Bible-believin' Christians say they confess their sins to God, not to a man?

Question

Yet, I have been to some "christian" churches where members get up and confess their sins to the congregation.

Others attack on the validity of the Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, they do not understand the Catholic faith because Catholics as a matter of fact do ask God for forgiveness everyday, if they are living their faith correctly. We also make an act of contrition at every Sunday mass, begining with "We confess to Almighty God..."

In addition to these, Catholics are blessed to receive healing and forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Also, all minor occasions of sin are wiped clean every time a Catholic receives communion. You who oppose the Catholic Church and Her Holy Sacraments, instead of condemning and criticizing, should praise God for His mercy on Catholic sinners.

To paraphrase Jesus, which is easier to do: Vocally confess to a living person and bring your sins into the light, or keep your sins in secret and in the dark?

Answer 1

Do men have the power to forgive sins? Yes, they do "...so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to MEN [plural]."

and here too
""Peace be with you! AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

How did the Father send Jesus? With the power to forgive sins. And we see in John that Jesus sends them (his apostles) in the same way as He was sent...with the power on earth to forgive sins (Mat 9:8)

Makes perfect sense. Jesus apostles (the twelve) and there successors were given the power on earth to forgive sins in the same way as Jesus was. But to know which sins to bind or loose the sinner needed to confess his sins to them.

God Bless
Robin

Answer 2

Why do they have so much trouble with a priest being a part of the process of forgiveness, but no trouble with him being a part of marriage or baptisim? It's the same thing as far as the role of the priest is concerned. When you get married is the priest marrying you or God? Most Christians would say God...yet the priest is present and necessary! When you are baptized...again, the sacrament and grace confered are from God, through the priest. Just as it is with the sacrament of reconciliation.

I wish people would stop quoting the verse about "there is only one mediator..." this is not relevant since we do not see the priest as a mediator. A mediator is a go between...someone who bridges two separated people, brings them to a compromise. This is NOT the role of the priest, only Jesus can mediate and we know that.

The misunderstanding of Catholicism is no excuse for promoting and spreading erroneous perceptions. Non-Catholics need to check out their beliefs about Catholicism to find out if they are true before the go about talking as if they know.

Answer 3

Please, don't be stereotypic. Those were some Christians. I am a Christian and I confess my sins to God and to man. Yes, some christians need to change somethings like the criticism and in time they will hopefully change. The reason why christians criticize is because some of their hearts are hard and some dont read the bible. And if they do, then they need to open their hearts up like many other people who arn't christians. One day, God will put together all the churches that do his will.

Answer 4

It's an easy out - a nice way to feel better without really ever owning up to bad behavior. Nice religion, eh? The jews have it better - they go to temple once a year for absolution. That's it - once a year. Make a tithe to the temple, all is forgiven. At least catholics make you light a candle, give some money and say a few prayers in a row before all is good. That's a tough crowd.

Answer 5

We Bible believing Christians confess our sins to a living person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And He forgives them.

Very simple.

1 John 1:8-10

8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Pastor Art

Answer 6

Matt 9:2-8 The Son of man,Jesus Christ, has authority to forgive sins
and He uses that authority through the Church he founded through the Apostles and their successors ,bishops and presbyters(priests),down to our time
when he breathed on( recalling the outpouring of the Life-Giving Spirit over the waters of Creation in Gen2:7) His Apostles
saying ',Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven& whose you retain they are held retained(John 20:22-23)
for He has given us the ministry of forgiveness
(2 Cor 5:17-20).

In James 5:13-16, the Bible does remind us that the prayer of the presbyters is the mode that the One Priest Jesus forgives our sins when we confess them,not alone but to another believer
since "'whatever is loosed on earth is loosed in Heaven"(Matt 18:18) by the same Jesus who says
directly through the absolving priest,"I absolve you" by the Power of the Keys given by Christ Himself.

Answer 7

No man of the cloth has the ability to absolve your sins - he is a sinner himself. "There is one mediator between God and man and that is Christ Jesus." I am not a Catholic, I love the ceremonies of the church, I don't oppose the RC church but I take my troubles directly to the Lord. The Baptists have open prayer in a group, perhaps they like to confess to an open congregation. "When you pray, pray in secret so as your Father in heaven may reward you in secret." Forgiveness is one of the RC sacraments; Jesus said "if you have wronged your brother, ask his forgiveness first before you come to Me." In other words, this is reconciliation. Blessed be.

Answer 8

Catholics confess to a man in a booth and your prayers are in repetition with all those hail Mary`s. Much of the collection of money pays for the gold and velvet in your fancy church buildings. The wealth of the Roman Catholic Church describes the wealth of the Great Harlot who's drunk on the blood of Saints in the city surrounded by seven hills. The only man ever given the authority to represent God on earth was Jesus Christ, not some mere mortal man such as the Pope is.

Answer 9

"therefore confess your sins to one another"

it could also be pointed out that Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins, He wouldn't have done that if He didn't intend to Reconciliation.

lost.eu/21618

Answer 10

Pointing out the beliefs of the Catholic church isn't going to stop some determined types from nitpicking the differences to death. People will go to any lengths to validate themselves, especially those who delight in finding fault in everyone else but themselves.

Looks like some of the answers have already proven my point.