Ephesians - Confession

As we continue in our study of Ephesians, I came across this wonderful quote from Marcus Barth regarding Paul's discussion of the "trespasses and sins" that separate us from God. This is a wonderful piece to read if you are wondering why we confess our sins weekly in the Presbyterian church:

"One cannot persuade or convince another of sin. Sin cannot be proclaimed or treated as a topic of teaching. Sin can only be confessed in prayer. When sin really is spoken of, man does not speak against fellow man; he must not do so, even if he should be the 'holiest Joe' dealing with the most insulting backslider. We can only speak of sin in solidarity with fellow sinners, and before God. In the prayer in which we praise God for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in which we cry "Father!" through the Holy Spirit (i.e. the Lord's Prayer), we can and will also confess, "Forgive us our sins."

Wes

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