Jesus Christ is our only 'mediator' as stated by St. Paul

[1beleevr]

elvisman: All right, my young brother, I guess we’ll lock horns again next week We have another busy weekend, working for the Lord, with our feeding of, and passing out socks to the homeless(Matthew 25:31-40). It is so exciting to be used by God, and to say Y-E-S! (Isaiah 6:8)

 

[guanophore]

What I was trying to do is help you see your idea of intercessory prayer is unscriptural.

No, it is plenty scriptural. It is not consistent with your interpretation of the scriptures, which is a departure from what the Apostles believed and taught.

The bible tells us that when we pray, Christ himself makes intercession for us unto his Father.

Yes, and asking others to join us in prayer does not change this.

The dead in Christ do not make intercessory prayer for us. Do you not realize that their time is spent praising the MOST HIGH? Do you really think they are concerned with what is occurring on earth, knowing all the while that all things are in the hands of the Lord?

Yes, they are praising the Most High. What makes you think that events here on earth can interfere with that in any way?

If your premise were correct, then it would either not be possible, or would have been inappropriate for Moses and Elijah to have a conversation with Jesus about His crucifixion. They should have been too busy praising the MOST HIGH to pay attention to what was going on here on earth, and should not have had any interest in what was going to happen to Jesus, since His life was in the hands of His father.

I ask that when you pray, you pray to Jesus, and you prayer to the Father, in Jesus’ name only. If you want to be heard, this is what you need to do.

It is not appropriate for you to come to a Catholic forum and presume to instruct Catholics about how to practice their faith.

You have no authority to tell us that we need to depart from the faith that was handed down to us from the Apostles.

If you wish to engage in this activity, CAF is not the place. You might want to consider opening your own anti-Catholic forum so that you can use it to try to pull Catholics away from their faith. Or, perhaps you would be welcome at CARM?

I pray the Lord open your heart and mind to his truth, and not that of the World.

Your prayers of this kind are, of course, always welcome.

 

[Bill_Pick]

elvisman: All right, my young brother, I guess we’ll lock horns again next week We have another busy weekend, working for the Lord, with our feeding of, and passing out socks to the homeless(Matthew 25:31-40). It is so exciting to be used by God, and to say Y-E-S! (Isaiah 6:8)

Where Was Your ‘Church’ When…?

• St. Paul Converted?
• The Apostles Were Martyred?
• Jerusalem Was Destroyed by Titus?
• Christians Were Being Persecuted Under Nero?
• Christianity Was ‘Legalized’?
• The Apostles’ Creed Was Authored?
• The Catholic Church Defined the Doctrine of the Trinity?
• The First Word of Scripture Was Written?
• The Catholic Church Codified the Bible?
• The Catholic Monks Were Preserving Scripture By Hand?
• The Roman Empire Fell?
• Most People Were Illiterate And Had to Be Instructed Through Art?
• The Pantheon Was Converted to a Catholic Church?
• Christendom Came Into Being?
• Most of the Population Spoke Latin, Thanks to the Catholic Church?
• The First Christian - that is, Catholic - Church (Building) Was Built?
• St. Patrick ‘Converted All of Ireland’?
• The Date of Easter Was Settled by the Catholic Church?
• Rome Became the “Center of the Christian World”?
• The Catholic Church ‘Civilized the World’?
• The Catholic Church Changed the Dating System to the A.D./B.C. System?
• Attila the Hun Spared Rome Thanks to Pope St. Leo the Great?
• Muslims Conquered Numerous Christian Lands?
• Some of the Greatest Works of Art Were Commissioned by the Catholic Church?
• The Church Became the “Greatest Backer of Scientific, Literary, Artistic, and Charitable Works the World Has Ever Seen”?
• The Pope “Changed the Dating System For the World”?
• America Was Discovered?

 

[guanophore]

Hey 1

Psa 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Psa 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Suppose these verses are true and when you died you really did go down into silence, your thoughts really did perish, and the dead really did know nothing. If that is true and it certainly is because the bible says so then it would make a big difference whether or not these people were being used for a mediator.

There are so many errors in here, it is hard to know where to begin. One is that Catholics do not use saints for “mediators” in the sense that Christ is our mediator. Only He can mediate salvation for us before God. We request their intercession, which is different.

You have cherry picked out a few verses from scripture, and tried to extract a doctrine from them, ignoring what the Apostles taught, and what the other scriptures record about these matters. This is a very dangerous practice.

Because it would be a big waste of time for those praying to ones who couldn’t hear and for the ones being prayed for in that the ones being prayed to cannot hear. He tells us to pray to the Father. Noone else.

It would be a waste of time, if in fact it were true, but it is not, so it is not a concern. We are exhorted in scripture many places to pray for one another. The Apostles taught that there was no separation between those who are here on earth, and those who have gone on before us in faith. We are all members of One Body.

And to those who erroneously believed as you do, that the “dead know nothing”, He told them that they know neither the Scriptures, or the power of God, since those in Christ live forevermore.

Let’s look at how you have taking these scriptures out of context:

Psa 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.

Look at the very next verse!

Ps 115:17-18
17 The dead do not praise the LORD,
nor do any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and for evermore.

Sounds to me like those who die in the Lord never stop praising Him!

And again:

Psa 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Let us read on…

Ps 146:4-7
When his breath departs he returns to his earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5 Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.

Does it not look to you like the one who hopes in the Lord will be happy? How can the faithful be “happy” forever if they “know nothing”?

On the contrary, the Psalmist here is contrasting the fate of the faithless to that of the faithful.

The Preacher is writing cynically, and if you want to take this verse in Eccl. literally, then you will have to do the same with all the others. Would you like to extract some more doctrine in this bizarre manner?

Let’s try making a doctrine out of this verse:

Eccl 7:15-16
16 Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself overwise; why should you destroy yourself?

Dont’ you think we should not try too hard to be good? Trying to obey God’s commandments, or be too wise will destroy us! Instead, we should strive for mediocrity, don’t you think?

Or how about this one:

Eccl 7:26-28
26 And I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters; he who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, adding one thing to another to find the sum, 28 which my mind has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found.

There is really no point in looking for a godly woman, is there? A woman whose heart is snares and nets is more bitter than death! Is this not an encouragement to the celibate life?

I hope you can see how foolish it is to pick out a verse like this, and try to build a doctrine around it.

 

[guanophore]

guan:Then, if the pope is not a holy father, as is God, there would be no need to capitalize it, right?

I am not sure what you mean by “need”. There is no “need” to capitalize the directions, or the names of States, or the word President of the United States, but we do. It is a sign of respect and recognition. In the East, we call them Patriarchs.

They are Holy in the sense that they are set aside, and consecrated to God’s work.

Let me ask you this; being the strong catholic that you are, could anybody evangelize you away from the catholic church?

They did, and it worked for 20+ years. I left because, like you, I did not understand the teachings of the Catholic Church, and believed they were wrong.

I would hope that people would not attempt that here, since it is against the forum rules, and someone could be banned.

 

[guanophore]

Personal choice, that’s what it’s about. Pray to God the Father, through Christ the Son, or through Mary and the saints:thumbsup:

No, beleever, the Truth is way beyond "personal choice"One of the reasons we have so
much division in the Body of Christ today is because everyone thinks that the Truth is a “matter of personal Choice”.

Besides, it is not an “either/or” situation with prayer. Mary and the saints pray to God the Father through the son, so there is not “instead” as you imply here.

 

[voltape]

You guys seem to have forgotten the marriage at Cana. They had run out of wine and the party was doomed to failure. Who was it who noticed the newlyweds’ predicament? Mary, of all the people. Jesus was at that time a young man, having a good time with his friends, and possibly the girls. Mary knew her son could help. She went resolutely to him and hinted. To her great credit, Jesus refused. “None of our business, mom. It’s not my time yet”. Yet she called the bartender and said to him: “Do as he says”. Jesus, the Word Incarnate, the Logos, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity made flesh, had to give in and perform the miracle he’d just refused to do. You see, you don’t even need to ask. She will assist you even if God is too busy at the time.

 

[JesusIsTheWay89]

The Bible is clear on it’s views about idol worship:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” -Exodus 20:4

“'Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:4

So why are there so many man-made images of saints and Mary in the church??

Paul and the saints were merely God’s servants, His people, as are we; all believers. Paul himself said in In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,]” or “I follow only Christ.” Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.”

So why pray to him or Mary or any of the saints when the Bible also clearly states
in 1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”

And the Book of Revelations 22:8-9 says,

"I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. 9 But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

And the last words recorded by Mary in the Bible were in John 2:3-5,

"And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Obviously, she was pointing people to Jesus and away from herself. So out of the four times her words are recorded in the Bible where does it say to do what Catholics are taught to do in reference of her??

And if Jesus is our High Priest as Hebrews 4:14-16 states…

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

…Why do we have to go to a priest to confess our sins?

 

[JesusIsTheWay89]

You guys seem to have forgotten the marriage at Cana. They had run out of wine and the party was doomed to failure. Who was it who noticed the newlyweds’ predicament? Mary, of all the people. Jesus was at that time a young man, having a good time with his friends, and possibly the girls. Mary knew her son could help. She went resolutely to him and hinted. To her great credit, Jesus refused. “None of our business, mom. It’s not my time yet”. Yet she called the bartender and said to him: “Do as he says”. Jesus, the Word Incarnate, the Logos, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity made flesh, had to give in and perform the miracle he’d just refused to do. You see, you don’t even need to ask. She will assist you even if God is too busy at the time.

The Bible is clear on it’s views about idol worship:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” -Exodus 20:4

“'Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:4

So why are there so many man-made images of saints and Mary in the church??

Paul and the saints were merely God’s servants, His people, as are we; all believers. Paul himself said in In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,]” or “I follow only Christ.” Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.”

So why pray to him or Mary or any of the saints when the Bible also clearly states
in 1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”

And the Book of Revelations 22:8-9 says,

"I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. 9 But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

And the last words recorded by Mary in the Bible were in John 2:3-5,

"And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Obviously, she was pointing people to Jesus and away from herself. So out of the four times her words are recorded in the Bible where does it say to do what Catholics are taught to do in reference of her??

And if Jesus is our High Priest as Hebrews 4:14-16 states…

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

…Why do we have to go to a priest to confess our sins?

 

[voltape]

Obviously, Mary told the bartender to do what Jesus would say because she was very sure her son would obey her [honor thy father and thy mother], And he obeyed even if he had just refused. And you have to confess your sins to a priest because Jesus said so. First to Peter [Mattew 16] and later to the other apostles, who were the first bishops, who in turn delegated the power to others, creating them as bishops, priests and deacons. Like they did with Matthia who was named apostle [consecrated bishop] to replace Judas. Please, read carefully your Bible. God bless.

 

[Bill_Pick]

Why do we have to go to a priest to confess our sins? To asnwer your question Our Lord said it was the way to go He breathed on tehm and gave them the power to do so John 20 19 24

 

[guanophore]

Yippee, I learned something new again:extrahappy:, I mean, if I read your post correctly, it seems like you are saying that catholics, and non-catholics have different Commandments!

No. Same commandments, different numerical assignments. The Scripture had no numbers and verses. Catholics added all those. When the Reformers departed from the Apostolic Teachings, and abandoned the canon used by Jesus, they adopted instead one that was used by the Jews that rejected Christ. They also adopted the numbering system used by those opposing Christianity.

you also have NEVER found any of my posts, where I 1beleevr, a nondenominational member of the Bride of Christ, has told you or any other person, who believes in using the saints for intercession, NOT to do it!

No, you just stated that you think we pray to them “instead” of to God.

And, perhaps you will read S-L-O-W-L-Y, and realize that it is perfectly okay, to pray to God, using the saints, or Mary, or pray directly to God, through Our King, Jesus Christ.

This is an example of that “either/or” thinking that seems to prevent you from understanding. Asking others to join us in pour prayers does not mean we do not pray directly to God.

It’s not that I don’t understand what you’re saying

yOUR COMMENTS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU DO NOT.

This issue is similar to the topic of whether to confess sins through a priest, or to Him(1John 1:9).

To the extent that Jesus created both as an expression of His Grace, yes, but He did not command that we seek the prayers of the communion of saints as He did the use of confession.

Your statement reveals again your lack of understanding of the incarnational principle. We do not confess to a priest “instead” of to God, but to God, through the priest. They are not separated from one another as you seem to believe.

 

[guanophore]

The Bible is clear on it’s views about idol worship:

Either you don’t understand what an idol is, or you have been misled to believe that asking our brothers and sisters to pray for us is idolatry. Not sure which.

So why are there so many man-made images of saints and Mary in the church??

Because digital photographs of our loved ones were not available at the time.

So why pray to him or Mary or any of the saints when the Bible also clearly states
in 1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”

To “pray” in this context means “to ask”. We ask those who have gone before us in the faith to intercede for us.

And the Book of Revelations 22:8-9 says, Worship only God!”

Catholics worship only God. Asking someone to pray for us is not worship.

And the last words recorded by Mary in the Bible were in John 2:3-5,

"And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Obviously, she was pointing people to Jesus and away from herself. So out of the four times her words are recorded in the Bible where does it say to do what Catholics are taught to do in reference of her??

You are exactly right about Mary pointing to Jesus. This is what she has been doing from the time she was able to point! If anyone seems to get lost, she will point them in th e right direction.

Apparently you have no clue what Catholics do.

And if Jesus is our High Priest as Hebrews 4:14-16 states…
…Why do we have to go to a priest to confess our sins?

Because that is the way He set things up for us. He knows what is best for us. He knew that having a human voice tell us our sins are forgiven, just as He did when He walked the earth, was important to our spiritual growth.

 

[guanophore]

I don’t know. Jesus is my only mediator, always has been, always will be.

This is very Catholic of you!

Are you still, after all this time on this thread, unable to understand the difference between the mediation of eternal salvation and the ministry of intercession we have for one another as members of His Body?

pray to God through Jesus, and catholics may or may not use the saints, and Mary. It doesn’t really matter, when you get right down to it.

Truth does matter, beleevr.

And I was not aware that the church had the authority to alter God’s Law And like, prayer, confession is a personal choice; no one should feel compelled to go to a priest!

do you think it is against God’s law to ask others in the Body for prayer?

Truth is not a “personal choice”, beleevr. I agree everyone has a personal choice to accept it or not (like Pilate had). However, Truth is what God decides, not us.

Jesus commanded that we confess our sins, and gave His apostles the power to forgive and retain sins. This is how He set things up.’

And you are correct, we don’t have the authority to abrogate what He has put in place.

 

[placido]

The Bible is clear on it’s views about idol worship:
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” -Exodus 20:4
“'Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:4

Stop right there. Before saying anything further, read Wisdom 13 & 14. If Catholics do indeed worship idols why do they insist in having Wisdom in their Bible? Think about that and we can continue from there.

So why are there so many man-made images of saints and Mary in the church??

May be for the same reason there were so many “man-made images” in the temple.

Paul and the saints were merely God’s servants, His people, as are we; all believers. Paul himself said in In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17
“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,]” or “I follow only Christ.” Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.”
So why pray to him or Mary or any of the saints when the Bible also clearly states
in 1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”

Look at it this way: Catholics do pray directly to God most of the time (Our Father etc), but do also pray for and with fellow believers (including Paul and Mary) which is perfectly biblical.

And the Book of Revelations 22:8-9 says,
"I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. 9 But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

If you can’t distinguish between prayer and worship than you don’t have a problem; you are the problem.

And the last words recorded by Mary in the Bible were in John 2:3-5,
"And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Obviously, she was pointing people to Jesus and away from herself. So out of the four times her words are recorded in the Bible where does it say to do what Catholics are taught to do in reference of her??

And what is that Catholics are taught to do in reference to her? Seriously, I am curious.

And if Jesus is our High Priest as Hebrews 4:14-16 states…
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
…Why do we have to go to a priest to confess our sins?

The same reason we go to a priest/elder for baptism, for marriage and when we are sick (James 5:14-15).
I am still wondering why nobody did ever come up with an excuse that he/she does not need a fellow human being for baptism or marriage. But confessing sins to a fellow human being (James 5:16) seems so terrible to some fellows.
BTW, implying that a priest is not needed, is doubting that Jesus has indeed passed His powers to forgive sins (Mark 2:10) to His apostles (John 20:23).

placido

 

[avflf]

We do not confess to a priest “instead” of to God, but to God, through the priest. They are not separated from one another as you seem to believe.

Should I circumvent this and pray for forgiveness directly to God, without a priest as a mediator, will my sins still be forgiven?

 

[placido]

Should I circumvent this and pray for forgiveness directly to God, without a priest as a mediator, will my sins still be forgiven?

I hope you are not ignoring what happened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram, who tried to circumvent the God-ordered procedures by going directly to God. Well, if you go directly to God because no priest is available, fine. But if you go directly to God because you disregard God’s own command, I am afraid you are wasting your time and placing your soul in danger.
Jesus said “if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23) and for a very good reason, I suppose, He did not add “however, they can be forgiven if they come directly to me”.

placido

 

[avflf]

I hope you are not ignoring what happened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram, who tried to circumvent the God-ordered procedures by going directly to God. Well, if you go directly to God because no priest is available, fine. But if you go directly to God because you disregard God’s own command, I am afraid you are wasting your time and placing your soul in danger.
Jesus said “if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23) and for a very good reason, I suppose, He did not add “however, they can be forgiven if they come directly to me”.

placido

Thank you placido, you have lifted a heavy burden of uncertainty from me. You see when I sin is usually out of the local church so I don’t have a priest with me at the time and I confess the sin straight to God through Jesus as I might well forget what sin it was by the time I get to church on Sundays.

 

[placido]

Thank you placido, you have lifted a heavy burden of uncertainty from me. You see when I sin is usually out of the local church so I don’t have a priest with me at the time and I confess the sin straight to God through Jesus as I might well forget what sin it was by the time I get to church on Sundays.

Sinning “out of the local church” is interesting indeed. Any ways, provision is made even for sins that you may have forgotten. But do you really believe that someone who commits adultery or steals on Monday or Tuesday forgets about that evil deed before Sunday? And, what about going to see the priest before Sunday?
Remember this: repentance, confession of sins and reparation have to go together. After stealing someone’s property, 1st repent, 2nd confess and 3rd give the property back to the rightful owner.
It is useless “repenting” and confessing your sin (to a priest or directly to God) while keeping the stolen property.

placido

 

[placido]

And I was not aware that the church had the authority to alter God’s Law

Depends on what one means with that statement. In Acts 15 we see the Church altering God’s “eternal commandment”.

And like, prayer, confession is a personal choice;

Not according to the Bible. The Bible says clearly “confess your trespasses to one another” – that is no personal choice but a command.

guan:Then, if the pope is not a holy father, as is God, there would be no need to capitalize it, right?

There is need to capitalize titles like Dr. and Mr. isn’t it? So, we can capitalize “Holy Father” without pretending to make him “as is God”.

placido