For thou hast magnified thy word above
all thy name. - Psalms 138:2 KJV
Catholicism
The Confessional
By YBible
Catholics are told to confess their sins to a priest, they believe he has the authority to “absolve” them on behalf of God. This is called the sacrament of confession.
A Catholic is led to believe that if they don’t confess even their most compromising or embarrassing sins to a priest they are in danger of Hell.
Non-Catholic Christians obey the Bible and go directly to God by Jesus Christ, they have a personal relationship with their Savior. They seek forgiveness from God. They know a Catholic priest cant “absolve them” only God can.
Catholicism positions itself between you and God. When the Bible says go to Christ. Catholics say go to our priests, our false Mary, or maybe a dead “saint”.
The key lie of the confessional: They make your eternal salvation dependent on their exclusive tradition. They take a relative few verses and try to override what the rest of the Bible so clearly teaches. That your sins, salvation and standing with God are between you and Him. Jesus Christ is our mediator, not a priesthood absent from the Bible.
The real purpose of the confessional is to create a dependency on the Catholic hierarchy; controlling God’s people.
Does the Bible teach a priest stands between us and God?
Christ is our head & high priest (Col. 1:18; Heb. 8:1).
All Christians are priests according to Peter. Church age priesthood is spiritual:
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” - 1 Peter 2:5
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” - 1 Peter 2:9
Peter applied this verse to all Christians: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” - Exodus 19:6
The Bible teaches two church leadership positions, both contradict Catholicism:
"A bishop (pastor) then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…" - 1 Tim. 3:2
"Let the deacons (elders) be the husbands of one wife…" - 1 Tim. 3:12
“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:” - Philippians 1:1
Key Verses against the Catholic priesthood:
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. - 1 Timothy 2:5
A priest standing between the sinner and God contradicts this verse. Christ is the only Mediator.
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. - Romans 8:34
Christ intercedes for us.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:16
Believers are told to come directly to the throne. The High Priest who sits there is Jesus (Heb. 4:14-15), not an earthly priest.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. - Hebrews 7:25
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. - Hebrews 8:1
Access is “unto God by him” (Christ). He lives to intercede; no earthly priest is given that office.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus … Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith… - Hebrews 10:19–22
Believers enter the holiest themselves by Christ’s blood, not through a confessional.
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. - Ephesians 2:18
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. - John 14:6
Should we confess our sins to God or men?
There are at least 60 verses in the Bible showing both confession of sin directly to God, and forgiveness directly from God.
Public confession of sin isn’t forbidden, the Bible however shows what is actually essential is to be personally reconciled to God.
If you’ve sinned your to confess it to God in Jesus’ name, only forgiveness from God matters. Trusting a “priest” to “absolve” your sins on behalf of God and not God alone is blasphemy.
Key New Testament verses showing confession directly to God, and forgiveness directly from God:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9
Confession is made to “he” (God) not to a man. Forgiveness and cleansing follow immediately from Him.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. - 1 John 2:1
When a believer sins, the Advocate is Christ with the Father, not a confessor in a booth.
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. - Acts 8:22
Peter does not absolve Simon. He tells him to pray God.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified… - Luke 18:13-14
The man who was justified spoke only to God. Jesus commends that prayer, not a system of auricular confession.
Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? - Mark 2:7 (cf. Luke 5:21)
The scribes themselves stated the biblical principle: only God can forgive sins. Jesus then proved He is God by doing it. The verse leaves no room for later men claiming the same power.
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? - Luke 7:48–49
Jesus forgives directly. Those present recognize that such an act belongs only to God.
Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. … But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins… - Matthew 9:2, 6
Catholicism: Excuse me Lord we have the power to forgive sins also.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus … Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith… - Hebrews 10:19–22
Your told repeatedly to go directly to God
Key Old Testament Verses:
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. - Psalm 32:5
David names the Lord as the one he confesses to, and the Lord is the one who forgives. No priest is in the picture.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. - Isaiah 43:25
God speaks in the first person: I blot them out. No human agent is mentioned or needed.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14
God hears from heaven and He forgives.
And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God … We have sinned, and have committed iniquity … To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. - Daniel 9:4–5, 9
Daniel’s confession is prayed unto the LORD; mercies and forgivenesses belong to Him.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. - Isaiah 1:18
The invitation and the cleansing come from the LORD Himself.
For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. - Psalm 25:11
Pardon is asked of the LORD for His name’s sake.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. - Psalm 86:5
Readiness to forgive belongs to the Lord for those who call on Him.
O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously… - Hosea 14:1–2
The words of confession are to be taken to the LORD.
Key verses used to teach Catholic confession
Note: There is no “I absolve you” in the Bible, no example of a man absolving sins, only Jesus Christ (God) does so.
Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. - John 20:23
When people believed and obeyed the gospel, their sins were remitted; when they rejected it, their sins were retained. That is the only New Testament example of “remitting and retaining.” There is no recorded instance of an apostle hearing a private confession and saying “I absolve you.”
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. - Acts 10:43
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations… - Luke 24:47
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. - James 5:16 KJV
New Bible versions change faults to sins. It should be noted that the NA-UBS Greek text that underlines all modern Bible versions is developed in conjunction with the Vatican. Hence why many don’t accept modern translations as God ordained. We trust the KJV instead.
To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 2:10
Read the whole chapter, Paul is saying he trusts the brethren to decide if the man in question was genuinely repentant and should be received back into their fellowship again. Likewise church’s today kick people out guilty of severe sins. Or receive them back again if they have sincerely repented.
And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. - Acts 19:18
No indication they were having their “deeds” forgiven by the apostles on behalf of God.
Mark 1:4–5 (and Matthew 3:5–6) John baptized people who were “confessing their sins.”
No indication they were seeking forgiveness from John instead of God. The text indicates they were confessing their sins to God.
The Catholic confessional confuses standing with state. The Bible makes it very clear, all of your sins past, present and future were forgiven the moment you believed on Jesus Christ for salvation. Your sins after salvation effects your fellowship with God, millennial inheritance, rewards at the judgment seat of Christ but not your eternal destiny.
- KJV