Confession?

[MissRose73]

First of all, welcome to the OP (original poster).

I am a lifelong Catholic, and sometimes admit that I do not feel comfortable confessing at times. But, I do feel a lot better after having gone to the confessional, and the burden is removed from my heart & soul.

There are many excellent books and pamphlets out there regarding Confession/Penance/Reconciliation if you are able to find a Catholic specialty store you can visit in person or purchase from an online retailer if you are unable to find a store that carries Catholic items. If you can get something to read, and read it just before confession, you can be better prepared to receive.

 

[Barb3]

I am a "cradle"Catholic and pretty old. I can remember when we went to Confession every month. Times have changed and our Parish only has Confession once a month. I had an interesting experience, I wanted to go last month but was tired so went the following week to a neighboring Parish. Of course, I arrived at the Church early and it was locked. The priest came, let me in and we went into the Confessional together – there he was and there I was – face to face – I don’t ever remember going to Confession under these circumstances. I might add that the priest was very understanding and helpful and I wouldn’t mind going this way every month.
I might add that our Parish does place a notice in our bulletin that if anyone has to go to Confession to get in touch with the pastor.

 

[cominghomeCC]

It’s good for you to feel awkward and embarrassed about your sins. Knowing that you have to confess them to a priest can make you more unwilling to commit them in the first place. I think that’s probably partly why Our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance, knowing that when we are accountable for them to a priest, we’ll probably be less likely to commit them in the future.

I look at the Sacrament of Penance like going to the dentist. I dread it, but know I’ve got to do it. And sure enough, after I’ve gone I’m always glad I went. Frequent confession makes it’s easier – even confession for venial sins.

I like the analogy!

In a meeting with my priest this week, as I’m just returning to the church, he used this.

We are children of God. Let’s use a parallel to being a parent(I have 4). Think of a time when something wasn’t right with your child, they were sulky, not sleeping well, nightmares, moody. And when you notice, you take the time to go talk to them. After much coaxing, possibly tears, you find out what they had done that they were hiding from you, they realize that while perhaps disappointed, you still love them, and will no matter what. Fr. explained that confession is much the same, it’s confirmation that God will forgive and love, He has more love for His children, than we can imagine or begin to comprehend.

The flip side, from a personal perspective, if you are routinely going to confession, you are being true to your faith, and confessing all your sins, it’s HARD to do. If you are genuine in your confession, it is humbling, and there is embarrassment and that the realization when you speak out loud to confess that you have indeed humiliated yourself when you act this way, you are more likely to be more aware of what you say and do. Fr. told me there isn’t much that would surprise him, and chances are he “has that t-shirt already” from his own history. It is much easier to pray silently for forgiveness, as you don’t get a direct feedback. But in speaking to the priest, it really makes you think twice about doing the same things again.

 

[tomhalpin]

Confession to a priest is not nessary, prayer is where we confess, any body who dissagrees, read your bible, and incase your to lazy, I have put the scripture and explanation underneth.

The concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. First, the New Testament does not teach that there are to be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that all believers are priests. 1 Peter 2:5-9 describes believers as a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as “a kingdom and priests.” In the Old Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. That is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed. We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21), and the only mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). The New Testament teaches that there are to be elders (1 Timothy 3), deacons (1 Timothy 3), bishops (Titus 1:6-9), and pastors (Ephesians 4:11) – but not priests.

When it comes to confession of sin, believers are told in 1 John 1:9 to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him. James 5:16 speaks of confessing our trespasses “to one another,” but this is not the same as confessing sins to a priest as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Priests / church leaders are nowhere mentioned in the context of James 5:16. Further, James 5:16 does not link forgiveness of sins with the confession of sins “to one another.”

The Roman Catholic Church bases their practice of confession to a priest primarily on Catholic tradition. Catholic do point to John 20:23, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." From this verse, Catholics claim that God gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins, and that authority was passed on to the successors of the apostles, e.g. the bishops and priests of the Roman Catholic Church. There are several problems with this interpretation. (1) John 20:23 nowhere mentions confession of sin. (2) John 20:23 nowhere promises, or even hints, that the authority to forgive sins would be passed on to the successors of the apostles. Jesus’ promise was specifically directed to the apostles. (3) The New Testament nowhere states that the apostles would even have successors to their apostolic authority. Similarly, Catholics point to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 (binding and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church’s authority to forgive sins. The same three above points apply equally to these Scriptures.

Again, the concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). As New Covenant believers, we do not need mediators between us and God. We can go to God directly because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Recommended Resource: The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing Catholic Tradition and The Word of God by James McCarthy.

 

[pablope]

Confession to a priest is not nessary, prayer is where we confess, any body who dissagrees, read your bible, and incase your to lazy, I have put the scripture and explanation underneth.

Recommended Resource: The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing Catholic Tradition and The Word of God by James McCarthy.

Now, you believe that the OT is fulfilled in the NT, correct…

So, in Numbers 21:

6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Why did the Israelites go through Moses to be forgiven by God? Why did they just not go directly to God? In the NT, is this contradicted by Jesus or fulfilled perfectly somehow…in the sacrament of confession?

Another passage, this time, Job 42:

[SIGN]7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.[/SIGN]

So, here, God tells Eliphaz to go through Job to be forgiven. Why did God not just forgive Eliphaz and his two other friends directly? The same question…Did Jesus contradict this command from God or fulfilled it, perfected in the NT with the sacrament of confession?

And here is another one…2Sam 12:

[SIGN]13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the LORD, the son born to you will die.” [/SIGN]

Why did God send Nathan to David? You see here, David admitting his sin to Nathan, not to God, and Nathan pronouncing the absolution of David’s sin. Why did it take Nathan for David to realize his sin?

Another you do not see…this is a forerunner of the sacrament of confession as it has the elements of the sacrament…the oral admissin of sin (“I have sinned against the LORD.”) and the oral absolution (“The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.)

So, did Jesus contradict this or fulfilled in the NT with the sacrament of confession?

 

[tomhalpin]

pablope, incase you havent realised, moses lived almost 1000 years before jesus.
He live 1000 years before the barrier between god and man was broken doen (the veil in the temple tearing in half), that was the beginning of us being able to go to god on our own.
Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21), and the only mediator between us and God. That means we DON’T need to confess our sins to a priest, the bible tells us to confess our sins to GOD through PRAYER.
And in them verses about moses that you posted, it never mentioned sins being forgiven, it was about prayer being answered. Dont just read the bible, study it.
[BIBLEDRB][/BIBLEDRB]

 

[Monica4316]

Hi everyone. I’m not trying to be rude or start an argument or anything, I’m just curious and hoping to learn more about my faith. I have never really understood the purpose of confession. Even with a screen, it makes me feel awkward and embarrassed, and I really don’t feel forgiven or any closer to God. Is it required that we go to Confession to repent and for our sins to be forgiven? Why can we not pray to God and confess our sins to Him directly, rather than through a priest? Or is a priest representing God during Confession? Is it impossible to go to Heaven if one does not attend Confession for sins to be forgiven? I’m just really confused. Thank you for any guidance that can be offered.

Hi,

Yes it’s necessary for us to confess all our mortal sins to a priest in order to be forgiven. I know Confession can be stressful, but if you believe that the priest is acting in the person of Christ, and that it’s really Christ who is absolving you, and if you be really open with the priest and trust in God’s mercy… it becomes a really positive experience at least afterwards lol.

the reason Catholics believe this is because Jesus Himself said to the Apostles… whatever sins they forgive, will be forgiven, and the sins they don’t forgive, won’t be. The Bishops are the successors of the Apostles, and they ordain priests. So the priests have the same ability to forgive sins, in Christ’s name. Furthermore, we can’t receive Communion if we have not been to Confession beforehand, if we have any mortal sins. (more about mortal sin: saintaquinas.com/mortal_sin.html )

When you’re at Confession… see it like you’re confessing to Christ, who is hidden in the priest.

If it helps, here are some things that Jesus Himself said to St Faustina in a vision about Confession catholic-forum.com/churches/cathteach/divinemercy_confession.htm

Write, speak of My mercy. Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy. There the greatest miracles take place [and] are incessantly repeated. To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of My representative and to reveal to him one’s misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of ] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy! You will call out in vain, but it will be too late. (1448)

Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls. (1602)

My daughter, just as you prepare in My presence, so also you make your confession before Me. The person of the priest is, for Me, only a screen. Never analyse what sort of a priest it is that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light. (1725)

I used to be a Protestant and of course didn’t go to Confession. Then when I converted to Catholicism, I was REALLY anxious and nervous about my first Confession… I had always believed before that I only needed to pray to God. However, - after that Confession, I felt so clean inside, and like God truly forgave me of everything. I had never felt that way as a Protestant when I didn’t have Confession. We are forgiven whether we feel it or not, we just need to be repentant for our sins, and honest - we shouldn’t knowingly leave out any mortal sins, otherwise that invalidates the whole Confession and we need to say everything again. (because it shows a lack of repentance). But if we are open and repentant, and trusting in this Sacrament, it becomes really powerful
God bless

 

[tomhalpin]

This isnt right, Jesus was giving the right to forgive to the appostles, nowhere does he hint or even mention that the right to forgive sins was to be passed down to the bishops and priests. Also it never mentions confession of sins it only mentions forgivness of sins.

 

[GWright]

One of the things I think personally about speaking with a Priest is:

I think that, if we were left to our own devices, regarding “confession”, we would probably kid ourselves on, and devalue the process. By that, I mean that we are always more likely to “go easy” on ourselves, or to make excuses for ourselves, or to gloss over our failings.

I think it takes courage to go in there and speak with another person. I think this fact helps get one into the right state of mind and to properly examine their conscience beforehand.

Confession is, I think, much overlooked these days and is often derided by non-Catholics (usually from a position of total ignorance). Personally, I find it a very worthwhile and rewarding Sacrament.

I found this short leaflet (2 pages) a useful read when considering going to confession:

(I think it is meant to be printed out and folded, as the pages are not in the proper order, but nevertheless, have a read)

rcdom.org.uk/documents/reconciliation.pdf

Note - the source of the link is the webpage of the Catholic diocese of Mothewell, in Scotland.

 

[Will_S]

This isnt right, Jesus was giving the right to forgive to the appostles, nowhere does he hint or even mention that the right to forgive sins was to be passed down to the bishops and priests.

Since Jesus gave His apostles the power to forgive sins we can conclude: either 1) The power to forgive sins was unnecessary or 2) The power to forgive sins was necessary.

If the power to forgive sins was unnecessary, then Jesus would have had absolutely no reason to give this power to His apostles, therefore the power was necessary.

If the power to forgive sins was necessary at that time, then it was also necessary after the deaths of the original apostles and it is necessary today, for neither God nor man have changed their nature, and there has been no new Divine revelation.

Since the power to forgive sins was and is necessary at all times after the ascension of Christ, clearly Christ intended to give this power (and others) to both his apostles and also to their successors

That the apostles possessed the power to select true successors is clear from Acts 1.

Also it never mentions confession of sins it only mentions forgiveness of sins.

A penitent going to confession is seeking forgiveness of sins. The priest cannot forgive sins of which he is unaware, thus the need for confession.

In the early Church, penitents did public penance for long periods of time before receiving absolution. I suspect most people prefer the current practice of private confession.

 

[The_Fly]

Hi everyone. I’m not trying to be rude or start an argument or anything, I’m just curious and hoping to learn more about my faith. I have never really understood the purpose of confession. Even with a screen, it makes me feel awkward and embarrassed, and I really don’t feel forgiven or any closer to God. Is it required that we go to Confession to repent and for our sins to be forgiven? Why can we not pray to God and confess our sins to Him directly, rather than through a priest? Or is a priest representing God during Confession? Is it impossible to go to Heaven if one does not attend Confession for sins to be forgiven? I’m just really confused. Thank you for any guidance that can be offered.

As some posters have pointed out: faith has nothing to do with feelings and for good reason. Emotions and feelings can override our use of reason. Sometimes anger leads you to do things which you wouldnt normall do and so the same goes for other emotions and feelings. This is why feelings are not the best thing to rely on when descerining truth because if people only did what felt good then no one would find it since as they say the truth hurts.

The screen is for your privacy and anonymity. This is to engourage you to be open and to not withhold any sins that you have committed. Frankly I see it as a huge act of mercy since I dont think I could bare the humility of directly confessing face to face.

It is required to go to confession to get absolution for mortal sins. If someone was to die before being able to confess to a priest after committing a mortal sin then they would still be forgiven provided that they made a perfect act of contrition which is when you have remorse for your sins because they have hurt Our Lord. Saying your sorry just to avoid hell is not a perfect act of contrition but an imperfect one which is still good enough to receive absolution during a confession with a priest only. Some ask why the fear of hell is not good enough to obtain a perfect act of contrition and the answer is because its not really saying sorry to God but rather telling God your sorry that you put your soul in a position to be damned but that if it wasnt for the punishment of hell you would probably have done these sins anyway.

For venial sins we can just pray to God for absolution (The Our Father when said devoutly absolves a soul from all venial sin) without having to confess to a priest. However its good to keep in mind that priests are representatives of God. They are the means in which Christ despences His graces to sinners and those wishing to come to Him. When you go to a priest you are going directly to God for Christ is truly present and hearing your confession through them. When we run from confession we run from Christ and this thought its so sad it makes me ashamed for all the times I have not gone to confession.

The other important thing you should keep in mind is when you go to confession you receive special graces to help you fight the sins you are confessing and having a hard time with. It truly is one of the greatest acts of mercy and sources of grace God has given us and which we should use regularly so please do not waste it.

Also please pray for me so that I never forget this or waste it either.

 

[The_Fly]

This isnt right, Jesus was giving the right to forgive to the appostles, nowhere does he hint or even mention that the right to forgive sins was to be passed down to the bishops and priests…

The Apostles held an office (bishopric) in The Church and which is handed down to the successors which The Pope chooses. Saint Peter did this when Judas’ bishopric was handed down to Matthias and he was numbered with the eleven apostles (acts 1:26). Matthias being an apostle or Bishop therefore now has the authority to forgive or retain sins along with the other 11. This same authority was give to Saul aka Saint Paul when he joined the Apostles as well. We can clearly see then that the authority to forgive sin is reserved for those that hold certain offices within the Church. Every priest in the Church has the authority to forgive sins only when the Bishop gives it to him. The Church is acurate in its practice according to the Bible which should be no surprise to anyone since their Bishops wrote it.

Also it never mentions confession of sins it only mentions forgivness of sins.

How will they know to forgive sins if the person does not confess to them?

 

[tomhalpin]

God forgives all sins, weather we choose to confess them or not is up to us

 

[The_Fly]

God forgives all sins, weather we choose to confess them or not is up to us

God does forgive all sins provided that you are truly sorry for them and have a firm resolution to avoid them in the future. This however does not negate the fact that God also gave His apostles the ministry of reconciliation so that we may obtain His infinte forgiveness and grace by way of the sacrament of reconciliation.

Saying that there is no need for priests or confession to forgive sins because God is Almighty is really a moot point. I for one would not treat the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ as a trival thing or a slight against God just becaue I know that God in all His power could have just moved His finger and done away with all sin. No, this is not why I honor this mystery. I honor it and am faithful to it because I recognize that even though God could have done things in a million different ways, He, however chose this way. This is why I go to confession because God in His infinte wisdom chose to institute the sacrament of reconciliation and to give His apostles the authority to forgive or retain sins so that I may obtain His forgiveness and His grace.

When I hear a priest talk about confession I hear saint Paul saying: For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God. Then I hear Christ say regarding His apostles: He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.

When you turn away from confession you turn away from God.

 

[tomhalpin]

I respect your view on forgiveness of sins, but it isn’t true god chose priests to forgive sins.
The power was passed to the apostles, but the pope claimed out of thin air that god gave him the power to pass it down to the priests and bishops.
The bible also never mentions Jesus saying that people are to confess there sins to the apostles, it simply only says they can forgive sin.

 

[Church_Militant]

pablope, incase you havent realised, moses lived almost 1000 years before jesus.
He live 1000 years before the barrier between god and man was broken doen (the veil in the temple tearing in half), that was the beginning of us being able to go to god on our own.
Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21), and the only mediator between us and God.

Catholics have no problem at all with what that verse says, but you have yanked it out of the context of the whole rest of the Word of God. John Martignoni has an excellent Bible study on this, but he also has the following brief response to your kind of position.

Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest, rather than going directly to God?
Well, the quick answer is because that’s the way God wants us to do it. In James 5:16, God, through Sacred Scripture, commands us to “confess our sins to one another.” Notice, Scripture does not say confess your sins straight to God and only to God…it says confess your sins to one another. In Matthew, chapter 9, verse 6, Jesus tells us that He was given authority on earth to forgive sins. And then Scripture proceeds to tell us, in verse 8, that this authority was given to “men”…plural.
In John 20, verses 21-23, what is the 1st thing Jesus says to the gathered disciples on the night of His resurrection? “Jesus said to them, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’” How did the Father send Jesus? Well, we just saw in Mt 9 that the Father sent Jesus with the authority on earth to forgive sins. Now, Jesus sends out His disciples as the Father has sent Him…so, what authority must Jesus be sending His disciples out with? The authority on earth to forgive sins. And, just in case they didn’t get it, verses 22-23 say this, “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”
Why would Jesus give the Apostles the power to forgive or to retain sins if He wasn’t expecting folks to confess their sins to them? And how could they forgive or retain sins if no one was confessing their sins to them?
The Bible tells us to confess our sins to one another. It also tells us that God gave men the authority on Earth to forgive sins. Jesus sends out His disciples with the authority on earth to forgive sins. When Catholics confess our sins to a priest, we are simply following the plan laid down by Jesus Christ. He forgives sins through the priest…it is God’s power, but He exercises that power through the ministry of the priest.

You can see more of this in the following articles from my blog.
Catholic Confession & Scriptures About Penance

Dont just read the bible, study it.

I did, and that’s pretty much why I am a Catholic today. Read My Testimony

This isnt right, Jesus was giving the right to forgive to the appostles, nowhere does he hint or even mention that the right to forgive sins was to be passed down to the bishops and priests. Also it never mentions confession of sins it only mentions forgivness of sins.

Really Tom? Then precisely why did Our Lord speak about it as He did in John 20?
[21] He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. [22] When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. [23] Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

How exactly can they have forgiven sins or retained sins unless those sins were recounted to them? And why would He even have said that if He didn’t intend to institute a sacrament for the benefit of the church He founded? Your position flies in the very face of what Our Lord Himself commanded. You suggest that we study our Bibles? I suggest that you would do well to take your own advice in the whole context of the Word of God.

God forgives all sins, weather we choose to confess them or not is up to us

Really Tom? Okay then, explain to us how that fits in with the following passage of scripture from 1st John 1.
[5] And this is the declaration which we have heard from him, and declare unto you: That God is light, and in him there is no darkness. [6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 

[Church_Militant]

I respect your view on forgiveness of sins, but it isn’t true god chose priests to forgive sins.

Really? If there were no priests in the New Testament, then why does St. Paul specifically say otherwise?
Romans 15:14] I myself am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
15] But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16] to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17] In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.

The power was passed to the apostles,

Well at least you got that right, but where does it say that it ended with them? It doesn’t, does it Tom?

but the pope claimed out of thin air that god gave him the power to pass it down to the priests and bishops.

Obviously, as I’ve shown from many passages of the New Testament, that is not true. You really should follow your own advice and study your Bible and not the teachings of some preacher man.

The bible also never mentions Jesus saying that people are to confess there sins to the apostles, it simply only says they can forgive sin.

Already refuted…and especially so from James 5:14] Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15] and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16] Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.

 

[pablope]

pablope, incase you havent realised, moses lived almost 1000 years before jesus.
He live 1000 years before the barrier between god and man was broken doen (the veil in the temple tearing in half), that was the beginning of us being able to go to god on our own.
Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21), and the only mediator between us and God. That means we DON’T need to confess our sins to a priest, the bible tells us to confess our sins to GOD through PRAYER.
And in them verses about moses that you posted, it never mentioned sins being forgiven, it was about prayer being answered. Dont just read the bible, study it.
[BIBLEDRB][/BIBLEDRB]

Which post of mine are you referring to?