This is a false man made doctrine with no biblical support. In fact the bible tells us the opposite.
Hebrews 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
Hebrews 10:27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Luke 11:4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
Galatians 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?
Matthew 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
Mark 9:41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward
Hebrews 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
ReplyDeleteIf this is the belief, how is it, that a Priest can then pardon sins?
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DeleteSimon Peter answered and said: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in Heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon Earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon Earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven." (Saint Matthew 16:16-19)
DeleteAnd taking bread, He gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: "This is My Body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me." In like manner the chalice also, after He had supped, saying: "This is the chalice, the New Testament in My Blood, which shall be shed for you." (Saint Luke 22:19-20)
He said therefore to them again: "Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you." When He had said this, he breathed on them; and He said to them: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." (Saint John 20:21-23)
Christians have always confessed their sins to a Priest in the presence of God.
ReplyDeleteCONFESSION TO A PRIEST IN THE BIBLE:
Jesus never condemned the Practice nor did he change it from the Old Testament.
~~~~The Bible tells us God gave "Men" (plural) the power to forgive sins on earth.
Matthew 9:6 But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 7 And he arose, and went into his house. 8 And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.
~~~~Jesus gave us the "Ministry" of Reconciliation.
2Corinthians 5:17 If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new. 18 But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins; and he hath placed in us the word of reconciliation.
~~~~The Apostles are Christ's ambassadors (and the Priests by Proxy):
2Corinthians 5:20 For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.
~~~~St. James tells us to confess to one another:
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.
~~~~St. James tells us that when one is sick call the Priests to pray over him, anoint him and because of this the lord forgives his sins:
James 5:14
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should
pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord,
15 and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
~~~~The Old Testament tells us that an atonement is made by the Priest to the Lord and his sins will be forgiven:
Leviticus 6:7 and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt."
Leviticus 16:30 For on that day [the priest] shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Numbers 15:28 And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who commits an error, when he sins unwittingly, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.
~~~~Jesus gave the Apostles the Authority as well. Why would he give them this authority if they were never to use it?
John 20:23 "If you forgive the sins of any, {their sins} have been forgiven them; if you retain the {sins} of any, they have been retained."
~~~~St. Paul even forgave sins:
2Corinthians 2:10 But one whom you forgive anything, I {forgive} also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, {I did it} for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
For what sins did Christ forgive you? ALL of them! Past, present and future! This does not give license to willfully sin. When we do sin, we repent and ask forgiveness, endeavoring not to offend them anymore because of our love for them... be it God or other people.
ReplyDelete1 John 5:18-20
"We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."
1 Cor 3:10-15
"According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
Hebrews 3:12-14
"Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end..."
Col 2:8-14
"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us ALL our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
Re: comment
We all have the power and authority to forgive one another and are called upon as Christians to do so.
The priest in the old testament did have power and authority to atone for sin, but this was done away with by the new covenant established through Jesus Christ. We have only one High Priest and mediator, and He alone reconciles us and our sin before God. That excludes Mary, the saints, priests and anyone else.
"For what sins did Christ forgive you? ALL of them! Past, present and future!"
DeleteThis is true, but only IN PRINCIPAL. Not in APPLICATION yet in every case. A person who goes through life is not forgiven until he believes and repents. Then the forgiveness won for him by the Cross is APPLIED. Otherwise it would be a blanket pardon of everyone of all time, with no need to believe & repent.
Repentance is necessary (for the rest of our life in Christ) to be forgiven of any deadly sins we might commit after our "moment of salvation". Then His forgiveness is APPLIED again, even though He forgave us all once in PRINCIPAL.
We are all priests in the New Covenant, in that we have direct access to God and can offer pleasing sacrifices to Him. But also in the New Covenant there are ministerial priests. Christ instituted this office at the last supper when He commanded and empowered the Apostles to "Do this in memory of me", "this" being the sacramental changing of bread & wine into His Body & Blood.
The High Priest, Jesus, forgives our ongoing sins through the hands & lips of a man ordained to do so. He commanded His disciples (and by extension, their successors) to forgive sins in His name (John20:23)