Another Catholic Question: Doesn't the Bible say we are all priests?

Question

Therefore, if I confess my sins to another Christian why would this be seen as less significant than if I were to confess them to a Catholic priest?

And why would a Catholic priest (assumingly) feel as though confessing his sins to a member of the congregation would not be sufficient? Is there Biblical precedent for this?

Thanks!

sgbarry: Didn't Jesus say to go and "make disciples of all nations"? If we are all disciples then, doesn't this apply to all of us?

Answer 1

Yes, there is a priesthood of believers, the common priesthood and there is an ordained priesthood. The presbyterss and bishops you read about in the New Testament are the ordained priesthood.

After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to His disciples and gave them the authority to retain and forgive sins (John 20: 21-23. This authority was not given as part of a teaching to the general public, but specifically to His disciples. As a result of this, only those who have been ordained priests have the authority to forgive sins in the name of Jesus Christ.

You are correct that Jesus said to make disciples of all the nations. The people He sent to do this must necessarily be of greater authority than those they were going to "make disciples". The word "Disciple" with a capital "D" is used to designate those followers who were given authority by Jesus Christ. The word "disciple" with a lower case "d" is used when talking about followers of Jesus Christ.

To determine whether it was "Disciples" or "disciples" that were given authority to forgive sins, you must look at the setting. The disciples were in a closed and locked room in fear of their lives when Jesus gave them the authority to forgive sins. These people must have been known teachers of Jesus, not just those who believed in Him. These men must have been in Jesus' inner circle in order to be ones who fear for their lives.

Answer 2

We are all members of the royal priesthood of believers, able to pray directly to God, by nature of our Christainity.

This does not extend to the ministerial priesthood that Jesus himself instituted at the Last Supper, and the appropriate authority that goes with it, which must be properly passed along, one bishop to another, and then from bishop to priest, by the laying on of hands.

The power to forgive sins was not given to the congregation at large, but only to those who Jesus placed in authority ... the apostles who were the first bishops ... and the rulers of the only authentic church of God.

And while there is most certainly biblical precedent for this ... by nature of the authority that Jesus personally gave to the church ... no biblical precedent is necessary.

Answer 3

Yes and no.

Yes, we are a priestly people.

No, we are not all ordained in the name of Jesus Christ.

+ Ordained Ministers +

The ordained ministers in the Catholic Church mirrors how Jesus and the Apostles set up the original Christian Church.

There are three levels of Holy Orders, Deacon, Priest, and Bishop.

Bishops are the Apostles of today. Each one leads a diocese. Special types of bishop are archbishop, cardinal, and pope (who leads the whole Church).

Priests are co-workers of the bishops and can lead a parish. A special title for a priest is monsignor. Priests are called presbyters in the Bible.

Deacons assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt3.htm#iii

+ Confession and Reconciliation +

The Catholic Church believes that "Only God forgives sin."

When a penitent person asks God for forgiveness, his (or her) sins are immediately forgiven.

Catholics also believe that when someone sins they not only hurt their relationship with God, they also injure the entire church, the body of Christ.

Jesus said, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Luke 20:22-23)

Oral confessing of sins is recommended over and over in both the Old and New Testaments:
+ James 5:16
+ Acts 19:18
+ Matthew 3:5-6
+ Mark 1:5
+ 1 Timothy 6:12
+ 1 John 1:9
+ Numbers 5:6-7
+ Nehemiah 9:2
+ Sirach 4:26

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation with a priest ordained in the name of Jesus Christ not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.

Remember all sacraments are encounters with God. This sacrament is a healing encounter between God and the penitent.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1422 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 4

If you confess your sins to me, I do not have the power to grant you absolvement, nor do you for me. That is a special power reserved for the priests, which is why they're the only ones that can hear confession.

Answer 5

Read the first Chapter of 1 John, and you will understand that you say your sins to men, and confess them to God. You do it anyway you want to. Not confessing sin is a peril of self-righteousness and self deception.

Answer 6

Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins
John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.

John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.

John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.

Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?

Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.

Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.

Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").

2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.

2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.

James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.

1 Tim. 2:5 - Christ is the only mediator, but He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.

Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 - even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others.

Answer 7

I think this question has been raised before...

Num 16:3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

Num 16:5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
Num 16:6 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
Num 16:7 And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
Num 16:8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
Num 16:9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
Num 16:10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

Enough said.