Confession

[JesusIsFaithful]

I confess my sins to God before I go to confession

That's good that you confess to God... but umm... then going to confession as if what? His forgiving you is not enough? That's pretty bad there, bro.

 

[JesusIsFaithful]

Is anybody criticizing you for how you confess your sins?
So why do you criticize others??

I read in the local newspaper that a young Catholic adult thought he was dying from a car accident when he had arrived at the hospital and was being rushed into surgery. He was frantic and needed the priest for confessions and the last rites because it looked like he may not make it. The priest did not come in time as he was rushed into surgery. Fortunately, our wayward brother lived through the surgery. The priest had come and the young man expressed his fear of God not hearing him to forgive him of his sins for why he needed that priest there. The priest had assured him that God had heard him.

I read that article and I wonder what that young Catholic adult said afterwards. If it was me, I would ask incredulously, "Then why am I going to you all this time?!" I mean the article did convey his panic and worry.

So are we really doing any Catholic a favor for supporting them going to the priests for confessions?

Is it Biblical to confess to a priest and ask for absolution from that priest as if His promise in 1 John 1:9 is not true or hard to believe? I'd say no.

But I can't stop them from being in that position where they could panic for nothing. All I can say that going to Jesus is where they should go in the first place and no where else afterwards if they wish to please Him by taking Him at His word that He has forgiven them and cleansed them from all unrighteousness.

 

[Enoch111]

So are we really doing any Catholic a favor for supporting them going to the priests for confessions?

This whole Catholic business was a ploy to control the gullible people under the thumbs of the priests for centuries. According to Scripture, the Roman Catholic priesthood is a sham and a scam. The Royal Priesthood of believers is the truth.

Confession of our sins must be to God alone. Confession of our faults may be to our brethren. But because James 5:16 refuted the Catholic concept, and mentioned "faults" -- not sins -- it was deliberately changed to "sins" in the Catholic bibles as well as the modern Bible versions (which follow the Catholic bibles). Please note:

TRADITIONAL TEXTS
RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005
Ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. Πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Greek Orthodox Church 1904
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε· πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ὅπως ἰαθῆτε πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (KJB)

Strong's Concordance
paraptóma: a false step, a trespass
Original Word: παράπτωμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: paraptóma
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ap'-to-mah)
Short Definition: a falling away, sin
Definition: a falling away, lapse, slip, false step, trespass, sin.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3900: παράπτωμα
παράπτωμα, παραπτώματος, τό(παραπίπτω, which see);
1. properly, a fall beside or near something; but nowhere found in this sense.

2. tropically, a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness; a sin, misdeed (R. V. trespass,'differing from ἁμάρτημα (which see) in figure not in force' (Fritzsche); cf. Trench, § lxvi.): Matthew 6:14,(a GT omit; WH brackets), b; Rec.; Mark 11:25, 26 R G L;Romans 4:25; Romans 5:15-18, 20; Romans 11:11; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 1:7;Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; James 5:16 (whereL T Tr WH ἁμαρτίας). (Polybius 9, 10, 6; Wis. 3:13 Wis. 10:1; the Sept. several times for מַעַל, עָוֶל, פֶּשַׁע , etc.; of literary faults, Longinus, 36, 2.)

As noted by Thayer's paraptoma is not the same as hamartia. That is why the KJV has "faults".

CRITICAL TEXT
ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὖν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ προσεύχεσθε / εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Strong's Concordance
hamartia: a sin, failure
Original Word: ἁμαρτία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: hamartia
Phonetic Spelling: (ham-ar-tee'-ah)
Short Definition: a sin
Definition: prop: missing the mark; hence: (a) guilt, sin, (b) a fault, failure (in an ethical sense), sinful deed.

 

[GodsGrace]

This whole Catholic business was a ploy to control the gullible people under the thumbs of the priests for centuries. According to Scripture, the Roman Catholic priesthood is a sham and a scam. The Royal Priesthood of believers is the truth.

Confession of our sins must be to God alone. Confession of our faults may be to our brethren. But because James 5:16 refuted the Catholic concept, and mentioned "faults" -- not sins -- it was deliberately changed to "sins" in the Catholic bibles as well as the modern Bible versions (which follow the Catholic bibles). Please note:

TRADITIONAL TEXTS
RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005
Ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. Πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Greek Orthodox Church 1904
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε· πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ὅπως ἰαθῆτε πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (KJB)

Strong's Concordance
paraptóma: a false step, a trespass
Original Word: παράπτωμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: paraptóma
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ap'-to-mah)
Short Definition: a falling away, sin
Definition: a falling away, lapse, slip, false step, trespass, sin.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3900: παράπτωμα
παράπτωμα, παραπτώματος, τό(παραπίπτω, which see);
1. properly, a fall beside or near something; but nowhere found in this sense.

2. tropically, a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness; a sin, misdeed (R. V. trespass,'differing from ἁμάρτημα (which see) in figure not in force' (Fritzsche); cf. Trench, § lxvi.): Matthew 6:14,(a GT omit; WH brackets), b; Rec.; Mark 11:25, 26 R G L;Romans 4:25; Romans 5:15-18, 20; Romans 11:11; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 1:7;Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; James 5:16 (whereL T Tr WH ἁμαρτίας). (Polybius 9, 10, 6; Wis. 3:13 Wis. 10:1; the Sept. several times for מַעַל, עָוֶל, פֶּשַׁע , etc.; of literary faults, Longinus, 36, 2.)

As noted by Thayer's paraptoma is not the same as hamartia. That is why the KJV has "faults".

CRITICAL TEXT
ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὖν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ προσεύχεσθε / εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Strong's Concordance
hamartia: a sin, failure
Original Word: ἁμαρτία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: hamartia
Phonetic Spelling: (ham-ar-tee'-ah)
Short Definition: a sin
Definition: prop: missing the mark; hence: (a) guilt, sin, (b) a fault, failure (in an ethical sense), sinful deed.

Enoch, after all this Greek, it seems to me that fault and sin are the same.
A fault is a sin.
John 20:23 doesn't say to forgive our faults one to the other.
Jesus forgave sins.
He passed that authority to the apostles and told them who's sins they forgive will be forgiven.
The early church father's did not give a formula for this forgiving, although it is mentioned.
Questions arise, such as,,,is this authority passed on beyond the original apostles?
What exactly does it mean? For example, could it have meant forgiving a sincere penitant for entry into the Christian community?

Also confession was changed throughout time,,,for the better I believe.

I just think we should follow our consciece.

 

[JesusIsFaithful]

This whole Catholic business was a ploy to control the gullible people under the thumbs of the priests for centuries. According to Scripture, the Roman Catholic priesthood is a sham and a scam. The Royal Priesthood of believers is the truth.

Confession of our sins must be to God alone. Confession of our faults may be to our brethren. But because James 5:16 refuted the Catholic concept, and mentioned "faults" -- not sins -- it was deliberately changed to "sins" in the Catholic bibles as well as the modern Bible versions (which follow the Catholic bibles). Please note:

TRADITIONAL TEXTS
RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005
Ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. Πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Greek Orthodox Church 1904
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε· πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550
ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ὅπως ἰαθῆτε πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (KJB)

Strong's Concordance
paraptóma: a false step, a trespass
Original Word: παράπτωμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: paraptóma
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ap'-to-mah)
Short Definition: a falling away, sin
Definition: a falling away, lapse, slip, false step, trespass, sin.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3900: παράπτωμα
παράπτωμα, παραπτώματος, τό(παραπίπτω, which see);
1. properly, a fall beside or near something; but nowhere found in this sense.

2. tropically, a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness; a sin, misdeed (R. V. trespass,'differing from ἁμάρτημα (which see) in figure not in force' (Fritzsche); cf. Trench, § lxvi.): Matthew 6:14,(a GT omit; WH brackets), b; Rec.; Mark 11:25, 26 R G L;Romans 4:25; Romans 5:15-18, 20; Romans 11:11; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 1:7;Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; James 5:16 (whereL T Tr WH ἁμαρτίας). (Polybius 9, 10, 6; Wis. 3:13 Wis. 10:1; the Sept. several times for מַעַל, עָוֶל, פֶּשַׁע , etc.; of literary faults, Longinus, 36, 2.)

As noted by Thayer's paraptoma is not the same as hamartia. That is why the KJV has "faults".

CRITICAL TEXT
ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὖν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ προσεύχεσθε / εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Strong's Concordance
hamartia: a sin, failure
Original Word: ἁμαρτία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: hamartia
Phonetic Spelling: (ham-ar-tee'-ah)
Short Definition: a sin
Definition: prop: missing the mark; hence: (a) guilt, sin, (b) a fault, failure (in an ethical sense), sinful deed.

I believe we are to forgive sins that a believer or a sinner has committed against us. Somehow, Catholic has turned that around to also include confessing sins that were not committed against you, but against God too. How they got that to mean confessing only to a priest is beyond me, albeit, I seem to recall a time when Catholics had to pay for confessions to God as a means to raise money for the St. Peter's Cathedral. I may be wrong in my recollection, but if they never had confessional booths before that financial campaign to raise funds, I can see where that had come from.

Not saying that this is the case, but maybe that is where confessing to a priest was formulated from before dropping the paying for those confessions when the St. Peter's Cathedral was finally built...maybe. Maybe not. It certainly was not taught any where in the N.T. of coming to a bishop to confess their sins; Paul always pointed to Jesus in Hebrews 4:12-16 and so did the apostle John in 1 John 1:9.

So confess sins against God to Jesus, but confess sins against the brethren to the brethren unless opportunities prevents this, then confess those sins against the brethren to Jesus to obtain forgiveness by and ask Him for help not to do that again to that brethren or any one else.

 

[aspen]

That's good that you confess to God... but umm... then going to confession as if what? His forgiving you is not enough? That's pretty bad there, bro.

Asking forgiveness from neighbor (a priest represents the Body of Christ) is also important. The standard was much higher in the early church - people had to stand up in front of the entire church and confess their sins.

It is also great to hear the priest remind you of Gods forgiveness......bro

 

[Helen]

Enoch, after all this Greek, it seems to me that fault and sin are the same.
A fault is a sin.
Also confession was changed throughout time,,,for the better I believe.
I just think we should follow our conscience.

Now there is the wisdom!! I agree.
Whether we confess our faults, failings, attitudes or sins to a third party other than God...has nothing to do with anyone else.
It does not hurts the person themselves, or any one else!

We are always so quick to put our religious noses into someone else's pocket....
Maybe for some people the priest is the only other person other then God, that the person has spoken to all day!!

 

[Enoch111]

Enoch, after all this Greek, it seems to me that fault and sin are the same.
A fault is a sin.

We would not have two different Greek words if they meant exactly the same thing. I believe the difference would pertain to the seriousness of the matter. When you turn to the commandments in the Torah, some violations are punishable by death, while others require only monetary or material restitution. I also believe the KJB translators correctly used the word "faults" (lapses, blunders, unintentional offences, etc.).

The real issue is that only God (and Christ) can absolve, forgive, or remit sins. No man can pronounce absolution, and herein lies the error. What is said about the apostles needs to be properly interpreted.

 

[aspen]

This is not a magic spell that needs to be performed

 

[Helen]

The real issue is that only God (and Christ) can absolve, forgive, or remit sins. No man can pronounce absolution, and herein lies the error. What is said about the apostles needs to be properly interpreted.

John 20:22- is good enough for me.

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”

.

 

[Philip James]

The real issue is that only God (and Christ) can absolve, forgive, or remit sins. No man can pronounce absolution, and herein lies the error. What is said about the apostles needs to be properly interpreted.

Jesus gave His Church the authority to forgive (or retain!) sins... And so has the Church taught and believed for 2000 years.. Your beef is with Him!

Peace!

 

[JesusIsFaithful]

Asking forgiveness from neighbor (a priest represents the Body of Christ) is also important. The standard was much higher in the early church - people had to stand up in front of the entire church and confess their sins.

Got scripture for that? Or are you talking about the early church past the N.T.? I know about confessing your sins one to another, but I always had taken that to mean the sins you had committed to the other. It would stand to reasons why they would stand up in front of church and confess those sins if the congregation knew about the feud between members.

Plus, if an excommunicated unrepentant member came back, because he ahd repented, then since the whole church had excommunicated him, then he would have to publicly show his confession and repentance to the church for teh whole church to know what was going on for why he was coming back in.

But what you are talking about ... it cannot gravitate from that when Paul & John both pointed going to Jesus for that forgiveness of sins against God and nobody else after Him.

It is also great to hear the priest remind you of Gods forgiveness......bro

Reminding is one thing; asking for forgiveness as if you did not believe His words that you were forgiven is another when you had sought forgiveness from God through a priest afterwards.

If your son had sinned against you and had asked you for your forgiveness; how would you feel i afterwards, he went to his oldest brother to ask for forgiveness for sins against you and was told to do something to make him believe he has earned your forgiveness? To me, I would think you would be offended that your son did not believe you that you had forgiven him, otherwise, he would not have gone to his older brother.

Then who knows what you would have thought if you find that your son still has not believed he was forgiven by you when he is still doing the things to earn that forgiveness as instructed by his older brother to do as if he did not believe his older brother.

There may come a time in every believer's life that they need His help to believe in His word to them to really receive the peace of God that only He can give.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Ask Him for forgiveness and for His help to believe Him that you are truly forgiven as promised. It can't hurt, brother. I hope you find His peace that way.

 

[Philip James]

If your son had sinned against you and had asked you for your forgiveness; how would you feel i afterwards, he went to his oldest brother to ask for forgiveness for sins against you and was told to do something to make him believe he has earned your forgiveness? To me, I would think you would be offended that your son did not believe you that you had forgiven him, otherwise, he would not have gone to his older brother.

Guess that depends on whether i gave the older brother the authority to do exactly that...

 

[Enoch111]

Jesus gave His Church the authority to forgive (or retain!) sins... And so has the Church taught and believed for 2000 years.. Your beef is with Him!

As I said earlier, John 20:22 needs to be interpreted properly.

1. There is nothing in all of the Bible to suggest that any human being could forgive sins as God forgives. We can forgive each other in that we will not hold grudges against each other.

2. But when God forgives, He literally blots out those sins. As Scripture says He casts them behind His back, and does not remember them again. And the reason for this is that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, keep on cleansing us from all our sins.

3. So how should we interpret John 20:23? Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” Is Christ giving "the Church" this authority? And what exactly does this mean in view of the fact that God alone has authority to remit sins?

The context makes it clear that this authority was Apostolic authority, not given to every believer (who constitutes the Church). And when we examine the New Testament record, we find that this meant that the apostles were to act as judges in matters pertaining to the sins of Christians and their impact on the churches.

1. We have the example of Ananias and Sapphira, where Peter passed judgment on their sins of lying to the Holy Ghost. They both died instantaneously.
2. We have the example of Peter passing judgment on Simon the Sorcerer, in that he was condemned for his attempt to purchase the gift of the Holy Spirit. No doubt this man was damned.
3. We have the example of Paul passing judgment on the man who committed fornication and was consigned to Satan for the destruction of his body. But later on we find that there was repentance and restoration.

Now when we come to the Roman Catholic concept of absolution we see a violation of Scripture.

"Absolution proper is that act of the priest whereby, in the Sacrament of Penance, he frees man from sin. It presupposes on the part of the penitent, contrition, confession, and promise at least of satisfaction; on the part of the minister, valid reception of the Order of Priesthood and jurisdiction, granted by competent authority, over the person receiving the sacrament.

That there is in the Church power to absolve sins committed after baptism the Council of Trent thus declares: "But the Lord then principally instituted the Sacrament of Penance, when, being raised from the dead, He breathed upon His disciples saying, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.' By which action so signal, and words so clear the consent of all the Fathers has ever understood that the power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the Apostles, and to their lawful successors for the reconciling of the faithful who have fallen after baptism" (Sess. XIV, i)." New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia

There are several Roman Catholic presumptions here which are not accepted by non-Catholics and have no authority in Scripture.

1. The Catholic "order of priesthood" is a Catholic invention. There is no such thing as New Testament priests (only elders within the royal Priesthood of all believers).
2. No man can free another man of his sins. That is a divine prerogative.
3.There is no such thing as a "sacrament of penance" in Scripture.
4. The presumption that "the Church" means the Roman Catholic Church is false. According to Scripture, the Church is the entire Body of believers, who have been redeemed by grace, and washed in the blood of the Lamb. This cuts across all denominations and churches.
5. The authority given to the apostles was not passed down to their "lawful successors", since after the apostles passed away, their apostolic authority also passed away. The Bible speaks of "the twelve apostles of the Lamb" and that's it.

 

[JesusIsFaithful]

Guess that depends on whether i gave the older brother the authority to do exactly that...

Just in case your son did not believe you? I don't think that was the authority He had intended for His disciples, otherwise, that would foster unbelief in coming to God to ask for forgiveness for their sins against God... just as it would foster unbelief in coming to you for forgiveness of sins against you.

I know what you are talking about, but you are not going to find His disciples in the N.T. taking those keys to forgive or retain in teaching any one to come to them for the forgiveness of sins against God in any letter to the churches in the N.T. Food for thought.

I believe the keys meant that each believer has the power to forgive sins committed against them, even in some cases when they are not asking for forgiveness from them; and even retain them in some cases where they did not ask for forgiveness from them.

They were not to serve as a go between any believer's relationship with God in coming to God for the forgiveness of sins against God. Jesus is our stepping stone to the Father. He really is the only way to come to God the father by for the forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 4:12-16 & 1 John 1:9

I can only hope the Lord will lead you to believe Him that you are forgiven when the next time you ask Him for it that you will not still need to go to a priest to have the peace of God that can only come from Jesus Christ Himself as the only High Priest we have at that throne of grace.

 

[Philip James]

As I said earlier, John 20:22 needs to be interpreted properly.

1. There is nothing in all of the Bible to suggest that any human being could forgive sins as God forgives. We can forgive each other in that we will not hold grudges against each other.

And why should I give YOUR opinion more weight than that of the apostolic communities established and taught by the apostles?

 

[Philip James]

I know what you are talking about, but you are not going to find His disciples in the N.T. taking those keys to forgive or retain

Oh no? Tell that to ananaias and sapphira ...

 

[Nancy]

Indeed, and all are welcome to come to the wedding feast of the Lamb...
But,
'no one can come to me unless the Father draw him'

Peace!

Do you believe Jesus was God? Then when He said as He was ascending into Heaven..."I will draw all men unto me..."

 

[Philip James]

Do you believe Jesus was God? Then when He said as He was ascending into Heaven..."I will draw all men unto me..."

Yep! Alleluia!

 

[GodsGrace]

I read in the local newspaper that a young Catholic adult thought he was dying from a car accident when he had arrived at the hospital and was being rushed into surgery. He was frantic and needed the priest for confessions and the last rites because it looked like he may not make it. The priest did not come in time as he was rushed into surgery. Fortunately, our wayward brother lived through the surgery. The priest had come and the young man expressed his fear of God not hearing him to forgive him of his sins for why he needed that priest there. The priest had assured him that God had heard him.

I read that article and I wonder what that young Catholic adult said afterwards. If it was me, I would ask incredulously, "Then why am I going to you all this time?!" I mean the article did convey his panic and worry.

So are we really doing any Catholic a favor for supporting them going to the priests for confessions?

Is it Biblical to confess to a priest and ask for absolution from that priest as if His promise in 1 John 1:9 is not true or hard to believe? I'd say no.

But I can't stop them from being in that position where they could panic for nothing. All I can say that going to Jesus is where they should go in the first place and no where else afterwards if they wish to please Him by taking Him at His word that He has forgiven them and cleansed them from all unrighteousness.

Hi JIF
I'm not at a computer, but I'll try.

1 John 1:9 doesn't really tell us how to confess, does it?
Maybe because John was writing to people that were taught how so he didn't think it was important to repeat it? Just from reading that verse it does seem to mean that we should confess to God.

We have Protestants that go to their pastor with a problem regarding conscience. Wouldn't it be nice if they could be sure their sin was forgiven? Why do WE battle with this at times? Persons here on these threads have this fear that they have not been forgiven. We can't deny this.

Confession is not a bad thing. It has nothing to do with salvation and could actually cause good.

I don't refer to 1 John. I refer to John 20:23 -- that is the problem verse for me.