You know, this teaching by the RCC that priests have the power to bind and loose, to forgive or not forgive sins, is ludicrous.
Do Catholics not think through what they are taught?
WHY would Jesus give mere men the power to not forgive sins?
Did Jesus EVER *NOT* forgive someone who repented and confessed????
WOULD He ever not forgive anyone who repented?
Then why, in heaven’s name, would He impart that power to mortal, corruptible men? And where did He ever instruct them to pass that power down through any kind of succession?
As far as forgiving someone who didn’t repent and confess, if the person is unrepentant, yes, we can forgive them for our part, but that does not mean that they are going to make it to heaven. If someone doesn’t want to repent and meet God, who is any man to force that on them?
Even if a priest has the power to forgive ALL a person’s sins, if they continue in rebellion against God, they immediately fall back into sin and are again condemned.
So, that doesn’t work either.
It is just one more way to keep the roman cult together.. if they have the sole power to forgive sins and force jesus into a piece of bread so you can eat him..how could you leave?
Did Jesus EVER *NOT* forgive someone who repented and confessed????
In the NT, no one ever comes to Jesus and confesses their sins. No, He simply knew them and forgave them, just as God already knows all of our sins, past present and future.
Confession is not for God, who knows all before all.
Confession is for the sinner, who humbles himself to admit his sin, accept his need for a Savior and therefore, repents and asks forgiveness.
****Then why, in heaven’s name, would He impart that power to mortal, corruptible men? And where did He ever instruct them to pass that power down through any kind of succession?****
You will have to ask Jesus about that when you see Him. For these are His words, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
And I already related the story of Ananias and Sapphira who refused to confess their sin and repent before Peter and were then struck dead.
Pretty powerful image.
****Even if a priest has the power to forgive ALL a person’s sins, if they continue in rebellion against God, they immediately fall back into sin and are again condemned.****
But, if they had been saved, then they could not then be condemned again because they fell back into sin.
Which is it? One’s faith saves one for all time? Or one must remain in Christ to be saved?
He didn’t. He gave them the “keys” which were symbolic of the keys the Jewish rabbis used to open the storage area for the scrolls which gave them the power and authority to teach Gods word. He also gave them the authority to bind and loose what would be taught in the churches. If someone began to teach something contrary to scripture it was bound and not allowed to be taught.