Day 83. How does the Church exercise its authority to judge? (2024)

Today is day 83 and we are concluding the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed on Jesus Christ the Son of God. Today we are on the twelfth line: “He will come again to judge the living and the dead”.

83. How does the Church exercise its authority to judge?

The authority Christ gave to his Church to judge is most often exercised by declaring God’s forgiveness in absolution. However, a priest, acting under the authority of the bishop, may suspend a person from receiving Communion because of scandalous and unrepented sin, in order to draw them to repentance and restoration. (Psalm 32; Matthew 16:19; 18:15–17; John 20:21–23; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13)

We will conclude today with Prayer 80. For Trustfulness in Times of Worry and Anxiety found on page 670 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019).

If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism.

Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS.

Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.