Is there anywhere in Tanakh which gives Priests' right to forgive sin? As a Jew, I believe we should go to G-d alone, but I'm willing to see sources

[Rabbi]

Is there anywhere in Tanakh which gives Priests’ right to forgive sin? As a Jew, I believe we should go to G-d alone, but I’m willing to see sources. Thank you.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I understand why, as a Jew, you won’t spell the word God, but, at least capitalise it. Anyway, Leviticus 5:5-6 Leviticus 5:5-6 DRA - Let him do penance for his sin, And - Bible Gateway

 

[Thom18]

Catholic priests absolve us of our sins little differently than the Levitical priests of Old did. Go to the priest as God instructs and you will be forgiven.

 

[Rabbi]

You all make some valid points until further investigated. I think our Torah is clear it is G-d, and not the Kohen, who forgives and absolves sin. Your interpretation is just not the pshat, as the text clearly says one must admit (confess) his sin, and afterwards, the Kohen will “atone for him.” It doesn’t say that it is the Kohen who absolves the sin. It says the Kohen is the one who performs the act of which brings atonement, but before then, one must confess to G-d alone. It is the prerequisite, and only then can the Kohen preform the sacrifice for the sin since it is only validated by the Kohen himself; assuming the atonement in the passage is for the מתנת דם on the מזבח.

 

[LML]

Is there anywhere in Tanakh which gives Priests’ right to forgive sin? As a Jew, I believe we should go to G-d alone, but I’m willing to see sources.

Yom Kippur, the day of atonement where the priest, through execution of his duties forgave sins for "for the priests and for all the people of the assembly."

Leviticus 16:32-34

32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments; 33 he shall make atonement for the sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute for you, that atonement may be made for the sons of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Moses did as the LORD commanded him.

 

[Rabbi]

Even John disagreed with you:

“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” - John 20:23.

 

[Rabbi]

Let me correct you here: Yom Kippur IS about making atonement, yes, but in performing the sacrificial service as the emissary of the people and in response to the sacrificial service, G-d will forgive. It is not the Kohen who is forgiving; the Kohen is performing the service in response to which G-d will forgive the people.

 

[Wesrock]

Our sacramental theology is that priest acts in the person of Christ, and that Christ forgives through the priest. The priests operate as instruments of our high priest, Jesus, who is himself God. It is not by his own power that the priest absolves or gives absolution, it’s God doing so through the priest.

 

[Rabbi]

That’s good to know, as I was getting the impression here that the Priest would actually forgive via himself, and not G-d.

 

[LML]

It is not the Kohen who is forgiving; the Kohen is performing the service in response to which G-d will forgive the people.

And, the same holds true for priests of the Catholic Church who are in the person of Christ (Persona Christi) when administering sacraments including Reconciliation.

 

[Rabbi]

Then there is no disagreement here after all, except for the one which you say a sinner can’t directly go to G-d first.

 

[LML]

you say a sinner can’t directly go to G-d first.

No one, or at least myself, has ever said that…part of the sacrament is an examination of conscience, an act of contrition, and penance which are all made directly to God, before, during, and after the administration of the sacrament.

 

[Rabbi]

Thank you so much for clarifying that. Another Catholic was saying the opposite, you are clearly more knowledgeable. Thank you again.

 

[Wesrock]

Thank you so much for clarifying that. Another Catholic was saying the opposite, you are clearly more knowledgeable. Thank you again.

The concern is for a Catholic to go to God alone and denying the need to reconcile with and through the Church, too. Obviously there are exceptional circumstances where there is no priest available, but normally a Catholic who sins gravely should first repent that sin to God and then go to a priest at his earliest convenience for reconciliation. Even during reconciliation, though, it is God acting through the priest that gives absolution to the penitent.

 

[PetraG]

Thank you so much for clarifying that. Another Catholic was saying the opposite, you are clearly more knowledgeable. Thank you again.

CCC 1497 Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church.
By ordinary means, the Church is saying that there is nothing that prevents G-d from reconciling with a sinner by extraordinary means known to Him alone. It is just that this sacrament is given as the ordinary means for those who are baptized.

 

[meltzerboy2]

That’s what I thought: the priest is not acting by himself, just as Moses did not act on his own. However, since the priest is the “disciple” of Jesus, he is invested with the power through which Jesus forgives sins.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

God’s forgiveness of sin isn’t extraordinary.

As the Catechisms States; Only God forgives sin

The priests is given the authority to forgive sin, but this does not exclude God

If anything, the priest forgiveness would be the Extraordinary,. God the Ordinary.

Jim

 

[JerryZ]

Actually, if a sinner does not have the possibility of going to a priest to receive absolution after confessing his/her sins and he/she is repentant of his/her sins he/she can ask directly to G-d for forgiveness. We believe that HE is just and will answer the prayer of the contrite heart.
The priest gives us the assurance that being empowered by Christ can absolve our sins. So if the person survives he should still go to the priest and have certainty that his/her sins are forgiven.

 

[mdgspencer]

I have presumed, from a passage in the Gospels, that Jews believed that only God forgives sin, and that no man can do this. This passage is:

Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

However, Christians believe that Christ gave Catholic priests the power to forgive sin, according to another passage in the Gospels (which someone else has already helpfully quoted):

John 20: 20 Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

 

[DENNYINMI]

Let me correct you here: Yom Kippur IS about making atonement, yes, but in performing the sacrificial service as the emissary of the people and in response to the sacrificial service, G-d will forgive. It is not the Kohen who is forgiving; the Kohen is performing the service in response to which G-d will forgive the people.

As it is with the Catholic Priest. It is not the Priest who is doing the forgiving, it is Christ. Just as the Temple Priest “offered” the sacrifices, it was God who forgave.

When Christ told the Apostles If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

Surely as a Jew you understand the importance of being placed with the “keys” as in the old testament it carried with it the authority to bind and loose…and so it was with Christ to Peter.

Roy Schoeman, a Jewish Catholic has a book called “Salvation is from the Jews”…excellent point in the right direction…God Bless.