Why do Catholics confess sins to a priest if Jesus died for our sins? Tim Staples explains the Catholic understanding of confession and forgiveness. Learn how the Sacrament of Reconciliation relates to the one-time sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Discover the biblical basis for the Church’s practice and how it reflects the ongoing work of salvation.
Transcript:
If Jesus paid the price on the cross with his blood for the forgiveness of our sins, why then do Catholics go to confessional and confess their sins to a
Man? So I really appreciate your call in asking that question because that was a huge one in my process of becoming Catholic. And this is what I discovered is that the Catholic Church teaches just as scripture does, that Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and men. Just as St. Paul says in one Timothy two, five, why? Because he is the only person in the universe that has the chops to reconcile us to God, right? And I know you know this brother. He is fully God so that he can appease the justice of an infinitely holy God, and he is fully man so that he can, number one, offer a sacrifice. And number two, a fitting sacrifice for man in order to reconcile us. And the Catholic church has taught that for 2000 years. However, Jesus Christ himself chose to use men gifting them with gifts of grace in order to affect that reconciliation real time on this earth, right?
And so let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. We acknowledge, as you said, that it’s Jesus Christ’s blood that washes away our sins. And yet St. John will say in one John chapter one, verse seven, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another that is us with God and the blood of Jesus Christ. Notice the blood continues to cleanse us, not just one time when through faith and baptism, but now as we walk with the Lord, his blood continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And then he goes on in verse eight and says, if any man says he has no sin, he is a liar. And the truth is not in him, but if we confess our sins, he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and dec cleanses from all unrighteousness.
So notice here that the blood of Jesus that was applied once for all 2000 years ago on the cross continues to flow down to our day and age. And when we walk in the Lord, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse. And if we sin, we go to confession. And guess what happens? The blood of Jesus continues to cleanse and our sins are forgiven. But now you say, but wait a minute. That doesn’t say confessing to a quote man, as our brother just said, okay, where does that come from? Well, brother, I’d encourage you to go to John chapter 20, verses 21 through 23, because Jesus himself, after the resurrection appears to the 12 apostles, and in verse 21, he says, peace be unto you as the Father has sent me. And that’s the key, right? What did the Father send Jesus to do? Well, among many things, forgive sins.
That’s at the top of the list, right? So as the Father has sent me, so do I send you, and he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit, whosoever sins you forgive are forgiven, whosoever sins you retain are retained there. Jesus Christ communicates his power that he alone purchased with his own blood on the cross. He alone had the capability to do so. But he here delegates, gives power to the apostles to be able to do what he did, namely to hear people’s sins, acknowledge they are sins and forgive their sins. And you notice, brother, I would encourage you, check out the examples in the New Testament where the apostles go out and they do just that. Like in Acts chapter 19, verse 20, when I believe here they’re in Ephesus or St. Paul is, but the people come to the apostles confessing their deeds, right?
Go to two Corinthians chapter two, verse 10, where St. Paul says, and it’s fascinating here because in First Corinthians, as you know, brother, he went to Corinth and there was a whole lot of sin in going on, right? In fact, there was one man that was actually having relations with his stepmother in First Corinthians, chapter five that Paul had to deal with. And evidently this fellow repented, many scholars believe, and I’m one of them, that that’s the fellow he’s talking about when he says, now he’s probably talking about more than just him. But in two Corinthians chapter two, verse 10, St. Paul says, when I was among you, who ever sins I forgave, I forgave in the person of Christ, or as some translations translate that prosopon there in the presence of Christ. Either way, I like person in the person of Christ, but in the presence of Christ, he forgave their sins.
Now, how could he do that? Because he’s an apostle, because he has the power delegated by Jesus Christ. And if you go to two Corinthians chapter five, you’ll get a sense of this because in verse 17, St. Paul says this, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Behold, all things older passed away. All things have become new. And this we have received from God who has reconciled the world to himself in Christ and has committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation. Did you catch that? The ministry? What does that mean? The ministry? Well, the same ministry, Jesus had to reconcile sinners to God. St. Paul says, Jesus has committed that ministry unto us. And so those are just some of the biblical texts. But what we have to understand is this is in no way taking away from the fact that Christ is the one mediator between God and men.
This is not taking away from the fact of the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross because it’s that sacrifice alone that gives us the power to be able to do anything in Christ. It’s that power that Jesus gave to the apostles and their successors, the bishops on down to our time, and those whom they ordained the power to forgive. So that it’s like St. Paul said in Galatians two 20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I live, but Christ lives in me and the life I now live. I live by the faithless son of God. So notice it’s not me, it’s Christ, but it is me. He says, he’s kind of going back and forth. I’m crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I am dead, but I’m alive. But I’m dead, but I’m alive. Right? It’s a powerful way of him communicating that any good that comes from me comes from Christ working through me, but he is working through me. Jesus has chosen to work through men by the power of the Holy Spirit in able to communicate to us his forgiveness.