To JWs or those who use to be...?

Question

As a JW, why must you confess your sins to a body of elders when scripture planly states you confess to Christ and He will forgive. What give your elders the authority or discernment to determine repentence and worthiness of forgiveness within your organization? Your organization bashes readily the Catholics for their confessions to the priests, and yet your practices are exactly the same.

For clarification: TRUE OR FALSE: If I as JW commit a sin and pray to God for forgiveness through Christ, as per your answers, I do not need to discuss the matter with the elders?

If I do not talk with the elders about the sin for which I prayed and received forgiveness from God, and it becomes public knowledge, will/would they consider that evidence of being unrepentance and thus give me a "sterner" punishment (such as public statement instead of private counsel)?

Answer 1

"exactly the same" not so sure about that.

I have never been a Catholic, so I am not sure whether the priest is in himself absolving or forgiving you of your sins or just merely acting in the same manner as the JWs elders.

Your question is correct in that no man/woman/organization can forgive you of sin, that is Christ's sacrifice that you take advantage of by confessing your sins to Him and receiving forgiveness.

This is in fact one of the very issues I had with JWs. It is truly no one's business as to my confessions of sins. I confess to God and Christ, period. It is not local Bro Smith or Bro Jones' concern nor the brothers in NY to discern whether I am repentant, for in their attempt at discerning this are making judgements which is also God and Christ's job. The men make mistakes, believe me I know of SEVERAL, first hand experience of such mistakes. This "actions befitting repentance....wish I knew where the elders got that it was their job to determine or to judge a person's fitness for forgiveness and whether they were repentant. Again that's God and Christ's job.

An answer above quoted ...(Acts 26:20) They should repent and turn to God by doing works that befit repentance.
Contextually, Paul was testifying as to why he was seized and thrown into prison that he was preaching this to those in damascus.
He was not making any statement that the congregation or church of Christ would have authority to determine what a person's words were that befit repentance. Obviously, if my sin was adultery, or theft, or lying, my works would be stopping that action. No where does it say that I must attend all meetings, increase my field service time each month, comment at the meetings, which is infact the predetermined "works" that the elders look for when determining repentance in a person in their congregation. THis is THEIR rules not God's.


Your followup true/false question is interesting. I agree that confession of your sins to a body or elders is unnecessary in order to receive forgiveness from God, however you are correct in assuming that the body of elders of JW will punish you more sternly if you do not provide INTIMATE details of your transgression to them.

An answerer stated that the judicial committe is private and what is said there stays there.........FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE TOTHE CONTRARY! My best friend had intimate details of a judicial committee meeting with the elders and my parents and I didn't even know about it until she told me (we were both under the age of 18 at the time) So please don't tell me that word doesn't get out!!!!

Answer 2

I would have to agree with your first responder that the elders are not there to forgive sins, but to determine whether they believe the person is repentant. Think of it this way: Judicial Committee = Parole Board. lol That's the best comparison I can give you.

However, that being said, it is NOT for the elders to determine whether or not they believe a person is repentant. Only God knows the heart, therefore, only God can determine this. And in 1 John 1: 7-9, we are told that when we confess our sins TO GOD, HE is faithful and just, so as to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Where did Jesus ever teach that it was someone else's job to judge another person? The first thing that comes to mind when considering this matter is that He said that we should not attempt to extract the speck in our brother's eye when we have a rafter in our own. Once we have extracted the rafter in ours, then He says we can see to extract the speck in our brother's eye. But his comparison makes it apparent that since we are all such great sinners, we are unable to judge another.

Answer 3

Not nearly the same thing. Catholics confess to their priest who then supposedly forgives them. Read James 5:13-16. The sickness mentioned in verse 14 is spiritual sickness not physical. By confessing serious sins, the body of elders who are spiritually qualified DO NOT FORGIVE THE SIN, but provide help to restore the person to a spiritually healthy condition.

Answer 4

No not the same as confession to priests. Confession is for Forgiveness, and Absolution.

We as Christians strive to follow the Bible and to help keep ourselves and the congregation clean. We don't "confess our sins" to a Body of Elders. However when we need help the Elders are there to offer support.

Answer 5

The elders are not there to "forgive" you as the Catholic priest do...Forgiveness is between the person that sinned and Jehovah God. The Elders are their to make sure that the person has repented... That they are sorry for what they have done... If not, they no longer need to be part of our Christian congregation as the scriptures say..... Their job also is to provide encouragement to the one that has fallen short, or had some problems... To offer some guidence from the scriptures to help get this one back on the right track... As I said, they do not do the forgiven of the sins, they are their to help and keep the congregation clean. If someone sins so gravely, then if they are truly sorry, then they obviously need some help, some encouragment and guidance from the Scritpures to make sure the mistake is not repeated, this is where the Elders come into play. In a very loving way, they take care of the person and help them and correct them... If the person who commited this sin is NOT sorry, then they don't want to be a JW anymore anyway, then the Elders take action to protect the rest of the congregation against this kind of person. When this happens we hope so much that the person will have a change of heart and understanding the wrongness of their actions and come back to Jehovah.

Answer 6

Another ex-JW who can confirm that the Governing Body gives the elders in a congregation the power and authority to judge whether a brother or a sister has repented enough to prevent being either disfellowshipped or being shunned.

Now, there is a difference here between JW's and Catholics inasmuch as JW's do not offer absolution (for a price). In this instance, my friend, they are not the same as Catholics. However, there is a similarity because the 'confession' has to be made to of a panel of men (face to face, not behind a screen - another difference).

However, your point that scripture tells us we must confess to Christ is sound. Also that forgiveness of sin is His perogative. No man can forgive - to say one can forgive a sin is blashphemy.

The real issue, I suspect, is one of authority and power. The Governing Body will not countenance any disagreement with its edicts or theology. Neither will it tollerate any behaviour that goes beyond their boundaries. Smoking is a classic example - they give you 6 months to quit but if you don't, then (if you are baptised) you're out. The issue is not whether smoking is good or bad, whether it goes against God's laws or not - the REAL issue is DO NOT DISOBEY THE GOVERNING BODY. To do so means you're not 'one of them' and so should be cast out least the others become contaminated.

Jesus was much more compassionate and forgiving when he was around. But then, He could read men's hearts. Good job he still can, because, at the end of the day, we are here to please Him, and not a body of men.

Answer 7

Reasoning from the Scriptures

Confession page 80 and 82

Is the rite of reconciliation, including auricular confession (personal confession into the ear of a priest), as taught by the Catholic Church Scriptural?

The manner in which the priest is addressed

The traditional formula, still often used, is: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [length of time] since my last confession."----U.S. Catholic magazine, October 1982, p. 6.

Matt. 23:1, 9, JB says: "Jesus said,.....'You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.'"

Sins that can be forgiven

"The Church has always taught that every sin, no matter how serious, can be forgiven."----The Catholic Encyclopedia (bearing the nihil obstat and the imprimatur), R.C. Broderick (Nashville, Tenn.; 1976), p. 554.

Hebrews 10:26, JB says: "If, after we have been give knowledge of the truth, we should deliberately commit any sins, then there is no longer any sacrifice for them."

Mark 3:29, JB says: "Let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgivness: he is guilty of an eternal sin."

How penance is to be shown

Frequently the confessor directs that the penitent say a specified number of "Our Fathers" and "Hail Marys."

Matt. 6:7, JB says: "In your prayers do not babble [that is, utter meaninglessly repetitious manner] as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard."

Matt. 6:9-12, JB says: "YOU should pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven,....forgive us our debts.'" (Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to pray through or to Mary. See Philippians 4:6.)

Romans 12:9, JB says: "Do not let your love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil."

Did not Jesus authorize his apostles to forgive sins?

John 20:21-23, JB says: "'As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.' After saying this he breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sinsyou forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.'"

How did the apostles understand and apply this? There is no record in the Bible of a single instance in which an apostle listened to a private confession and then pronounced absolution. However, the rquirements for being forgiven by God are set out in the Bible. The apostles, under the direction of holy spirit, could discern whether individuals were meeting such requirements and could on this basis declare that God had either forgiven them or not forgiven them. For examples see Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and 2 Corinthians 2:6-8.

Answer 8

One does not confess to the elders because he seeks forgiveness. When a Christian commits a serious sin, he realizes that he has grown weak somehow and needs help, the way a patient would go to a doctor. The elders help that one out by advising that using the Bible. They pray together with the person, and give him any other assistance needed.

The elders cannot read hearts. But the fact that the person seeks out spiritual help in the first place is a sign of repentance, isn't it?

EDIT: The elders have the responsibility to keep the congregation clean. God expects that of them. So if someone decides he will not take their advice and continues to practice sin unrepentantly (be it fornication, smoking, drunkenness, tax evasion, whatever) they will be put out.

If one does not want to follow the rules of any group that they joined of their own will, it is only logical that they be removed.

It takes just one rotten tomato to spoil the whole batch.

Answer 9

Your question is your answer also. they do condemn the catholics for a lot of things that they practice as well. They also have their own cruel kind of penance.

If I told you the kinds of disgusting intimate questions that the Body of men (elders) asked me to give details to, you wouldn't believe me. But If I were as strong then, as I am Now, I would sue them for sexual harassment.

If the Witnesses were a healthier lot...The first responders answer would be fine....even noble....But it does not always go like that......actually, in my opinion, it rarely goes like that...I have seen wives beaten and abused by husbands and brought before a committee and interrogated as to why she is not submissive to her husband.

Answer 10

I know it would be embarrassing and shameful to openly confess a serious sin like "fornication or adultery". But I guess that kind of sin cannot be buried in oneself because the whole "temple" (body, spirit, mind, conscious) would eventually be destroyed. Putting it that way, I'd do my best not to commit such sins then I wouldn't have to openly confess. But on the other hand, if you do; you don't have to worry about gossip because the Elder's can't tell anyone else. Like what is said in the room, stays in the room.