Simon the Magician Acts 8:22

[annb]

Why didn’t Peter tell Simon to repent and then go to confession?

Actually here is the whole response I got from a friend, who doesn’t believe in confession to a priest, after referring her to this question/answer: (#10 about confession to a priest)
biblechristiansociety.com/2min_apologetics.php?id=12

And my friend replied this:

Check out1John 1:9, Mark 2:10, Acts 8:22 (Notice that Simon did not confess his sin to Peter but was directed to pray to the Lord), 1John 2:1, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 7:25…I’ll stop there. Look at James 5:16 in context. We absolutely should confess our sins to one another. If I do something against you I should confess that to you to receive forgiveness from you. NOWHERE is a priest, pastor or other church leader mentioned in that passage.

 

[Della]

Why didn’t Peter tell Simon to repent and then go to confession?

Actually here is the whole response I got from a friend, who doesn’t believe in confession to a priest, after referring her to this question/answer: (#10 about confession to a priest)
biblechristiansociety.com/2min_apologetics.php?id=12

And my friend replied this:

Check out1John 1:9, Mark 2:10, Acts 8:22 (Notice that Simon did not confess his sin to Peter but was directed to pray to the Lord), 1John 2:1, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 7:25…I’ll stop there. Look at James 5:16 in context. We absolutely should confess our sins to one another. If I do something against you I should confess that to you to receive forgiveness from you. NOWHERE is a priest, pastor or other church leader mentioned in that passage.

Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

She is reading into this verse what she already believes. Nothing in any of those verses negates confession, and the Catholic Church does not teach that we cannot confess directly to God. Besides, the process of repenting often does include confession–something that the early Church understood, so it did not have to be said in every context dealing with repentance.

 

[bones_IV]

First of Simon offered the Apostles money in exchange foir the power to transmit the Holy Spirit. This is known as simony. Trading in of sacred things. Simony is the buying or selling in exchange for money some other temporal thing, something spiritual – a sacrament, an indulgence, a ecclesiastical office, ect. In this case, Simon degraded the supernatural. Because gift that is supernatural is a free gift. Simon had the intent on using it unlawfully to obtain material benefit. See 1 Peter 5:2; 2 Peter 2:3. Going to confession would have been a necessity yes.

 

[Liberian]

If I may offer a detail, Peter tells Simon Magus a verse later that “you are filled with bitter gall and in the bonds of iniquity.” Confession is for people with contrition.

I see that your friend neglected John 20:23.

• Liberian

 

[Todd_Easton]

24And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” (Acts 8:24)

This verse was left out of the Bible at this point for the sake of brevity:

And Peter, making the sign of the cross over Simon, said to him, ‘I absolve you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And for your penance say one Our Father and one Hail Mary.’