Protestants, can a Catholic Priest forgive sins?

[Bill_Pick]

I would say that most Protestants would say that ability is reserved to God.

Where did you get the second half of that from? Or is that a silly question?.

Well Jesus said YES but the prostants will say no

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

How do you know, whether or not, Christ even ‘knows’ this person who you have decided to ask for forgiveness for your sins? What if this person is actually a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’? What if this person is a pedophile (and no one knows, except his ‘victims’). What if this person spends time surfing pornography on the internet? What if this person is a murderer/liar/backbiter…etc.? You don’t know. You assume that this person is righteous, and has been annointed by God, to the position of ‘forgiver of sins’.

What if, what if, what if…the Word of God stands firm in giving authority to the Apostles, given to the priests to forgive sin. Is that so confusing to you? Sounds pretty simple to me.

 

[Thorwald]

What if, what if, what if…the Word of God stands firm in giving authority to the Apostles, given to the priests to forgive sin. Is that so confusing to you? Sounds pretty simple to me.

I have a hard time believing, that God needs ‘satan’s disciples’ to do His work. I was referencing Romans chpt 1, in my previous posting. If any person has been “turned over” to a “reprobate mind” (ie. without any further chance for salvation), then why would God choose this person to do His work? God personally “annointed” the selected apostles, in the beginning. You are assuming, that He has “annointed” all of your church “selections”. We see child molestation having been carried out, by some of your church’s selections. I do not blame the church for those that carried out these acts, but I am trying to demonstrate, that it may be very “spiritually” dangerous, to assume that God has “annointed” the church’s selections.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I have a hard time believing, that God needs ‘satan’s disciples’ to do His work. I was referencing Romans chpt 1, in my previous posting. If any person has been “turned over” to a “reprobate mind” (ie. without any further chance for salvation), then why would God choose this person to do His work? God personally “annointed” the selected apostles, in the beginning. You are assuming, that He has “annointed” all of your church “selections”. We see child molestation having been carried out, by some of your church’s selections. I do not blame the church for those that carried out these acts, but I am trying to demonstrate, that it may be very “spiritually” dangerous, to assume that God has “annointed” the church’s selections.

Thorwald, are you under the belief that only perfect folks can be in the ministry of the Church and that God’s sacraments cannot be performed, carried out, and given to the lay people through imperfect human beings? Is your thesis that only perfect saints can be clergy? This is a weak argument. The reprobate mind of Romans applies to humanity in general. Human beings are all fallen creatures. By that God works through fallen folks like you and me. Once in a while some of them even fall into sad and hurtful, damaging sins like pedophilia and they infiltrate the Church. But what does that have to do with Christ working through human beings in a Church that is led by the successors of the apostles? Sacraments work ex opere operato. The character and individual holiness of the priest/bishop is not the factor that creates a valid sacrament.

Please don’t tell me that you’re one of those that believes that after the apostles died (and they sure weren’t perfect men!) then the church fell into apostasy and error for 1500 years until Martin Luther came along???

 

[ufamtobie]

How do you know, whether or not, Christ even ‘knows’ this person who you have decided to ask for forgiveness for your sins? What if this person is actually a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’? What if this person is a pedophile (and no one knows, except his ‘victims’). What if this person spends time surfing pornography on the internet? What if this person is a murderer/liar/backbiter…etc.? You don’t know. You assume that this person is righteous, and has been annointed by God, to the position of ‘forgiver of sins’.

Thorwald,

Please don’t forget that Jesus Christ knows all things about a person even a priest, When a Priest forgive sins it is through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thorwald, Have you been baptized? How do you know if the minister who baptized YOU was not a wolf in sheep clothing? Or if he/she was a pedophile and no one knows except the Minister’s victim? If these were true about your minister who baptized YOU, does this mean your baptizism does not count?

Thorwald Judge not less thou be Judged.

Ufamtobie

 

[OneTrueCathApos]

I have a hard time believing, that God needs ‘satan’s disciples’ to do His work. I was referencing Romans chpt 1, in my previous posting. If any person has been “turned over” to a “reprobate mind” (ie. without any further chance for salvation), then why would God choose this person to do His work? God personally “annointed” the selected apostles, in the beginning. You are assuming, that He has “annointed” all of your church “selections”. We see child molestation having been carried out, by some of your church’s selections. I do not blame the church for those that carried out these acts, but I am trying to demonstrate, that it may be very “spiritually” dangerous, to assume that God has “annointed” the church’s selections.

Is the molestation in your church alright? Because it happens in every church. More so in the Protestant churches. Does that mean your church is wrong? Than call your own ministers ‘satan’s disciples’. There is no double standard.

 

[Thorwald]

Thorwald, are you under the belief that only perfect folks can be in the ministry of the Church and that God’s sacraments cannot be performed, carried out, and given to the lay people through imperfect human beings? Is your thesis that only perfect saints can be clergy? This is a weak argument. The reprobate mind of Romans applies to humanity in general. Human beings are all fallen creatures. By that God works through fallen folks like you and me. Once in a while some of them even fall into sad and hurtful, damaging sins like pedophilia and they infiltrate the Church. But what does that have to do with Christ working through human beings in a Church that is led by the successors of the apostles? Sacraments work ex opere operato. The character and individual holiness of the priest/bishop is not the factor that creates a valid sacrament.

Please don’t tell me that you’re one of those that believes that after the apostles died (and they sure weren’t perfect men!) then the church fell into apostasy and error for 1500 years until Martin Luther came along???

You are attempting to put words into my mouth. You have no apparent understanding of what I have written. Let me try again. If a ‘priest’ or any other ‘minister’ of God’s Word has committed a sin unto death (per Romans chpt 1, that leads finally to this person having been turned over to a reprobate mind), and this person performs baptisms, what good are these baptisms? Please do not ‘humour me’ with a response like, “God will approve the baptism, but punish the priest/minister.”

The original disciples/apostles were ‘annointed’ by God. They were also given the authorization, and commanded to ‘annoint’ other disciples/apostles in all nations. These annointed people, were authorized to perform baptisms. I have no problem with any of this. Where I do have a problem, is that there is no authorization to perform baptisms by any of the church hierarchy, that is ‘below’ disciples/apostles/prophets, in the Bible that I possess. Churches (of all Christian faiths), have assumed this authority.

 

[Thorwald]

Is the molestation in your church alright? Because it happens in every church. More so in the Protestant churches. Does that mean your church is wrong? Than call your own ministers ‘satan’s disciples’. There is no double standard.

I am referring to ALL Christian faiths. Please read my posting prior to this one.

 

[Thorwald]

Thorwald,

Please don’t forget that Jesus Christ knows all things about a person even a priest, When a Priest forgive sins it is through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thorwald, Have you been baptized? How do you know if the minister who baptized YOU was not a wolf in sheep clothing? Or if he/she was a pedophile and no one knows except the Minister’s victim? If these were true about your minister who baptized YOU, does this mean your baptizism does not count?

Thorwald Judge not less thou be Judged.

Ufamtobie

Please refer to my postings #897 & #808. I have not been baptized. Every attempt that I have made at doing so, resulted in God showing me the ‘errors’ of the churches involved. I have explained this on various other threads & postings. I am tired of repeating myself.

 

[DD2007]

John 20: 21-23
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.

Clearly Jesus was addressing the power to forgive sins ONLY to his Apostles and to their Successors for the forgivness of sins.

Yes, we all must forgive our brothers and sisters if they have wronged us, but what if we have wronged God, can our brothers and sisters forgive us for THE WRONGS/SINS we have done to God? **NO! **

We who have DONE WRONG must go to the Church this is how Jesus Christ wants it to be and since we no longer have the actual Apostles here with us to forgive us our sins against God we go to their Successors the Catholic Priests.

Yes, we can go directly to Jesus Christ so that he can forgive us our sins, but are your sins forgiven or are they retained Hmmm! Good Question.

Many protestants go directly to Jesus/alter call for forgivness and think you are forgiven, but perhaps YOUR SINS are retained you would never truely know if you were forgiven or your sins retained by our Lord until you meet Our Lord face to face, but that WILL be too late to find out that your sins was retained. OUCH!

Jesus Christ wants us to go to his Catholic Church that he left and recieve the forgiveness of our sins and hear these beautiful words " your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more" Or hear the words your sins are retained. If retained you WILL still have a chance to ammend your life here on earth.

Yes, it is humbling/ to go to confession and confess ones many sins to a priest the Successors of the Apostles, but this is what Jesus Christ wants us all to do in John 20: 21-23 and through the Grace of Jesus Christ, I do AMEN

The Father sends Jesus, Jesus send the Apostles, the Apostles send the Bishops/Cardinals/ Priest an unbroken succession.

Ufamtobie

He wasn’t talking to Catholic Priests.

 

[ufamtobie]

Please refer to my postings #897 & #808. I have not been baptized. Every attempt that I have made at doing so, resulted in God showing me the ‘errors’ of the churches involved. I have explained this on various other threads & postings. I am tired of repeating myself.

Thorwald,

Your profile says you are a prostestant? but if you are not yet baptized then you are no Christian yet until you are baptized. So it is not God who is telling you this about the errors, of the Churches it is the devil. GET BAPTIZED! ASAP!

Ufamtobie

 

[Thorwald]

Thorwald,

Your profile says you are a prostestant? but if you are not yet baptized then you are no Christian yet until you are baptized. So it is not God who is telling you this about the errors, of the Churches it is the devil. GET BAPTIZED! ASAP!

Ufamtobie

If I followed your instructions, then I would be the same as you and others are. I would have to disregard (disobedient) what God has told me, directly. It is the devil, that is telling you, that you must be baptized, today. I am baptized with The Holy Spirit. In the first vision that I had, I ‘re-lived’ my carnal birth. I have been told by God, Himself, that my name is already written in heaven, and that no man can take this treasure from me. Why would I believe you???

 

[ufamtobie]

If I followed your instructions, then I would be the same as you and others are. I would have to disregard (disobedient) what God has told me, directly. It is the devil, that is telling you, that you must be baptized, today. I am baptized with The Holy Spirit. In the first vision that I had, I ‘re-lived’ my carnal birth. I have been told by God, Himself, that my name is already written in heaven, and that no man can take this treasure from me. Why would I believe you???

Thorwald,

You don’t have to believe me, you run along and believe what you want to believe, we all have free will. Good luck.

Good Bye

Ufamtobie

 

[benedictus2]

If I followed your instructions, then I would be the same as you and others are. I would have to disregard (disobedient) what God has told me, directly. It is the devil, that is telling you, that you must be baptized, today. I am baptized with The Holy Spirit. In the first vision that I had, I ‘re-lived’ my carnal birth. I have been told by God, Himself, that my name is already written in heaven, and that no man can take this treasure from me. Why would I believe you???

But the question is, is it God who told you so? The devil mimicks the voice of God so unless you have confirmation from another, you are in a slippery slope to perdition.

You are not sure that you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit. That is only an assumption on your part. The only way to be incorporated into the Body of Christ is by Baptism.

 

[Danimal]

The United Methodist Church requires baptism in order to be received into membership.
I have no problem with sins being forgiven by a priest. I wish we had confession.
Can a Protestant receive forgiveness from a priest?

 

[ufamtobie]

The United Methodist Church requires baptism in order to be received into membership.

I have no problem with sins being forgiven by a priest. I wish we had confession.
Can a Protestant receive forgiveness from a priest?

Hi Danimal,

As you stated above that the United Methodist Church requires baptism in order to be recieved into mebership, So to with the Catholic Church you would have to become a Catholic, in order to recieve forgivness from a Catholic Priest.

Danimal, when you here the Words “Your sins our forgiven” from a Catholic Priest, you know that you are truly forgiven by God.

Many times throughout the day I ask Jesus to forgive of my sins, and it is good to do so, However Jesus Christ wants us to go to a Priest the Successors of the Apostles in order to have our sins forgiven.

Ufam Tobie

 

[ufamtobie]

"
Confession to a Catholic Priest is awesome if that priest is in good relationship with God and is a believer. Since all believers are part of the “Royal Priesthood”, as a protestant, we believe we can confess our sins to other believers and God will acknowlege He has forgiven us so we can move past the sin and be effective ministers for Him.

Blessings!

Pokedaughter, how do you know that your Protestant Brothers and sister that you go and confess your sins too are in good relationship with God and is a believer?

Pokedaughter, when you go and confess your sins to a believer, do you go into detail of what type of sins you have committed. For Example; wether it be adultry, or stealing, or smoking pot, road rage, etc… Do you go into detail when you confess your sins to a believer? If you go to a believer and say I have sined and don’t tell why type of sins you you have committed then how can you be truly sorry for them and expect to be forgiven by God and be effective ministers to God.

As a Catholic when one sins we have to go and say what type of sins we have committed to a priest, and that is very humbling and shameful at times, but we do it to be forgiven by God through a Priest.

Ufam Tobie

 

[ConfusedTim]

The following is an excerpt from a debate that Jimmy Akin had with an evangelical on the subject of priests and their sacramental rights:

ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PRIEST3.htm

Insight #1: The Kingdom of priests verses

1. Catholics believe this doctrine, too

First, there are the verses my opponent has quoted about all believers being priests, that we are a “kingdom of priests” or a “royal priesthood.” Evangelicals often think this is a uniquely Protestant doctrine, but it’s not. Catholics also affirm that all believers are priests. The only difference is that they call this doctrine the “universal priesthood” instead of “the priesthood of all believers.” Catholics quote exactly the same verses Protestants do to show that all believers are priests. The writings of the popes and the councils are very firm on saying that ordinary Christians share a common priesthood. We are all priests who can offer intercessions, praises, and spiritual sacrifices.

1. Exodus 19:6

But if that’s so, why do Catholics claim that, in addition to the common, universal priesthood, there is also a special ministerial priesthood? Well, it’s because the very same verses which talk about the universal priesthood imply that there is a non-universal one. If you have a good Bible, those verses should have a footnote referencing you to Exodus 19:6. When we turn to that passage, we read that God tells the nation of Israel:

“And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

1. The Old Testament History: Kingdom of Priests

So it isn’t just the Church which is a kingdom of priests. Israel was a kingdom of priests, too. This came home to me in a very forceful way a few years ago when a history of Old Testament Israel was released by Baker Book House. The book is called, Kingdom of Priests, and the author is an Old Testament professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. So even mainstream Evangelicals, like the folks at Baker Book House and Dallas Theological Seminary, recognize that Israel was a kingdom of priests.

1. Exodus 19:21-22: Ministerial priests

But that did not stop Israel from having a special, ministerial priesthood. In fact, if you keep reading in Exodus 19, when you get down to verse 21 & 22, you will find God telling Moses to warn the people and the priests not to come onto the holy mountain, lest the Lord break out against them. So even in the very same chapter God is calling the whole nation a kingdom of priests, there is still a separate, ministerial priesthood.

1. This was not the Levitical priesthood

Incidentally, this priesthood was not the Levitical priesthood. That wasn’t created until much later in Exodus. This one was not founded on the Law of Moses, but predated the Law, meaning no one can say it was only God’s pattern to have special, ministerial priests under the Mosaic economy. God had priests long before the Mosaic law, as indicated not only by this priesthood in Exodus 19, but by Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, and by Abraham’s contemporary, Melchizedek.

1. The argument from parallelism

a. My opponent’s parallels

Now in tonight’s discussion, my opponent has pointed out that today we have Jesus as our high priest and we are all individual priests. This is quite true, and it is the same situation that existed in the Old Testament. There was a single high priest at the top, and there was the universal priesthood of all Old Testament believers at the bottom. But in addition to those two, there was also that middle, ministerial priesthood that was ordained and served Israel full-time.

b. The Old Testament parallels today

The same situation exists today. We have Jesus as our great, high priest at the top, and there is the universal priesthood of all New Testament believers at the bottom. But the Bible indicates there is also a middle, ministerial priesthood that is ordained to serve the Church full-time.

1. I’m happy!

For this reason, I am happy when my opponent insists that Jesus is our high priest or that we are all individually priests. I am overjoyed, since all he is doing is making my case for me. Because if that top level of high priest in the Old Testament corresponds to a high priest in the New Testament, and if that bottom level of universal priests in the Old Testament corresponds to a universal priesthood in the New Testament, then the middle, ministerial priesthood in the Old Testament corresponds to a middle, ministerial priesthood in the New Testament as well. My opponent can harp on those verses until he is blue in the face and I will be delighted, because the more he shows that Jesus is our high priest and that we are universal priests, the more he argues that there is a middle, ministerial priesthood as well.

Insight #2: The word “priest”

Now that was the first insight I wanted to share with you that led me to conclude there is a New Testament priesthood. The second is something I discovered when pondering the different offices in the Catholic Church. In my Protestant congregation, we had elders and deacons. I knew that the Catholic Church had deacons, but I had never heard of a Catholic elder. “Why was that?” I wondered. The answer involves a little lesson in translation.

1. The origin of the word

In Greek, the word for elder is presbuteros. That word was transliterated into Latin as presbyter, which then in English became shortened to priest. That’s why you never hear about “Catholic elders.” It is because Catholic priests are Catholics elders. That’s what the word “priest” means; it is simply a shortened English form of presbuteros. You can check any dictionary you want to confirm this. So obviously we can say that there is some kind of priesthood today because there are elders today.

1. Examples from the Douay-Rheims

In fact, if you read some older Catholic translations of the Bible, they will use the word “priest,” entirely appropriately, where the Protestant Bible says “elder.” For example, this is the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible, which is the Catholic equivalent of the King James Version.

In Titus 1:5, Paul tells Titus: “For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldst ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee.”

In James 5:14-15 we read: “Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man; and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

This last passage leads us to the third insight I wanted to share with you tonight—the fact that the New Testament priesthood is a sacramental priesthood.

 

[ConfusedTim]

Continued

. The sacrament of reconciliation

a. John 20:21-23

The reference to the sacrament of holy anointing forgiving a person’s sins also leads us to another sacrament the priests of the Church administer. In John 20:21-23, Jesus tells his ministers, “Receive the Holy Spirit. . . . Whoever’s sins you forgive, they are forgiven; whoever’s sins you retain, they are retained.”

b. My former evangelical interpretations

When I was a Protestant I tried to force this passage to mean something about the preaching of the gospel, or about proclaiming people forgiven after they already have been forgiven by God. But I realized that this put Jesus’ order backwards. He did not say, “If they are forgiven by God, then you forgive them.” He said, “If you forgive them then they are forgiven.” I finally had to admit that Jesus meant exactly what he said: When his ministers forgive or retain sins, those sins are forgiven or retained.

c. “But only God can forgive sins!”

“But only God can forgive sins!” Well, that was the cry of the Pharisees when they saw Jesus forgive a man. But if you read Matthew’s gospel, you find out that Jesus did not forgive the sins in his divine capacity as God. He stated that the “Son of man” has authority on earth to forgive sins. And in Matthew 9:8, the crowd glorified God because, as the gospel-writer himself tells us, God had given such authority to men.

So men are instruments God uses to channel his own forgiveness. Jesus meant exactly what he said. His ministers have the power to forgive and retain sins, and my Protestant church was simply out of synch with the Bible on this point. Again, it made void the word of God by its human tradition of pretending this sacrament does not exist. In doing so, it warped the spiritual development of countless individuals.

 

[shyper07]

Where in John 20: 21-23 does Jesus use the word successors?? HIS statement here applies to the church as a whole. That’s why in the Our Father Jesus tells us to ask the Father for forgiveness but as we forgive others.

GOD is the only one that can forgive sin. Period!! We can forgive each other for sinning against one another but only GOD can pronounce forgiveness for the actuall sin itself. That’s why Christ died and that’s why we follow HIM. We are justified in GOD’s eyes by the blood of Christ.

PEACE

correct i agree with this answer., that only god can forgive are sins. but whos of the 3 father, son, and the holy spirit?.