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NASB | John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 20:22 And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [Acts 1:8; 2:1-3] |
Subject: Retain or forgive sins? |
Bible Note: Hi, Sister Azure... The Augsburg Confession responds to this particular question as follows: "Confession is not abolished by the preachers on our [Lutheran] side. For this practice is retained by us: the Sacrament is not offered to those not previously examined and absolved. Besides, the people are diligently instructed [about] how comforting the word of absolution is, how great and precious the absolution is to be esteemed. For it is not an actual human voice or word, but God's Word which forgives sin. For it is spoken in God's stead and at God's behest. About this behest and authority of the keys, we teach with great diligence how comforting, how necessary they are for the terrified conscience. Moreover, [we teach] how God requires [that] this absolution be not lightly believed because the voice of God rings out from heaven and the absolution cheerfully comforts us so that through such faith we get the forgiveness of sins." Elsewhere, it states, "We reject also the error of the gross Pelagians, who taught that man by his own powers, without the grace of the Holy Ghost, can turn himself to God, believe the Gospel, be obedient from the heart to God's Law, and thus merit the forgiveness of sins and eternal life." In Him, Doc |