Is Confessing Your Sins To A Priest Blasphemy?

[Katholikos]

What doesn't make sense, GC, is an individual without any training in ancient languages, culture, biblical history, and ecclesiastical history picking up an English translation of the Bible and interpretating it for himself. Which all Protestants do.

Scary. Been there. Done that.

The two oldest Churches in existence -- Catholic and Orthodox -- who date from the time of Christ and His Apostles, celebrate the same 7 sacraments, including Penance (Confession). That in itself should cause you question whether your interpretation of the Scripture is wrong (it is). If Christ and the Apostles didn't teach a doctrine (they taught confession to a priest), forget it.

Likos

[jeffpugh]

I'm sorry, I'm still having a bit of trouble with the numbers, not cause I don't believe in the power of the Word, but just the fact that not that many living souls existed then... i know Jerusalem was big, but I'm goona have to say double check the numbers... Anywho that's all I gotta say. I'm off to bed. God Bless all.

[Akalyte]

Why do Catholics Confess to a Priest?

The first two chapters of Baruch tell us how the jewish exiles in ancient Babylon repented of the sins that had led to their
humiliation by their enemies. These penitents confessed their sins to God and to the priests back in Jerusalem, asking the priests to
intercede for them; "pray for us also to the Lord, our God, for we have sinned against the Lord". (Baruch 1:13)

Thus, the practice of confessing sins to God as represented by a priest, and having the priest respond with a prayer for divine mercy, has ancient precedents among God's people (see also Lv 19:20-22). In Catholic practice, however, the priest not only prays for the penitent but also imposes a penance (satisfaction) and speaks on God's behalf the words of forgiveness (absolution).

This sacrament of Reconciliation, as it is called, is firmly grounded both in Scripture and in early , constant Christian Tradition. The priestly authority to represent God as an ambassador of his mercy was granted by Jesus to St. Peter and the other apostles-and by extension, to the priests they and their successors ordained:"Whatever you bind [that is by imposing penance] on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose [that is forgive in God's name] on earth shall be loosed in heaven' (Mt 16:19;18:18).

In the early Church, confession of grave sin was often made to the whole Christian assembly as well as to the priests. certain instructions in the letter of James are suggestive of this early practice. when sick, believers were to call the presbyters (priests). The priests were then to anoint them with oil and pray for them. In confessing their sins, the sick could be healed and forgiven" (Jas 5:13-16)

Catholics are obligated to repent of all mortal, or grave sins (contrition) and to confess them to a priest in order to be absolved. the penitent performs the assigned penance to repair the harm caused by sin and to reestablish habits that lead to holiness. the absolution imparted by the priest is not a mere expression of hope, but a sacramental, objective reality..

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1270691' date='May 10 2007, 10:04 PM']GodChaser, it is good that you are bringing your concern out front here. But, John:20:23 is the institution of confession when Christ breaths The Spirit on the apostles. Can't been any more sure about it than that. Also, confession is mentioned by St James in his letter (James 5:16). Confessing sins is also in the Pentateuch...[/quote]

GC,

Please study James 5:14-15 in addition to verse 16 to get to the meat of this:

"Is there anyone sick among you? [b]They should ask for the presbyters of the church.[/b] They in turn are to pray over him with oil in the Name [of the Lord]. This prayer uttered in faith wil reclaim the one who is ill, and the Lord will restore him to health. [b]If he has committed any sins, forgiveness will be his.[/b] Hense, declare your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may find healing."

Let's break this down:

1) In verse 14, people are directed to go to the [b]presbyters[/b]. The KJV says [b]elders[/b], but my Strong's concordance shows that is a translation of the word [i]presbuteros[/i], which is also translated as [i]presbyter[/i]. A Catholic priest, when he is ordained, is officially ordained into the [i]order of presbyters[/i]. So this is instituted by God in His word.

2) Please note that the scripture sets up a [i]formal procedure[/i] to do this and not just a simple "just go to God"; so it is serves as an "outward sign" for the community.

3) Please note that as part of this procedure, there is forgiveness of sins as well. Grace is conferred.

So what do we have here? An outward sign instituted by God that confers grace. We all know what that is the definition of, do we not?

So this shows the following:

1) It is NOT blasphemy, as it is something affirmed - even COMMANDED - by scripture.

2) If John 20:23 only applies to the initial baptism, and if that covered all future sins, then there would be no need for followup forgiveness of sins, so James 5:14-16 would not have been written. But it was. So in this case, the disproval of the negative proves the positive.

3) As far as to how over 50,000,000 Christians were forgiven in the first century...well, I doubt that the population was that high, but that is irrelevant. This question is easy to answer. In Titus 1:5 we see that Paul appointed presbyters in each town in Crete. So by the time James was written the "order of presbyters" was firmly established, and that they had been delegated authority to anoint and forgive sins, the same authority that was delegated by Jesus in John 20:23. This is a part of the concept of [i]apostolic succession[/i].

4) This passage from James is also the basis for the sacrament of "anointing of the sick", aka "last rites" and "extreme unction".

[Akalyte]

I went to confession this morning. I was 2nd in a long line. I confessed my sins unto God, when finished I prayed the act of contrition to Christ and I was absolved. It was like being reborn again. In fact its like that everytime. It's not a corruption trust me. It makes me stronger and helps me to become holier everytime. There's nothing wrong with that.

[TruthSeeker777]

The way it is for me: [b]Jesus,please forgive me,i have sinned, wash me as white as snow again.
[/b]This is ultimately what you must do for Jesus to forgive your sins.
Don't trust a human to have your special relationship with Christ,He invite's you personally to come directly to Him.
Why go to a human just like you to do your work,why trust another with your salvation,after all,
we were ALL created equall under God's eyes.

Edited May 13, 2007 by Truthseeker777

[CatholicCid]

[quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1270743' date='May 10 2007, 09:53 PM']I'm sorry, I'm still having a bit of trouble with the numbers, not cause I don't believe in the power of the Word, but just the fact that not that many living souls existed then... i know Jerusalem was big, but I'm goona have to say double check the numbers... Anywho that's all I gotta say. I'm off to bed. God Bless all.[/quote]

The [b]world[/b] population at that time was about 170-190 million people. If I remember correctly, about 50%+ of that population were from India and China.

[jeffpugh]

Thanks for clearing that up. Shows how "Modernized" contemporary protestantism really is... equating populations of approx 1800 years ago with today...

Edited May 13, 2007 by Sacred Music Man

[jckinsman]

[quote name='Akalyte' post='1272447' date='May 13 2007, 02:07 PM']I went to confession this morning. I was 2nd in a long line. I confessed my sins unto God, when finished I prayed the act of contrition to Christ and I was absolved. It was like being reborn again. In fact its like that everytime. It's not a corruption trust me. It makes me stronger and helps me to become holier everytime. There's nothing wrong with that.[/quote]
Yes,You wish at that moment when you walk out of the confessional that a heavy burden has been lifted,eveytime! If they only knew the feeling of that kind of grace. AWESOME!

[Aloysius]

Truthseeker, maybe you weren't paying attention, but God invited whole communities as a whole to come to Him. Only individuals He went to pick out were the major players, any time He brought some individual to the faith by His Grace, they had to come to the community, to the Apostles, and join in. Otherwise it was "300 were baptized this day" et cetera, and each faith community was not made up of many individualists whose repentence and spiritual life were interior personal acts; they repented by going to the Apostles, or leaders set up by them like Timothy and others, and whole assemblies of their community to seek repentence.

[jeffpugh]

Whole (barbarian) tribes would convert if their leader did. That's how tight the communities were.

Edited May 13, 2007 by Sacred Music Man

[Socrates]

[quote name='GodChaser' post='1270687' date='May 10 2007, 08:58 PM']Uh huh.

You can base almost any kind of doctrine on a single scripture.[/quote]
. . . As your posts have proven.

This doesn't mean you can simply ignore or toss aside a Scripture passage based on your own personal opinions or "interpretations." If scripture contradicts your opinions, it is those opinions that are in error.

Christ's words about forgiving and holding bound sins would make no sense if they were not to hear the confessions of men's sins.

[quote]Doesn't mean it is the truth. Sorry Socrates, I don't think the each apostle could have handled over 50,000,000 believers by the end of the first century confessing their sins.

We're talking 60,000 in Jerusulem alone! 12 men listening to 60,000 men + women and children which weren't numbered confess their sins, they wouldn't have had any time to preach, go out perform miracles, and all the other stuff found in the book of acts!

As Judge Judy puts it, what you're saying doesn't make sense, and if it doesn't make sense, it isn't the truth.[/quote]
Obviously, the Apostles ordained successors to administer the Sacraments - just as priests administer the Sacraments to millions around the world to this day.

You might as well ask how the Apostles could have handled baptizing all those Christians.

The answer is simple. It is your argument that does not make sense.

Edited May 14, 2007 by Socrates

[reelguy227]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1272659' date='May 13 2007, 08:16 PM']. . . As your posts have proven.

This doesn't mean you can simply ignore or toss aside a Scripture passage based on your own personal opinions or "interpretations." If scripture contradicts your opinions, it is those opinions that are in error.

Christ's words about forgiving and holding bound sins would make no sense if they were not to hear the confessions of men's sins.
Obviously, the Apostles ordained successors to administer the Sacraments - just as priests administer the Sacraments to millions around the world to this day.

You might as well ask how the Apostles could have handled baptizing all those Christians.

The answer is simple. It is your argument that does not make sense.[/quote]


BURN!








Oh......sorry, I just enjoy a good burn.

[jeffpugh]

Was that a burn? Are burns usually the truth? Hm... Society is fickled.

[reelguy227]

Do you know what a burn is?