In defense on Confession

  Now I am back again in action, for a almost one month of absence since Im a busy man. So bear with me, here I have a new topic to give a defense, The objection of a Protestant Pastor Azarcon of Born Again regarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So here my response will be color blue and his words will be at red.

THE TRUTH BEHIND CONFESSION TO THE PRIEST



According to the Catholic Dogma, the priest has the power to absolve the sins of the baptized Catholic who make a satisfactory confession to him. This is the Sacrament of Penance. They based it on:

1. John 20:23 that says “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

   Yes it is true, only the Priest can give pardon of sins, noted that only ordained one has a power on that. Aside from that verse (John 20:23) it is also noted that way back Old Testaments, that ordain Priest can offer a sacrifice to the Altar so that the sins of a sinful man can be forgiven in accordance of the Mosaic Law ( Leviticus 16) and also it has a reference on the New Testament (Mathew 8:1-4,Mark 1:40-45, Luke 17: 11-19) that Christ himself cleansed the leper both his sins and his suffering on leprosy. But Christ commanded the leper, “but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Because Christ knows that only ordained priest can offer a sacrifice and prayers to the Father, and to declared that the sinner is already cleansed and forgiven.

On John 20:23 it is simply Christ ordained and give authority to pardon sins, to his Apostles.


1. But the Evangelical Christians rejected the practice because the passage they quoted to anchor their doctrine doesn’t really supports them.

§ Jesus was talking to His disciples, not to priest and bishops. There is definitely no biblical mention of priest listening sins in the confession box.

   Jesus ordained his Apostles to forgive sins, and our Priest and Bishops are successors of our Apostles, under the Authority of St. Peter that the Keys of Heaven given from Christ (Matt:16:19) and that exercising of Ministry to forgive sins is never been died out from the Apostles, but instead it’s been handed on by generations.
§ The context of John 20 is not forgiveness of sins of the people who believe (baptized Catholics) but of unbelievers.

§ The disciples to whom Jesus spoke did not understand Him to be giving them authority to forgive sins in a confessional. By his words “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." He is not instituting the Sacrament of Penance but giving his disciples the right to proclaim the forgiveness of sins. In the Greek, the verb tenses of “verb” and “not forgive” are in the aorist tense and refer to a one-time action by the disciples. The verbs “are forgiven” and “ are not forgiven” are in the perfect tense and refer to an action by God that precedes the disciple’s action. Therefore, the disciples’ action is a proclamation and confirmation of what God has already done. While the disciples don’t make a confessional ox, they did proclaim the forgiveness of sins through preaching the gospel. (Acts 2:38, 5:31, 10; 43, 13:38, 26: 18.)
“If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

   It refers on two types of people, a humble one and prideful one. The humble one is very willing to seek for forgiveness of sins and he repented it much, so he has been forgiven. The prideful on the other hand is a full hatred and guilt that he can’t admit that he is in fact sinners and assume that still living in a righteous way so his sin won’t be forgiven.

  There is no contradictory on the verses of Acts, against the sacrament of Confession. In fact the initiative of every man to seek confession is because they willing repent for their sins that they committed. It is not a vain taking for granted sacrament that it is enough to say your sins on the priest but it is a matter of self acceptance of being sinful and humble to the Lord without showing of “Pride”, that he/she may worthy for forgiveness and as possible not to be sinned again. (John 8:1-11)

  In reference also even Saint Paul repented been forgiven by confessing his sins to St. Ananias of Damascus, it is a clear evidence that a man which is ordained by Christ and by his Apostles has a power to forgive sins (Acts 9:11-12).

1. B. James 5:16 says “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” “Each other” really mean against the said Roman Catholic Practice. To whom you offended, to Him you should ask forgiveness.

1. C. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” To determine to whom we should confess our sins, we should consider the question, who is this Faithful One in forgiving us? Definitely not a priest but God.

   It is a fact that God can forgive sins, and Priests as a faithful to God upon its ministry here on earth to exercise the sacrament of confession. Clearly if someone will confess his sins the Priest will command a penance, then prior to the absolution, a priest who is ordained by God will offer its prayer to God and Bless the penitent the he was been forgiven. Same process as the Jewish priest did to forgive someone sins.
1. D. Psalm 53. Psalm 53 is the Psalm where David confesses His sins to the Lord. First, it was God who was the offended party. He never calls a Catholic priest.

   Well Catholics can be also ask a forgiveness directly to God, during the Penitential rites of our Mass, what is good for us is we ask a prayers and intercessions to one another like what James 5:16 and 1 John 1:9 . Besides there is no Catholic priest or even Apostles during the time of King David. So what sense if he calls a Catholic Priest?

  

  The rejection of the ministry of the pardon of sins by the protestants and fundamentalist clearly shows, that the Christianity of protestants and fundamentalist is an “elective” matter of their own design. 

 

           Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the greatest gift the God given to mankind, a reminders of his Love and Mercy. "Repent,Reconciled and Renewed"