Confessing Sins to a Priest - A Biblical Defense

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Tim Staples explains the Biblical basis for the Catholic practice of confessing sins to a priest.

The most common charge non-Catholic Christians make against the Catholic Church is that the tenets of Catholicism are man-made and unbiblical.

Those are serious charges, for sure. But can you refute them?

In his new, hour-long DVD Defending Your Faith: How to Counter Standard Objections to Catholicism, Catholic Answers' Director of Apologetics Tim Staples presents some of the most common challenges to Catholicism and shows you how to refute them.

As an apologist, Staples shows not only where the pertinent passages are that explain the Catholic position, but also some of the logical and rhetorical strategies you can use in any situation.

In Defending Your Faith, you'll learn the biblical basis for: * the ordained priesthood, * the use of statues and images as sacramentals, * praying to the saints, * confessing sins to a priest, * and the necessity of faith and works for salvation.

Defending Your Faith is not simply 60 minutes of "dueling Bible verses"—because along with the scriptural support, Staples also explains the beautifully rational arguments which make these same teachings come alive in our hearts and minds. And Staples isn't speaking from a purely academic perspective when he shares this wisdom with his audience.

In fact, in offering these common objections, Staples traces his own path—intellectually and spiritually—from Protestantism to Catholicism. Answering these sorts of questions, Staples says, "was the first step, for this man, on the road to Rome."

But what if you don't know what your own first step is in leading yourself or someone else—by the grace of God—to see the truth of the Catholic faith?

That's exactly what Defending Your Faith will give you—the first steps in entering into a conversation about the faith.

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• Tim
• Staples
• confession
• Mary
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• Biblical
• faith
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• priest
• father
• priesthood
• ordained
• statues
• images
• sacraments
• sacramentals
• praying
• pray
• prayers
• works
• salvation
• necessary

[melegritof]

No? How did the 11 determine who would replace Judas? By casting lots-see Acts chapter 1 and compare this to how the priestly functions were determined in 1 Chronicles verse 27. The bible was not meant to be an instruction manual for new christian converts. Christ left us with a Church to determine the finer aspects of the faith. If it's not explicit in the bible, doesn't mean it's not Christian!

[Disciple328]

@debeliste the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church is the result of Christ giving authority to the apostles to continue his ministry in his name, they ordained other bishops who have ordained priests and this line has continued to this day, its hardly a half truth, basing belief on a book that was compiled by an institution you now reject, now that is hardly scriptural

[deshaun182]

@cburton103 Riiiiiight, but how does that relate to the Priesthood and such? He sent his Apostles... Not... Well, those everyday Priests, or people like you and I.

[lovencare62]

Jesus christ taught us to appoach the channel of grace of pardon in the sacrament of penance through his priest to whom he has given an authority to forgive and to retain sins this is to obeserve us of how we are obedient to his " will " and not to " our will ".

[cburton103]

@jfreakbol Well, if you're talking about the priesthood with regards to the forgiveness of sins, check out John 20:21-23

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.'"

God sent Jesus to forgive sins. Jesus sent the apostles to do so as well.

[SpanishDomodeath]

Its not that GOD is not "Powerful enough" that's just not how He set it up... Jesus is the mediator, The Perfect High Priest. As He was fully GOD and fully man.

[kubrox91]

what about apostolic commission? and telling them whatever sins you forgive will be forgiven?

[jfreakbol]

Ugh, how does Jesus forgiving people's sins in the new testament suggest that He established a priesthood?

[blondetrumpetboy]

@TheTemporalParadox Yeah that is sort of what I was thinking when I heard him make that remark. Good point.

[bubblewitch30]

@Temporal paradoxGod is powerful. He is a spirit and never disrupts the course of nature of things in material world. He needs to intervene with matter to communicate with us.Logically speaking,If you think there's no need for a priesthood to have the power to forgive sins, and believe that you're just forgiven, It's the same thinking as when you pray and ask God for a bread, it will automatically come down to your plate like magic, but you know God doesn't work that way

[marmolejomarc]

@TheTemporalParadox the first century church not only made you confess to a father but you had to publicly confess your sins so if we want to be as close to it was when jesus was around then shouldnt we follow what the first century church did.. what most of you protestants dont understand is most of your beliefs are new age beliefs not what the early church taught at all!

[TheTemporalParadox]

The inverse of this could also be true.... Is it possible that God is powerful enough to NOT need a priesthood to communicate His forgiveness to His people or do you not think God is that powerful.