Topical Encyclopedia
Definition:Absolution refers to the act of being freed from guilt, sin, or penalty. In Christian theology, it is often associated with the forgiveness of sins, typically granted by God or through a priestly authority in certain denominations. The concept of absolution is rooted in the belief that God has the power to forgive sins and restore individuals to a state of grace.
Biblical Context:The concept of absolution is closely tied to the themes of forgiveness and repentance found throughout the Bible. While the term "absolution" itself is not explicitly used in the Bible, the principles underlying it are evident in various passages.
Old Testament:In the Old Testament, the idea of forgiveness and cleansing from sin is often associated with sacrificial rituals and repentance.
Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement, a time when the high priest would make atonement for the sins of the people, symbolically transferring their sins onto a scapegoat. This ritual underscores the belief in God's willingness to forgive and cleanse His people from their transgressions.
New Testament:The New Testament emphasizes the role of Jesus Christ in the forgiveness of sins. In the Gospels, Jesus is depicted as having the authority to forgive sins, a power that astonished many of His contemporaries. For example, in
Mark 2:5-7 , Jesus tells a paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven," prompting the scribes to question, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
The apostolic writings further elaborate on the theme of forgiveness through Christ. In
Ephesians 1:7 , Paul writes, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." This passage highlights the belief that absolution is made possible through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.
Role of the Church:In certain Christian traditions, the church plays a significant role in the process of absolution. The practice of confession and absolution is particularly prominent in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglican and Lutheran traditions. In these contexts, a priest may pronounce absolution following the confession of sins, acting as a mediator of God's grace.
The authority to forgive sins is seen as being conferred by Christ to His apostles and their successors. In
John 20:22-23 , Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld." This passage is often cited as the basis for the church's authority to grant absolution.
Theological Significance:Absolution is a profound expression of God's mercy and love. It underscores the belief that no sin is too great to be forgiven and that reconciliation with God is always possible through genuine repentance and faith. The assurance of absolution provides believers with spiritual comfort and the hope of eternal life.
Practical Implications:For many Christians, the practice of seeking absolution is an integral part of their spiritual life. It involves self-examination, confession, and a commitment to amend one's life. The experience of absolution can lead to a renewed sense of peace and a deeper relationship with God.
Related Concepts:·
Repentance: Acknowledging and turning away from sin.
·
Forgiveness: The act of pardoning an offense or sin.
·
Atonement: The reconciliation between God and humanity, often through a sacrificial act.
·
Grace: The unmerited favor and love of God toward humanity.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Forgiveness or setting free from guilt, sin, or penalty; forgiveness of an offense.
2. (n.) An acquittal, or sentence of a judge declaring and accused person innocent.
3. (n.) The exercise of priestly jurisdiction in the sacrament of penance, by which Catholics believe the sins of the truly penitent are forgiven.
4. (n.) An absolving from ecclesiastical penalties, -- for example, excommunication.
5. (n.) The form of words by which a penitent is absolved.
6. (n.) Delivery, in speech.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ABSOLUTIONab-so-lu'-shun (translation of verbs luo, "loose," etc., and aphiemi, "release," "give up," etc.): Not a Biblical, but an ecclesiastical term, used to designate the official act described inMatthew 16:19: "Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven," andMatthew 18:18: "What things soever ye shall loose," etc., and interpreted byJohn 20:23: "Whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them" (see KEYS, POWER OF THE). The Roman church regards this as the act of a properly ordained priest, by which, in the sacrament of Penance, he frees from sin one who has confessed and made promise of satisfaction. Protestants regard the promise as given not to any order within the church, but to the congregation of believers, exercising its prerogative through the Christian ministry, as its ordinary executive. They differ as to whether the act be only declarative or collative. Luther regarded it as both declarative and collative, since the Word always brings that which it offers. The absolution differs from the general promise of the gospel by individualizing the promise. What the gospel, as read and preached, declares in general, the absolution applies personally. See alsoFORGIVENESS.
H. E. Jacobs
Greek
5050. teleiosis -- completion, perfection... perfection. From phusioo; (the act) completion, ie (of prophecy) verification, or
(of expiation)
absolution -- perfection, performance. see GREEK phusioo.
...1347. dikaiosis -- the act of pronouncing righteous, acquittal
... Phonetic Spelling: (dik-ah'-yo-sis) Short Definition: acquittal, justification
Definition: acquittal, justifying, justification, a process ofabsolution....
Library
Absolution.
... SERMONS. V.ABSOLUTION. Preached June 2, 1850.ABSOLUTION. "And the
Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who...
Confession andAbsolution
... Confession andAbsolution. A Sermon... II. Having thus briefly described this confession,
I come more briefly still to notice theABSOLUTION which God gave....
Absolution Libera Me Domine
...ABSOLUTION Libera me Domine. Libera me Domine Responsorium. First Mode. Libera
me, Domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa tremenda: Quando...
OfAbsolution from Excommunication (Three Articles)
... OFABSOLUTION FROM EXCOMMUNICATION (THREE ARTICLES). We must now considerabsolution
from excommunication: under which head there are three points of inquiry:...
Whether a Priest Can Remit Sin as to the Punishment?
... But after the priest'sabsolution the penitent is still obliged to undergo
temporal punishment either in Purgatory or in this world....
Whether a Penitent, at the Point of Death, Can be Absolved by any...
... Forabsolution requires jurisdiction, as stated above [4847](A[5]). Now a priest
does not acquire jurisdiction over a man who repents at the point of death....
Article vi: of Confession and Satisfaction.
... For we also retain confession, especially on account of theabsolution, as being
the word of God which, by divine authority, the power of the keys pronounces...
Whether the Form of this Sacrament Is: "I Absolve Thee"?
... is it in common use; in fact in certain absolutions which are given publicly in
church (eg at Prime and Compline and on Maundy Thursday),absolution is given...
Fifth Sunday in Lent
... In the Old Covenant, the priest with his sacrifices and sprinklings of blood effected
merely as it were an externalabsolution, or pardon, corresponding to the...
The Vengeance of Rome
... knowing that the Pope's ban was upon them, there were now many who passed away
peacefully and joyfully, in spite of it, without confession orabsolution....
Thesaurus
Absolution... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
ABSOLUTION.
... The
absolution differs from the
general promise of the gospel by individualizing the promise.
...Sins (351 Occurrences)
... Remission also is used of offenses against God's law; forgiveness, against either
divine or human law. SeeABSOLUTION; FORGIVENESS. HE Jacobs. RETENTION OF SINS...
Retention
... its place in connection with all preaching of the gospel, since the offers of grace
are conditional, it is especially exercised, like theabsolution, in the...
Confession (22 Occurrences)
... of one's faith. 3. (n.) The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest in
order to obtain sacramentalabsolution. 4. (n.) A formulary...
Absolutely (6 Occurrences)
Keys (2 Occurrences)
... between the general authority of the keys in all affairs of the church and religion,
and the binding and loosing which they specifically apply toabsolution....
Power (862 Occurrences)
... between the general authority of the keys in all affairs of the church and religion,
and the binding and loosing which they specifically apply toabsolution....
Forgiveness (124 Occurrences)
... The forgiveness here implied is not the pronouncing ofabsolution for the sins of
individuals, but the determination of courses of conduct and worship which...
Indulgence (3 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Remission of the temporal punishment due to sins, after the guilt of sin
has been remitted by sincere repentance;absolution from the censures and...
Remission (18 Occurrences)
... Remission also is used of offenses against God's law; forgiveness, against either
divine or human law. SeeABSOLUTION; FORGIVENESS. HE Jacobs....
Resources
Is the Catholic concept of absolution biblical? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are the 95 Theses of Martin Luther? | GotQuestions.orgCatholic Beliefs ' Article Index | GotQuestions.orgAbsolution: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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