Forgiveness of Sins in the Church

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

... is a witness to the truth. For when we say, “Do you believe in eternal life and the forgiveness of sins through the holy Church?” we mean that the forgiveness of sins is not given except in the Church, and that among heretics, where there is no Church, sins cannot be taken away. Therefore, those who claim that heretics can baptize must either change the question or hold to the truth, unless they also assign a church to those who, they argue, have baptism. It is also necessary that the person who is baptized should be anointed, so that, after receiving the chrism, that is, the anointing, he may be anointed by God and have in himself the grace of Christ. Further, it is from the Eucharist that the baptized are anointed with the oil sanctified on the altar. But one who has neither an altar nor a church cannot sanctify the created thing of oil. Therefore there also can be no spiritual anointing among heretics, since it is clear that among them the oil cannot be sanctified nor the Eucharist celebrated at all. But we ought to know and remember that it is written, “Let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head,” which the Holy Spirit warned about beforehand in the Psalms, lest anyone who

Gregory Thaumaturgus, A Sectional Confession of Faith Supporting witness

and in one holy Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the flesh, and life eternal.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

so that we, priests of God and prelates of His Church, by His condescension, should know that remission of sins cannot be given save in the Church, nor can the adversaries of Christ claim to themselves anything belonging to His grace.

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Direct teaching

... that there is no repentance except the one that happens when we go down into the water and receive forgiveness of our former sins." He said to me, "What you heard was sound teaching, for that is really so. For the person who has received forgiveness of sins ought not to sin anymore, but to live in purity. However, since you are asking carefully about everything, I will explain this to you also. I do not say it in order to give an excuse for error to those who are going to believe, or who have recently believed, in the Lord. For those who have now believed, and those who are going to believe, do not have repentance for sins, but they do have forgiveness of their previous sins. But for those who were called before these days, the Lord has appointed repentance. For the Lord, knowing the heart and knowing beforehand all things, knew the weakness of human beings and the many tricks of the devil, that he would bring some evil on the servants of God and would act wickedly toward them. Therefore the Lord, being merciful, had mercy on the work of His hand and appointed repentance for them. And He has given me authority over this repentance. Therefore I say to you that if anyone is tempt

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

He, then, who from among the Gentiles and from that old life has betaken himself to faith, has obtained forgiveness of sins once.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

The sins committed before faith are accordingly forgiven by the Lord, not that they may be undone, but as if they had not been done.

Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians (Long Version) Supporting witness

To all them that repent, God grants forgiveness, if they with one consent return to the unity of Christ, and communion with the bishop.

Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians (Short Version) Supporting witness

To all them that repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to the unity of God, and to communion with the bishop.

Acts 2:38 Direct teaching

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

James 5:16 Supporting witness

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 John 1:9 Supporting witness

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

...t die." Therefore, bishop, understand the dignity of your office. As you have received the power of binding, so you have also received the power of loosing. Since you have the power of loosing, know yourself, and conduct yourself in this world in a way that fits your office, knowing that you must give a great account. For to those whom, as the Scripture says, men have entrusted much, they will require the more, in Luke 12:48. For no man is free from sin, except Him who was made man for us. For it is written, "No man is pure from filthiness, no, not even if his life is only one day long." For this reason, the lives and conduct of the ancient holy men and patriarchs are described, not so that we may reproach them when we read, but so that we ourselves may repent, and may have hope that we also will obtain forgiveness. For their faults are both a safeguard and a warning to us, because from them we learn that when we have sinned, if we repent, we shall have pardon. For it is written: "Who can boast that he has a clean heart? And who dares to say that he is pure from sin?" in Proverbs 20:9. Therefore, no man is without sin. So labor with all your strength to be blameless, and be watc

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

...with comforting admonitions the one who has gone astray, or has been wounded, bruised, or broken by sins and put out of the way. He must free it from its offenses and give hope. In this way he must restore it in strength to the Church, bringing it back into the flock. Bring back what has been driven away. That is, do not allow the one who remains in sins and has been cast out as punishment to stay excluded. Instead, receive that one, bring him back, and restore him to the flock, that is, to the people of the undefiled Church. Seek what is lost. That is, do not allow the one who has despaired of salvation because of the great number of offenses to perish completely. Search for the one who has grown sleepy, drowsy, and sluggish, and who is careless about his own life because of the depth of his sleep, and who is far from his own flock, so that he is in danger of falling among the wolves and being devoured by them. Bring him back by admonition. Urge him to be watchful, and plant hope in him. Do not allow him to say what some have said: “Our impieties are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then shall we live?” Therefore, as much as possible, let the bishop make the offense his o

Tertullian, On Modesty Direct teaching

...r loosed on earth shall be bound or loosed in the heavens," you therefore presume that the power of binding and loosing has come down to you, that is, to every church akin to Peter, what sort of man are you, subverting and wholly changing the manifest intention of the Lord, conferring this gift, as that intention did, personally upon Peter? He says, "On you I will build My Church," and, "I will give to you the keys," not to the Church; and, "Whatever you shall have loosed or bound," not what they shall have loosed or bound. For the result also teaches this. In Peter himself the Church was reared, that is, through Peter himself. Peter himself first used the key. You see what key: "Men of Israel, let what I say sink into your ears: Jesus the Nazarene, a man destined by God for you," and so forth. Therefore Peter himself was the first to unbar, in Christ's baptism, the entrance to the heavenly kingdom. In that kingdom, the sins that were previously bound are loosed, and those that have not been loosed are bound, in accordance with true salvation. And he bound Ananias with the bond of death, and he absolved the man weak in his feet from his defect of health. Moreover, in that disput

Origen, Commentary on Matthew Supporting witness

... by two or three witnesses, He has left us to understand. And again, “If he refuses to hear them”—clearly meaning the witnesses who were taken—“tell it,” He says, “to the church.” Matthew 18:17 And He does not say what he will suffer if he does not hear the church. But He taught that if he refused to hear the church, then the one who had admonished him three times and had not been heard was to regard him from then on as the Gentile and the tax collector. Matthew 18:17 Therefore he is not altogether gained, nor will he altogether perish. But what he will suffer at all, the man who at first did not listen, but required witnesses, or even refused to hear them and so was brought before the church, God knows. For we do not declare it, according to the command, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” Matthew 7:1 until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make known the counsels of the hearts. 1 Corinthians 4:5 But as for the seeming harshness in the case of those who have committed lesser sins, one might say that it is not possible for the man who has not listened two times in a row to listen the third time, so that for this reason he would no lo

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

And the Lord said, Receive the Holy Ghost: whose sins you remit, they shall be remitted;

John 20:23 Direct teaching

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Matthew 16:19 Supporting witness

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 18:18 Supporting witness

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

So, the person who has received forgiveness of sins ought not to sin anymore. For besides the first and only repentance from sins, which is from the sins of the former life, the first pagan life, that is, sins done in ignorance, there is also immediately set before those who have been called a repentance that cleanses the seat of the soul from transgressions, so that faith may be firmly established. And the Lord, knowing the heart and foreknowing the future, saw beforehand both the weakness of man and the craft and cunning of the devil from the beginning. He saw how the devil, envying man because of the forgiveness of sins, would bring certain causes of sins before the servants of God, skillfully working harm so that they might fall along with him. Therefore, since He is very merciful, He has granted, in the case of those who, though in faith, fall into some transgression, a second repentance. So if anyone is tempted after being called, and is overcome by force and deceit, he may still receive a repentance that is not to be regretted. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expect

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

..., a person from among the Gentiles, who has turned from that old way of life to faith, has received forgiveness of sins once. But if someone sins after this, then even if he receives pardon when he repents, he ought to be afraid, because he is no longer being washed for the forgiveness of sins. For the one who has been born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, John 1:13, but in the Spirit, must give up not only the idols he once treated as gods, but also the deeds of his former life. This new birth consists in repenting by not falling into the same fault again. For repeated repentance, and an easy readiness to change because of lack of training, is really the practice of sinning again. So, asking forgiveness again and again for the things in which we often sin is only the appearance of repentance, not repentance itself. But, as Scripture says, “The righteousness of the blameless cuts straight paths,” Proverbs 11:5. And again, “The righteousness of the innocent will make his way right,” Proverbs 13:6. No, “as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” David writes, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy,” that is, those who confess with

Tertullian, On Modesty Supporting witness

Hence the power of loosing and of binding committed to Peter had nothing to do with the capital sins of believers;

Tertullian, On Modesty Supporting witness

And accordingly the Church, it is true, will forgive sins: but (it will be) the Church of the Spirit, by means of a spiritual man;

Dionysius of Alexandria, Epistles and Epistolary Fragments Supporting witness

...me, but he had fallen during the time of trial, that is, the persecution. This man often prayed for absolution, and no one listened to him, because he had sacrificed to the idols. When he became sick, he remained unable to speak and unconscious for three days in a row. On the fourth day, he recovered a little. He called his grandchild to him and said, "My child, how long are you keeping me here? Hurry, I beg you, and absolve me quickly. Call one of the presbyters to me." After he said this, he became speechless again. The boy ran to the presbyter. But it was night, and the man was sick, and so he could not come. However, I had given an instruction that people who were at the point of death, if they asked for it then, and especially if they had earnestly sought it before, should be absolved, so that they might leave this life with joyful hope. So the presbyter gave the boy a small portion of the Eucharist. He told him to soak it in water and drop it into the old man's mouth. The boy returned carrying the portion. As he came near, and before he had even entered, Serapion recovered again and said, "You have come, my child, and the presbyter could not come. But quickly do what you w

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Direct teaching

... “Your sins are forgiven you;” He, the same one against whom we had sinned in the beginning, grants forgiveness of sins in the end. But if indeed we had disobeyed the command of another, and it was a different being who said, “Your sins are forgiven you,” such a one is neither good, nor true, nor just. For how can he be good, who does not give from what belongs to himself? Or how can he be just, who takes away the goods of another? And in what way can sins truly be forgiven, unless He against whom we have sinned has Himself granted forgiveness “through the bowels of mercy of our God,” in which “He has visited us” through His Son?

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

Therefore, by forgiving sins, He indeed healed humanity, while also revealing who He was. For if no one can forgive sins except God alone, and the Lord forgave them and healed people, it is clear that He Himself was the Word of God made the Son of man, receiving from the Father the power to forgive sins; because He was human, and because He was God, so that as a man He suffered for us, and as God He might have compassion on us and forgive our debts, which made us debtors to God our Creator. And so David said beforehand, "Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord has not counted sin;" indicating the forgiveness of sins that comes with His coming, by which "He has destroyed the record" of our debt and "nailed it to the cross;" so that just as through a tree we became debtors to God, through a tree we may also obtain the forgiveness of our debt.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

For Adam, it is said, “heard the voice of the God.” Rightly then does His Word say to man, “Thy sins are forgiven thee;” He, the same against whom we had sinned in the beginning, grants forgiveness of sins in the end.

Matthew 9:6 Direct teaching

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Luke 5:24 Supporting witness

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

Matthew 9:5 Supporting witness

For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

Mark 2:10 Supporting witness

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

Luke 5:23 Supporting witness

Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?