The Bible And Confession


So, you are a Protestant (or even a Catholic) and you think that confessing your sins to a priest is unbiblical, and that you should only confess your sins to God. Well, here is what the Bible has to say about it:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

So far, nothing we can't agree on here. Try this:

"Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16).*

Notice it said, "to one another." This is directly from the Bible. Need more convincing? Let's look at the Old Testament. For as St. Augustine said, "The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.”

"When a man is guilty in any of these, he shall confess the sin he has committed, and he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin which he has committed... and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin" (Leviticus 5:5-6).*

Now, to one of the most popular quotes from the Bible on confession:

"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" (John 20:22-23).

Jesus gave the Apostles the authority to not only forgive sins, but also to retain them!

"'But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins' -- he then said to the paralytic -- 'Rise, take up your bed and go home.' And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men" (Matthew 9:6-8).*

They glorified God because he gave men the authority to forgive sins. The next quote is connected to this one:

"As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18).

The "me" is Jesus and the "them" are the Apostles. Just as God sent his only Son into the world with the authority to forgive sins, Jesus has bestowed that same authority on the Apostles. Bishops are successors of the Apostles, and priests are appointed and are under the authority of bishops. So as Christians, we are called to confess our sins to priests and bishops who are authorized by Christ who is authorized by God to forgive us of our sins.

*Emphasis added.