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Forgiveness of Sins in the New Apostolic Church – Doctrine and Biblical Comparison

How does the New Apostolic Church understand the forgiveness of sins – and what does the Bible really teach about it?

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• How I Experienced It
• The Teaching of the New Apostolic Church
• The Biblical Teaching on Forgiveness of Sins
• Direct Comparison: NAC ↔ Bible
• Pastoral Notes for New Apostolic Christians
• Conclusion
• FAQ
• Sources & Author Note

Introduction

For many New Apostolic Christians, the thought of forgiveness of sins is closely tied to the Sunday service: after a joint confession of guilt, an apostle or minister declares forgiveness “in the name of Jesus.” This practice is deeply rooted in New Apostolic spirituality and is experienced as a recurring act of purification. But what exactly does the New Apostolic Catechism teach about forgiveness of sins? And how does that compare to the biblical message, especially in the New Testament?

This article aims to examine both perspectives – the Church’s doctrine and the biblical view – and to show the central role that Jesus Christ himself plays in the biblical understanding of forgiveness. The goal is not to criticize for criticism’s sake, but to offer sound theological and pastoral guidance in the light of Scripture.

How I Experienced It

I spent 41 years of my life in the New Apostolic Church. During that time, I never had the assurance that my sins were truly forgiven. The teaching that sins must be forgiven anew every week in the divine service—and that this is only possible through ordained ministers acting in the authority of an apostle—kept me from seeing the full significance of Christ’s finished work on the cross. We lived from one Sunday to the next, waiting for forgiveness again and again.

At some point, I realized how absurd that was: if forgiveness depends on a priestly declaration “in the name of the apostle,” then that forgiveness doesn’t last very long. One wrong thought, and we would have fallen from grace again, waiting for the next Sunday. A former Chief Apostle even once said that the best moment for the rapture would be immediately after the pronouncement of forgiveness—then God would surely accept us. How absurd! And how liberating is the biblical truth that Jesus, by His death on the cross, forgave all our sins—past, present, and future! We receive this forgiveness through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, along with a new heart that loves God and desires no longer to sin.

This opens the door to a living, fatherly relationship with God, rather than a dependent relationship with an institution or its ministers. After turning to Jesus, I experienced true freedom, assurance of salvation, and the unshakable certainty that God has accepted me, loves me, and will bring me safely home. And Jesus himself is that assurance. Now, let’s turn to what the Bible actually teaches.

The Teaching of the New Apostolic Church

The Catechism of the New Apostolic Church teaches that the forgiveness of sins is granted in the divine service by an apostle or a priest acting in the apostle’s authority. According to CNAC 8.2.12, the forgiveness of sins “precedes participation in Holy Communion” and is proclaimed “in the name of Jesus Christ and in the commission of the apostle.” This liturgical act is considered a means by which believers are cleansed from their sins and made worthy to receive the Lord’s Supper.

The Catechism bases this on John 20:23, where Jesus says to the apostles, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” From this verse, the NAC concludes that the authority to proclaim forgiveness has been passed on through the apostolic ministry to the present day. It is thus closely linked to the doctrine of the living apostolate, which alone possesses this authority. Without the apostle, there would be no valid proclamation of forgiveness, and therefore no complete reconciliation with God within the Church’s understanding.

This leads to a view of forgiveness as a recurring event: believers must regularly receive absolution through the apostle’s commission, as sin continues to separate them from God. The Catechism explicitly rejects the idea that forgiveness, granted once for all through faith in Christ, is sufficient. Rather, forgiveness is portrayed as something continually mediated through the Church’s ministry.

The Biblical Teaching on Forgiveness of Sins

According to the New Testament, forgiveness of sins is not mediated through ministers or liturgical declarations, but through a personal act of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This repentance—metanoia in Greek—means a complete turning away from a life without God toward Him. Forgiveness begins not with ritual confession, but with a change of heart and the decision to entrust one’s life to Christ.

Repentance and Turning to God

Jesus Himself emphasized repentance as the prerequisite for salvation: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5, ESV). Peter proclaimed in Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” Repentance is therefore more than the confession of individual sins—it is the radical turning of a sinner toward God, acknowledging His sovereignty and grace.

Paul describes his calling in Acts 26:18: “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Here we see that forgiveness is tied to both repentance and faith. Whoever turns to God through Christ receives forgiveness as a divine gift, not through a repeated pronouncement but through the once-for-all work of Jesus on the cross.

The Basis of Forgiveness

The Bible is clear that forgiveness rests solely on the finished sacrifice of Christ: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Paul writes in Colossians 2:14 that Jesus “canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Forgiveness, therefore, does not depend on recurring priestly acts, but on the single, perfect sacrifice of the Son of God.

Complete and Lasting Forgiveness

The Epistle to the Hebrews teaches that Christ’s sacrifice is eternally valid: “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time … to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28). And again: “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Forgiveness in the New Testament is therefore not temporary but complete—covering past, present, and future sins.

For those who have been born again, sin no longer defines their standing before God. Paul says in Colossians 2:13: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses … God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” Believers are justified once for all. When they later stumble, they do not lose their salvation, but they maintain fellowship with God by confessing their sins to Him: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Thus, the New Testament distinguishes between two aspects of forgiveness:

• Judicial forgiveness: granted once at conversion and new birth; it makes a person a child of God.
• Parental forgiveness: the ongoing cleansing of a believer who confesses sins to the Father, maintaining fellowship with Him (cf. 1 John 1:9; John 13:10).

Direct Comparison: NAC ↔ Bible

Common ground: Both acknowledge the central role of Christ and the importance of repentance.

Key Differences

Aspect	New Apostolic Church (NAC)	Biblical Teaching (New Testament)
How forgiveness is received	Liturgical absolution by ministers acting under apostolic authority, usually during the divine service.	Personal repentance (metanoia) and faith in Jesus Christ.
Basis of forgiveness	Christ’s sacrifice plus the repeated, ministry-bound act of absolution.	The once-for-all, complete sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Timing of forgiveness	Immediately before Holy Communion through the pronouncement of absolution.	At the moment of personal conversion and faith (foundational forgiveness), and continuously through confession (for believers).

Pastoral Reflection

The difference between the New Apostolic understanding and the biblical message is not merely theological—it has profound consequences for the life of faith. Whoever believes that forgiveness is bound to a ritual act or ministerial declaration will always depend on human mediation. The cross of Christ, however, has removed this separation once and for all. Through Jesus, the believer may have full assurance: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, ESV).

This assurance is liberating. It creates a relationship of trust and gratitude rather than fear and dependence. The believer no longer lives from one service to the next, wondering whether he is still forgiven—but lives daily in the confidence that God’s grace is sufficient, and that Jesus’ blood has fully covered all sin.

The New Testament understanding of forgiveness leads to freedom, humility, and deep peace with God. This peace cannot be produced by any church, sacrament, or priestly pronouncement, but only by faith in the crucified and risen Lord. Whoever belongs to Him can rest assured: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Summary

• Forgiveness of sins is not mediated through apostles or priests, but directly through Jesus Christ.
• It is grounded in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
• Repentance and faith open the way to forgiveness and new life.
• Those who believe are justified once for all and may live in peace with God.
• Confession serves to maintain fellowship, not to re-establish salvation.

Sources

• Catechism of the New Apostolic Church
• Holy Bible – English Standard Version (ESV)

Appendix – All Quoted Bible Verses

Luke 13:5 (ESV): “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Acts 3:19 (ESV): “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”
Acts 26:18 (ESV): “…that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Ephesians 1:7 (ESV): “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”
Colossians 2:14 (ESV): “By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
Hebrews 9:28 (ESV): “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time… to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Hebrews 10:14 (ESV): “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Colossians 2:13 (ESV): “And you, who were dead in your trespasses… God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”
1 John 1:9 (ESV): “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
John 8:36 (ESV): “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Romans 8:1 (ESV): “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”