Monday, September 25, 2017

Reflections on Bonhoeffer’s Life Together – 105


“Luther himself was one of those for whom the Christian life was unthinkable without confession to one another, In The Large Catechism he said, ‘Therefore when I urge you to go to confession, I am urging you to be a Christian.’” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, Fortress Press, 2015 (Reader’s Edition), page 94.

Bonhoeffer discusses the question of whom we should confess to, and he answers that all believers in Christ can hear confession. That, of course, leads to more questions, some of which I’ve touched on in previous posts. On page 94 Bonhoeffer explains that those who live beneath the Cross of Jesus “will find that there is no sin that can ever be unfamiliar…Whoever has once been appalled by the horror of their own sin, which nailed Jesus to the cross, will no longer be appalled by even the most serious sin of another Christian…It is not experience with life but experience of the cross that makes one suited to hear confession.”

To those who may take issue with Bonhoeffer’s (and Luther’s) emphasis on confession by arguing that there is no such Biblical emphasis, I would ask them to consider the following: There are other doctrines that, in terms of specific verses, do not have “critical mass”. Consider how often Hebrews 9:27 is quoted to argue against second-chances after death – what other verses do people normally quote? Can you recall them? Are there any? On the one hand if we believe that Scripture is God-breathed and inspired, then a verse is a Word of God – understood of course in its context – for we must keep in mind that originally verses were not verses, as we think of verses, but words and thoughts connected to other words and thoughts – what we call “context”. So if we have a verse that tells us to confess our sins one to another and to pray for one another so that we might be healed we have a sure Word of God just as Hebrews 9:27 is a sure Word of God.

In addition to this, however, is what the Word of God tells us about the nature of the Church, the Cross, who we are in Christ, forgiveness of sins, and the nature of reality in general. What is the nature of Christian reality? Which is to say, what is the nature of reality? – for God’s reality should be our primary consideration so that we can learn to live in Him and relate to others, within and without His Kingdom, as we live and move and have our being in Him. What is the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the clothes we wear? What country do we live in? What language do we speak? Whose thoughts do we think?

If we consider this issue of Biblical reality in Jesus Christ then perhaps we will see not only what Luther and Bonhoeffer saw, perhaps we will enlarge their vision and experience, perhaps we will journey farther down the road and explore new expanses – I think they would like that, I doubt that either one of them desired that those who came after them would stop where they were when they transitioned into the Presence of God.

Bonhoeffer points out that self-justification is toxic to the church, an enemy of life together. Just as hypocrisy and self-justification, in the form of the religious establishment, crucified Jesus Christ; just as self-justification in the form of legalists opposed the Gospel in the Early Church; so these same elements temp us today and threaten our relationships with one another. Confession one to another keeps us honest (we hope), it is a preventive against hypocrisy, and it reminds us of who we are outside Christ and who we are inside Christ. Confession dismantles our pretension and leads us to assurance in Christ.

If the nature of the Church is the nature of God, if we are indwelt by the Trinity, if we are joined to our Bridegroom, then confession is sacramental – we receive the grace of God through one another as we hear the Word of forgiveness from others who form the priesthood of all believers. Confession is sacred and holy, it is one believer trusting another believer as we trust Jesus Christ – for we are both in Jesus Christ. This is the enduring reality of God, the only true sustainable reality…are we living in what is Real or are we living in what is passing away?


If “verses” are not part of the fabric and tapestry of life…then what are they? If we cannot see the pattern which they weave…then what are they? A thread is not a tapestry, a thread is not a garment, we cannot clothe ourselves with individually hanging threads, threads that are not woven together. Are we naked or are we wearing the garment of God and His Word? This is to say that we ought not to reject Bonhoeffer out of hand simply because we may have prejudices against confessing to another Christian, or because we have not been raised this way, or because we don’t immediately see the Biblical context within which he is working…or because we are afraid. We are called to a life of holistic integration in Christ and this includes seeing the Scriptures as a unity, as a way of life in Christ. To be sure there are considerations of prudence and wisdom and understanding and maturity that ought to be considered when we approach confession and we will consider those in a future post.

No comments:

Post a Comment