess before you that I am a man-servant, a maidservant, etc. But, alas, I serve my master unfaithfully; for in this and in that I have not done what they commanded me; I have provoked them, and caused them to curse, have been negligent [in many things] and permitted damage to be done; have also been immodest in words and deeds, have quarreled with my equals, have grumbled and sworn at my mistress, etc. For all this I am sorry, and pray for grace; I want to do better.

A master or mistress may say thus:

In particular I confess before you that I have not faithfully trained my children, domestics, and wife [family] for God’s glory. I have cursed, set a bad example by rude words and deeds, have done my neighbor harm and spoken evil of him, have overcharged and given false ware and short measure.

And whatever else he has done against God’s command and his station, etc.

But if any one does not find himself burdened with such or greater sins, he should not trouble himself or search for or invent other sins, and thereby make confession a torture, but mention one or two that he knows. Thus: In particular I confess that I once cursed; again, I once used improper words, I have once neglected this or that, etc. Let this suffice.

But if you know of none at all (which, however is scarcely possible), then mention none in particular, but receive the forgiveness upon your general confession which you make before God to the confessor.

Then shall the confessor say:

God be merciful to thee and strengthen thy faith! Amen.

Furthermore:

Dost thou believe that my forgiveness is God’s forgiveness?

Answer.

Yes, dear sir.

Then let him say:

As thou believest, so be it done unto thee. And by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ I forgive thee thy sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Depart in peace.

But those who have great burdens upon their consciences, or are distressed and tempted, the confessor will know how to comfort and to encourage to faith with more passages of Scripture. This is to be merely a general form of confession for the unlearned.

• These questions may not have been composed by Luther himself but reflect his teachings and were included in editions of the Small Catechism during his lifetime.

The earlier confessional writings consistently list Confession/Holy Absolution with the scaraments. Accordingly, I believe Absolution to be a specific sacrament, while other Lutherans link it to the sacrament of Baptism.

Jon

 

[trinitybeliever]

Here’s what Luther says in his Small Catechism

The earlier confessional writings consistently list Confession/Holy Absolution with the scaraments. Accordingly, I believe Absolution to be a specific sacrament, while other Lutherans link it to the sacrament of Baptism.

Jon

Thanks Jon. Do you know if Lutheran Pastors believe that through their ordination they are given the authority to absolve equal to priests in the Catholic Church? I’m wondering about authority really. How do Lutherans square confession with the once saved always saved doctrine? Or do Lutherans believe one can loose their salvation by turning away from God and dying in a state of mortal sin. Thanks for your help on this.

 

[trinitybeliever]

In the ELCA, there is a formal rite of confession, but it is usually done informally, and as needed. In my congregation, which leans to the high church side, a number of people may cross themselves during the service, and there is a sign in the printed service to indicate when it is to be done. Those especially of Catholic or Episcopal origins are the most likely to do so, but my wife, who was raised Disciples of Christ, does so.

I do not know how many of my congregation avail themselves of confession, but I have on occasion done so, but as I said, in an informal manner. If pastor were to say we would proceed formally, it would be her pastoral office to make that decision, and I would comply.

Thanks for your response Old Timer. Does each individual congregation form its own practice based on what the Pastor feels is appropriate? Also, what would compel one to avail oneself of this rite. When one does avail oneself of this rite, what is the purpose?

 

[gcnuss]

Our Lutheran liturgy contains, at the beginning of worship, a Brief Order for Public Confession. This is a corporate rather than an individual confession. The absolution which is pronounced is as follows: “Almighty God, in his mercy, has sent his Son to die for us and for his sake forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

It is possible for individuals to request individual confession if they feel the need for it and a pastor will hear that confession and pronounce absolution to that person.

 

[Oldtimer_7]

Gnuss, thanks for adding the information about corporate confession. I did not bring that up, since I was thinking about a comparable practice to individual confession in the Catholic Church.

Trinitybeliever, in general practice, individual confession is done when the penitent feels so disordered by sin that waiting till the corporate confession during the service is burdensome, or in circumstances where the service is unavailable. I do not know what the pastoral decision parameters are for using the formal rite, but will see Pastor by Thursday at latest, and will ask.

 

[trinitybeliever]

Gnuss, thanks for adding the information about corporate confession. I did not bring that up, since I was thinking about a comparable practice to individual confession in the Catholic Church.

Trinitybeliever, in general practice, individual confession is done when the penitent feels so disordered by sin that waiting till the corporate confession during the service is burdensome, or in circumstances where the service is unavailable. I do not know what the pastoral decision parameters are for using the formal rite, but will see Pastor by Thursday at latest, and will ask.

Thanks Oldtimer.

 

[trinitybeliever]

Our Lutheran liturgy contains, at the beginning of worship, a Brief Order for Public Confession. This is a corporate rather than an individual confession. The absolution which is pronounced is as follows: “Almighty God, in his mercy, has sent his Son to die for us and for his sake forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

It is possible for individuals to request individual confession if they feel the need for it and a pastor will hear that confession and pronounce absolution to that person.

Thanks gcnuss.

Did Martin Luther believe there are some sins that are more grave than others? Catholics, for example, believe there is venial and mortal sin.

Does the Lutheran corporate confession provide absolution for *all *sins?

What if (in theory) someone in your congregation was living an ongoing gravely sinful lifestyle and came into church service and prayed corporately, is that person granted absolution?

The penitential rite is used to call to mind our sinfulness. However, admitting we are sinners corporately seems different than admitting the sin. Did Martin Luther view sin similarly? If so, does Lutheranism still hold to his belief?

 

[trinitybeliever]

Here is what I found about Luther’s belief for confession:

bookofconcord.org/exhortationConfession.php

It looks like he believed it was a good thing to do, but did not attach the same importance to it as does the CC.

I am sure there are Lutherans here that can explain it better.

Thanks for the link Jean. Very informative. If I understood it, ML was clearly believing in the value and practice of confession even as a sacrament. Beyond that, his thoughts seem contradictory on who should confess to whom and why and how. Clearly, he was obviously disturbed that his followers were ignoring the practice in general.

 

[Dpoc41]

According to Fr Michael Witt michaeljohnwitt.com/ (in his podcast on Luther in the modern church history section) when Luther was a young Catholic monk he used to drive his spiritual director crazy, by confessing 3 times a day. Makes one wonder what he could get up to in a monastery, to warrant that?

 

[JonNC]

=trinitybeliever;7674816]Thanks Jon. Do you know if Lutheran Pastors believe that through their ordination they are given the authority to absolve equal to priests in the Catholic Church?

I would say yes, we believe that presbyter ordination, as practiced by Lutherans, has equal validity to that of Catholic priests in apostolic succession. By the same token, we recognize the validity of Catholic ordination and sacraments. None of this is to say that we reject the value or importance of AS, and in fact the confessions state the desire to maintain it, though that was not possible at the time of the Reformation, except in Scandinavia.

I’m wondering about authority really. How do Lutherans square confession with the once saved always saved doctrine? Or do Lutherans believe one can loose their salvation by turning away from God and dying in a state of mortal sin. Thanks for your help on this.

Lutherans reject OSAS, which seems to have its roots in Calvinist perseverence of saints. We believe one can loose salvation by rejecting Grace.

Jon

 

[Oldtimer_7]

As promised, I checked with my pastor on individual confession. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we use the book Evangelical Lutheran Worship. On pp. 243-244, there is a rite of individual confession and forgiveness.
I will quote the second paragraph:
“Individual Confession and Forgiveness is a ministry of the church through which a person may confess sin and receive the assurance of God’s forgiveness. This order may be used by itself at times when a congregation offers opportunity or people request the opportunity for confession. It may be used in conjunction with pastoral care, such as to conclude a counseling session. There is a confidential nature to this order, in keeping with the discipline and practice of the Lutheran church.”