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PASTORAL PSYCHOLOGY
This point of view confuses two issues: first, that the person
who hears the confession shall represent the spiritual fellowship;
and, secondly, by what evidence the fact that this is so shall be
attested. The question is, who can be known objectively to
represent the spiritual reality and fellowship against which,
through his sin, a human being has transgressed? This question
must be considered more fully.
We cannot deny the value of a traditional form which,
through the ages, has confirmed in their office those who, in the
opinion of the Church congregation, were proper servants and
empowered representatives of congregational fellowship. The
situation has been expounded by Giertz in his book, The
Church of Christ.: He emphasises the fact that the ecclesiastical
office dates from the time of the Apostles. The first Christian
officers were the empowered representatives of Jesus and they
became the undisputed leaders of the Church. In the next
generation the same commission was held by the empowered
successors of the Apostles. In this sense the idea of apostolic
succession has always been valued very highly by the Church.
As Giertz says, it is not necessary to be an episcopal to be
thankful for such a continuity, but we must beware of exaggerating its
value. It cannot be a final criterion of the validity of a
sacrament of Holy Communion, any more than we can argue that the
chain of apostolic succession has been broken because some of the
links are missing in the line of succession of bishops. Nevertheless,
the fact must be acknowledged that if we maintain the New
Testament and Early Church conception of the holy office, there
should, normally and naturally, be an unbroken succession from
the Apostles so that the commission emanates from them.
If we agree with this point of view of Giertz it is still by no
means certain whether his view can be supported that the
office of teaching in the Christian Church is a commission
‘based upon an act of consecration’. The act is merely a
confirmation of the commission.
The rule should be that the administration of the sacraments
and confession is entrusted to those who have received the
commission of the Church to be leaders and teachers. There are,
however, occasions when such a rule should and must be broken.
These exceptions do not, however, cancel the rule.
1 Bo Giertz: Kristi kyrka. Stockholm, 1939.
76
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