Who are we to confess our sins to?
Catholic Canon law 870 and 888 state that a priest has power to forgive sins, and confession to a priest at least once a year is necessary for salvation.
Early church writers such as Chrysostom (350 AD), and Basil (350 AD) wrote strongly about confessing sins to God only. So what does the Bible say about this topic since the Bible is the only real Authority on this.
The Bible gives these examples of confessing sins to God alone:
1. When Simon of Samaria sinned after being baptised he was told to pray to God for forgiveness. Acts 8:22.
2. The apostles never heard confessions, but said in Acts 10:43 that: "through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."
3. Peter never forgave the sins of Cornelius. Acts 10:44-48.
4. Paul never forgave the sins of the Philippian jailer. Acts 16:30-34.
5. Only God can forgive sins. "Who can forgive sins but God only." Mark 2:5-11. (even the religious Pharisees knew that only God could forgive sins, they just would not admit Jesus was God in the flesh.)
6. When Peter sinned by denying Christ, he confessed to God and was forgiven. When Judas sinned by betraying Christ, he confessed to some priests and then committed suicide. Matthew 27:3-5.Those six examples clearly point out that no one except God can forgive sins...but then you may ask what about James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed."?
This confession contributes to a restoration of health, because the sickness has come on the patient as a punishment for some sins that he committed. See 1 Corinthians 11:29-31. If we are sick, and are aware that we have hurt someone, we should apologize to them. The reason is "that ye may be healed." This verse in no way proves that if we confess our sins to a priest, that the priest has power to declare such sins to be forgiven because:
1. This confession is not to be made by a person in health to obtain salvation, but by a sick person that he may be healed.
2. This verse commands mutual confession, meaning that the priest should also confess his sins to the people.
3. No mention is made of confession to a priest, or any minister of religion.
4. This confession is for faults where one has injured another. Nothing is said about confessing sins to those we have not injured such as a priest.
5. There is no mention here of absolution, by a priest or any person.
6. Only He (God) whose law has been violated can pardon or forgive an offense. No third person can forgive a sin between two people.Some people think John 20:23 says that a priest has power to forgive sins: "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." - NIV The Roman Catholic Church uses this passage to justify its teaching that the key of purgatory lies in the hand of the priest. In this unseen region of suffering he is said to open and shut, bind and loose. It is also held to lie within the priest's power to lessen the duration and severity of the suffering.
This passage has specific reference to the apostles. This is indicated by Jesus "breathing" on them (vs. 22) and His directly talking to them. The promise of this passage was to the apostles. (vs. 20). If the Roman Church has any claim to the promise it musts first demonstrate the existence of apostles. Paul instructed the Corinthians. "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds." (2 Cor. 12:12). Where is the R.C. priest who can, in God's name, strike an Elymas blind, (Acts 13:11); raise a Eutychus from the dead, (Acts 20:10-12); or suffer no harm after being bitten by a viper, (Acts 28:3-5)? These were the signs of an apostle. The New Testament refers to only one sacrificing priest, Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:12) and to a "royal priesthood" of all believers. (1 Pet. 2:9). There is no exclusive order of priests officiating for a laity in New Testament arrangements.
Even with that, nowhere in the Bible does it state that anyone other than God forgave sins. In fact the apostles and disciples point people directly to Jesus that He would forgive them. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" - Eph. 1:7. Without Jesus' death on the cross for our sins...we would not be forgiven...It is only through Jesus we are forgiven.
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man, not a priest, not Mary, and not the saints. "There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5.