Why do Catholics, even though God's word is clear, believe they have to seek forgiveness through a priest?

Question

We are free to access the throne of God, the moment we are born again, without mediation from man. That is why Jesus is called the ONE mediator between man and God. When Jesus died, the vail in the temple was torn from top to bottom showing that the priesthood is no longer and was never needed for salvation. Saved by faith then, as well as now. The priesthood was a picture and forshadowing of Christ and His perfect priesthood. He is the ONE AND ONLY mediator. There is no other. (1TIMOTHY 2:5) Our only intercessor (1John 2:1,) when we sin He is our advocate. There is no need to go to a priest. We only need to go straight to the Father, The disciples asked Jesus how to pray. He prayed to the Father. As an example, not necessarily for us to pray His exact prayer of Our Father, but in our own words by calling on the Father. Jesus is the only Priesthood. (Hebrews 7:1-27) His priesthood never changes and His priesthood looks nothing like the Roman Catholic Church.

Didn't some of you catholic's read the scriptures I gave you? Christ is from the priesthood of the Order of Melchizedek. His priesthood is eternal and unchageable. If God changes not and his priesthood changes not, it would look like the priesthood of the Levites. The catholic church's version of "priesthood" does not resemble anything of God's priesthood in the bible that the true priesthood of the Jews had. He isn't going to change anything about the priesthood; not their clothes, not their temple building, not their temple furniture and not the order of things. He is not going to step foot in a catholic church when He comes back. He is going to step into a Jewish temple made by the specifications from God as written in God's Word. He is the only preist needed. Once He died it was finished. His priesthood was established, and finalized and He was the last sacrifice. There are no more sacrifices that will be accepted, not even man made wafers.

Answer 1

Gotta wonder if Catholics ever really read the Bible? There is no Biblical basis for popes or mass or confession or sunday worship or christmas or easter or the immortality of the soul or the eternal torment of hell, or the worship of idols or the prayers to saints, or that mary is another intercessor, or heck, where should I stop? This is a religion steeped in ancient pagan traditions and rituals. Totally without any Biblical basis whatsoever in thier worship and practices.

Where did the RCC get it's ideas?:

http://philologos.org/__eb-ttb/default.htm

Answer 2

Like many, you misunderstand the Catholic faith. You write a long paragraph describing why the faith is wrong without understanding what Catholics actually believe. People like to describe Catholic faith as a silly set of rules, and miss the whole point to everyone's (including your own) disadvantage.

The statement 'have to seek forgiveness through a priest' is wrong.

The gift of forgiveness that Jesus gives to us, through his apostles is an opportunity to experience first hand the mercy of the Father. All I can tell you is that it is an awesome thing. Much better than just praying and asking God alone for forgiveness. Which of course is fine too. But Jesus understands the human spirit. He knows it's a whole different thing when there is another person there to confess to. That just makes the thing more real and more of a powerful gift.

The scriptural basis speaks for itself. (See: http://www.catholic.com/library/Forgiveness_of_Sins.asp)

I understand that many Christians are uncomfortable with the notion that Christ breathed his power into the apostles and that the modern church is the descendants of the apostles and thus has the same power. So you can have a relationship with Christ strictly through the scriptures. That's fine. But you are missing out on some of the gifts that Christ intended for you to have too.

Peace.

Answer 3

Where in Scripture is the authority to forgive sins -- given to the apostles in John 20:21-23, Matthew 18:18 and elsewhere -- taken away from them or their successors?

And yes, Christ is our only mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) but can He not use priests to carry out His work of forgiveness if He chooses?

Edited to add: Sweetheart, I've been reading Scripture for 30 years -- likely longer than you've been around. I realize you're passionate about this, but kindly watch your tone. Your disagreement with Catholic doctrine does not give you license to be contemptuous of individual Catholics. Statements like "Didn't some of you catholic's read the scriptures I gave you?" are unnecessary. You've made your point. We don't happen to agree with you. Whacking us upside the head, figuratively speaking, with your Bible isn't going to change that.

The best answer you have received is that from brando4755, below. Do read it.

Answer 4

You are obviously a Protestant. I am not Catholic so I will not give you the answer you are looking for. But how do you know there is even a god or that your religion is right? Just from a book called the bible that was written by a bunch of folks a couple thousand years ago?
You'll get nowhere arguing that your religion is right because everybody thinks that way. Even the atheists think their right.
Any firm belief without evidence to support it is rather pointless, therefore called faith, not truth.

Answer 5

Jesus is the high priest in Heaven and the Catholic priesthood resembles his priesthood exactly because they are members of the Body of Christ something the fundamental mindset has no idea of what we are talking about and that is because they do not receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament---"Away from me you evil doers, for I do not know you" He is talking about people like you who say they have every right to be with him but meanwhile you ignore everything he says to do.

Answer 6

Tradition. And acceptance of tradition. If a Roman Catholic gets too much into the Roman Catholic doctrine, they have a few 'outs' to depart from scripture with: sola scriptura - meaning that the teachings of the 'church' outweigh the teachings of the Bible, and the pressure a Roman Catholic may face if they question too much - excommunication.

They do not understand the Bible because they weren't taught to respect Paul and Jesus in the way Protestants are.

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

Because there is biblical evidence.

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 9

Catholics follow both the Bible and tradition as authoritative. It's basically the traditional aspect of Roman Catholicism that says people should have their sins confessed and then absolved by the priests.

Answer 10

Jesus also gave Peter and the other apostles the power to forgive sins on earth, and said that their actions would also be binding in heaven.

BTW, Catholics only believe in confession through a priest for mortal sins-- really bad ones like adultery, murder, abortion, etc, although many people confess more because it is a good spiritual practice. Think of the benefit of sharing your failings with someone who is bound to keep your confidence and offer guidance and direction for amending your life. It's a very healing, comforting process.