Who forgives sins?

There are some who would say that the authority to forgive sins belongs to the office of the ministry. That is, only pastors can forgive sins.

I’d like to offer these passages from Martin Luther’s Sermon on Trinity 19 for consideration.

This Gospel teaches us to note particularly the good tidings which God has granted us, that we may here on earth say to each other, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” so that with the people here spoken of we may marvel and glorify God which had given such power unto men. And it is indeed a great power that one Christian may say to another: “My brother, be of good cheer, you have a gracious God; only believe the assurance which I give you in Christ’s name and it is as certain as if God Himself had said to you, ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee.'” Such power, as we hear, originated in Christ and is now given unto men, especially to those who are in office and are commanded to preach the Gospel, that is, repentance and forgiveness of sins, in Jesus’ name.

Other Christians, although they are not in that office, also have the command, in case of necessity, to comfort you when you are troubled on account of your sins, and to say: “Why are you troubled? I, as a Christian, assure you that you are wronging yourself; God is not unmerciful unto you. You are for Christ’s sake to put all your trust in His grace.” You are to comfort yourself as surely with these words as if Christ spake them in person from heaven.

Thus we come into possession of the forgiveness of sins in our day also, when the servant of the Church, or any other Christian, assures you: “God is not angry with you, do not you be angry with Him, because He has, for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ, forgiven you all your sins.” You should therefore, with all confidence, trust in this assurance and suffer yourself to be torn to pieces rather than to doubt it. For if you doubt, the absolution, even if it were pronounced over you orally by God and His holy angels, would profit you nothing.

It is true, I have reason to repent and to be sorry on account of my sins; but by so doing I do not receive forgiveness. By what means then? Only by this, that I pay attention to the Word and promise and believe; and that, whenever the Lord Jesus speaks to me by His appointed servants or any other Christian, I depend on His Word and not on my penance and sorrow.

But they turn things around; they do not consider the fact that the servants of the Church and other Christians speak at the command of the Lord Jesus; but only behold their own sorrow and repentance. But thus they lose Christ and all Christ is; and therefore it is impossible for them properly to comfort and to assist a troubled soul; because the Word, by which alone they could help, they have lost, and now point people to their own repentance and piety.

If one Christian cheers and comforts the other, it is the latter’s duty to believe the word when spoken to him in its purity and accept forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake. This is the true road to God and the forgiveness of sins. Whoever is led this road will die a happy Christian.