Can a catholic priest really forgive sins?

Question

Where in the bible does it say a catholic priest can forgive sins? Is he really a genuien medator between us and god?

Answer 1

they can't

Answer 2

The phrasing is not quite correct. It is not by the priest's actions that sins are forgiven, but by the authority of Christ.

In John 20:21-23, Christ tells the founders of the Church that what they hold bound on earth is held bound in Heaven; this is understood as being the commission to forgive or not forgive men's sins in Christ's name. This does not make the priest an "additional" mediator between God and man, nor does it add to or take away from the Salvific Work at Cavalry. It merely makes them dispensers of the grace Christ has given.

Similarly, it is not the priest who makes a marriage, but God - the priest merely announces what has been made.

Likewise, it is not the priest who baptizes the child or the adult, but Christ who washes the baptized clean of sin; the priest merely pours the water and invokes the Holy Name.

In the same way, it is not the priest who forgives, but Jesus; the priest is only there on Christ's behalf.

I've attached a more thorough explanation below:

Answer 3

Technically, nowhere in the Bible does it refer to priests forgiving sins. However, remember that there is no reference to a Christian priest in the Bible. Now, there are references to the apostles given authority like that of Christ, which the Catholic Church believes has transcended to today (with the Pope as the primary recipient of these apostolic "powers"). Since the priest is in line with the Apostolic Church, then they also get some of these "powers" such as the ability to serve as God's emissary to forgive sins.

(It should go without saying that there are a number of Christian traditions which interpret the idea of apostolic succession differently and believe that priests have the same standing before God as non-clergy in regards to the forgiveness of sins)

Answer 4

The priest doesn't forgive sins - God alone does that. And yes, that is official Catholic teaching.

The priest acts a "mouthpiece" for God (God has already forgiven you, but we human often need to hear the words) and also acts as a representative of the community, accepting your apology on its behalf. Much nicer, in my opinion, than standing up in front of everyone and sharing all your sins.

The sacrament of reconciliation is about healing. It's about giving a person to own up to their sins, give voice to them, and have someone reinforce what they should already know, that God has forgiven them.

Answer 5

Yes, a priest can forgive sins. This is a special authority that has been passed down through the Church since the apostles.

"As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. . . . 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).

John Chrysostom (one of the early church fathers):

"Priests have received a power which God has given neither to angels nor to archangels. It was said to them: ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose, shall be loosed.’ Temporal rulers have indeed the power of binding; but they can only bind the body. Priests, in contrast, can bind with a bond which pertains to the soul itself and transcends the very heavens. Did [God] not give them all the powers of heaven? ‘Whose sins you shall forgive,’ he says, ‘they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.’ What greater power is there than this? The Father has given all judgment to the Son. And now I see the Son placing all this power in the hands of men [Matt. 10:40; John 20:21–23]. They are raised to this dignity as if they were already gathered up to heaven" (The Priesthood 3:5 [A.D. 387]).

Hope this helps. God bless.

Answer 6

You misunderstand the Catholic model. It's like a pyramid with God speaking only to the most learned in Theology at the top of the pyramid. You are at the lowest end. It's like the army, and you are a Private. In order to talk to the General, you must not skip rank.
Catholic theologians believe that God exists in the supernatural and is completely knowable only through conjecture. They feel that since you have not dedicated your life to theology, you are not equipped to understand this, so it's none of your business, and they would prefer to keep the Bible written in Latin, so you mind your own business, your life your family, your business.

Answer 7

those verses are approximately 2 distinctive situations and a distinctive context. it rather is approximately refusing to furnish absolution to somebody, no longer approximately in my view forgiving somebody who did some thing incorrect to them. as an occasion, if somebody stubborn this priest out in front of a team of people, and the guy later apologized to the priest privately and asked the priest to in my view forgive him (no longer as making a confession), the priest is morally obligated to forgive that person from the middle like quite a few different Christian. clergymen are not meant to hold very own grudges. yet for the sacrament of Confession clergymen can refuse to furnish absolution in the event that they have reason to think of that the guy who's making the confession isn't extremely penitent or sorry for what he has finished.

Answer 8

No, only God can forgive sins. How can a priest, who is a sinner like you or I, forgive sins?!

The Bible NEVER says a man can forgive sins. It does say there is only one mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus."

Matthew 23:9 breaks up another big tradition, that is the tradition of calling the Catholic priest "Father" as if he is some intermediary. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 23:9: "And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."

Look these verses up for yourself ... don't just take my word for it.

Answer 9

The concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. First, the New Testament does not teach that there are to be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that all believers are priests. 1 Peter 2:5-9 describes believers as a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as “a kingdom and priests.” In the Old Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. That is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed. We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21), and the only mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:15). The New Testament teaches that there are to be elders (1 Timothy 3), deacons (1 Timothy 3), bishops (Titus 1:6-9), and pastors (Ephesians 4:11) – but not priests.



When it comes to confession of sin, believers are told in 1 John 1:9 to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him. James 5:16 speaks of confessing our trespasses “to one another,” but this is not the same as confessing sins to a priest as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Priests / church leaders are nowhere mentioned in the context of James 5:16. Further, James 5:16 does not link forgiveness of sins with the confession of sins “to one another.”



The Roman Catholic Church bases their practice of confession to a priest primarily on Catholic tradition. Catholic do point to John 20:23, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." From this verse, Catholics claim that God gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins, and that authority was passed on to the successors of the apostles, e.g. the bishops and priests of the Roman Catholic Church. There are several problems with this interpretation. (1) John 20:23 nowhere mentions confession of sin. (2) John 20:23 nowhere promises, or even hints, that the authority to forgive sins would be passed on to the successors of the apostles. Jesus’ promise was specifically directed to the apostles. (3) The New Testament nowhere states that the apostles would even have successors to their apostolic authority. Similarly, Catholics point to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 (binding and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church’s authority to forgive sins. The same three above points apply equally to these Scriptures.



Again, the concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). As New Covenant believers, we do not need mediators between us and God. We can go to God directly because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

Answer 10

Only through jesus Christ can your sins be forgiven. Priests cannot forgive you for anything. They are not a mediator between man and God. Neither is Mary. Or any of the saints. Catholicism is false doctrine.

Answer 11

Only God can forgive sin, and since Jesus is God then HE had the power to forgive sins while on the Earth. No mortal man can forgive sins.