Expert: Brandon Harper - 7/4/2006

Question
Could you explain to me what the witnesses believe about confession?  Is it true that they admit in the Insight book (or elsewhere) that confessing to the elders is optional?

Thanks.

Answer
Angela,

Among Jehovah's Witnesses forgiveness of sins does not require confession to the elders. Forgiveness of sins does not come through congregation elders, they are not priests nor do they claim the ability to forgive sins.

However, if an investigative or Judicial Committee is formed to deal with an accusation of wrongdoing, whether or not someone confesses their sins can have an impact on the determination of repentance. At first glance this seems to be a divided stance. The solution lies in the JW view of elder authority.

There is a Scripture to support choosing to call the elders if someone recognizes they are physically or morally sick. But even then, confession of sins is not placed as a prerequisite for forgiveness.

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James 5:13-18 — Is there anyone suffering evil among YOU? Let him carry on prayer. Is there anyone in good spirits? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is there anyone sick among YOU? Let him call the older men of the congregation to [him], and let them pray over him, greasing [him] with oil in the name of Jehovah. 15 And the prayer of faith will make the indisposed one well, and Jehovah will raise him up. Also, if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.
16 Therefore openly confess YOUR sins to one another and pray for one another, that YOU may get healed. A righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force. 17 Elijah was a man with feelings like ours, and yet in prayer he prayed for it not to rain; and it did not rain upon the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the land put forth its fruit.
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Jehovah's Witnesses interpret James 5:14 as an instruction, not an option. They further interpret the sickness to be spiritual sickness, as they recognize elders have no power to heal physical ailments. They further recognize that elders have no power to forgive sins, yet they somehow interpret the primary result of James 5:15 to be spiritual recovery and forgiveness of sins and insert a requirement to confess those sins prior to forgiveness taking place.

Those who approach James 5:13-15 with a view to contextual understanding readily see that persons who are suffering evil are not being ordered to engage in prayer, any more than people who are in good spirits are being ordered to sing or people who are sick are being ordered to call the older men.

This understanding is implicit in the policies of Jehovah's Witnesses. Per policy, a JW may sin and not report the sin to the elders. If he or she continues for some time and does not suffer spiritually, even if the sin becomes known later the elders may decide no action needs to be taken because the person has obviously received forgiveness already.

Spiritual sickness or health among JWs is determined only by outward appearances. That is, if someone is regular in meeting attendance, participates in the meetings, is regular in field service, is regular in meeting preparation, and appears to be making decisions the elders feel to be in harmony with God's will, then such a person is not spiritually sick.

Interestingly, this leaves plenty of room for any JW to develop a "double-life" wherein they keep up appearances of spiritual health while carrying on sin for many years, or even decades, without ever being detected.

There is no Scriptural instruction to confess sins to the elders. However, there is precedent for openly (publicly) confessing sins and for Christians praying for one another.

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Matthew 3:5-6 — Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the country around the Jordan made their way out to [John the Baptist], 6 and people were baptized by him in the Jordan River, openly confessing their sins. (also Mark 1:5)

Acts 19:17-18 — This became known to all, both the Jews and the Greeks that dwelt in Ephesus; and a fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus went on being magnified. 18 And many of those who had become believers would come and confess and report their practices openly.

James 5:16 — Therefore openly confess YOUR sins to one another and pray for one another, that YOU may get healed.
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There is also direct instruction to publicly correct wrongdoers. If one concedes that "the congregation" does not equal "the elders," then Jesus himself gave instructions along these lines.

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Matthew 18:15-17 — "Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. 17 If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector."

1 Timothy 5:20 — Reprove before all onlookers persons who practice sin, that the rest also may have fear.
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Unfortunately, among Jehovah's Witnesses reporting of sins is done privately, correcting of sins is done privately, and only an announcement of any punishment is made public—and that only in certain circumstances.

This unscriptural privacy allows someone who has hidden sin to continue hiding it in the future. In the case of certain kinds of criminal activity this leaves the rest of the congregation wide open to possible victimization due to their innocent ignorance of the person's proclivities.

Eventually, however, what is done in private will be brought into the light.

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Ephesians 5:10-13 — Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; 11 and quit sharing with [them] in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving [them], 12 for the things that take place in secret by them it is shameful even to relate. 13 Now all the things that are being reproved are made manifest by the light, for everything that is being made manifest is light.
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I hope this has answered your question to your satisfaction. If not, please ask whatever clarifying questions you may have.

Respectfully,
Brandon Harper