Confession of Sins
Numbers 5:6-7: "Say to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that men commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is guilty, he shall confess his sin which he has committed; and he shall make full restitution for his wrong, . . . ."
Proverbs 28:13: He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
2 Samuel 12:13: David said [confessed] to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said [the absolution] to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; . . . .
Luke 23:43: The good thief is promised paradise in return for his confession on the cross: And he [Jesus] said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew 3:5-6: Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Acts 19:18: Many also of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
Confession of sin is denoted as necessary in the bible for the forgiveness of sins. The Catholic practice of private confession is based upon the charge from Christ to forgive or to retain sins. The Church and her ministers judge such situations. The confessor can only fulfill this obligation adequately if the penitent tells him the sins for which he needs absolution and penance. There may also be an important element of counsel.
posted by Father Joe Jenkins | 9:05 PM
1 Comments:
Numbers 5:6-7: "Say to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that men commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is guilty, he shall confess his sin which he has committed; and he shall make full restitution for his wrong, . . . ."
"Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty; Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed."
This has absolutely nothing to do with man confessing his sins to a Roman Catholic priest. Also remember, "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins" (Heb. 10:18, 11).
The Old Testament "Jewish priests" were never able to remit sins of anyone. It could never clear the guilty. In the Old Testament it was God who forgave (Exodus 34:7), but it did not clear the guilty until Matthew 26:28. (Cf Hebrews 10:4.)
Proverbs 28:13: He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Nothing in there about confessing sins to a Roman Catholic priest.
2 Samuel 12:13: David said [confessed] to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said [the absolution] to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; . . . .
Nathan was a prophet, not a priest. Nor did Nathan give "absolution" to David. Nathan was not the mediator between God and David. Nathan did not forgive David's sin. He was sent by God as the reprover of David on account of his sin with Bathsheba (12:1-14). In the New Testament, Christians are told, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Eph. 5:11) God sent Nathan to make David aware of his sin before God, and then David confessed his sin before God.
The Scriptures are clear that we acknowledge our sins unto the LORD, not another sinner like a Roman Catholic priest. David prays to God (not Nathan) and says,
"I acknowledged my sin unto thee, [not to Nathan] 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." (Psalm. 32:5)
And if we confess our sins to God, "....he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (1 Tim. 2:5)
"....who can forgive sins but God only? (Mark 2:7)
No Roman Catholic priest is a mediator, nor can he forgive another's sins. Only God can forgive sins!
"But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins," (Matt. 9:6)
Luke 23:43: The good thief is promised paradise in return for his confession on the cross:
You've got to be kidding! Show me me just ONE verse of Scripture where the thief is promised paradise if he confesses his sins to Jesus Christ, while Jesus Christ is dying on the cross. The thief knew he was a sinner and believed on Jesus Christ.
And he [Jesus] said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
"And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39-43)
Now please tell me where the thief is promised paradise in return for his confession on the cross.
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Nothing in there about needing to confess sins to a Roman Catholic priest.
Matthew 3:5-6: Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Nothing in there about needing to confess sins to a Roman Catholic priest.
Acts 19:18: Many also of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
Nothing in there about needing to confess sins to a Roman Catholic priest.
Jenkins: "Confession of sin is denoted as necessary in the bible for the forgiveness of sins."
Yes, to God only. No where in the Scriptures are we told to confess our sins one to another. And don't bother running to James 5:16 in a ed bible where it says "sins, for "faults" (as stated in the Authorized Text) are not the same as "sins." Sin is a transgression. A fault is a character weakness, not a sin. A "fault" is a basic problem that deals with basic character, not an overt transgression properly called a "sin."
Jenkins: "The Catholic practice of private confession is based upon the charge from Christ to forgive or to retain sins."
We have seen where this is false. See previous coverage about this. But you stated it well, it's a "Catholic practice," not Bible practice.
Jenkins: "The Church and her ministers judge such situations. The confessor can only fulfill this obligation adequately if the penitent tells him the sins for which he needs absolution and penance. There may also be an important element of counsel."
There is nothing in Scriptures about the Roman Catholic absolution and penance. The church you speak of is the "Roman Catholic Church," which has nothing to do with Biblical meaning of God's church.
Reposted for SANDY HOOPER
Post a Comment
<< Home