Confession

[sadie2723]

I have listened to the arguements for years (My father hates the idea of confession to anyone but God). But, I would like to have a discussion on the idea. Here is a question.

What do you think about the idea of confessing your sins to a priest?

I would really like to hear from some Protestants on this, and I promise not to be too hard on you.

 

[slyboots]

It works.

 

[nkelly]

Ignore the Words of Jesus at your peril!:

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.

Jesus ordained it so. It’s also an act of humility.

God bless,
Noel.

 

[Emad]

I never understood confession. What is the point of it? Let’s assume the priest was a child molestor, drug dealer, theif, adulterer, and bisexual. Why should someone confess to him and what power does he have to forgive you? I know not all priests are anything like that, but let’s just assume that the one you confess to is. I would never confess to such a person. Also do you believe that those who don’t confess go to hell? Thus protestants go to hell?

 

[rico]

Speaking from a Lutheran perspective…

I wish it were more commonly practiced. It can be a very powerful and comforting thing and should be common place. It is comforting to hear a priest/pastor pronounce God’s forgiveness to you personally. I also think it is a great cause for sinners to reflect on their sin and strengthen their faith to avoid further sin. Unfortunately, it is rarely done among Lutherans today.

Lutheran doctrine does not oppose private confession (penitent to confessor). In fact, quite the opposite. Luther himself wrote frequently on private confession, stating in one of his writings… “I will let no one take away private confession and would not exchange it for all the wealth of the world, for I know what strength and comfort it has given me.” Philip Melancthon wrote in “Loci”… “Private absolution is thus as necessary as baptism.” And the Lutheran Confessions repeatedly address the benefits and necessity of private confession and absolution. In Luther’s Small Catechism he actually provides the format of a private confesstion and how one should confess.

So, as for private confession itself, Lutherans (officially) and Roman Catholics are quite similar. Where I think Lutherans (those who hold to the original Lutheran teachings) and Roman Catholics will disagree, is on the penance (I hope I’m using the term properly). The Roman Catholic priest will decide upon an appropriate response for the confessed sin (i.e. one Our Father, etc.). The Lutheran sees sin as already being completely paid for by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the pastor will pronounce God’s forgiveness, but there will not be any further “to-do’s” to make amends for the sin.

As to why private confession is so clearly proclaimed in Lutheran doctrine, yet not commonly practiced… I can’t say for certain. Unfortunately, over the many years since Luther, there has been a tendancy to cease many things that people perceived to be “too Catholic.” I suspect private confession fell to that same mentality. Other similar practices would be making the sign of the cross, the prominence of the crucifix (opting instead for the “unadorned” or bare cross), kneeling for prayer, etc. I’m happy to be from a pretty conservative/traditional Lutheran heritage that keeps much of that.

Hope that answers your question.

 

[Faith101]

If you have a direct connection to God, why would you choose to go through any of his servants?

When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (Quran 2:186)

 

[Emad]

Faith101:

If you have a direct connection to God, why would you choose to go through any of his servants? When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (Quran 2:186)

Good point, many Catholics claim to talk to God all day and night, yet when it comes to confession, they confess to other than Him.

Faith I love that verse! Also notice in that verse the servants asked Muhammad about Allah and Allah answered them directly, He didn’t say “Say to them I am close” He just said “I am close” meaning supplication is between you and God only.

 

[sadie2723]

Emad:

Good point, many Catholics claim to talk to God all day and night, yet when it comes to confession, they confess to other than Him.

Faith I love that verse! Also notice in that verse the servants asked Muhammad about Allah and Allah answered them directly, He didn’t say “Say to them I am close” He just said “I am close” meaning supplication is between you and God only.

John 20:23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

James 5:16 16 Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

In both of these passages, we see that Jesus gives men the power to forgive sins. He goes on further to say that if we confess sins to each other and then pray for each other, that salvation awaits.

Why do it? Well, Jesus tells us to do so. What is the point of it? To repent of our sins and sin no more.

 

[on_fire]

well my bible says that Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive mens sins,or to hold them bound.Now :
A)either Jesus figured he would return before all the Apostles died so the 2nd coming would settle everything or
B) the Apostles would be given immortality and would always be with us to forgive sins,or
C) people would never sin again,or
D)Jesus had everthing planned out according to the Fathers will and the power would be passed on through apostostolic succesion for all time until the 2nd comong.

So we can elimanate A…

he didnt return

We can elimanate B…

they all died

C we all continue to sin…

that just leaves D…

D!!! must be the answer

 

[on_fire]

Im sorry…D is the answer…

 

[Emad]

sadie2723:

Why do it? Well, Jesus tells us to do so. What is the point of it? To repent of our sins and sin no more.

If I hurt you, I ask you to forgive me directly, I don’t ask someone else for your forgiveness as they don’t have that power.

 

[on_fire]

do you believe that the apostles had the power to forgive sins?

 

[sadie2723]

Emad:

If I hurt you, I ask you to forgive me directly, I don’t ask someone else for your forgiveness as they don’t have that power.

I agree. However, if I gave that power to someone else on my behalf, you could then ask them to forgive you. That is what Jesus did for us, as he knew he would not be here to talk with personally. Talk about a guy that thought ahead!!

 

[ahimsaman72]

Emad:

If I hurt you, I ask you to forgive me directly, I don’t ask someone else for your forgiveness as they don’t have that power.

Their forgiveness ties the bonds of friendship back again, while forgiveness from God bonds the Parent/Child relationship back again. There is a saying about if your horizontal relationships (with other beings) aren’t in-line then your vertical relationship with God will not be either and vice-versa. Not too difficult to understand that logic.

Peace…

 

[Jabronie]

Another big part of confession is that by the sacrament you are reconciled to the Chruch, and therefore Christ.

2 Cor. 5
18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that 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.

 

[bbira]

In addition to the Sacramental nature of Reconciliation that is recognized by the Scriptures noted in many of the other posts, I was also taught to look at Confession in this manner…
As Catholics, we are members of a Community of Believers and we have a responsibility to each other through that community. The priest, through his ordination, is the leader of our community and confession helps us to make our wrongs right with the community. In the ancient Church, the penitents would verbally confess their failings to the entire congregation because the feelings of community were so strong.
Anyone else ever taught this way?

Peace
Bill

 

[Emad]

sadie2723:

I agree. However, if I gave that power to someone else on my behalf, you could then ask them to forgive you. That is what Jesus did for us, as he knew he would not be here to talk with personally. Talk about a guy that thought ahead!!

So go back to my first post on this thread. Your telling me Jesus gave such people authority on his behalf? Would he ever affiliate himself with such people? Also can you state references for your claims? Whom did Jesus give authority to forgive people on his behlaf?

 

[Emad]

ahimsaman72:

Their forgiveness ties the bonds of friendship back again, while forgiveness from God bonds the Parent/Child relationship back again. There is a saying about if your horizontal relationships (with other beings) aren’t in-line then your vertical relationship with God will not be either and vice-versa. Not too difficult to understand that logic.

Peace…

Why all the vertical horizontal stuff? Can’t you go straight to God? Also your relationship isn’t with the priest, you didn’t do anything wrong to him, so why confess to him? I would understand that logic if you are confessing to someone you wronged, but you really didn’t do anything to the priest, right?

 

[Jabronie]

Emad:

Why all the vertical horizontal stuff? Can’t you go straight to God? Also your relationship isn’t with the priest, you didn’t do anything wrong to him, so why confess to him? I would understand that logic if you are confessing to someone you wronged, but you really didn’t do anything to the priest, right?

You’re not understanding the concept correctly. In the sacrament, a person is not confessing to the priest. They are confession to God through the priest. The priest serves as a witness to the confession just like he serves as a witness to the sacrament of marriage. He reconciles you to the Church in the same way he sacramently joins you to your wife.

It’s one of those things where to recognize the beauty of confession, you need to recognize the sacrament of Holy Orders, something which non-Catholics do not…

Emad: I’m just trying to make sure you understand the concept; not trying to force you to agree with it.

 

[on_fire]

if you want to argue if anyone was given the power to forgive sins,ask Jesus what John 20:23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained,meant!!!