A tongue prepared for confession

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 3 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 4 - Impurity of Sophists' doctrine of repentance;

discussion of confession and satisfaction

Sections 9-13 - Scriptural confession of sins, public and private

Section 9 - Confession before God

They mistakenly read "confession" (Ps 42:4) as required confession of sin to a priest, when the word means praise - Ps 7:18; 9:2; 95:2; 100:4; 118:1. To praise is to confess, in a sense, and the Vulgate says "confess."

Since we offend God with our sin, we should confess to Him directly.

Heb 4:12; Ps 32:5; 51:1; Dan 9:5; 1 John 1:9.

Section 10 - Confession of sins before men

The repentant in heart will be ready to confess "often, publicly, with all the world hearing, unfeignedly to recount both his own disgrace and God's magnificence and honor."

David confessed this way - 2 Sam 12:13.

Confession was encouraged in the temple, in this way - Lev 5:5; 16:21.

This takes away our pride and gives glory to God's mercy.

Section 11 - General confession of sin

God's people should confess all together at every worship service.

And at any other time they are found guilty of a common transgression.

"Every Lord's Day the minister frames the formula of confession in his own and the people's name, and by it he accuses all of wickedness and implores pardon from the Lord."

Section 12 - Private confession in the cure of souls

We may need to confess for our own sake (James 5:16) or for the other's sake (Matt 5:23-24).

We ought to make use of ministers, appointed partly for this purpose, to confess our sins - Matt 16:19; 18:18; John 20:23 - for our relief and solace.

"The Lord has appointed them by the very calling of the ministry to insturct us by word of mouth to overcome and correct our sins, and also to give us consolation through assurance of pardon."

To require this confession undoes the intended effect of solace:

"Where God prescribes nothing definite, consciences [may not be] bound with a definite yoke.... confession of this sort ought to be free so as not to be required of all."

Section 13 - Private confession for the removal of an offense

If you know your brother has something against you, be reconciled - Matt 5:23-24.

This also applies if you have offended the whole church: confess to the whole church!

Reconciliation and communion can then take place - 2 Cor 2:6.

Calvin "ardently wish[es]" that believers present themselves before their shepherds for confession and communion often.

Confession to priests alone?

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 3 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 4 - Impurity of Sophists' doctrine of repentance;

discussion of confession and satisfaction

Sections 1-6 - The Scholastic doctrine of confession and contrition,

with its alleged Scriptural basis, examined

Section 5 - The unbinding of Lazarus misapplied

Jesus didn't have the disciples loose Lazarus to show that the apostolic successors had power to loose from sin at confession. If anything, it means to treat forgiven sinners gently and mercifully, but allegories are not "of great value in confirming any dogma."

Section 6 - Scriptural confession

They derive a confession to priests from John's baptism - Matt 3:6.

Of course they confessed; it was a baptism of repentance.

They derive a confession to priests from James 5:16:

"Confess your sins to one another."

But this is mutual, not from laity to priest only.

Section 7 - Compulsory confession unknown in the ancient church

Innocent III began requiring it only 300 years ago (since Calvin).

A Nectarius did away with formal confession once when it was abused, without outcry from the church. None of the eastern churches require it, either.

Section 8 - Chrysostom does not enjoin confession to men

Miserable consciences are tormented

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 3 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 4 - Impurity of Sophists' doctrine of repentance;

discussion of confession and satisfaction

Sections 1-6 - The Scholastic doctrine of confession and contrition,

with its alleged Scriptural basis, examined

Section 1 - The Scholastic doctrine of penance

Repentance is contrite heart, verbal confession & outward works, they say.

They heal wounded consciences with "a light sprinkling of ceremonies."

Section 2 - The Scholastic doctrine of penance torments the conscience

Their definition is too vague to assure our conscience of forgiveness of sin.

"When a bitterness of sorrow is demanded that corresponds to the magnitude of the offense... here truly miserable consciences are tormented.... for when will anyone dare assure himself that he has applied all of his powers to lament his sins?"

Section 3 - Not the sinner's contrition, but the Lord's mercy awaits

Following them, you're driven either to desperation, or to pretend repentance.

"The sinner does not dwell upon his own compunction or tears, but fixes both eyes upon the Lord's mercy alone.... It makes a great difference whether you teach forgiveness of sins as deserved by just and full contrition, which the sinner can never perform; or whether you enjoin him to hunger and thirst after God's mercy to show him - through the recognition of his misery, his vacillation, his weariness, and his captivity - where he ought to seek refreshment, rest and freedom; in fine, to teach him in his humility to give glory to God."

Section 4 - Confession not enjoined

They say it is when Jesus sends the lepers to the priests.

But this isn't to hear confession - the priests were never appointed to do this.

It was to obey the Law - Leviticus 14:1-3.

Choking the Spirit

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 3 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 3 - Our Regeneration by Faith: Repentance

Sections 21-25 - Sins for which there is no repentance or pardon

Section 21 - Repentance as God's free gift

God gives it - Acts 11:18; 2 Cor 7:10; 2 Tim 2:25-26; Eph 2:10.

Without the Spirit working, our hearts remain hard.

Isa 63:17; Heb 6:4-6; 10:26, 29.

The unforgiveable sin of Matt 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10 relates to this, and "cannot be ascribed to weakness," but only to stubborn and rebellious evil.

Section 22 - Unpardonable sin

... is to knowingly "resist God's truth." Matt 12:32.

Calvin disagrees with Augustine here!

Reprobates rage against God, but when those whom the Spirit of truth has touched do so, it is the unforgiveable sin. Acts 6:10; Matt 9:34; 12:24; 1 Tim 1:13.

Section 23 - How the impossibility of "second repentance" is to be understood

Heb 6:4-6; 10:26; 1 John 2:19

You don't just lapse into this sin, almost accidentally;

it is "choking the light of the Spirit with deliberate impiety."

Section 24 - Those who cannot be forgiven are those who cannot repent

This is consistent with God's mercy;

He doesn't refuse pardon to those who repent - Ezek 18:21-22.

But those who choke the Spirit will not repent.

When they cry, and God doesn't hear, that cry is not true repentance.

Heb 12:17; Zech 7:13.

Section 25 - Sham repentance and honest repentance

There is a temporary, fake repentance that sometimes brings temporary mercy from God.

Ahab - 1 Kings 21:27-29. Esau - Gen 27:28.

These are examples to the godly, both of God's ready mercy and His ultimate condemnation when we fail to repent sincerely.

Continual effort and exercise

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 3 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 3 - Our Regeneration by Faith: Repentance

Sections 16-20 - Fruit of repentance - lifelong holiness, confession

Section 18 - Confession of sin before God and before men

We express our "self-displeasure" to God always, and to men when needed.

Matt 11:21; Luke 10:13; 1 Cor 11:31.

We magnify, rather than minimize, our guilt in true repentance.

Psalm 51:3-5; 25:7; 2 Cor 12:21.

Section 19 - Repentance and forgiveness are interrelated

The two summarize the Gospel, and both come from God's grace.

Matt 11:10; 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:4, 15; Luke 3:3; 24:26, 46-47; Acts 5:30-31; 1 Cor 1:30.

Section 20 - In what sense is repentance the prior condition of forgiveness?

Our repentance is not "the basis of our deserving pardon."

Rather, God shows us how to repent, how to hate sin, then gives us grace to do so.

Isa 56:1; 59:20; 55:6-7; 61:1-3; Matt 9:13; 11:5, 28; Luke 4:18; Acts 3:19, 26; 5:31.

"The life of a Christian man is a continual effort and exercise in the mortification of the flesh, till it is utterly slain, and God's Spirit reigns in us."

The fruit of repentance

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 3 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 3 - Our Regeneration by Faith: Repentance

Sections 16-20 - Fruit of repentance - lifelong holiness, confession

Section 16 - Outward and inward repentance

We have to measure ourselves by God's law to be sure of our repentance.

"When we have to deal with God nothing is achieved unless we begin from the inner disposition of the heart."

Joel 2:13; James 4:8.

Outward, bodily denial and disciplines to express repentance are okay, but tend to obscure the spiritual emphasis.

Section 17 - The outward practice of penance must not become the chief thing

It is fine for pastors to call their churches to fasting, provided they emphasize the rending of hearts more - Matt 9:15; Joel 2:13.

A smoldering cinder of evil remains

Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) - John Calvin

Book 3 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 3 - Our Regeneration by Faith: Repentance

Sections 10-15 - Believers experience sanctification, but not sinless perfection in this life

Section 10 - Believers are still sinners

Though free from the bondage of sin, "a smolder cinder of evil" remains.

"In the saints, until they are divested of mortal bodies, there is always sin."

Section 11 - In believers sin has lost its dominion; but it still dwells in them

We are washed from the guilt of our sin - Eph 5:26-27.

Sin no longer reigns in us - Rom 6:6; 8:2.

The traces that remain will not be imputed to us - Rom 7:6.

But they hinder us from loving God wholly - Deut 6:5; Matt 22:37.

Section 12 - What does "natural corruption" mean?

All our faculties are corrupted because of our fall into sin,

not because God made us that way.

Section 13 - Augustine as witness to the sinfulness of believers

Gal 5:17.

Rom 6:12 - "He does not say: 'Let it not be,' but 'Let it not reign.'"

Section 14 - Against the illusion of perfection

Some anabaptists claimed that a total yielding to the Spirit would bring perfection.

"The Spirit is not giddy.... [He] does not stir up man to dissolute and unbridled license."

Section 15 - Repentance according to 2 Cor 7:11

It involves diligence (not to sin again), clearing (asking pardon), indignation (at oneself for the sin), fear (considering what the sin deserves from God), desire and zeal (to do the right thing, instead), vindication (working to set things right).

We must "exercise restraint, lest sorrow engulf us... falling into despair."

Fear leading to humility is always good.

But there is an excessive fear that drives us from Him - Heb 12:3.