Declaration of Absolution

Definition and Meaning

The declaration of absolution is the part of worship in which, after the congregation has confessed its sins, the worship leader announces, on the basis of Scripture, that God forgives sins. The Korean term saje (赦罪) used here means "the forgiveness of sin." It is a different word from its homophone saje (謝罪), which means "to apologize" for a wrong. Depending on the church and the service book, it is also called the "declaration of pardon," the "declaration of forgiveness," or the "assurance of pardon." It is usually paired with the "confession of sin" and placed near the beginning of the order of worship.

Biblical and Historical Background

The following passages are frequently cited as the basis for this element of worship.

• Isaiah 6:5-7: When Isaiah confesses his sin, the seraph says, "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." The passage serves as a model of confession followed by a declaration of forgiveness.
• 1 John 1:9: The promise that if we confess our sins, God will forgive them (1 John 1:7-10).
• John 20:23 and Matthew 18:18: Passages stating that the church has been given authority to bind and loose sins, commonly referred to as the "keys of the kingdom" (Matthew 18:18-19).

In the medieval Western church, the priest absolved sins within the sacrament of penance. After the Reformation, understandings diverged among the various traditions.

• Roman Catholicism: Holds that the priest absolves sins by authority received from Christ and understands this as a sacrament.
• Martin Luther and Lutheranism: Luther did not regard penance as a sacrament, but he valued confession and absolution themselves. Lutherans hold that the pastor declares forgiveness at Christ's command.
• Anglicanism: The Book of Common Prayer includes an order in which the priest pronounces absolution after the congregation's general confession.
• John Calvin: In Strasbourg, Calvin included a declaration of absolution after the general confession. In Geneva, however, the element was reportedly dropped in the face of opposition. The Reformed tradition understands the minister not as absolving sins by his own authority but as proclaiming the promise of the gospel.
• Baptist, Pentecostal, and other free worship traditions: These emphasize that believers confess directly to God and receive forgiveness from him (the priesthood of all believers). Consequently, many do not include a declaration by the worship leader as a fixed element of the service.

Practice in Korean Churches

For a long time, Sunday worship in Korean Protestantism centered on silent prayer, hymns, the representative prayer offered on behalf of the congregation, and the sermon. For this reason, many churches did not include a separate declaration of absolution, and repentance was often expressed within the representative prayer or in simultaneous audible prayer.

Later, amid movements for liturgical renewal, service books published by some Presbyterian and Methodist denominations reportedly included a declaration of absolution following the "confession of sin." In such cases, the pastor usually reads a passage such as 1 John 1:9 and then announces forgiveness with words such as "In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare to you that your sins are forgiven."

The Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea regularly practice confession and absolution within fixed rites such as the Eucharist. By contrast, many churches, including those in the Baptist and Full Gospel traditions, do not treat it as a fixed element of worship. Even within the same denomination, its use varies according to the worship style of the individual congregation.