Christians, what is the basis of confession in church?

Question

When you confess privately to the priest.

Why you do this? Does this means forgiveness for you?

Who got the power of forgiveness? God or priest?

How would the priest knows that you been forgiven?

Can I get drunk, commit adultery, then go to confess?

Answer 1

Christians dont confess to a priest. Your thinking Catholics.  

Answer 2

Most religions have a confession and acceptance clause.  This is meant so that you can enter the religion at any time and be on the same playing field as everyone else.  Religion works around an intricate system of guilt and threats wrapped in morals and do-gooders.

Essentially, as long as you are sincere about your forgiveness, you can do anything you want before confessing.  You can even repent your sins and take Jesus to be your savior on your death bed after a life filled with things you see on late night crime tv.

Priests don't technically have the power to grant forgiveness, but they tell you you are forgiven because God forgives everyone (according to the bible).  So its assumed you will be forgiven.  The reason religious affiliations have priests is so you have someone to be held accountable and someone tangible.  After all, anybody can tell their imaginary friend they slept with their wife's sister.  But telling your priest is a different matter entirely, it makes you really think about if you seriously want that forgiveness.

Answer 3

Not all christians go to confession, methodists don't and I don't believe baptists do either.  Catholics go to confession and I find them the worst sinners of all.  The drink, swear, commit adultery and confession makes them feel better.

Answer 4

well there was a time before CHRIST DIED that people went to priest to confess their sins and be atoned or cleansed of them but when CHRIST DIED the veil of the temple was ripped apart to show   that people did not not have to go to priest anymore they could go directly to CHRIST THE LORD HIMSELF because he is the LORD OF LORDS AND HE IS A PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF  MELCHIZEDEK you confess your sins to GOD because he is the only one that can forgive sins and yes that does mean forgiveness for you remember only GOD has the power to forgive sins the priest still listen to confession but they can not forgive your sins because they are just as fail able as you and  NO!!!!! you can not get drunk do adultery and just confess because you are not confessing with a sincere heart  

Answer 5

Confession is very clearly set forth in Scripture.  See Matt. 9:8 where the authority to forgive sins "was given to men."  See also John 20:21-23 where the Lord, after the Resurrection, breathes on the apostles and says "whose sins you forgive are forgiven; whose sins you retain are retained."  Jesus gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins.

See also James 5:14-16. This is a verse Protestants also ignore because it doesn't fit anywhere in their theology.  First, in the first two verses (14-15), James is talking about the sacrament of the sick.  The priests are called and they anoint the sick person with oil and pray over him and forgive his sin (another example of man having the gift of forgiving sins).  Then, in verse 16, James says "Therefore, confess your sins to one another..."  By using "therefore," James is connecting verses 14-15 to 16.  This means that, just as the priests are called upon to forgive sins in the sacrament of the sick, the priests are also called to forgive sins in the sacrament of confession.  No Scriptural support?  It is amazing how so many Protestants ignore these passages.  That is because they all support the 2,000 year-old Catholic teaching.

Yes, by virtue of our baptism in Christ, we are all children of God. However, Jesus Christ established one Church which He built upon Peter (Matt. 16:18), to whom He gave the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matt.16:18-19).  Whatever the Church binds or looses on earth is bound or loosed in heaven.  

Answer 6

Bible-based Christians do not confess to a priest. That is strictly "a catholic thing."

Tho it certainly CAN be good for the soul to "own up" to another trusted person when you have done wrong or sinned. As the saying goes, "confession is good for the soul."

Answer 7

The whole process is to mend the relationship between us and God.  It is like a parent asking the child to tell the truth so that the parent-child relationship of love is restored.

Confession is thus not a magic wand that erases the consequences of sin not will it fool God into thinking that we have changed our ways.

Answer 8

Why do you want to destroy the business of the church? they earn millions through people's confessions. and also people who confess in this manner have got this way to escape. they would commit sins and pay money to the priest to buy them forgiveness.

sorry don't mean to hurt any one. but unfortunately its true. isn't  it?

Answer 9

Only Catholics confess to a priest.  All of the other denominations believe in repenting to God.  Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the light no man cometh unto the father, but by me." This means that to get to God you have to go thru Jesus.  Which is why christians pray in the name of Jesus.  As far as you getting drunk, commiting adultery, and then repenting... You will be forgiven, but yea why would you want to plan to sin and say God will forgive me later? The whole point of getting saved is to become delivered, to strive to be more like Jesus.  

Answer 10

The purpose of confession is not to be forgiven. A Christian must be sincere in confession and the contrite confessor will repent.

The Biblical basis for confession is in the 1st chapter of 1 John.

You say your sins to men (the priest) and confess them to God.

Answer 11

This is first of all a (catholic) thing and not all christians have this. It is my understanding that it was a design of the church to give what they called absolution to "remove" sin from the sinner by their shear admittance of the sin to a "priest" who was thought to be a direct mediator for god. It is not biblically valid and more or less a catholic church rule.