How can Priests/Pastors forgive sins?

[Not David]

It's a little confusing to me to understand the process. Can someone explain this?

 

[HTacianas]

It's a little confusing to me to understand the process. Can someone explain this?

A Bishop, as successor to the Apostles, can forgive sins under the authority of Jesus Christ. As he said to them:

Jhn 20:23

“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

A Bishop can hand that authority down to a priest, though for the most part it is taught that the priest merely stands as witness to the confession of sins to God, and that it is God Who forgives.

 

[TuxAme]

Just like the Old Covenant, God desires that we go to His priests both for sacrifice (the Eucharist) and reconciliation. "In Persona Christi", or in the person of Christ, a priest is able to absolve someone of their sins (or retain them) just as a Levitical priest would- only much more perfectly, as the sacrifice which brought about this forgiveness is God Himself.

 

[Albion]

The priest simply pronounces forgiveness on behalf of God who is believed by us to forgive all sins that a truly repentant person confesses to Him. That is why, for instance, the priest in a Catholic confessional will "forgive" any sins that are confessed--unless the person is obviously not repentant.

And the Protestant minister who pronounces that the sins confessed by the whole congregation by reciting a prayer of contrition together are remitted obviously does not even hear an individual confession in the Catholic manner.

 

[Not David]

A Bishop, as successor to the Apostles, can forgive sins under the authority of Jesus Christ. As he said to them:

Jhn 20:23

“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

A Bishop can hand that authority down to a priest, though for the most part it is taught that the priest merely stands as witness to the confession of sins to God, and that it is God Who forgives.

More like a witness?

 

[Not David]

What would be a reason to not forgive someone's sins?

Just like the Old Covenant, God desires that we go to His priests both for sacrifice (the Eucharist) and reconciliation. "In Persona Christi", or in the person of Christ, a priest is able to absolve one of their sins (or retain them) just as a Levitical priest would- only much more perfectly, as the sacrifice which brought about this forgiveness is God Himself.

 

[Saucy]

No one has the ability to forgive your sins. Only Jesus.

 

[Albion]

More like a witness?

More like an authorized representative, I would think.

 

[Not David]

The priest simply pronounces forgiveness on behalf of God who is believed by us to forgive all sins that a truly repentant person confesses to Him. That is why, for instance, the priest in a Catholic confessional will "forgive" any sins that are confessed--unless the person is obviously not repentant.

And the Protestant minister who pronounces that the sins confessed by the whole congregation by reciting a prayer of contrition together are remitted obviously does not even hear an individual confession in the Catholic manner.

So the power comes from God?

 

[Dan the deacon]

It is God forgiving even when done by the bishop. His holy word gives the authority to the bishop but the real forgiveness is of God.

 

[Albion]

What would be a reason to not forgive someone's sins?

A person comes to confession and confesses that he has stolen some things. After a few questions from the priest, it becomes clear that the person wants to confess(so that he can receive Holy Communion, perhaps) but he has no intention of returning the goods. That is not a sincere commitment to amend ones life and try to avoid sinning in the future.

 

[TuxAme]

What would be a reason to not forgive someone's sins?

If the priest doubts that the penitent has true contrition for their sins, then they might withhold absolution.

 

[Albion]

So the power comes from God?

Yes--to the extent that it is a power. It is not of himself, you understand.

 

[HTacianas]

No one has the ability to forgive your sins. Only Jesus.

Jhn 20:23

“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

 

[FireDragon76]

For a Lutheran, it's just the Gospel, applied to the congregation or the individual. There are no "magic hands" involved, though if one is called to a particular congregation, they are obligated to believe what the minister says as if it were Christ himself.

We consider Baptism and the Lord's Supper to be the exact same grace. It's not a matter of power in the hands of a hierarchy for us, it's the Word that makes the sacraments real.

 

[JIMINZ]

How can Priests/Pastors forgive sins?

It's a little confusing to me to understand the process. Can someone explain this?

Let me ask you a couple of questions.

Luke 17:3,4
3) Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4) And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

With regard to the verse, who is doing the Forgiving, the Priest, or the individual sinned against?

Does the person you have Forgiven, now have to go to a Priest and ask Forgiveness from him and the Church as well?

If not then you can Forgive the sins of others.

Jas. 5:16
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.

This does not pertain to physical healing, the confessing of our faults is the process of gaining Forgiveness.

Jas 5:19,20
19) Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20) Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Isn't the hiding of a multitude of sins accomplished only by Forgiveness, who then according to these verses did the Forgiving of sins?

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

It's a little confusing to me to understand the process. Can someone explain this?

They can't. They are lying if they say they can. Only God can forgive sins. This was the problem they had with Jesus, because He forgave sins. They would not accept that He was God in the flesh. There is only one mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ.

But... there is another type of forgiveness, where one person can forgive another. The Scripture says that if we don't forgive others for sinning against us, God will not forgive us.

 

[JIMINZ]

They can't. They are lying if they say they can. Only God can forgive sins. This was the problem they had with Jesus, because He forgave sins. They would not accept that He was God in the flesh. There is only one mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ.

But... there is another type of forgiveness, where one person can forgive another. The Scripture says that if we don't forgive others for sinning against us, God will not forgive us.

.
Why do you believe there are two types of Forgiveness?

If I forgive someones sins, in the Name of Jesus aren't they forgives as much as if I pray for someones healing in his name?

Why would the specifics of what is done in the Name of Jesus matter?

Is there Scripture which Teaches us this truth about this other type of Forgiveness?

John 14:13,14
13) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Where is the qualifier which says everything but Forgiving of sins?

If it's all done in His name!

 

[Eloy Craft]

The power to forgive sins was given to the Apostles by the resurrected Christ. It's not representative it's real power to forgive just as if the ordained person were Jesus Himself.. Jesus said "As the Father sent me, so I send you. Whatever Jesus said or did it was as if the Father was saying it or doing it. Same goes for the Apostles and those they lay hands on when it comes to forgiving sins on earth. The transmission of the Holy Spirit is the laying on of hands. The Bishops today were ordained by a man who was touched by the hand of a Bishop who was touch ed by a previous Bishop going all the way to a Bishop who was touched by the hands of an Apostle who received the Holy Spirit from the breath of Our Lord Himself . That's the transmission of the Holy Spirit that gives the power to forgive sins.


John 20, 19-23
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Acts 8:17
Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:19
saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 19:6
When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—

 

[JIMINZ]

The power to forgive sins was given to the Apostles by the resurrected Christ.

Same goes for the Apostles and those they lay hands on when it comes to forgiving sins on earth.

The transmission of the Holy Spirit is the laying on of hands. The Bishops today were ordained by a man who was touched by the hand of a Bishop who was touched by a previous Bishop going all the way to a Bishop who was touched by the hands of an Apostle who was touched by the hands of Jesus. That's the transmission of the Holy Spirit that gives the power to forgive sins.

Acts 8:17
Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Then according to your professed belief above, all of those in Samaria became Bishops, because the received the Holy Spirit by the a lying on of hands?

Act 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
Act 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Act 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Act 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.