Catholics - why do you believe priests can forgive you when the bible specifically says no man can?

Answer 1

Pastor Billy says: it is by the authority of Jesus Christ that sins are forgiven by the priest. find out what the words are spoken by the priest in Catholic confession before attacking what is extremely historical, traditional and ... biblical. Read John 20:20-22.

Priest does not say "your sins are forgiven in my name father John" he says" yours are forgiven in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" basically in the name of God.

You must read the gospel of Matthew and John and understand the transference of authority from God the Father to Jesus Christ and than to the Apostles as priests. When Jesus healed the paralytic man as written in the gospel of Matthew the text reads the people marvelled because they had never known a man to forgive sin yet Jesus had done just that. Later as written in John20 Jesus gives the authority to forgive sins to the first NT priests, the apostles.

Answer 2

You misunderstand what Catholicism teaches. The Bible clearly says that we are to forgive sin at confessions and that authority is given by Christ. But every Catholic understands that the priest acts "in persona Christi" which means that it is Christ that does the forgiving and the priest acts only as His hands and mouth.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 3

Priests do not forgive sins. God does. In the Catholic Church the Sacrament of Reconciliation exists to allow Catholics to receive pardon from the Church for the harm their wrongdoing has done to the community. Sin is not just a personal matter, it affects everything in society. Confession serves as a means of reconciling the sinner with God and with the community. It is based upon the fact that Jesus breathed upon his disciples and said "Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive, shall be forgiven. Those whose sins you retain, they are retained."
The Priest always acts as a representative of Jesus Christ, but it is God himself who bestows the graces that are found in the Sacraments.

Answer 4

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 5

Because the first thing Jesus did after he rose from the dead was give the apostles the power to forgive sins in his name.

Joh 20:19 Now when it was late the same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them: Peace be to you.
Joh 20:20 And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.
Joh 20:21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.
Joh 20:22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Joh 20:23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

It was the corrupt Scribes and Pharisees who criticized Jesus for forgiving sins, saying "Only God can forgive sins."

Mar 2:5 And when Jesus had seen their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.
Mar 2:6 And there were some of the scribes sitting there and thinking in their hearts:
Mar 2:7 Why doth this man speak thus? He blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only?

Who do you prefer to believe?

Answer 6

I can't imagine "how" nor "why" you would get such an interpretation in your "heart"... please remember when Jesus Christ taught us how to pray in the book of Matthew (Chapter 6) where immediately right after the "Heavenly Father" prayer (verses 9-13) he said this:

(14)"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15)But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

This Jesus repeated to his disciples again in Mark 11:25.

I was baptized in the Catholic church when I was a baby; I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness; I was baptized in my adulthood as a Christian; in between I've assisted different churches and listened to MANY different beliefs... I have yet not to find strength, faith, hypocrisy in each & every place I've entered... so I decided a long time ago that a person who strongly believes in "?" is just as equal as another who strongly believes in "?"... and came to the conclusion that the beliefs of someone is a VERY PERSONAL THING!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Catholics believe that the priest is a minister of God the Father. Priests forgive in the name of His authority.

Catholics believe that Christ reveals himself through Scripture and through Tradition. Why can Christ only reveal himself in Writing? Where does he say this in the Bible? The Bible must be interpreted by someone.

Please interpret this:
"Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."--Mt 16:17

and again:
"Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."--Jn 20:23

Answer 8

we do not believe the men can forgive us ---we believe that God does through the men---he promised---we are members of the body of Christ---so are the priests---it is Jesus acting through them. "What you have done to the least of my brethren you have done unto me.

He blew on the Apostles and said "receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you shall forgive will be forgiven". What about that statement is not clear?

Answer 9

Priests, even though they're not God, are representatives of Him on earth. As a safety precaution, they are even forbidden by Canon law to divulge the sins of their penitent.

Besides, if someone asks for your forgiveness because he/she hurt you, would you refuse to forgive them because God says you cannot and only He can?

Answer 10

Catholics confess their sins to priests because-- as it is clearly stated in Sacred Scripture--God in the Person of Jesus Christ authorized the priests of His Church to hear confessions and empowered them to forgive sins in His Name. To the Apostles, the first priests of His Church, Christ said: ``Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.... Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.'' (John 20:21-23).