Confession and Forgiveness

[Randy_Carson]

Part 1 of 2

In a little pamphlet entitled, “Why confess your sins to a priest?”, the Rev. John Dowling provides five categories of reasons why Catholics believe they should go to a priest for confession in the sacrament of reconciliation:

• Biblical Reasons
• Ecclesial Reasons
• Incarnational Reasons
• Psychological Reasons
• Penitential Reasons
  I will focus initially on the Biblical reasons for confession and reserve comment on the remaining four categories for further discussion is there is interest.

On the evening of the Resurrection, Jesus appeared in the midst of the apostles and said to them:“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:21-23)
Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus tells the apostles that the Father has sent him into the world with “all authority”. In like manner, Jesus commissions them with the authority He has been given – authority the apostles will need to carry out the mission He has entrusted them with.

Notice that Jesus prefaces his remarks about forgiveness by saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Fr. Dowling rightly notes here that the capacity to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us is a far greater thing than the ability to forgive sins. If the former is possible, the latter does not seem impossible.

Unless we assume that Jesus has also given the apostles the ability to read minds, this passage presupposes that there is a hearing of the sins in order for a judgment to be made as to whether the sins should be forgiven or retained, depending on whether or not the person is truly sorry for his or her sins. Without sorrow for sins, there can be no forgiveness; even God cannot forgive an unrepentant sinner or hardened heart. In saying “if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”, Jesus precludes the possible argument that He was merely giving the apostles the authority to preach the message of forgiveness. Clearly, the apostles were to judge and forgive or retain the sins of men.

Matthew’s Gospel provides another important passage revealing God’s intention for the power Jesus shares with His Church:“Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” (Matthew 9:2-8)
The central focus of this story is not the healing of the paralyzed man but the revelation of the authority of Jesus. Why does this passage indicate that this authority has been passed on to the Church? Verse eight says, “When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew records correctly that the authority to forgive sins had been given not to a single man, Jesus, but to men. We can know this because he is not quoting the comments of the crowd in this verse but ascribing to them the proper reason for why they were filled with awe.

Additionally, we know that Matthew wrote this passage some 15-20 years after the event described thus giving us the assurance that he had plenty of time to reflect upon the truth of what he has just written and had seen the forgiveness of sins through confession in actual practice in the early Church. If this were not the case, then Matthew would not have written as he did.

(cont.)

 

[Randy_Carson]

Part 2 of 2

Paul also talks about the ministry of forgiveness that has been passed on from Jesus. In his second letter to the church in Corinth we read:“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
Here Paul speaks of both the message and the ministry of reconciliation. Forgiveness of sins is proclaimed as part of the good news; actual reconciliation through confession and absolution is administered through the sacrament. In this way, the Church completes the mission of Jesus by preaching, by baptizing, and by forgiving sins.

Finally, we read in the Letter of James, which Martin Luther called an “epistle of straw”:“Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:14-16)
“Presbyters” is the word from which we get the word “priest”. James encourages us to call a priest to pray and anoint someone who is ill – a passage from which we get the sacrament of the Annointing of the Sick. The prayer of this righteous man will not only heal the sick, but will forgive any sins that they may have committed. This passage provides confirmation of the understanding and practice of the ministry of forgiveness of sins which the early Church carried out in Christ’s name and which the Catholic Church continues to administer in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to this day.

 

[SolaScriptura]

Randy,

A few questions:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?

If you answered no to the above then can you give some other biblical examples of how and when sins are forgiven?

Thanks

 

[Libertas]

Randy,

A few questions:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?

If you answered no to the above then can you give some other biblical examples of how and when sins are forgiven?

Thanks

Confession is the only way to get rid of mortal sin, sincere prayer and an act of contrition to God can get rid of venial sin.
But other than that, confession is the only way to remove both mortal and venial.

 

[Tom]

Randy,

A few questions:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?

If you answered no to the above then can you give some other biblical examples of how and when sins are forgiven?

Thanks

May I answer your question with a question? If you understand the teachings of Jesus, but stubornly refuse to follow them, can your sins be forgiven? The reason I ask is, some say they go directly to God. That would be fine if Jesus hadn’t given us the way He desired us to confess our sins. If I refuse to use the means Jesus gives for reconcilliation, and decide, on my own, to do it my way, how do you suppose Jesus will judge me? Are your sins forgiven? Jesus says His Bishpos can retain sins. That would imply to me that they aren’t automatically forgiven by simply asking God, because God has told you how He wants it done. Why wouldn’t you do it the way He tells you?

 

[Evan]

Confession is the only way to get rid of mortal sin, sincere prayer and an act of contrition to God can get rid of venial sin.
But other than that, confession is the only way to remove both mortal and venial.

I can’t remember which one, but there is a list of ways to have sins forgiven. Somewhere in Jurgens 3 volume work on the Early Church Fathers. (I don’t think it is in volume 1).

I think there were 7 ways. Most had a bible quote to identify where it occured.

One is: If you bring someone back to the church it will cover a multitude of sins.

Another is: If you are anointed by a priest (anointing of the sick) your soul is healed (sins forgiven). The church teaches that is a sick person cannot speak (no confession possible) then the anointing forgives their sins.

But it did say the ordinary way is through confession to a priest.

Of course, there is also throwing yourself on the Mercy of God. Because he is not bound by His sacraments, we cannot assume that there is no other way but the ordinary way.
I think that an act of perfect contrition is also an available way (who knows if any act is perfect though).

 

[jmcrae]

Randy,

A few questions:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?

This is the method that Jesus explicitly gave us, as Tom explained above. Jesus also tells us that those who love Him obey His commandments. (John 14:15)

He also had harsh words for those who invent their own ideas, instead of following His. (Matthew 15:9)

 

[SolaScriptura]

Confession is the only way to get rid of mortal sin, sincere prayer and an act of contrition to God can get rid of venial sin.
But other than that, confession is the only way to remove both mortal and venial.

Libertas,

I know you know what you are talking about, but did you read Evans response to you?

 

[SolaScriptura]

May I answer your question with a question?

I guess.

If you understand the teachings of Jesus, but stubornly refuse to follow them, can your sins be forgiven?

I would say no

The reason I ask is, some say they go directly to God.

Yes, that sounds biblical.

That would be fine if Jesus hadn’t given us the way He desired us to confess our sins.

But of course they would say Jesus gave us the way to go directly to God.

If I refuse to use the means Jesus gives for reconcilliation, and decide, on my own, to do it my way, how do you suppose Jesus will judge me?

Yeah, that is what those who believe we can go directly to God say also … hmmm

Are your sins forgiven? Jesus says His Bishpos can retain sins.

Well, since I have not confessed to a Bishop and received forgiveness I guess they are not forgive, right?

That would imply to me that they aren’t automatically forgiven by simply asking God, because God has told you how He wants it done. Why wouldn’t you do it the way He tells you?

Wow, I’m still in my sins. Is this true for all Protestants?

 

[jmcrae]

Wow, I’m still in my sins. Is this true for all Protestants?

Yes. This is why, when baptized Protestants convert to the Catholic faith, they have to confess all their sins from the time of their Baptism.

They do this at First Confession, before receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion. This normally happens during Lent some time. In my case, my priest insisted that I do my First Confession on the morning of the day that I was being received into the Church.

 

[SolaScriptura]

solaScriptura:

Wow, I’m still in my sins. Is this true for all Protestants?

Yes. This is why, when baptized Protestants convert to the Catholic faith, they have to confess all their sins from the time of their Baptism.

So this means all Protestants are going to hell, because no one can go to heaven with mortal sin

 

[Tom]

Well, since I have not confessed to a Bishop and received forgiveness I guess they are not forgive, right? Wow, I’m still in my sins. Is this true for all Protestants?

Easy answer, no, not necessarily. You or I don’t know if they are or not do we? Unless we do it the way God instructed us to. Then you know for sure, because God did give this authority to men, specifically the Bishops, and the Bishops give this authority to the priests. So, if you are Catholic, and make a “good” confession (reconciliation) to a priest, and are absolved of your sins, they are gone. Forgiven. No questions asked. No guessing if they are or not. I put “good” because simply going and telling your sins without any remorse or intention to change, is not a good confession, it’s actually a sin in itself.

 

[jmcrae]

So this means all Protestants are going to hell, because no one can go to heaven with mortal sin

Not all, since not all Protestants commit mortal sin.

A baptized Protestant child who dies would almost certainly go to Heaven, since children typically are not capable of committing personal sin, and it’s unlikely that they would ever commit mortal sin (grave matter, with full knowledge that the action is a sin, and with free consent of the will).

But of those who live a normal lifespan, certainly a great many would end up in Hell, for sure. I know for myself that I rebelled against the authority of my parents when I was an older teenager and while living under their roof as a young adult (going against the commandment to honour thy father and thy mother while fully aware that it was a sin to do so, and without being coerced by anyone else to do so).

Thank God for the Church, that I was able to confess that sin at my First Confession and become reconciled to God, while also learning how to become reconciled with my parents and take an adult role in my relationship with them, through the advice given to me by the priest.

 

[Sean_Boyle]

So this means all Protestants are going to hell, because no one can go to heaven with mortal sin

Its not up to any one person to decide how large God’s grace and mercy extends. So why ask the question?

Do you confess your sins to you brothers and sisters in Christ as well? If you sin are you not sinning against the body of Christ as well? We are all many parts of one body, correct?

How can you confess to God alone when you sin, you sin against me and every other believer as well. You make a mockery of our faith in Christ and God by claiming the same faith and by sinning against it.

 

[mercygate]

Randy,

A few questions:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?

If you answered no to the above then can you give some other biblical examples of how and when sins are forgiven?

Thanks

The Church does not absolutely limit fhe forgiveness of sins to the Sacrament of Confession because God does not hold a man to what is impossible. In a life-and-death situation with no time to come properly to Confession, perfect contrition will suffice. In the ordinary way of things, “perfect” contrition would be accompanied by the desire to make a good Confession.

In Scripture, Jesus forgives sins before people are even aware that they HAVE them.

But Jesus no longer walks among us in person, and given his transmission of the power to forgive sins to the Apostles in John 20, sacramental Confession is the only certain ordinary means by which Christians address the problem of grave post-baptismal sin. To reject this beautiful remedy, to avoid it, or to deny it, is to deny the necessity of accepting Jesus *on his own terms. *How sad.

Footnote to the OP of this thread: The quotation from 2 Corinthians in Greek reads ". . . has given us the diakonen * of reconciliation. Randy’s translation uses the word “message” for “diakonen”: to my mind a seriously flawed choice of words. Moreover, earlier Paul asserts that “whatever** I forgave**, forgave** I** it ‘en prosopo Xpistou’” – in the face (or person) of Christ). Paul unabashedly states that he, himself, has forgiven the incestuous man.

The reconciliation of sinners is not only the reconciliation of the individual penitent with God, it is also reconciliation with the Christian community since the communion of the saints is broken by the presence of mortal sin. Therefore the confession of sin “to one another” (in the words of James) is a key part of reconciliation to God and a demonstration of repentance…*

 

[Randy_Carson]

At every mass we ahve a brief period of silent examination of conscience before we say, “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault; in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do, and I ask Blessed Mary Ever Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.” Then the priest prays a prayer of general absolution: “May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen”

Catholics are obligated to go to confession at least once a year during lent and more often if they feel convicted of serious sin.

Finally, I personally repent to my wife, kids and co-workers when I think I have sinned against them and I ask for their forgiveness.

 

[SolaScriptura]

At every mass we ahve a brief period of silent examination of conscience before we say, “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault; in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do, and I ask Blessed Mary Ever Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.” Then the priest prays a prayer of general absolution: “May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen”

Catholics are obligated to go to confession at least once a year during lent and more often if they feel convicted of serious sin.

Finally, I personally repent to my wife, kids and co-workers when I think I have sinned against them and I ask for their forgiveness.

Are you answering my questions? I’m not sure so here they are again:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?

If you answered no to the above then can you give some other biblical examples of how and when sins are forgiven?

Look forward to your answers.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

The scriptures say that “love covereth a multitude of sins”

Catholics believe that anyone who is PERFECTLY contrite is at that very moment forgiven of sin.

To be perfectly Contrite one has to be sorry for sin not because they fear Hell but because of only love of God and of having offned God who is pure love himself.

We do not know when we confess our sins to God directly if we are perfectly contrite or not. Most times we aren’t 100% perfectly contrite because if we were 100% perfectly contrite we probably wouldn’t have sinned in the first place.

What is IMPERFECTLY contrite? It is when we are sorry because we’re afraid of Hell or what might happen to us.

For some Bill Clinton’s confession might be construed as an example of IMPERFECT CONTRITENESS.

There were elements of contrition then for having offended God but most people would say–and of course we can’t know such things about others–that He was IMPERFECTLY CONTRITE. He wasn’t sorry only out of Love for God.

That’s the truth about most of us most the time when it comes to sin. We do love God and we are sorry for offending him but that isn’t completely 100% our motive.

That’s why Jesus instituted Confession–it’s GOD BREATHED–I’m sure you respect that Sola Scriptura. Jesus doesn’t BREATHE on the disicples and give them the power to FORGIVE and retain sins–before then only God could do that! If Jesus did do that as the scripture says He must have had good reason for it.

Now of course if only 12 men in the world could do that what would be the purpose? And what would be the purpose if that couldn’t be transferred to anyone else? Why would Jesus WASTE his breath?

Get out the KJV Sola Scriptura. Read in 2 Corinthians 2:10 how Paul forgave the man who had committed fornication with his father’s wife IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

In 1st Corinthians chapter 5 Paul RETAINED that sin and in 2 Corinthians he FORGAVE that sin and did it in the PERSON OF CHRIST!

He wasn’t one of the 12! Who gave him the authority to do what Jesus had given tthe power to the disiples to do? The disicples did!

What happens in confession? When we are IMPERFECTLY CONTRITE but guilty like some would say Bill Clinton was and tell Jesus through the priest that we are sorry then Jesus THROUGH the priest makes up for our IMPERFECT CONTRITION and the priest absolves us of our sins IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST–just like Paul did in Corinthians and just like the disciples did that JESUS BREATHED ON and gave them that authority to do!

As far as we know the only ways to be reconciled to Jesus after committing Mortal sin like that man in Corinthians committed is to either confess our sins to a Catholic priest and be absolved or to be PERFECTLY contrite like the thief on the cross beside Jesus was.

Either way we will be forgiven.

Is it possible that Jesus grants the grace of
perfect Contrition to Protestants who MORTALLY sin?

Yes it is possible. Is it likely? Probably not but we do not know that.

To be sure Protestants are forgiven venial sins when they confess to God directly just like Catholics do.

What we do know is that Jesus BREATHED on the disicples and gave His Church the sacrament of confession.

Anyone who chooses not to believe in that sacrament and mortally sins and isn’t perfectly contrite for those sins and only confesses his sins directly to God in an IMPERFECTLY CONTRITE way and dies in a state of Mortal sin because they never were Perfectly Contrite and never were absolved by a priest–yes that person–be they Catholic or Protestant or any religion or no religion–if they die in that state–then yes they do go to Hell!

 

[jmcrae]

Are you answering my questions? I’m not sure so here they are again:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?
​

It is the ordinary way that was given to us by Christ. There is also the Sacrament of Holy Anointing (James 5;13-18), and Perfect Contrition (Luke 23:39-43).​

 

[Libertas]

Are you answering my questions? I’m not sure so here they are again:

Is confession of one’s sins the only way to get them forgiven?

If you answered no to the above then can you give some other biblical examples of how and when sins are forgiven?

Look forward to your answers.

Uh…I just gave you the answers.