
The question of whether a priest can absolve sins is a contentious one, with different Christian denominations holding different beliefs. The Catholic Church teaches that a priest can forgive sins, with the power to do so deriving from Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate. This is based on the Bible verse John 20:23, in which Jesus says, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. However, some Christians, including Lutherans and Methodists, believe that only God can forgive sins, and that a priest cannot forgive sins on God's behalf. They argue that the Bible does not give priests the authority to do so.
What You'll Learn
- The authority of priests to forgive sins comes from Jesus Christ
- The priest acts as a witness to Christ's love and mercy
- The priest's power to forgive sins is backed by Scripture
- Confession is a universal feature of the historic churches of Christendom
- Absolution is considered a sacrament in some Christian traditions
The authority of priests to forgive sins comes from Jesus Christ
The authority of priests to forgive sins is a central tenet of Christian theology, underscoring the divine nature of Jesus Christ and his role as the Savior. This authority is explicitly demonstrated in several passages of the New Testament, where Jesus not only claims the power to forgive sins but also exercises it, often to the astonishment of the religious leaders of his time.
One of the most direct assertions of Jesus' authority to forgive sins is found in the account of the healing of the paralytic, as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. In Mark 2:5-12, Jesus, perceiving the faith of those who brought the paralytic to him, declares, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5). The scribes present objected, asking, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mark 2:7). Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, responds, "The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:10). This statement serves as a clear indication that Jesus, as the Son of God, possesses the divine authority to forgive sins.
In another instance, recorded in Luke 7:36-50, Jesus illustrates his authority to forgive sins in the account of the sinful woman who anoints his feet. When the Pharisee hosting Jesus questions his acceptance of the woman's actions, Jesus tells a parable and concludes by saying to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven" (Luke 7:48). The other guests are amazed, again highlighting the radical nature of Jesus' claims.
The authority of Jesus to forgive sins is intrinsically linked to his identity as the Son of God. In John 5:21-23, Jesus explains, "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father" (John 5:21-22). This passage emphasizes the divine prerogative granted to Jesus, affirming his equality with God the Father and his unique role in the divine plan of salvation.
The forgiveness of sins by Jesus also fulfills Old Testament prophecy and expectation. In Isaiah 53:5-6, the suffering servant is described as one who bears the iniquities of many, providing a foundation for understanding Jesus' sacrificial role. The New Testament writers consistently present Jesus as the fulfillment of these messianic prophecies, emphasizing his authority to forgive as part of his redemptive mission.
Following his resurrection, Jesus passed on this authority to his apostles, who became the first bishops. In John 20:21-23, Jesus says to his disciples, "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:21, 23). By conferring the Holy Spirit upon them, Jesus bestowed upon his apostles the same authority to forgive sins that he had received from God the Father.
This authority to forgive sins was then passed down through the generations in a process known as Apostolic Succession, with the apostles laying hands on their successors, who continued the ministry of reconciliation. As stated in 2 Corinthians 5:18, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."
Therefore, the authority of priests to forgive sins ultimately comes from Jesus Christ, who bestowed this power upon his apostles and their successors in the Church, enabling them to continue his earthly work of offering forgiveness and restoring individuals to a right relationship with God.
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The priest acts as a witness to Christ's love and mercy
The priest's authority to absolve sins comes from Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the priest stands as a witness to Christ's love and mercy in declaring the sinner forgiven. The priest is acting under the authority and power of the Church, which, in turn, is acting under the authority and power of Christ.
The Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church states: "In the celebration of the Holy Mystery of Repentance, the Church actualizes the words of the Lord to the apostles: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained' (Jn 20:22-23). Every priest continues the apostolic ministry in the Mystery of Repentance when he absolves the faithful of their sins and reconciles them with the Church. The priest pronounces the prayer of absolution (the loosing from the bondage of sin) and every penitent thereby receives Christ's forgiveness."
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate, willed his ministry of forgiveness of sins to continue through the ministry of his Church. In John 20:21-23, Jesus says to his disciples, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you... Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus tells Peter, "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 passage is understood to mean that the power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the apostles, and to their lawful successors for the reconciling of the faithful who have fallen after baptism.
The priest, therefore, acts as a witness to Christ's love and mercy by continuing the apostolic ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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The priest's power to forgive sins is backed by Scripture
The Catholic Church teaches that the power to forgive sins is backed by Scripture. In John 20:19–23, Jesus says to his disciples:
> Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
This is understood to mean that Jesus is giving the apostles the authority to forgive sins. The Catholic Church teaches that this authority has been passed down through the generations, in a practice known as apostolic succession.
In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus says to Peter:
> 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 passage is also interpreted as giving the apostles the power to forgive sins, which they can then pass on to their successors.
In the Old Testament, people would bring a sacrifice to a priest to have their sins forgiven. Catholics believe that under the new covenant, the priesthood still has the power to forgive sins, which was given by authority from Jesus.
In addition to these Scripture passages, the early Church Fathers also wrote about the practice of confession and absolution. For example, St. John Chrysostom wrote:
> Priests have received a power which God has given neither to angels nor to archangels... Did [God] not give them all the powers of heaven? 'Whose sins you shall forgive,' he says, 'they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.' What greater power is there than this?
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Confession is a universal feature of the historic churches of Christendom
In the Catholic Church, confession is obligatory at least once a year for serious sins. The penitent confesses their sins to a priest, who assigns an act of penance and imparts absolution in the name of the Trinity. This is known as the Sacrament of Penance.
In Eastern Orthodox Churches, confession is made to a parish priest or a starets (Elder). The person confessing is often referred to as the penitent, and the person hearing the confession is the confessor. The penitent may also confess their sins to their spiritual guide on a regular basis but only seek out the priest to read the prayer before receiving Holy Communion.
Lutherans practice "confession and absolution" in two forms. The first is done at the Divine Service with the assembled congregation, and the second is known as "Holy Absolution", which is done privately to the pastor.
In the Anglican Communion, confession and absolution is usually a component of corporate worship, particularly at the Eucharist. Private or auricular confession is also practised and is especially common among Anglo-Catholics.
In the Methodist Church, penance is defined as one of the "five lesser sacraments". John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, held "the validity of Anglican practice in his day as reflected in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer". The Book of Worship of The United Methodist Church contains the rite for private confession and absolution in "A Service of Healing II".
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Absolution is considered a sacrament in some Christian traditions
In the Catholic Church, the priest's authority to absolve sins is believed to come from Christ. During the sacrament of Penance, a priest absolves a penitent of their sins through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is based on the Bible verse John 20:23, where Jesus says to his apostles, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained."
The Anglican Communion and Methodism also practice absolution, but it is not considered a sacrament in these traditions. Instead, it is seen as part of the life of the church.
In the Reformed tradition, which includes the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, and Congregationalist denominations, corporate confession is the normative way of practicing absolution.
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Frequently asked questions
A priest can absolve sins by acting under the authority and power of the Church, which, in turn, is acting under the authority and power of Christ.
The Bible says that Jesus gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins: "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained" (John 20:23). This power was then passed on to their successors, including priests, through the sacrament of ordination.
Absolution is the theological term for the forgiveness of sins by ordained Christian priests. It is practised differently across various Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, for example, absolution is considered one of the acts of the Church's ordained minister in the Sacrament of Penance. The penitent must make a sincere confession of all known mortal sins and pray an act of contrition. The priest then assigns penance and imparts absolution using a fixed sacramental formula.