Why is there confession?

[Roman_Korvinus]

I believe that if you truly trust the path you were given and truly trust god then prayer, faith and forgivness are illrelavent. Only those who question and second guess need these things. Otherwise the path that you were placed on was no done so by God, which is probably why it states that the Devil is your father. The Earth is a Church, for the onate carvings and designs in the church and cathedrals is expressed 10 fold in nature. And nature is Gods while the Church is mans.

 

[steve_b]

“…and his (Hahn’s) theology is unnuanced (“it is a mortal sin to miss Mass on a Sunday”).”

Who wrote that review?

Hopefully, not a Catholic.

Looks like the review was from Publishers Weekly

Probably safe to say, it wasn’t written by a Catholic, though not absolute

 

[Church_Militant]

I have visited my local Catholic Church three times recently. My husband will not allow my children to attend with me. One of his reasons is he says that the confession of sins to the Priest is not biblical. Is it biblical? On what does the church base this particular theology?

Not Biblical?

He apparently doesn’t know his Bible very well.

These are from my blog.**
Catholic Confession**

Scriptures About Penance

"I Find No Sacraments In the Bible" he said.

 

[JonathonofOhio]

In Leviticus (under the Law) a person confessed their sins to a priest and the priest atoned for those sins by offering something to God on behalf of the sinner. They confessed out loud to the priest, not quietly to God by themselves.

Jesus makes the statement “Do not think I came to abolish the Law, I came to fulfill it.” in Matthew 5:17. If confession were not part of the New Covenant, Jesus would be a liar, because he would have abolished confession in the Law. Like all the Sacraments, he took what was already in the Law and made them sources of saving Grace. This is such an important part of the New Covenant that Jesus made a point of affirming the power God gave man to forgive sins in Matthew 9:6-8:

“But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.”

In John 20:23, Jesus reaffirms His teaching, stressing the importance of confessing sins to one another, and establishes that only those who are appointed are to be given this power and authority: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

And it is clear that the apostles understood the proper mode of confession:

“Confess therefore your offences to one another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power.” - James 5:16

It is the confession of sin directly to God (or Jesus) that is not biblical.

 

[RosaryFan]

I have visited my local Catholic Church three times recently. My husband will not allow my children to attend with me. One of his reasons is he says that the confession of sins to the Priest is not biblical. Is it biblical? On what does the church base this particular theology?

Yes, it certainly is biblical, as you can see from previous posts. Confession is necessary because it is a sacrament. Sacraments give grace. It is this grace that gives us the strength to avoid sins going forward (especially those pesky repeat sins that are so hard to break away from). If we simply “say sorry to God” without going to the sacrament of confession, we are not receiving any graces. God distributes graces through sacraments by utilizing the priest, who is working in the person of Christ.

Jesus has given us many “tools” to get to heaven. These “tools” are the 7 sacraments which afford us the graces necessary to get to heaven, because Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, KNOWS we cannot do it alone. We need Him. We need His grace, and we obtain those graces through the sacraments.

The Baltimore Catechism’s definition of a sacrament is “An outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace”.

 

[JonNC]

In Leviticus (under the Law) a person confessed their sins to a priest and the priest atoned for those sins by offering something to God on behalf of the sinner. They confessed out loud to the priest, not quietly to God by themselves.

Jesus makes the statement “Do not think I came to abolish the Law, I came to fulfill it.” in Matthew 5:17. If confession were not part of the New Covenant, Jesus would be a liar, because he would have abolished confession in the Law. Like all the Sacraments, he took what was already in the Law and made them sources of saving Grace. This is such an important part of the New Covenant that Jesus made a point of affirming the power God gave man to forgive sins in Matthew 9:6-8:

“But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.”

In John 20:23, Jesus reaffirms His teaching, stressing the importance of confessing sins to one another, and establishes that only those who are appointed are to be given this power and authority: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

And it is clear that the apostles understood the proper mode of confession:

“Confess therefore your offences to one another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power.” - James 5:16

It is the confession of sin directly to God (or Jesus) that is not biblical.

I wouldn’t go that far, Jonathon, to say that confession directly to God is unbiblical. Christ teaches us in the Lord’s Prayer/ The Our Father to pray for forgiveness of our sins -“forgive us our trespasses, as we for give those who trespass against us”. I don’t see it as an either or.
What confession to a pastor/ priest does give us is the certainty that those sins are forgiven, by the words of said pastor/ priest in Christ’s stead, something that is uniquely special.

Jon

 

[steve_b]

I have visited my local Catholic Church three times recently. My husband will not allow my children to attend with me. One of his reasons is he says that the confession of sins to the Priest is not biblical. Is it biblical? On what does the church base this particular theology?

I don’t know if you’re still around, or maybe you’re just quietly assessing the responses that come in.

Have you asked your husband to show you where in scripture, confessing to a priest is against scripture? He won’t find it.

After the resurrection and before the ascension back to heaven, Jesus breathed the HS into His apostles, and said to THEM, (not joe six pak running around Judea), whose sins you forgive they are forgiven whose sins you retain they are retained [Jn 20:23]. Ask your husband

• Why did Jesus feel it necessary to give the apostles this power to forgive and retain sins before His ascension back to heaven?
• Why do that if all one has to do is go to God as non Catholics would say? Obviously since Jesus is God, the question is really challenging God’s plan.
• If your husband says forgiving sins is the perview of God alone, he’s responding just like those who objected to Jesus forgiving sins.
• On the practicality of forgiving others their sins, in order to forgive or retain the sins of another,
• it’s obvious the apostles needed to inform people they have the power to forgive sins and where that power came from.
• since the apostles weren’t mind readers, in order to know what those sins are that they have the power to forgive or retain, the one asking for forgiveness, needs to tell the apostle what their sins ARE. That’s just obvious.
• This power didn’t end with the death of the last apostle. It was passed on by apostolic succession in the Church.
• There is NO question God set up this sacrament…Your husband can’t disagree with that. It’s fact. Jesus doesn’t establish useless sacraments. Therefore this sacrament is essential.

Are you a lapsed Catholic wanting to return? Are you a non Catholic seeking Our Lord’s Church and the sacraments?

Keep visiting your local Church. Seek out the priest and ask your questions.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I have visited my local Catholic Church three times recently. My husband will not allow my children to attend with me. One of his reasons is he says that the confession of sins to the Priest is not biblical. Is it biblical? On what does the church base this particular theology?

The beauty of Confession is not only is it scriptural, its psychological. Most people do wrong things only in secret or among people who agree with them. Would you tell the wrong things you did to one person whom you know will tell you that you are wrong? Confession destroys the pride in us by making us admit we are wrong. You can really say that Jesus knows what He was doing when He established this Sacrament.

 

[JonathonofOhio]

I wouldn’t go that far, Jonathon, to say that confession directly to God is unbiblical. Christ teaches us in the Lord’s Prayer/ The Our Father to pray for forgiveness of our sins -“forgive us our trespasses, as we for give those who trespass against us”. I don’t see it as an either or.
What confession to a pastor/ priest does give us is the certainty that those sins are forgiven, by the words of said pastor/ priest in Christ’s stead, something that is uniquely special.

Jon

Yes, I suppose you could derive that from the Lords Prayer- I had not thought of that. So apparently you can pray for forgiveness, but confession to a priest is obviously the mode to obtain that forgiveness.

Interesting thought I just had: We also pray for our “daily bread” as well, however because I pray for “daily bread” in the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t mean free bread appears for me. I always take that as having two meanings: we are asking that we have food to sustain our earthly lives and the Eucharist to sustain our spiritual lives. Either way, a person has to physically do something to obtain both. My point is, praying for it is obviously not enough, but it is not wrong to pray for forgiveness and pray for your daily bread either.

So yeah, it is biblical to ask God for forgiveness (glad to see that, because I do it all the time anyway), but it is also biblical to confess sins to a priest.

 

[purplerainbow]

I don’t know if you’re still around, or maybe you’re just quietly assessing the responses that come in.

Are you a lapsed Catholic wanting to return? Are you a non Catholic seeking Our Lord’s Church and the sacraments?

Keep visiting your local Church. Seek out the priest and ask your questions.

I have been reading the replies. Thanks to all who have responded. To answer your question Steve, I am not Catholic, not yet anyway. After a confusing religious upbringing that involved many very different Christian and Jewish theological denominations, I have spent many years studying many different church denominations, religions and paths to spiritual enlightenment. I have considered myself a Christian for many years and I feel that God has been with me through it all, guiding me where he wanted me to be all along. Despite all my research, I find that I know very little about Catholocism. All I am really sure of is that this is the path that is right and it is the only path on which I have found the love of Christ. I intend to take measures to join the church, but it is difficult going it alone.

 

[RosaryFan]

I have been reading the replies. Thanks to all who have responded. To answer your question Steve, I am not Catholic, not yet anyway. After a confusing religious upbringing that involved many very different Christian and Jewish theological denominations, I have spent many years studying many different church denominations, religions and paths to spiritual enlightenment. I have considered myself a Christian for many years and I feel that God has been with me through it all, guiding me where he wanted me to be all along. Despite all my research, I find that I know very little about Catholocism. All I am really sure of is that this is the path that is right and it is the only path on which I have found the love of Christ. I intend to take measures to join the church, but it is difficult going it alone.

I know it must be difficult when your spouse isn’t supportive, but don’t be discouraged. Your parish should have an RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) which is a series of classes designed to teach the faith and bring those into full communion with the Catholic Church (Sept. thru Easter). If you begin attending, you may learn enough to enlighten your husband. You would even be able to bring him to classes with you. The RCIA team members are well-equiped to explain all the aspects of our faith without guessing and surmising and tainting the truth with personal opinions.

Keep praying - you’re on the right path, so pray for your husband’s conversion as well. Best wishes to you!

 

[steve_b]

I have been reading the replies. Thanks to all who have responded. To answer your question Steve, I am not Catholic, not yet anyway. After a confusing religious upbringing that involved many very different Christian and Jewish theological denominations, I have spent many years studying many different church denominations, religions and paths to spiritual enlightenment. I have considered myself a Christian for many years and I feel that God has been with me through it all, guiding me where he wanted me to be all along. Despite all my research, I find that I know very little about Catholocism. All I am really sure of is that this is the path that is right and it is the only path on which I have found the love of Christ. I intend to take measures to join the church, but it is difficult going it alone.

Your story i’m sure is fascinating. I hope you share it sometime.

Keep asking your questions. This forum can provide you with an avalanche of information. We’ll pray for you and your husband. He sound like he isn’t on the same quest you are but that could change.

 

[JonNC]

Yes, I suppose you could derive that from the Lords Prayer- I had not thought of that. So apparently you can pray for forgiveness, but confession to a priest is obviously the mode to obtain that forgiveness.

Interesting thought I just had: We also pray for our “daily bread” as well, however because I pray for “daily bread” in the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t mean free bread appears for me. I always take that as having two meanings: we are asking that we have food to sustain our earthly lives and the Eucharist to sustain our spiritual lives. Either way, a person has to physically do something to obtain both. My point is, praying for it is obviously not enough, but it is not wrong to pray for forgiveness and pray for your daily bread either.

So yeah, it is biblical to ask God for forgiveness (glad to see that, because I do it all the time anyway), but it is also biblical to confess sins to a priest.

Agreed.

Jon