The Catholic Church teaches that through the sacrament of confession, also known as the sacrament of penance or reconciliation, sins committed after baptism can be absolved or forgiven by a priest. This belief is based primarily on John 20:22-23, where Jesus breathes on his disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Catholics interpret this to mean that Jesus gave his apostles, and thereby their successors, the bishops and priests, the power to forgive sins in his name.
However, there are differing views on whether the Catholic concept of absolution is biblical. Here are some key considerations from the Bible:
Biblical support for sacramental absolution
Catholics point to several biblical passages to support sacramental absolution:
- Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18 – Jesus gives Peter and later the disciples the authority to “bind and loose” on earth and in heaven.
- John 20:21-23 – Jesus commissions his disciples and gives them the authority to forgive sins.
- James 5:14-16 – Instructs sick believers to call for the elders to pray over them and promises their sins will be forgiven.
- 2 Corinthians 5:18 – Paul says God gave the ministry of reconciliation to the apostles.
These passages indicate Jesus intended for his disciples and their successors to continue his mission of reconciling people to God through the forgiveness of sins. This is seen as biblical precedent for the priest’s role in sacramental confession.
Biblical concerns with sacramental absolution
However, there are also important biblical critiques of the Catholic concept of priestly absolution:
- Only God can forgive sins – Various verses indicate that only God has the authority to forgive sins (Isaiah 43:25, Mark 2:7, Luke 5:21). Priestly absolution may infringe on God’s unique prerogative.
- Christ alone mediates forgiveness – 1 Timothy 2:5 states clearly there is only one mediator between God and humankind, Jesus Christ. The practice of confession to a priest may improperly insert an intermediary between the penitent and Christ.
- Repentance is directly before God – Verses like Psalm 32:5, 1 John 1:9 instruct believers to confess their sins directly to God in order to receive forgiveness and cleansing.
- Forgiveness complete in Christ – Colossians 2:13-14 teaches that God has already forgiven believers of all their sins through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
These verses suggest priestly absolution is unnecessary, as forgiveness comes directly and completely from God through Christ.
Biblical requirements for forgiveness
While there are differing perspectives on the role of the priesthood, Scripture does clearly outline several requirements for receiving forgiveness of sins:
- Repentance – Sincere remorse and turning away from sin is repeatedly emphasized as necessary for forgiveness (Luke 13:3, Acts 3:19, 2 Corinthians 7:10).
- Faith in Christ – Faith or trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death is the basis on which forgiveness is offered (Luke 5:20, Acts 10:43, Ephesians 1:7).
- Confession – Admitting and confessing sins is encouraged as a step in the process of repentance (Psalm 32:5, 1 John 1:9, James 5:16).
- Forgiveness of others – Jesus teaches forgiveness from God is conditional on us forgiving others who sin against us (Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 11:25).
These biblical principles for obtaining forgiveness appear to apply regardless of one’s views on the role of priestly absolution.
Differing perspectives on post-baptismal sin
There are also differing perspectives on confession as it relates to sins committed after baptism:
- Catholic view – Mortal sins separate one from God’s grace and must be absolved through confession before receiving Holy Communion.
- Protestant view – Sins after baptism still require repentance and faith in Christ, but absolution from a priest is not mandated.
- Divergent views on whether some sins are mortal vs venial.
- Debates over the biblical basis for a distinction between mortal vs venial sins.
This is a major point of divergence between Catholic and Protestant approaches to forgiveness after baptism. But both acknowledge the ongoing need for repentance, confession to God, and seeking forgiveness through Christ.
Conclusion
In summary, the concept of priestly absolution of sins as formalized in Catholic sacramental confession derives from certain biblical passages about the authority to forgive sins granted to the apostles and their successors. However, there are also important critiques and concerns based on Scriptural teachings about forgiveness coming directly and completely from Christ.
The Bible puts forth repentance, faith, and the forgiveness of others as essential prerequisites for receiving forgiveness of sins. There are differing perspectives between Catholicism and Protestantism on how post-baptismal sins are to be dealt with. Yet both recognize believers must continually confess their sins to God and seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
There are reasonable biblical cases to be made for differing views on the role of priestly absolution. There is legitimacy to Catholic reliance on biblical passages supporting an authority to forgive sins granted to the apostles. However, Protestant concerns over infringing on Christ’s unique mediatorial role also have substantial biblical merit. The many Bible verses directing believers to seek forgiveness for sins through heartfelt repentance and faith in Christ alone, without mentioning priestly absolution, remain very relevant to this theological debate.