Confession in Community

This entire book has been an excellent study on the Christian living in community with the Church, the body of Christ, fellow saints and believers in Jesus. This final chapter focuses in on confession to brothers in Christ, or in other words, confessing to a community.

This is not something that I have experienced on a regular basis with my friends. This semester I have gotten close to it, though. My dorm mates have connected every Wednesday to hear someone read a text and give us an exegesis of it, and recently we switched to just reading the Gospel of John together out loud. In both structures, we have had time for us to pray with one another. But, I want to apply what I have been reading in this book to the growing community that I have in my dorm section. There are 4 of us that are committed to growing in our sanctification, and I believe confession is how we can grow in our accountability with wanting to grow together.

“Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners!” (110)

My sin has kept me to myself from other believers for most of my experiences. I have been fearful that my brothers won’t understand my resolve to grow in sanctification if they hear me admit to my sin. I confess to the Lord and ask him daily to purify me and sanctify me. But, sharing with a brother is not something I have grown up doing, become accustomed to, or seen the benefit of — until reading this book.

I am now seeing that by going to a brother, it can affirm that my confession to the Lord is genuine. Bonhoeffer writes that we may think we are confessing to the Lord, when in reality we are not; we may give ourselves assurance of forgiveness without actually confessing and repenting to God. Many people deceive themselves into believing they are confessing, but reality may show that they are just going to themselves.

Confession to a brother gives certainty that we are dealing with God in our private confession. “Our brother breaks the circle of self-deception.” (110) This is a grace from God, that we can confess to one another. The assurance that our forgiveness from God is sure can be had from confession to a brother. A brother can forgive in the name of Jesus Christ, knowing that God is the ultimate Forgiver.

The pitfalls of confession to brothers are these: 1) You should not listen to confession if you do not practice this brotherly confession, as it can lead to self-deception; and 2) You must not view this brotherly confession as a pious act that gives you favor before God, as this is entirely false. (120)

Bonhoeffer then connects brotherly confession to the Lord’s Supper. Confession in community should be used in preparation for the Lord’s Supper since we are confessing to the holy and almighty God at the Table.

I have really loved reading this book and seeing Bonhoeffer dissect how community was intended for the Christian life.