Secret Confessions, Simple Prayer, and Tithing Obligations by Pastor Walter Snyder Q: What do I do if someone confides in me that they committed a horrible crime? A: What do you do if someone confides in you at other times? What is your obligation to this person versus that to society and to God? Sometimes people will tell friends their "secret" sins, announcing that they are sorry, in order to relieve a sense of guilt. Yet this is often not a true confession, since they continue to hide from earthly responsibility they may have brought upon themselves. Also, since no sin is a true secret, why is he ignoring God, since the Lord already knows? Just why has he burdened you with this confession? While a pastor may never reveal a confession, since a sin forgiven is a sin forgotten, someone who burdens another with his own guilt but refuses to accept responsibility for his actions needs a caring friend to point out the problem. I encourage you to work with this person to fully realize sin, its guilt, and personal responsibility. Even if you're not going to say anything to anyone else, remind this one that God already knows the deed and the thoughts before and after the face. At the same time remind him that God's forgiveness is full and complete so even if he faces punishment from society, God removes the guilt and the eternal punishment that our sins deserve. If I were a lay person I would still only in rare circumstances and only as a last resort report the crime myself (perhaps only when there is ongoing risk to others). Ultimately, if you're the only one besides this self-confessed criminal and sinner, have you any way of gauging whether he benefits more from your silence or your passing the word to others. I pray that you make the best decision based on the facts that you know and that you remember that even if you sin yourself in your decision, God will forgive you. Q: Such a basic question: Where in the Bible do I find the Lord's Prayer? Can you help? A: Jesus gives the prayer twice. The earlier account is in the Sermon on the Mount, in the context of teaching on fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Here, He "volunteers" the information to His disciples and the larger group during the sermon (Mt 6:5-11). Later, the disciples, knowing of John the Baptizer's devoted prayer life, how he'd instructed his disciples, and how active in prayer Jesus was, asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray. (Lk 1:11)" The Matthew prayer is longer and is normally the basis of what is used among Christians. Most translations of Scripture omit "for Thine/Yours is the kingdom..." from the prayer. This is because the closing words were quite likely added at a later time. Taken together, the two accounts provide both a prayer text (in Luke, Jesus says, "When you pray, say...") and a framework or model for our prayer lives (in Matthew, the Lord says, "Pray then like this..."). I venture to say that we should ignore neither the model nor the exact prayer text. Q: Should a tithe be given for inheritance? Is money given from inheritance considered an offering above and beyond one's tithe of their earnings? A: First of all, your question begs an even more basic question; that is, need we even give tithes? The tithe is part of the Law of Moses specifically given to Israel. Nowhere does the New Testament, either Christ or one of His apostles, demand the tithe of Gentiles. That doesn't mean that we should abstain from a tithe, nor does it mean that we sin when we commit ourselves to giving a regular amount. Now if you have committed yourself in the spirit of Christian liberty, then you're the one who decides what will or won't be tithed. (Notice that I don't say "should"---that is a Law word and not part of the Gospel's freedom.) If you want a Biblical example or proof text, there's nothing that I've found specific to tithing inheritances. The tithes appear to have been mainly percentages of earned income, not of gifts or blessings. In fact, since the major inheritance was often land, a person wouldn't tithe what God commanded and encouraged should stay with the individual's family. Finally, "over and above" also follows the Law, since the Gospel asks that you receive, not count or weigh. If you feel an obligation where none exists, why not give even more to avoid sinning against your conscience or else give nothing at all in testimony to the freedom you have in the Gospel? Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from ~The Holy Bible, English Standard Version~, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Ask the Pastor, © 2003 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including this disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and redistribution. Translations into other languages should similarly note the United States and any appropriate international copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural injunctions concerning the property of others. Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."