Is confession necessary?

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Timi_Celcer

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I just can’t understand why should i confess my sins to a priest. l Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only mediator or savior. So if Jesus is the only mediator between us and Him how can priests be mediators too? I know some will put out John 20:23 but is there another explanation to John 20:23 because it clearly contradicts l Timothy 2:5 and Acts 4:12.
Because i really don’t want to confess my sins to a priest. I want to confess them straight to Him.
 
the answer to the question is simply,yes.

think about the priest for a moment,who is he? what job is he doing? who s job is he doing?

i would say Jesus,wouldnt you?

i would also take you more seriously if you said God instead of him…
 
Timi_Celcer said:
I just can’t understand why should i confess my sins to a priest. l Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only mediator or savior. So if Jesus is the only mediator between us and Him how can priests be mediators too? I know some will put out John 20:23 but is there another explanation to John 20:23 because it clearly contradicts l Timothy 2:5 and Acts 4:12.
Because i really don’t want to confess my sins to a priest. I want to confess them straight to Him.
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Jesus is the only mediator in one sense; He is definitely our only Savior–we certainly could not save ourselves. In another sense, we can all mediate (or intercede) for each other; we can pray for one another, give guidance to each other, etc. That doesn’t make us God or “co-saviors” or anything like that. It’s simply a different kind of mediating.

Now, the reason we confess to a priest is because Jesus gave the apostles His Authority to bind and loose sins. This doesn’t contradict the “one mediator” verses for two reasons: one, it’s not about being a Redeemer or Savior–without Jesus, we wouldn’t even HAVE Confession–and, two, it’s still God’s Authority.

Look at it this way. If the owner of a company takes a vacation and puts Joe in charge while he’s gone, does that make Joe the new owner? No. But if the workers respect the owner and trust his judgement, then they should respect that Joe has the authority to do what is needed while the owner is gone, right?

The priest is acting on behalf of Christ, according to the authority given to him by Christ. Don’t dismiss that too quickly. Think about it. God has chosen this man to be a priest, and to hear your confession. Trust Him. It’s not always easy, but that’s part of the struggle with sin. Just remember, God doesn’t make mistakes. 😉

Confession is also about doing that which we failed to do when we sinned: that is, to obey God. You don’t confess to a priest because it’s *so much fun *telling him how sinful you’ve been! You do it out of obedience to Christ. And we need to obey Him, even when–or especially when–we don’t want to.

When we are faced with asking God out loud for forgiveness, through one of His representatives on earth… we generally tend to think a little harder about what we’ve done and how we can avoid doing it again, and we make fewer excuses. We need that. God wants us to use the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance/Confession because* it’s good for us.*

Trust Him. 👍
 
Jesus himself gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins. Its right there in the Gospel of John Chapter 20 verse 23:

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained
 
Timi_Celcer said:
I just can’t understand why should i confess my sins to a priest. l Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only mediator or savior. So if Jesus is the only mediator between us and Him how can priests be mediators too? I know some will put out John 20:23 but is there another explanation to John 20:23 because it clearly contradicts l Timothy 2:5 and Acts 4:12.
Because i really don’t want to confess my sins to a priest. I want to confess them straight to Him.
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For Lutherans it is not either/or, but both/and.

You can go right to the Father, as the Lord’s Prayer gives an example. But Christ also established within His Church the opportunity to confess to His called and ordained pastors/priests, who hear our confession to God in Christ’s place, and by His authority, granted in scripture, announces absolution.

Now, for me, hearing this absolution lifts a burden from me.

Jon
 
Timi_Celcer said:
I just can’t understand why should i confess my sins to a priest. l Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only mediator or savior. So if Jesus is the only mediator between us and Him how can priests be mediators too? I know some will put out John 20:23 but is there another explanation to John 20:23 because it clearly contradicts l Timothy 2:5 and Acts 4:12.
Because i really don’t want to confess my sins to a priest. I want to confess them straight to Him.
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Job 42:

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.

Question: Why did God, who spoke directly to Eliphaz, not just forgive him directly? And why did God order him to go through Job?

Timi…what was God’s purpose in telling Eliphaz and his friends to go through Job to be forgiven?
 
Timi_Celcer said:
I just can’t understand why should i confess my sins to a priest. l Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only mediator or savior. So if Jesus is the only mediator between us and Him how can priests be mediators too? I know some will put out John 20:23 but is there another explanation to John 20:23 because it clearly contradicts l Timothy 2:5 and Acts 4:12.
Because i really don’t want to confess my sins to a priest. I want to confess them straight to Him.
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  1. Scripture never contradicts other Scripture. Scripture only contradicts our personal interpretation of Scripture. If you find something in Scripture appearing to contradicting something else in Scripture, then you need to re-investigate the passages, and re-think your personal interpretation.
  2. Notice the terminology used in your last sentence. Is this about what YOU want, or what GOD wants? Which is most important?
 
Here’s an article I found on why confession is necessary.

**
Most importantly, I recommend that you read Psalm 32. (below).**–it opened my mind to why we Catholics believe in confession. [BIBLEDRB][/BIBLEDRB]God bless you.

Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.**

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!**
 
I’d just like to add:

James 5:16, Confess therefore your sins one to another…

Can’t remember the reference, but in the early Church some people would confess their sins out loud in presence of the congregation. On the other hand, other people felt uncomfortable confessing their sins in the presence of the congregation. This is why the practice developed into a private encounter with the Priest, who sits with Christ’s authority to loose or retain those sins.

I am a witness to the miracle and power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it has brought great blessings into my life.

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
 
JonNC said:
For Lutherans it is not either/or, but both/and.

You can go right to the Father, as the Lord’s Prayer gives an example. But Christ also established within His Church the opportunity to confess to His called and ordained pastors/priests, who hear our confession to God in Christ’s place, and by His authority, granted in scripture, announces absolution.

Now, for me, hearing this absolution lifts a burden from me.

Jon
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Correct but don’t forget public confession at the start of Mass; that is what most Lutherans benefit from each Sunday. Holy Absolution [private confession], as you point out, lifts a burden. :yup:
 
A mediator is a go-between two parties who are joined by an agreement. In the case of Christians, Jesus is this Mediator and the agreement is the New Covenant.

Question, does being the Mediator restrict God to offering forgiveness of sins by Jesus only? If Christ wishes to use ministers that he assigns to offer this forgiveness, would you tell Christ no because in your mind a Mediator is the only one who can do this?

That is what you are doing here if you hold to your comments at the beginning of the thread. You are basically saying that you want Jesus to be a Mediator that is restricted to your limited definition, namely the only person through whom God’s forgiveness should be administered. That means that you disagree with Jesus actions at John 20:22-23 which you cited, even though this is a demonstration of how Christ exercises his position as Mediator and Savior (namely assigning others to give it to the world).

While Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:15) which is between God and humans, priests act as mediators of the graces of that covenant, which is not the same thing. Just as Christ doesn’t necessarily appear to people miraculously with the gospel but will use you, a human, to bring this life-giving message, Christ chooses certain humans to administer other aspects of the covenant, namely forgiveness.–Compare John 4:14.

This action does not replace Christ as the only mediator, because priests are not the mediator of the New Covenant itself, the legal agreement between humanity and God. They are one of the two parties to the covenant, and as priests ministers of it to others, just like you act as a minister of it to the world by preaching the gospel to others. When you preach the good news you are acting as a mediator or go-between, a stand-in or ambassador of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20) This is the type of “mediator” priests are acting as when they administer the sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. Just because it is the same English word (“mediator”) does not mean priests replace Christ’s actual position as the Mediator of the New Covenant (just like calling a priest “Father” doesn’t mean he replaces my biological father as a result—again same word, different meaning). You don’t replace Christ when* you* become his stand in as Christ’s ambassador, do you? But you do become Christ to the world when He uses you as such, don’t you?

Note Matthew 25 where the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, those who are naked or ill or in prison are said to be Christ himself and that people are judged based on how they minister to Christ in these guises. If the poor and hungry can be Christ and your treatment of them will mean either eternal life or eternal judgment to you, why can’t a priest be a “stand-in” for Christ and administer the forgiveness Christ offers? If the naked and ill and prisoners and strangers to you are in a way ministers of life everlasting, why can’t priests be ministers of Christ’s forgiveness?

Explain why you limit Christ to being the only person Christ will work through when Christ himself does not do this.
 
It is really so easy to say " I can confess my sins directly to God " when God already knows what your sins are !..they can just roll off the tongue.
In confession through the priest to God we acknowledge our failures to the community in the person of the priest. There is also the embarrassment to an extent of stating our sins verbally to a fellow human, this in turn combats our pride and this triggers humility and the ensuing sorrow…hence the beauty of this reconciliation to The Father.
D.I.Y. confession is an insult to God!

Holy Spirit guide them to the priest for God’s forgiveness.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
Correct but don’t forget public confession at the start of Mass; that is what most Lutherans benefit from each Sunday. Holy Absolution [private confession], as you point out, lifts a burden. :yup:
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Oh yes. And in both cases we confess to God before our confessor/pastor who announces absolution.

Jon
 
In Orthodox symbolism, the priest stands more as your “lawyer” when you confess your sins to the eternal Judge, Jesus Christ.
 
Timi_Celcer said:
I just can’t understand why should i confess my sins to a priest. l Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12 say that Jesus is the only mediator or savior. So if Jesus is the only mediator between us and Him how can priests be mediators too? I know some will put out John 20:23 but is there another explanation to John 20:23 because it clearly contradicts l Timothy 2:5 and Acts 4:12.
Because i really don’t want to confess my sins to a priest. I want to confess them straight to Him.
Click to expand...
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man, but there are many mediators between Jesus Christ and His faithful.

Timi, anyone can pray for you and by praying for you, they become mediators that stands between you and Jesus Christ. The highest mediator between you, and Jesus is a Catholic Priest / Catholic Church who has been given the Authority to forgive you or not.

Yes, it is so easy to go to Jesus Christ and say I am sorry for my sins, however Jesus Christ does not want it done this way, Jesus wants us to go to His Church.

Timi, What if you confess your sins to Jesus Christ and he does not forgive you, and here you think you have been forgiven, and then you die in your sins, then what? I tell you, it will be to late.

The Church is there for you to know for sure if you have been forgiven or not.

Mathew 18: 17And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican. 18Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.

Timi, the above bible verse, Jesus Christ did not say: And if they will not hear them: come and tell me, no He did not, However Jesus Christ states in the above Bible Verse: “TELL THE CHURCH”

So Timi, I tell you tell you confess your sins to the Catholic Church / Catholic Priests again who only have the Authority to forgive you or not.

Timi, read what Jesus Christ says regarding those who will not listen to the Church “let him be to thee as the heathen and Publican” Those are Our Lord words not mine.

Ufamt Tobie
 
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