Here is a list of Scriptures to use as talking points to teach about confession. I just threw this together. I have another one started with gleanings fomr the Fathers. I would appreciate additions, and more commentary about Psalm 50. I have not checked all Psalm references to correspond to the Septuagint.
The Mandate given to the Apostles.
What is necessary for a saving confession
Commands to forgive others and to not judge others. There is no wiggle room!
He asks for cleansing, the legal status of being “forgiven”.
Self-knowledge. We must know and always be aware that we are sinners.
Repentance and subsequent healing will lead to perfection and joy.
Sin can cause the Holy Spirit to Withdraw.
The best teacher is a repentant and cleansed man.
The primary requirement for cleansing.
Confession in Scripture can also mean a declaration concerning God and dogma:
Examples in the OT.
Ezra 10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
Nehemiah_9:2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
Psalm_32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Proverbs_28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Daniel_9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
Psalm 50 (covered in detail later)
Examples in the NT.
Matthew 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Act_19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Instruction.
1 John_1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ezekiel 18:21-23 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. (22) All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. (23) Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
The Mandate given to the Apostles.
John 20:21-23 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (22) And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (23) Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
What is necessary for a saving confession
- Forgive others
- Do not judge others.
- Know thyself, thine own infirmities
- Humble thyself.
Commands to forgive others and to not judge others. There is no wiggle room!
Matthew 6:12-15 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (26) But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Matthew 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? (5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Mark 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
Parable of the debtor. Do not judge others. This ability comes out of knowledge of our own infirmities and gratitude.
Matthew 18:21-35 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? (22) Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. (23) Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. (24) And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. (25) But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. (26) The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. (27) Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. (28) But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. (29) And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. (30) And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. (31) So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. (32) Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: (33) Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? (34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. (35) So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
The parable of the Good Samaritan also contains important mystical teaching about human nature. Since we share our nature with all mankind, the more we know about ourselves, the more we forgive others.
Humble Thyself.
Psalm 50:17 A Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart God will not despise.
Psalm 33:18 The Lord is near to them that are of a contrite heart; and will save the lowly in spirit.
Isaiah 66:2 For all these things are mine, saith the Lord: and to whom will I have respect, but to the humble and meek, and the man that trembles at my words?
Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and will put a new spirit in you: and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh.
Psalm 50
For the End: A Psalm of David. When Nathan the Prophet Came unto Him. When He Went in unto Bersabee, the Wife of Urias.
He asks for cleansing, the legal status of being “forgiven”.
50:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression.
50:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Self-knowledge. We must know and always be aware that we are sinners.
50:3 For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.
Sin is against God, cleansing and healing are from God. No wisdom is possible without healing from sin.
50:4 Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged.
50:5 For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me.
50:6 For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me.
50:7 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
Repentance and subsequent healing will lead to perfection and joy.
50:8 Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice.
50:9 Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
50:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Sin can cause the Holy Spirit to Withdraw.
50:11 Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
The best teacher is a repentant and cleansed man.
50:12 Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.
50:13 I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.
50:14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.
50:15 O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.
50:16 For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased.
The primary requirement for cleansing.
50:17 A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise.
…
50:18 Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded.
50:19 Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings.
50:20 Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.
Confession in Scripture can also mean a declaration concerning God and dogma:
Romans_10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans_14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Romans_15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
Priest Seraphim Holland 2011 St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas
This article is at:
http://www.orthodox.net/confess/confession-of-sins-in-scripture.html
http://www.orthodox.net/confess/confession-of-sins-in-scripture.doc
New Journal entries, homilies, etc. are on our BLOG: http://www.orthodox.net/redeemingthetime
Journal Archive: http://www.orthodox.net/journal
Blog posts & local parish news are posted to our email list. Go to here: http://groups.google.com/group/saint-nicholas-orthodox-church to join.
Redeeming the Time BLOG: http://www.orthodox.net/redeemingthetime
Use this for any edifying reason, but please give credit, and include the URL of the article. This content belongs to the author. We would love to hear from you with comments! (seraphim@orthodox.net)
Matthew
let's try that again:
Matthew 3:6
Mark 1:5
James 5:16
Father, Bless,
Here is an interesting article on the subject of confession by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware:
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/49592.htm
An interesting note regarding your last point: if you look up the dictionary meanings of the word "confess," it encompasses both of the meanings found in scripture. And both meanings basically come down to an acknowledgement of something — and here specifically of two things: of our own sins and sinfulness, and of God's dominion, kingdom, power, glory, loving-kindness, reliability, etc. And isn't that — those two acknowledgments — the starting point of Christian life?
As far as these quotes go, many are good references to Confession of sins after Baptism, but some refer specifically to the confession on sins that marks the beginning of Christian life, in connection with repentance prior to baptism.