The Power Of Absolution: Can Priests Forgive Sins?

Whether a Catholic priest can forgive sins is a contentious issue. Some people argue that the Bible does not support the idea of confession to a priest, citing 1 John 1:9, which says that believers should confess their sins to God. Others, however, point to biblical passages such as John 20:23, where Jesus says, If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven, as evidence that priests have the authority to forgive sins. This debate has been ongoing for centuries, with both sides presenting compelling arguments.

The Bible says only God can forgive sins

Jesus, being God, has the power to forgive sins. In John 20:23, he says to his disciples, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." This passage is often cited as evidence that Jesus gave his disciples the authority to forgive sins, which was then passed on to the successors of the apostles, i.e., the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church.

However, this interpretation is disputed. Firstly, John 20:23 does not mention the confession of sin. Secondly, it does not state that apostolic authority would be passed on to the successors of the apostles. Thirdly, the apostles never acted as if they had the authority to forgive sins. Instead, they proclaimed that those who believed the gospel were forgiven (Acts 16:31), and those who did not obey faced judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).

The New Testament teaches that believers are to confess their sins to God (1 John 1:9) and that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). While James 5:16 speaks of confessing trespasses "to one another," this is not the same as confessing sins to a priest.

In conclusion, while the Catholic Church teaches that priests have the authority to forgive sins, this doctrine is not explicitly stated in the Bible. The Bible teaches that only God can forgive sins, and that Jesus, as God, has the authority to forgive and has given his followers the responsibility to proclaim the terms of forgiveness.

Jesus is God and therefore has the power to forgive sins

Jesus is God, and therefore has the power to forgive sins. In Mark 2:5, Jesus says to a paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven." The scribes objected, asking, "Who can forgive sins except God alone?" Jesus, being God, has the authority to forgive sins. This is further demonstrated in Mark 2:10, where he performs a miracle to show that "the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."

Jesus's power to forgive sins is also evident in Luke 5, where he declares to a paralyzed man, "Man, your sins are forgiven." This passage illustrates that Jesus, as the Son of Man, has divine authority to forgive sins.

Additionally, in John 20:21-23, Jesus breathes on his disciples and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." This passage indicates that Jesus has bestowed upon his followers the authority to forgive sins.

Jesus, being fully God and fully man, had the power to forgive sins while on earth. He has also given this authority to his followers, including priests, who act as Christ's representatives and convey His forgiveness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus passed on his priesthood to men

> "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'"

Jesus is giving the apostles the same authority that he received from God the Father. In Mark 2:10, he demonstrates that he has the authority to forgive sins:

> "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralytic"—I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."

Jesus is not God, but he has the power to forgive sins. He passes on this power to his apostles, who are not gods but have the power to confer or convey the forgiveness of God.

The apostles' authority to forgive sins is further supported by Matthew 16:18–19:

> "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

This is also echoed in Matthew 18:18:

> "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

The apostles, in turn, pass on this authority to their successors, the bishops.

A priest's authority to forgive comes from Christ

A priest's authority to forgive sins comes from Christ. A priest does not forgive sins by his own power but by the power that Christ conferred on his apostles. This is recorded in John 20:19–23:

> "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.''"

In this passage, Jesus is giving his apostles the same authority that he received from God the Father. In Mark 2:10, Jesus states that he has the authority to forgive sins:

> "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralytic—"I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."

Jesus then gives this same authority to his apostles in John 20:21:

> "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."

The apostles understood this to mean that they had been given the authority to forgive sins. In 2 Corinthians 5:18–20, St. Paul, who was made a priest and bishop in the Church, says:

> "God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation... We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."

This passage makes it clear that Jesus sends his apostles to be the ministers of his reconciliation and forgiveness.

Confession to a priest is taught in the Old Testament

The concept of confession of sin to a priest is not taught in the Old Testament. In fact, the New Testament does not teach that there are to be priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that all believers are priests. First Peter 2:5-9 describes believers as a "holy priesthood" and a "royal priesthood." Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as "a kingdom of priests."

In the Old Covenant, the faithful had to approach God through the priests. The priests were mediators between the people and God. The priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. That is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed. We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator.

Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21) and the only mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). The New Testament teaches that there are to be elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9), deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13), and pastors (Ephesians 4:11) – but not priests. When it comes to confession of sin, believers are told in 1 John 1:9 to confess their sins to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him.

James 5:16 speaks of confessing our trespasses "to one another," but this is not the same as confessing sins to a priest as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Priests/church leaders are nowhere mentioned in the context of James 5:16. Further, James 5:16 does not link forgiveness of sins with the confession of sins "to one another."

The Roman Catholic Church bases its practice of confession to a priest primarily on Catholic tradition. Catholics point to John 20:23, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven," to claim that God gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins and that this authority was passed on to the successors of the apostles, i.e., the bishops and priests of the Roman Catholic Church. However, there are several issues with this interpretation:

• John 20:23 does not mention the confession of sin.
• John 20:23 does not promise or even suggest that apostolic authority of any kind would be passed on to the successors of the apostles.
• The apostles never once in the New Testament acted as if they had the authority to forgive a person's sin.

Catholics also point to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 (binding and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church’s authority to forgive sins. However, the same three points above apply equally to these Scriptures. The ability to forgive sins is God’s alone (Isaiah 43:25).

A better understanding of John 20:23 is that the apostles were given the responsibility of declaring with utmost certainty the terms on which God would forgive sins. As the church was being founded, the apostles declared that those who believed the gospel were forgiven (Acts 16:31) and those who did not obey the gospel faced judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). As the apostles proclaimed salvation in Christ (Acts 10:43) and exercised church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:4–5), they were wielding the authority Christ had given them.

Again, the concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). As New Covenant believers, we do not need mediators between us and God. We can go to God directly because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. First Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

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