[RnMomof7]

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send 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; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ “

This is an apostolic gift for the formation of the church..it is ecclesiastical in nature and speaks to church discipline( excommunication) as we see in the epistles such as 1 Corth..

Clearly the apostles themselves did not understand it OR TEACH it as the roman church does.

Just one more misreading of the scriptures by Rome ...one more way to tie people to them

[narses]

“Clearly the apostles themselves did not understand it OR TEACH it as the roman church does.”

A few small cults teach that nonsense, but for 2,000 years the VAST majority of Christendom disagrees with those heretical splinter groups.

[narses]

“Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.”

So you go to “the Elders of the Church” to confess?