Difference between revisions of "Confession"

<p> <b> 1. Confession of Christ. </b> -The duty of confessing Christ before men was very plainly taught by the Lord. He promised (&nbsp;Matthew 10:32) that He would Himself acknowledge a faithful disciple before His Father and the holy angels. He had challenged by a leading question the confession of St. Peter: ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (&nbsp;Matthew 16:16), which He commended. In the Acts we find the same root ideas carried into practice. St. Peter and the other apostles openly confessed Jesus as the Christ (&nbsp;Acts 2:31 f.). The references to baptism into the name of the Lord most probably refer to the confession of faith in Him which was made by all candidates for baptism. Probably the little creed put into the mouth of the [[Ethiopian]] eunuch (&nbsp;Acts 8:37 ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’) is an interpolation, and represents the creed of some Church in Asia Minor, since it was known to Irenaeus. </p> <p> The [[Epistles]] bear the same witness: ‘No one can say that Jesus is the Lord, save in the Holy Ghost’ (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:3). ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that Cod hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved’ (&nbsp;Romans 10:9). St. Paul here implies that the Lord Jesus is one with the Lord [[Jahweh]] on whom the prophet Joel bade men call when he predicted ‘this word of faith.’ Our difficulties begin when we try to piece together any sort of longer confession which might be regarded as the archetype of the later creeds. It is so difficult to keep an open mind and refrain from reading too ranch into the evidence. </p> <p> The [[Epistle]] to the Hebrews confirms the testimony of the earlier [[Pauline]] Epistles. &nbsp;Hebrews 3:1 reads, ‘consider the [[Apostle]] and High [[Priest]] of our confession, <i> even </i> Jesus.’ In Westcott’s words ( <i> Ep. to Hebrews </i> , 1889, <i> ad loc </i> .): ‘In Christ our “confession,” the faith which we hold and openly acknowledge, finds its authoritative promulgation and its priestly application,’ In &nbsp;Hebrews 4:14 the idea is expressed of clinging to faith in one who is truly human and truly Divine. In &nbsp;Hebrews 10:23 this confidence is described as the confession of our hope, by which it is shaped. There is an interesting parallel in Clement, <i> ad Cor. </i> , ch. 36, who calls Christ ‘the High Priest of our offerings.’ </p> <p> The Johannine Epistles correspond to the Pauline. In &nbsp;1 John 2:23 confession is contrasted with denial as entailing the privilege of having the Father. The true inspiration of the Spirit is shown in confession of ‘Jesus Christ come in the flesh’ (&nbsp;1 John 4:2 f.) uniting the [[Divine]] and the human in one person. ‘The recognition of the revelation of God is the sign of the presence of God’ (Westcott, <i> Epp. of St. John </i> , 1883, p. 146): ‘Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him and he in God’ (&nbsp;John 4:15). </p> <p> There is an interesting parallel with Johannine teaching in Polycarp’s <i> Epistle </i> , ch. 7, where he urges confession of Jesus Christ come in the flesh, echoing &nbsp;1 John 4:2. Polycarp’s teacher, [[Ignatius]] of Antioch, has much more to say on the lines of the developed teaching about the person of Christ in opposition to Docetic heresy. Thus he writes to the Ephesians (ch. 7): ‘There is one only physician, of flesh and of spirit, generate and ingenerate, God in man, true Life in death, Son of Mary and Son of God, first passible and then impassible, Jesus Christ our Lord.’ This is a good illustration of the way in which the simple primitive creed was analyzed to meet new phases of thought which were felt to impoverish its full meaning. But there is great risk in the attempts which have been made to extract a full parallel with a later baptismal creed, such as the Old Roman, from passages like the following. Ignatius writes to the Trallians (ch. 9): ‘Be ye deaf therefore, when any man speaketh to you apart from Jesus Christ, who was of the race of David, who was the Son of Mary, who was truly born and ate and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died in the sight of those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth; who moreover was truly raised from the dead, His Father having raised Him, who in the like fashion will so raise us also who believe on Him-His Father, I say, will raise us,-in Christ Jesus, apart from whom we have not true life.’ It is reasonable to argue from this and similar passages ( <i> ad Eph </i> . 18, <i> ad Smyrn </i> . 1) that for purposes of catechetical instruction Christian teachers would soon prepare a precise statement of the great facts of the Lord’s, life and death and resurrection. But there is no evidence that it had as yet been fitted into the setting of the Trinitarian baptismal formula. Ignatius expresses his faith in the Trinity-‘in the Son, and in the Father, and in the Spirit’ ( <i> ad Magn </i> . 13; cf. &nbsp;2 Corinthians 13:14)-clearly enough. But he does not bring it into connexion with his confession of Christ. </p> <p> From a study of Ignatius we may work backwards to the problem of the confession of faith in the Pastoral Epistles of St. Paul. We are not concerned here to defend their authenticity, but only to ask whether it is possible to extract from them, as [[Zahn]] attempts to do, an [[Apostolic]] creed of Antioch, St. Paul reminds Timothy of the confession which he made before many witnesses, we may suppose at his baptism (&nbsp;1 Timothy 6:12). He calls it the beautiful confession to which Christ Jesus has borne witness before Pontius Pilate, and charges Timothy ‘before God, who quickeneth all things, to keep the commandment undefiled, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ The reference is to the Lord’s avowal that He was a King (&nbsp;John 18:36). The word ‘confession’ seems to draw attention to the fact that He confessed rather than to any form of words. In the <i> [[Martyrdom]] of Ignatius </i> , ch. 1, it is referred to the martyrdom of one who witnesses by blood-shedding-that is to say, in deed, not in word. </p> <p> ‘A form of sound words’ was indeed needed by Timothy as a teacher, and he is exhorted to teach as he had been taught (&nbsp;2 Timothy 1:13), ‘in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.’ ‘Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel’ (&nbsp;2 Timothy 2:8), We can safely say that that gospel included teaching about God who quickeneth all things, reference to Pontius Pilate, to the resurrection, and to the return to judgment; but the inference is most precarious by which Zahn puts them all into the creed with confession of the Holy Spirit, who is named in &nbsp;2 Timothy 1:14, but not with emphatic correlation of His Person to the [[Persons]] of the Father and the Son (cf. &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:13). The thought is rather that of &nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:3, quoted above, where St. Paul teaches that it is under the influence of the Spirit that any man confesses Jesus as the Lord. </p> <p> It is very unsafe in the face of these reflexions to restore an Apostolic Creed of the NT as several writers have attempted to do. A. Seeberg of [[Dorpat]] ( <i> Der Katechismus der Urchristenheit </i> , 1903) suggests the following as a reconstruction of St. Paul’s creed: ‘The living God who created all things sent his Son, Jesus Christ, born of the seed of David, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and was buried, who was raised the third day according to the Scriptures and appeared to [[Cephas]] and the Twelve, who sat at the right hand of God in the heavens, all rules and authorities and powers being made subject unto him, and is coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.’ This is much less like the earliest forms of developed creed both in East and West than Harnack’s more famous reconstruction of ‘our oldest creed,’ which he was careful to explain ‘is not a creed that was ever used or ever likely to be used’: ‘I believe in (one) God Almighty, in Christ Jesus, His Son, our Lord, who was born of a Virgin, under Pontius [[Pilate]] suffered (crucified), and rose again (from the dead), sat on the right hand of God, whence He is coming (in glory) to judge living and dead, and in the Holy Ghost.’*[Note: Hahn, Bibliothek der Symbole3, Breslau, 1897, p. 390.] </p> <p> It is important, however, to remember that the fact of confession is of greater importance than any form in which it is made. Of that there is no doubt. It comes out incidentally in a passage about idol meats, where St. Paul implies that it is not the eating of flesh in itself, but with the open confession, ‘I am a Christian,’ that makes the difference (&nbsp;Romans 14:14). Again, it is not generally understood that one form of the interfering with other men’s matters spoken of by St. Peter (&nbsp;1 Peter 4:15 f.) might be the pressing forward with open confession of [[Christianity]] during another man’s trial. Such unwholesome fanaticism under the cloak of zeal began early. On the other hand, the definite teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews takes a sad tone when the writer thinks of recent acts of apostasy. If, as von Dobschütz thinks, the Epistles to Timothy represent the transition to Catholicism, the exhortations to fearless confession may he explained by opposition to a [[Gnosticism]] that, fought shy of confession (&nbsp;2 Timothy 1:6; &nbsp;2 Timothy 2:3). In this case, the apostle who was not ashamed of his bonds might certainly appear to his successors a pattern putting them to shame (&nbsp;2 Timothy 1:12; &nbsp;2 Timothy 2:9 ff.; &nbsp;2 Timothy 4:6 ff.). But we need not wait for 2nd cent. Gnosticism to suggest motives for cowardice. The temptation is rife in every generation. In Revelation the condition of the churches varies widely, but it is only the Church of [[Philadelphia]] which sets the pattern of joyous confession coupled with active missionary zeal (&nbsp;Revelation 3:7 ff.). Such joy is also expressed in Clem. <i> ad Cor </i> . 5, 6, some words of which may fitly conclude this part of our subject: </p> <p> ‘Let us set before our eyes the good Apostles. There was Peter, who by reason of unrighteous jealousy endured not one nor two but many labours, and thus having borne his testimony went to his appointed place of glory. By reason of jealousy and strife Paul by his example pointed out the prize of patient endurance.… [[Unto]] these men of holy lives was gathered a vast multitude of the elect, who through many indignities and tortures, being the victims of Jealousy, set a brave example among ourselves.’ </p> <p> Literature.-A. Harnack, <i> Hist. of [[Dogma]] </i> , Eng. translation, 1894-99: F. Kattenbusch, <i> Das apostol. Symbol </i> , Leipzig, 1894-1900; H. B. Swete, <i> The Apostles’ Creed </i> , 1894; C. H. Turner, <i> Hist. and Use of Creeds </i> , 1906; A. E. Burn, <i> An Introd. to the Creeds </i> , 1899. </p> <p> <b> 2. Confession of sin. </b> -In the Apostolic Age this had its root in ancient Jewish practice. The ceremonial of the Day of Atonement, the confessions in the Books of Ezra and Daniel, the [[Penitential]] Psalms must be remembered when we reflect on the confessions made publicly by disciples of John the Baptist. The language of penitence lay in the OT ready for use when John’s fervent appeal stirred the consciences of men into self-accusation. Among these men were reckoned same of the chief apostles of Christ. </p> <p> (1) <i> Confession to God </i> .-The repentance demanded from all candidates for Christian baptism (&nbsp;Acts 2:38) must have included confession of sins as a necessary element, in private if not in public. The teaching of &nbsp;1 John 1:9 expressly makes it a condition of forgiveness. St. Paul’s teaching on repentance leaves no doubt that he also regarded it as a primary duty. For him conscience was supreme arbiter, No troubled conscience can find relief save in full acknowledgment of fault. </p> <p> (2) <i> Confession before men </i> .-This brings us to a more difficult problem. In &nbsp;1 John 1:9 confession of sins is connected with the Divine blessing, and the word implies open acknowledgment in the face of men. But nothing is said as to the mode, though it is implied that it will be definite and specific, not in mere general terms. St. Paul is represented as receiving many confessions publicly at Ephesus (&nbsp;Acts 19:18), when many ‘came, confessing, and declaring their deeds,’ and there was a bonfire of books of magic. The case of discipline at Corinth, when St. Paul was constrained to condemn a brother so sternly for incest, led to public confession not only by him but also by those who had been implicated in shielding him (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 7:11). St. James records, it would seem, the practice of the Church in [[Jerusalem]] in relation to visits of the elders of the Church to sick persons whom they anointed with prayer; ‘Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed’ (&nbsp;James 5:16). The word ἁμαρτίας refers to sins against God, though it may include sins against neighbours. Much has been made of [[Cardinal]] Cajetan’s opinion that this does not relate to sacramental confession ( <i> Epp. S. Pauli </i> , Paris, 1532, f. ccxii). But however limited he the meaning put on the wards, <i> e.g. </i> by Mayor ( <i> Epistle of James </i> 3, 1910, p. 175), who supposes reference ‘merely to such mutual confidences as would give a right direction to the prayers offered,’ the practice in the sickroom corresponds to the common practice of the Church in the next generation. </p> <p> Both [[Clement]] and [[Hermas]] witness to the custom of public confession. Clement writes to the Corinthians (57): ‘Ye therefore that laid the foundation of the sedition, submit yourselves unto the presbyters and receive chastisement unto repentance, bending the knees of your heart.’ We must interpret these words in the light of others, <i> e.g. </i> ch. 51: ‘For it is good for a man to make confession of his trespasses rather than to harden his heart’ (cf. ch. 54). Hermas, the prophet, tells us bluntly in the <i> [[Shepherd]] </i> of the confessions of untruthfulness and dishonesty which he was constrained to make publicly ( <i> Mand </i> . iii. 3). He was constrained also to confess neglect of his home, double-mindedness, and doubts. It is no ideal picture which he draws of his own conduct or of the life of his fellow-Christians. But, as von Dobschütz says, these confessions reveal ‘the magnificent moral earnestness of the man, and not of him only, but of the Christianity of his time’ ( <i> Christian Life in the Primitive Church </i> , p. 315). The <i> Epistle of [[Barnabas]] </i> is evidence for the preciseness with which the Church in [[Alexandria]] at the end of the 1st cent. interpreted the [[Moral]] Law. The writer teaches definitely: ‘Thou shalt confess thy sins’ (ch. 19), and also speaks of the spiritual counsel which one is to give to another: ‘Be good lawgivers one to another; continue faithful counsellors to yourselves; take away from you all hypocrisy’ (ch. 21). Ignatius of Antioch, writing to the [[Philadelphians]] (ch. 8), regards the bishop with his council as in charge of the discipline of the Church: ‘Now the Lord forgiveth all men when they repent, if repenting they return to the unity of God and to the council of the bishop.’ </p> <p> These hints about the public penitential system of the primitive Church do not carry us very far, but they certainly prepare us for the famous description given by Tertullian, which applies no doubt to the practice at the beginning, as at the end, of the 2nd century. </p> <p> ‘This confession is a disciplinary act of great humiliation and prostration of the man; it regulates the dress, the food; it enjoins sackcloth and ashes; it defiles the body with dust, and subdues the spirit with anguish; it bids a man alter his life, and sorrow for past sin; it restricts meat and drink to the greatest simplicity possible; it nourishes prayer by fasting; it inculcates groans and tears and invocations of the Lord God day and night, and teaches the penitent to cast himself at the feet of the presbyters, and to fall on his knees before the beloved of God, and to beg of all the brethren to intercede on his behalf’ ( <i> de Pœn </i> . ch. 9). </p> <p> Literature.-E. von Dobschütz, <i> Christian Life in the Primitive Church </i> , Eng. translation, 1904; N. Marshall, <i> The Penitential [[Discipline]] of the Primitive Church </i> , new ed., 1844. </p> <p> A. E. Burn. </p>

<p> <strong> CONFESSION </strong> . In Eng. the words ‘confess,’ ‘confession’ denote either a profession of faith or an acknowledgment of sin; and they are used in EV [Note: English Version.] in both of these meanings. </p> <p> <strong> 1. Confession of faith </strong> . (1) In the OT the word ‘confess’ is found in this sense only in &nbsp; 1 Kings 8:33; &nbsp; 1 Kings 8:35 = 2Ch 6:24; &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 6:26 . But the acknowledgment of God as God and the proclamation of personal trust in Him meet us continually in the lives or on the lips of patriarchs, prophets, and psalmists. The Book of Psalms in particular is a storehouse of confessional utterances in prayer and song (see &nbsp; Psalms 7:1 , &nbsp; Psalms 48:14 etc.). </p> <p> (2) Coming to the NT, we find that ‘confess’ is of frequent occurrence in the sense we are considering, and that confession now gathers expressly round the Person and the Name of Jesus Christ. Moreover, the idea of confession has been elaborated, its immediate relation to faith and vital importance for salvation being clearly brought out. </p> <p> ( <em> a </em> ) <em> The meaning of confession </em> . In the earlier period of our Lord’s ministry, confession meant no more than the expression of belief that Jesus was the expected [[Messiah]] (&nbsp; John 1:41 ). Even the title ‘Son of God’ (&nbsp; Matthew 8:29 ||, cf. &nbsp; John 1:34; &nbsp; John 1:49 ) at this stage can be used only in its recognized Messianic sense (&nbsp; Psalms 2:7 ). A great advance in faith and insight is marked by St. Peter’s confession at Cæsarea Philippi, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (&nbsp; Matthew 16:16 ||). This was the highest point reached by Apostolic belief and profession during the Lord’s earthly ministry, and it anticipated those later views of Christ’s true nature which found embodiment in the Creeds of the Church. After the Resurrection, confession of Christ carried with it readiness to bear witness to that supreme fact (&nbsp; John 20:28-29 , &nbsp; Romans 10:9 ); and this of course implied an acceptance of the historical tradition as to His marvellous life and character which made it impossible for death to hold Him (cf. &nbsp; Acts 2:24 ). All that was at first demanded of converts, however, may have been the confession ‘Jesus is Lord’ (&nbsp; 1 Corinthians 12:3; cf. &nbsp; Philippians 2:11 , &nbsp; 2 Timothy 1:8 ); a view that is confirmed by the fact of their being baptized ‘into ( <em> or </em> in) the name of the Lord’ (&nbsp; Acts 8:16; &nbsp; Acts 10:48; &nbsp; Acts 19:5 ). At a <strong> later </strong> period the growth of heresy made a more precise confession necessary. In the Johannine Epistles it is essential to confess, on the one hand, that ‘Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’ (&nbsp; 1 John 4:2-3 , &nbsp; 2 John 1:7 ), and, on the other, that ‘Jesus is the Son of God’ (&nbsp; 1 John 4:15 ). With this developed type of confession may be compared the gloss that has been attached to the narrative of the Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism (&nbsp; Acts 8:37 , see RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ), probably representing a formula that had come to be employed as a baptismal confession. It was out of baptismal formulas like this that there gradually grew those formal ‘Confessions’ of the early Church which are known as the Apostles’ and the Nicene Creeds. </p> <p> ( <em> b </em> ) <em> The value of confession </em> . Upon this Jesus Himself lays great stress. If we confess Him before men, He will confess us before His Father in heaven; if we deny Him, He will also deny us (&nbsp; Matthew 10:32 f. ||, cf. &nbsp; Mark 8:38 ). The glorious blessing He gave to St. Peter at Cæsarea [[Philippi]] was the reward of the Apostle’s splendid profession of faith; and it contained the assurance that against the Church built on the rock of believing confession the gates of [[Hades]] should not prevail (&nbsp; Matthew 16:17-19 ). In the Epp. the value of confession is emphasized not less strongly. According to St. Paul, the spirit of faith must speak (&nbsp; 2 Corinthians 4:13 ), and confession is necessary to salvation (&nbsp; Romans 10:8-10 ). And St. John regards a true confession of Christ as a sign of the presence of the Divine Spirit (&nbsp; 1 John 4:2 ), a proof of the mutual indwelling of God in man and man in God (&nbsp; 1 John 4:15 ). </p> <p> <strong> 2. Confession of sin </strong> . (1) This holds a prominent place in the OT. The [[Mosaic]] ritual makes provision for the confession of both individual (&nbsp; Leviticus 5:1 ff; &nbsp; Leviticus 26:40 ) and national (&nbsp; Leviticus 16:21 ) transgressions; and many examples may be found of humble acknowledgment of both classes of sin, for instance in the Penitential Psalms and in such prayers as those of Ezra (&nbsp; Ezra 10:1 ), Nehemiah (&nbsp; Nehemiah 1:6-7 ), and Daniel (&nbsp; Daniel 9:4 ff., &nbsp; Daniel 9:20 ). It is fully recognized in the OT that confession is not only the natural expression of penitent feeling, but the condition of the Divine pardon (&nbsp; Leviticus 5:1-19; &nbsp; Leviticus 6:1-30 , &nbsp; Psalms 32:5 , &nbsp; Proverbs 28:13 ). </p> <p> (2) In the NT ‘confess’ occurs but seldom to express acknowledgment of sin (&nbsp;Matthew 3:6 = &nbsp; Mark 1:5 , &nbsp; James 5:16 , &nbsp; 1 John 1:9 ). But the duty of confessing sin both to God and to man is constantly referred to, and the indispensableness of confession in order to forgiveness is made very plain (&nbsp; Luke 18:10 f., &nbsp; 1 John 1:9 ). </p> <p> ( <em> a </em> ) <em> Confession to God </em> . This meets us at many points in our Lord’s teaching in His calls to repentance, in which confession is involved (&nbsp; Matthew 4:17 = &nbsp; Mark 1:15 , &nbsp; Luke 11:29; &nbsp; Luke 11:32; &nbsp; Luke 24:47 ), in the petition for forgiveness in the Lord’s [[Prayer]] (&nbsp; Matthew 6:12 , &nbsp; Luke 11:4 ), in the parables of the Prodigal Son (&nbsp; Luke 15:17-18; &nbsp; Luke 15:21 ) and the [[Pharisee]] and the [[Publican]] (&nbsp; Luke 18:10 f.). It is very noteworthy that while He recognizes confession as a universal human need (&nbsp; Luke 11:4 ||), He never confesses sin on His own account or shares in the confessions of others. </p> <p> ( <em> b </em> ) <em> Confession to man </em> . Besides confession to God, Christ enjoins confession to the brother we have wronged (&nbsp; Matthew 5:23-24 ), and He makes it plain that human as well as Divine forgiveness must depend upon readiness to confess (&nbsp; Luke 17:4 ). In &nbsp; James 5:16 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) we are told to confess our sins one to another. The sins here spoken of are undoubtedly sins against God as well as sins against man. But the confession referred to is plainly not to any official of the Church, much less to an official with the power of granting absolution, but a mutual unburdening of Christian hearts with a view to prayer ‘one for another.’ </p> <p> J. C. Lambert. </p>

<p> In many languages, including the languages of the Bible, ‘confession’ is a word with a range of meanings. In the Bible’s usage of the word, these meanings fall into two groups, those concerned with confession of sins, and those concerned with confession of faith. </p> <p> '''Confession of sins''' </p> <p> God is willing to forgive people’s sins, but he requires on their part repentance and faith; that is, he requires that they see their sin as rebellion against God, that they confess it to God as deserving his punishment, that they turn from it decisively, and that they trust in God’s mercy to forgive them (&nbsp;Ezra 10:10-11; &nbsp;Psalms 32:5; &nbsp;Psalms 51:3-4; &nbsp;Matthew 3:6; &nbsp;Matthew 6:12; &nbsp;Luke 18:13; &nbsp;1 John 1:5-10). </p> <p> There is no suggestion that sin causes believers to lose their salvation and that confession is necessary to win it back. When sinners turn to Christ for salvation, God declares them righteous and free from the penalty of sin, on the basis of what Christ has done. Failures will spoil their fellowship with God and they will need to confess them, but if their faith is truly in what Christ has done for them, their salvation is secure (&nbsp;1 John 1:6-9; &nbsp;1 John 2:1-2). (For fuller details see JUSTIFICATION, sub-heading ‘Justification and forgiveness’.) </p> <p> If believers sin against others, they must also confess their sin to those concerned and put right whatever wrong they have done (&nbsp;Numbers 5:6-8; &nbsp;Matthew 5:23-24; &nbsp;James 5:16). Such confession is usually a private matter, but some cases may require public confession (&nbsp;Acts 19:18). Confession of sin is a necessary part of prayer, and a lack of confession could be one reason why prayers are not answered (&nbsp;1 Kings 8:33-36; &nbsp;Ezra 9:6-7; &nbsp;Nehemiah 1:4-11; &nbsp;Psalms 66:18; &nbsp;Daniel 9:4-9; &nbsp;Matthew 6:12; &nbsp;Luke 18:13). (See also [[Forgiveness]] .) </p> <p> '''Confession of faith''' </p> <p> If confession of sin is, in a sense, negative (admitting oneself to be a wrongdoer), confession of faith is, by contrast, positive (declaring oneself to be a believer in and follower of God). The confession of faith that [[Christians]] make is an open acknowledgment of their belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah, the chosen one of God who died on the cross and rose victoriously to be crowned Lord of all (&nbsp;Matthew 16:16; &nbsp;John 1:49; &nbsp;Romans 10:9; &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:12; &nbsp;1 John 4:2; &nbsp;1 John 4:15). </p> <p> Jesus made such a confession in relation to himself and suffered persecution as a result (&nbsp;Mark 14:60-62; &nbsp;John 18:33-37; &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:13). When his followers make a similar confession, they too may be persecuted (&nbsp;Matthew 10:32-33; &nbsp;John 9:22; &nbsp;John 12:42). Those who by their confession of faith identify themselves with Christ will be rewarded by God, but those who deny Christ will suffer God’s judgment (&nbsp;Matthew 10:32-33; &nbsp;2 Timothy 2:11-13; &nbsp;1 John 2:22-23). One day all people will confess Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God (&nbsp;Philippians 2:11). </p>

<p> Confession of Sin Numerous Old [[Testament]] passages stress the importance of the confession of sin within the experience of worship. Leviticus speaks of ritual acts involving such admission of sin: the sin (or guilt) offering (&nbsp;Leviticus 5:5-6:7 ) and the scapegoat that represents the removal of sin (&nbsp;Leviticus 16:20-22 ). Furthermore, confession can be the act of an individual in behalf of the people as a whole (&nbsp;Nehemiah 1:6; &nbsp;Daniel 9:20 ) or the collective response of the worshiping congregation (&nbsp;Ezra 10:1; &nbsp;Nehemiah 9:2-3 ). Frequently, it is presented as the individual acknowledgment of sin by the penitent sinner (&nbsp;Psalm 32:5; &nbsp;Proverbs 28:13; see also &nbsp;Psalm 40:1 and &nbsp; Psalm 51:1 which are individual confessions although the word “confession” is not used). </p> <p> Likewise, in the New Testament confession of sin is an aspect of both individual and corporate worship. At the Jordan, John's followers were baptized, confessing their sins (&nbsp;Matthew 3:6; &nbsp;Mark 1:6 ). [[Similar]] confessions were made by Paul's converts in Ephesus (&nbsp;Acts 19:18 ). Christians are reminded that God faithfully forgives the sins of those who confess them (&nbsp;1 John 1:9 ). James admonished his readers not only to pray for one another but also to confess their sins to one another (&nbsp;James 5:16 ), probably within the context of congregational worship. By the end of the first century, routine worship included confession as the prelude to the observance of the Lord's Supper as seen in <i> [[Didache]] </i> 14:1. See [[Apostolic Fathers]] . </p> <p> Confession of FaithClosely related to the confession of sin in the Old Testament is the confession of faith, that is, the acknowledgment of and commitment to God. In 1Kings 8:33,&nbsp;1 Kings 8:35 (as well as 2Chronicles 6:24,&nbsp; 2 Chronicles 6:26 ) acknowledgment of the name of God results in forgiveness of sins. Such acknowledgment came to be standardized in the confessional formula known as the [[Shema]] (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ). </p> <p> Such declaration of commitment to God, or particularly to Christ, is also found in the New Testament. One's public acknowledgment of Jesus is the basis for Jesus' own acknowledgment of that believer to God (&nbsp;Matthew 10:32; &nbsp;Luke 12:8; compare &nbsp;Revelation 3:5 ). Furthermore, as Paul described the process by which one is saved, he explicitly drew a parallel between what one believes in the heart and what one confesses with the lips (&nbsp;Romans 10:9-10 ). Belief and confession are two sides of the same coin! Probably the earliest confession of faith was the simple acknowledgment of the lordship of Christ (&nbsp;Romans 10:9; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 12:3; &nbsp;Philippians 2:11 ), but the rise of heresy seems to have caused the addition of specific data <i> about </i> Christ to the confession—for example, that He is Son of God (1John 4:3,&nbsp; 1 John 4:15 ) or that He has come in the flesh (&nbsp;1 John 4:2 ). A firmly set outline of Christian beliefs then appears to be what is meant by confession in later New Testament writings (&nbsp;Hebrews 5:14 ). See [[Faith]]; [[Scapegoat]]; [[Sin]]; [[Repentance]] . </p> <p> Naymond Keathley </p>

<p> The verbal acknowledgment which a Christian makes of his sins. Among the Jews, it was the custom, on the annual feast of expiation, for the high priest to make confession of sins to God, in the name of the whole people: besides this general confession, the Jews were enjoined, if their sins were a breach of the first table of the law, to make confession of them to God; but violations of the second table were to be acknowledged to their brethren. Confession, according to Dr. Watts, is the third part of prayer, and includes, </p> <p> 1. A confession of the meanness of our original, our distance from God, our subjection to him, and constant dependence on him. </p> <p> 2. A confession of our sins, both original and actual, in thought, life, omission and commission. </p> <p> 3. A confession of our desert of punishment, and our unworthiness of mercy. </p> <p> 4. A confession or humble representation of our wants and sorrows of every kind. Confession also may be considered as a relative duty, or the acknowledgment of any offence we have been guilty of against a fellow-creature. The Romish church requires confession not only as a duty, but has advanced it to the dignity of a sacrament. These confessions are made to the priest, and are private and auricular; and the priest is not to reveal them under pain of the highest punishment. </p> <p> This, however, is both unnecessary and unscriptural; for in the first place, there is no proof that the power of remitting and retaining sins (the pretended ground of sacramental confession) was imparted to any but the apostles, or at the most to those to whom a discernment of spirits were communicated. </p> <p> 2. If our Saviour had designed this to have been a duty, he would most probably have delivered us an express command to this purpose. </p> <p> 3. This authority of pardoning sins immediately in relation to God (the foundation of the pretended duty of secret confession, ) without any reference to church censures, was never claimed for many ages after Christ. Notwithstanding, however, private auricular confession is not of divine authority, yet, as one observes, "there are many cases wherein men under the guilt and trouble of their sins can neither appease their own minds, nor sufficiently direct themselves without recourse to some pious and prudent guide: in these cases men certainly do very well, and many times prevent a great deal of trouble and perplexity to themselves by a timely discovery of their condition to some faithful minister; and to this purpose a general confession is for the most part sufficient: and where there is occasion for a more particular discovery, there is no need of raking into the particular circumstances of men's sins to give that advice which is necessary for the ease and comfort of the penitent." </p> <p> See ABSOLUTION; Watts on Prayer; Tillotson's Ser., ser. 160, 161; Smith's Errors of the Church of Rome. </p>

<p> CONFES'SION, n. </p> 1. The acknowledgment of a crime, fault or something to one's disadvantage open declaration of guilt, failure, debt, accusation, &c. <p> With the mouth confession is made to salvation. &nbsp;Romans 10 . </p> 2. Avowal the act of acknowledging profession. <p> Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. &nbsp;1 Timothy 6 . </p> 3. The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest the disburdening of the conscience privately to a confessor sometimes called auricular confession. 4. A formulary in which the articles of faith are comprised a creed to be assented to or signed, as a preliminary to admission into a church. 5. The acknowledgment of a debt by a debtor before a justice of the peace, &c., on which judgment is entered and execution issued.

<li> An acknowledment of sins to God (&nbsp;Leviticus 16:21; &nbsp;Ezra 9:5-15; &nbsp;Daniel 9:3-12 ), and to a neighbour whom we have wronged (&nbsp;James 5:16; &nbsp;Matthew 18:15 ). <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Confession'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/c/confession.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> '''(1):''' (n.) Acknowledgment of belief; profession of one's faith. </p> <p> '''(2):''' (n.) Acknowledgment; avowal, especially in a matter pertaining to one's self; the admission of a debt, obligation, or crime. </p> <p> '''(3):''' (n.) A formulary in which the articles of faith are comprised; a creed to be assented to or signed, as a preliminary to admission to membership of a church; a confession of faith. </p> <p> '''(4):''' (n.) An admission by a party to whom an act is imputed, in relation to such act. A judicial confession settles the issue to which it applies; an extrajudical confession may be explained or rebutted. </p> <p> '''(5):''' (n.) The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest in order to obtain sacramental absolution. </p>

<p> '''''kon''''' -'''''fesh´un''''' ( ידה , <i> '''''yādhāh''''' </i> ; ὁμολογέω , <i> '''''homologéō''''' </i> , and their derivatives): The radical meaning is "acknowledgment," "avowal," with the implication of a change of conviction or of course of conduct on the part of the subject. In English "profession" (the King James Version &nbsp;1 Timothy 6:12; &nbsp;Hebrews 3:1; &nbsp;Hebrews 4:14 ), besides absence of the thought just suggested, emphasizes the publicity of the act. Confession, like its Greek equivalent, connotes, as its etymology shows (Latin, <i> con </i> ; Greek, <i> '''''homoú''''' </i> ), that the act places one in harmony with others. It is the uniting in a statement that has previously been made by someone else. Of the two Greek words from the same root in the New Testament, the compound with the Greek preposition <i> '''''ek''''' </i> found, among other places, in &nbsp;Matthew 3:6; &nbsp;Acts 19:18; &nbsp;Romans 14:11; &nbsp;Philippians 2:11 , implies that it has come from an inner impulse, i.e. it is the expression of a conviction of the heart. It is referred anthropopathically to God in &nbsp;Job 40:14 , where [[Yahweh]] says to the patriarch sarcastically: "Then will I also confess of (unto) thee"; and in &nbsp;Revelation 3:5 , where it means "to recognize" or "acknowledge." </p> <p> When man is said to confess or make confession, the contents of the confession are variously distinguished. All, however, may be grouped under two heads, confession of faith and confession of sin. Confessions of faith are public acknowledgments of fidelity to God, and to the truth through which God is revealed, as &nbsp;1 Kings 8:33 . They are declarations of unqualified confidence in Christ, and of surrender to His service; &nbsp;Matthew 10:32 : "Every one ... who shall confess me before men." In &nbsp; Philippians 2:11 , however, confession includes, alongside of willing, also unwilling, acknowledgment of the sovereignty of Jesus. The word confession stands also for everything contained in the Christian religion - "the faith" used in the objective and widest sense, in &nbsp;Hebrews 3:1; &nbsp;Hebrews 4:14 . In both these passages, the allusion is to the New Testament. The "High Priest of our confession" (&nbsp;Hebrews 3:1 ) is the High Priest, of whom we learn and with whom we deal in that new revelation, which in that epistle is contrasted with the old. </p> <p> Confessions of sins are also of various classes: (1) To God alone. Wherever there is true repentance for sin, the penitent freely confesses his guilt to Him, against whom he has sinned. This is described in &nbsp;Psalm 32:3-6; compare &nbsp;1 John 1:9; &nbsp;Proverbs 28:13 . Such confession may be made either silently, or, as in &nbsp;Daniel 9:19 , orally; it may be general, as in Ps 51, or particular, as when some special sin is recognized; it may even extend to what has not been discovered, but which is believed to exist because of recognized inner depravity (&nbsp;Psalm 19:12 ), and Thus include the state as well as the acts of sin (&nbsp;Romans 7:18 ). (2) To one's neighbor, when he has been wronged (&nbsp;Luke 17:4 ): "If he sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." It is to this form of c. that James refers (&nbsp;James 5:16 ): "Confess ... your sins one to another"; compare &nbsp;Matthew 5:23 f. (3) To a spiritual adviser or minister of the word, such as the c. of David to [[Nathan]] (&nbsp; 2 Samuel 12:13 ), of the multitudes to John in the wilderness (&nbsp;Matthew 3:6 ), of the Ephesians to Paul (&nbsp;Acts 19:18 ). This c. is a general acknowledgment of sinfulness, and enters into an enumeration of details only when the conscience is particularly burdened. (4) To the entire church, where some crime has created public scandal. As "secret sins are to be rebuked secretly, and public sins publicly," in the apostolic age, where there was genuine penitence for a notorious offense, the acknowledgment was as public as the deed itself. An illustration of this is found in the well-known case at [[Corinth]] (compare &nbsp;1 Corinthians 5:3 with &nbsp; 2 Corinthians 2:6 f). </p> <p> For auricular confession in the sense of the medieval and Roman church, there is no authority in Holy Scripture. It is traceable to the practice of examining those who were about to make a public confession of some notorious offense, and of giving advice concerning how far the circumstances of the sin were to be announced; an expedient that was found advisable, since as much injury could be wrought by injudicious publishing of details in the confession as by the sin itself. The practice once introduced for particular cases was in time extended to all cases; and the private confession of sin was demanded by the church as a condition of the absolution, and made an element of penitence, which was analyzed into contrition, confession and satisfaction. See the <i> [[Examen]] Concilii Tridentini </i> (lst edition, 1565) of Dr. Martin Chemnitz, superintendent of Brunswick, for a thorough exegetical and historical discussion of this entire subject. On the historical side, see also Henry Charles Lea, <i> History of Auricular Confession and [[Indulgences]] in the Latin Church </i> (3 volumes, Philadelphia, 1896). </p>