My sins are forgiven.. so why would I still need a priest?

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As the Word says to do, I have forgiven everyone who has ever offended or hurt me. I hold no grudges. Then prayed and confessed my sins directly to the Lord. Now that ALL my sins are forgiven… why would anyone still need to go to a priest?

Mar 11:25
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mar 11:26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

1Jo 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1Jo 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jo 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psa 32:5
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
 
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.
 
believers said:
As the Word says to do, I have forgiven everyone who has ever offended or hurt me. I hold no grudges. Then prayed and confessed my sins directly to the Lord. Now that ALL my sins are forgiven… why would anyone still need to go to a priest?

Mar 11:25
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mar 11:26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

1Jo 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1Jo 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jo 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psa 32:5
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Click to expand...
When you gets baby butt stricks than you will know what sins have to do with you.
 
Lampo said:
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.
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Jam 5:16
Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

It does not say confess your faults to a priest! If you do something wrong to someone… confess to that person. That person must then forgive you. If you do that then God can forgive you of your sins.

A priest CANNOT forgive you of your sins but GOD alone. However, if you do not forgive someone of their sins against you, God cannot forgive you.
 
Believers, how do any of those verses contradict confession to a priest as Christ commanded? Please articulate. 🙂

It would also help to understand confession to a priest is not different than confessing to Jesus. 🙂
 
MarcoPolo said:
Believers, how do any of those verses contradict confession to a priest as Christ commanded? Please articulate. 🙂

It would also help to understand confession to a priest is not different than confessing to Jesus. 🙂
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Confessing to a priest is not confessing to Jesus. Get on your knees, bow your head, and confess your sins unto the Lord.
 
believers said:
It does not say confess your faults to a priest! If you do something wrong to someone… confess to that person. That person must then forgive you. If you do that then God can forgive you of your sins.
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What if that person dies before you have a chance to confess to them?
believers said:
A priest CANNOT forgive you of your sins but GOD alone. However, if you do not forgive someone of their sins against you, God cannot forgive you.
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That is correct and very Catholic. Here is what the Catholic Church teaches:

Only God forgives sin
1441 Only God forgives sins.39 Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and exercises this divine power: "Your sins are forgiven."40 Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.41

1442 Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry which he charged with the "ministry of reconciliation."42 The apostle is sent out “on behalf of Christ” with “God making his appeal” through him and pleading: "Be reconciled to God."43

Reconciliation with the Church
1443 During his public life Jesus not only forgave sins, but also made plain the effect of this forgiveness: he reintegrated forgiven sinners into the community of the People of God from which sin had alienated or even excluded them. A remarkable sign of this is the fact that Jesus receives sinners at his table, a gesture that expresses in an astonishing way both God’s forgiveness and the return to the bosom of the People of God.44

1444 In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This ecclesial dimension of their task is expressed most notably in Christ’s solemn words to Simon Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."45 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles united to its head."46

1445 The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.
 
believers said:
Confessing to a priest is not confessing to Jesus. Get on your knees, bow your head, and confess your sins unto the Lord.
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It certainly is, the Priest is acting “In persona Christi” Jesus gave them that authority!
 
believers said:
Jam 5:16
Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

It does not say confess your faults to a priest! If you do something wrong to someone… confess to that person. That person must then forgive you. If you do that then God can forgive you of your sins.

A priest CANNOT forgive you of your sins but GOD alone. However, if you do not forgive someone of their sins against you, God cannot forgive you.
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why is it the non-Catholic try to find only one verse in the bible after someone have give you more than one? why do you not believe Jesus words?
 
believers said:
However, if you do not forgive someone of their sins against you, God cannot forgive you.
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That raises an interesting point. So, if you die at that point in your life, Heaven wouldn’t be your destination because you died without being forgiven by God. So you admit that you must forgive others in order to obtain Heaven. That sounds like a “work” to me. I’m glad you don’t adhere to the false doctrine of sola fide.
 
**Jam 5:16
Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

It does not say confess your faults to a priest! If you do something wrong to someone… confess to that person. That person must then forgive you. If you do that then God can forgive you of your sins.**

**Wrong!

In the same passage, the sick person is told to call for the PRESBYTEROI (whence the word “priests”) of the church–and it explicitly says that the prayer of the faithful (faithful whom? faithful presbyters/priests) shall save the sick, and his sins will be forgiven.**
 
believers said:
Confessing to a priest is not confessing to Jesus. Get on your knees, bow your head, and confess your sins unto the Lord.
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The Lord is in the priest, and uses the priest’s voice to speak to us in a way that we can hear in an unmistakable way.

It’s fine to confess by yourself, but you will not hear the words of forgiveness with your natural ears - and it’s difficult to discern between God’s voice and the sound of my own thoughts - it is easy for me to deceive myself into thinking that God is speaking to me, when all I am really hearing are my own thoughts. I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world who has this problem. 😉

(Or do you assume that God just does whatever you tell Him to do, including forgive you, as though you were the Master, and He were the servant? 🤷 )
 
jmcrae said:
The Lord is in the priest, and uses the priest’s voice to speak to us in a way that we can hear in an unmistakable way.

It’s fine to confess by yourself, but you will not hear the words of forgiveness with your natural ears - and it’s difficult to discern between God’s voice and the sound of my own thoughts - it is easy for me to deceive myself into thinking that God is speaking to me, when all I am really hearing are my own thoughts. I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world who has this problem. 😉

(Or do you assume that God just does whatever you tell Him to do, including forgive you, as though you were the Master, and He were the servant? 🤷 )
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And how will God speak in preist voice. Sound like another jesus pbuh.
 
tomshaikh said:
And how will God speak in preist voice. Sound like another jesus pbuh.
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That’s why he is called “in persona Christi.” Because he is, in fact “another Christ,” just at that particular moment. 🙂
 
believers said:
Confessing to a priest is not confessing to Jesus. Get on your knees, bow your head, and confess your sins unto the Lord.
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Why did you leave the Catholic Church?

Do you remember what you say in the confessioal with the priest when you partake of this Sacrament?

I will help You

Act of Contrition

Oh my God, I am Heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because of Your just punisments, But most of all because they offend You, my God, Who are all good and deservingof all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of your Grace, to sin no more and to avoid the unnecesary occasion of sin.
Amen

Who are you talking to here?

First and foremost you must be truly sorry and have full intentions not to re-sin. A confession without the intention to not re-committ is useless.

The priest has the authority to forgive by the laying of hands and was clearly given to the Apostles by Jesus

Those sins you forgive are forgiven and those you retain are retained.

You as an ex-Catholic know that so therre must be an underlining reason why you left.

Baptism was given to take away the sin inherited from Adam (original sin) and any sins we personally committed before baptism—sins we personally commit are called actual sins, because they come from our own acts. Thus on the day of Pentecost, Peter told the crowds, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38), and when Paul was baptized he was told, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). And so Peter later wrote, “Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21).

For sins committed after baptism, a different sacrament is needed. It has been called penance, confession, and reconciliation, each word emphasizing one of its aspects. During his life, Christ forgave sins, as in the case of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11) and the woman who anointed his feet (Luke 7:48). He exercised this power in his human capacity as the Messiah or Son of man, telling us, “the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matt. 9:6), which is why the Gospel writer himself explains that God “had given such authority to men” (Matt. 9:8).

Since he would not always be with the Church visibly, Christ gave this power to other men so the Church, which is the continuation of his presence throughout time (Matt. 28:20), would be able to offer forgiveness to future generations. He gave his power to the apostles, and it was a power that could be passed on to their successors and agents, since the apostles wouldn’t always be on earth either, but people would still be sinning.

God had sent Jesus to forgive sins, but after his resurrection Jesus told the apostles, “‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ 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’” (John 20:21–23). (This is one of only two times we are told that God breathed on man, the other being in Genesis 2:7, when he made man a living soul. It emphasizes how important the establishment of the sacrament of penance was.)

God Bless and I hope you find your way back home.
 
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