Catholic Answers Live – Episode #12470
Date: November 22, 2025
Title: Must We Forgive the Unrepentant? Eucharist and Confession
Guest: Jimmy Akin
Host: Edgar Lujano
Main Theme & Purpose
This "Ask Me Anything" episode features renowned apologist Jimmy Akin tackling a wide array of listener questions ranging from the Church’s teaching on forgiveness (especially of the unrepentant), the nature of the Eucharist and accusations of cannibalism, confession and penance, the history of polygamy in the Bible, and recommendations on Catholic resources for new believers. The host, Edgar Lujano, facilitates the conversation, ensuring callers from around the world—novices and veterans of the faith—get rich, nuanced answers rooted in Scripture and Church tradition.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Church Teaching: “Sons of God” in Genesis 6 (Nephilim) [04:42–09:37]
- Question: Is there an official Church teaching on the identity of the "sons of God" in Genesis 6 (e.g., are they angels or descendants of Seth)?
- Answer:
- The Catholic Church has no official or binding teaching on the identity of the “sons of God” in Genesis 6.
- AI tools like “Magisterium AI” can confuse common theological opinions with actual Church doctrine.
- Many opinions from sources like the early 1900s Catholic Encyclopedia reflect widespread views of the time, not Church teaching per se.
- Quote:
“Oftentimes what people will do is represent stuff that isn’t even magisterial as if it were. … St. Thomas Aquinas was not a member of the Magisterium. He cannot give Catholic Church teaching.”
—Jimmy Akin [08:28]
2. Forgiving the Unrepentant in Light of Luke 17:3-4 [11:53–20:13]
- Caller’s Situation: The caller (Michael) asks if he is required to forgive people who never repented for severe offenses against him.
- Jimmy Akin’s Answer:
- Jesus, in Luke 17, says we must forgive "if" someone repents—so full relational restoration is conditional.
- We must still will the good of everyone, hope for their salvation, and pray for them—even if they don’t repent.
- Letting go of resentment is necessary for our own spiritual and emotional health, even when the offender is unrepentant.
- True reconciliation in this life isn’t mandatory if someone remains cruel and unrepentant, but when/if repentance occurs, we are required to forgive them and try to restore relations (to the extent reasonable).
- Quotes:
“God doesn’t forgive people who don’t repent, and saying, ‘Oh, we need to forgive everybody whether they repent or not’—well, God doesn’t do that.”
—Jimmy Akin [14:04]“If I had been keeping a grudge for all these years, did that help me or did that hurt me?”
—Jimmy Akin [17:13] “It hurt me… Negative emotions are painful. I’d been inflicting pain on myself by harboring this grudge. And so it would be better…to just let it go.”
—Jimmy Akin [17:15] - Recommendation: See Jimmy’s article: “The Limits of Forgiveness” (Catholic.com).
3. The Eucharist & Cannibalism Accusation [20:28–25:33]
- Caller’s Issue: Friend claims that belief in the Real Presence means Catholics are committing cannibalism.
- Jimmy Akin’s Response:
- Cannibalism requires the actual tearing apart and metabolizing of human flesh for nutrition—this is not what happens in the Eucharist.
- In Communion, the appearances of bread and wine are metabolized; Jesus’ glorified body is not hurt or diminished.
- Merely placing something in one’s mouth is not cannibalism (cf. analogy to “Fantastic Voyage” film).
- Psychological factors may mean some people won't drop the accusation after a single explanation—give it time.
- Quotes:
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him think. … We are not metabolizing Jesus’s body. We’re metabolizing the appearances of bread and wine so they cease to exist, but we are not metabolizing Jesus’s body.”
—Jimmy Akin [21:08]“This isn’t cannibalism. Jesus’s body and blood are just fine up in heaven, and undamaged—completely undamaged—by the fact they’re also present in the Eucharist.”
—Jimmy Akin [24:44]
4. Polygamy in the Old Testament and the Christian Shift to Monogamy [28:43–38:16]
- Caller’s Question: Why does the Old Testament permit polygamy, and when does the Church’s doctrine shift to monogamy?
- Key Points:
- Polygamy, though present in the Old Testament, has always been exceptional—monogamy is natural due to human sex parity.
- By Jesus’ time, some Jews (e.g., King Herod) still practiced polygamy, so it wasn't completely replaced by then.
- Christian monogamy ethic appears in the New Testament (e.g., qualifications for bishops: “husband of one wife”), and is rooted in Jesus’ teaching about Adam and Eve as the archetype of marriage.
- Old Testament tolerances for things like polygamy were due to “the hardness of men’s hearts”; not God’s original design.
- God’s “change” in permitting versus forbidding polygamy is due to circumstances, not a change in divine mind.
- Two interpretive approaches: Either God allowed polygamy for certain reasons (like self-defense with killing), or biblical phrasing reflects human perspective and not God’s explicit will.
- Quotes:
“Monogamy is the norm in human culture…polygamy has always been an exception.”
—Jimmy Akin [30:29]“God doesn’t change his mind. He’s outside of time, and so his mind is eternal and therefore does not change. What can change is what he allows or deems appropriate for people in particular circumstances.”
—Jimmy Akin [35:00]
5. Resources for a 14-year-old Interested in Catholicism [39:43–43:36]
- Grandfather asks: What Bible & book should I get for my 14-year-old granddaughter interested in the faith?
- Jimmy Akin’s Recommendations:
- Bible: Ignatius Study Bible (Catholic edition), either NT or full Bible.
- Book: Jimmy Akin’s The Words of Eternal Life—a brief, accessible faith summary.
- Bonus: Catholic graphic novels—The Truth is Out There, The Big Picture, Weapons of War—entertaining and catechetically solid.
6. Is Catholic Confession a “Work”? Relation to the Mosaic Law & Sin Offering [43:59–53:57]
- Caller’s Challenge: Family objects to confession and penance as “works righteousness”; interested in the parallels to sacrifices in the Mosaic Law.
- Jimmy’s Explanation:
- There are clear parallels between Old Testament sin offerings (e.g., presenting a lamb, seeking reconciliation with God) and Catholic confession (presenting oneself, seeking reconciliation).
- Confession in the New Testament is richly attested:
- 1 John: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive…,” not necessarily specifying private or public confession.
- James 5: Link between presbyters/priests and forgiveness.
- John 20: Jesus gives the Apostles/disciples the power to “forgive or retain” sins, requiring them to know the sins and the person’s repentance—implying confession.
- The Mosaic offerings (blood of animals) prefigure Christ's one sacrifice; confession is NOT a “new” work adding to Christ’s sacrifice, but the means he established to apply that forgiveness.
- Lord’s Prayer (“forgive us our trespasses…”) reveals forgiveness is ongoing, not just a one-time event at conversion.
- Quotes:
“As you commit new sins, you need to deal with them. One way is by praying. But there are explicit commands to confess in addition.”
—Jimmy Akin [48:31]“We have Jesus giving his ministers the power to forgive sins. … You’ve got to tell them about it, and you’ve got to tell them if you’re sorry. And that’s the sacrament of confession.”
—Jimmy Akin [51:53]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Magisterium AI and Church Teaching:
“AI is not good...at clearly distinguishing between is this a common opinion or is this something the Church actually teaches and requires Catholics to believe.”
—Jimmy Akin [07:03] -
On the nature of forgiveness:
"If you determine that the anger you feel towards them is not helping you…but is hurting you right now, then I would try letting that anger go. …not for their sake, but for our own, so that we’re not actively hurting ourselves.”
—Jimmy Akin [18:02] -
On forgiveness and God’s own practice:
"God doesn’t forgive people who don’t repent…and saying, ’oh, well, we need to forgive everybody whether they repent or not.’ Well, God doesn’t do that.”
—Jimmy Akin [14:04] -
On the Eucharist and cannibalism:
"In Communion, the appearances of bread and wine are metabolized; Jesus’s glorified body is not hurt or diminished.”
—Jimmy Akin [21:12] -
On the gradual shift from polygamy to monogamy:
"We see the beginnings of this monogamy ethic in the New Testament, and it just grows from there in church history.”
—Jimmy Akin [33:32] -
On confession and the New Covenant:
“There are several elements here that are parallel [between sin offering and confession]. You take a lamb…sacrifice it…make reconciliation between you and God…When you commit new sins, you need to go back and do it again. …As we commit new sins, we need to deal with them.”
—Jimmy Akin [46:07, 48:31]
Important Timestamps
- Genesis 6 and Magisterium AI — [04:42–09:37]
- Forgiveness and Luke 17:3-4 — [11:53–20:13]
- Eucharist/Cannibalism — [20:28–25:33]
- OT Polygamy/Monogamy in Christianity — [28:43–38:16]
- Resources for Teen Exploring Catholicism — [39:43–43:36]
- Confession, Penance, and OT Parallels — [43:59–53:57]
Episode Takeaways
- The Catholic Church officially teaches less than people often assume; many "teachings" are common opinions.
- Christian forgiveness is nuanced: we must always will the good for others but are not required to reconcile with unrepentant offenders.
- The Eucharist, though truly the Body and Blood of Christ, is not cannibalism, as the substance is not physically destroyed or metabolized.
- Monogamy was established early in Christian teaching, though OT polygamy was tolerated under specific historical contexts.
- Confession is biblically rooted and not a "work" that earns forgiveness, but the means Christ provided for reconciliation.
- Numerous accessible resources exist for young people and new Catholics, from study Bibles to approachable catechetical books and comics.
This summary preserves the friendly, approachable, and thorough tone of the conversation, highlighting Jimmy Akin’s blend of knowledge and pastoral care. It provides a strong foundation for both newcomers and seasoned listeners to understand the episode’s key insights on challenging doctrinal and practical questions.