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To: Mr Rogers; Petronski
Of COURSE we are called to the ministry of reconciliation! That does NOT supply direction to listen to confessions and forgive sins and assign penance.

Of course it does. John states that very clearly. Do we just go through the Bible to extract those texts that fit our chosen lifestyle (like the christian lesbians and homosexuals) or follow Christ's commands and direction? Jesus granted the Apostles His authority to forgive sins. In John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins. In the very next line, the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. Why go through this effort if we are all forgiven our sins? In Matt. 18:18, the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

Scripture is very clear on this matter.

195 posted on 10/25/2009 12:36:15 PM PDT by NYer ( "One Who Prays Is Not Afraid; One Who Prays Is Never Alone"- Benedict XVI)
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To: NYer

I have NOT tried to pick and choose. I pointed out that we are sent as Jesus was sent by the Father...and cited the examples in scripture where He forgave sins.

If you can find an example of his taking confession, or of any of the Apostles listening to confessions, cite them.

Otherwise, WE - not just Apostles, and it was NOT just Apostles in John 20 - are called to proclaim the Gospel: forgiveness of sins by faith in Jesus. That is what Jesus did.


196 posted on 10/25/2009 12:42:40 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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