1 John 1:9 does not even say it is only Jesus that can forgive sins, those that say and teach such doctrine is mistaken and just making an interpretation of the verse that says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Nothing in this verse that says Jesus alone forgives sins. In fact, it teaches us to confess our sins and the effect of that confession is forgiveness and purification from all unrighteousness. Confession makes us clean. But as far as the Catholics are concerned, our sins are washed away by Baptism which is our initiation into a new life as a Christian and member of the Catholic Church the Church Jesus founded and that by faith in Christ we are justified meaning we are made righteous. Why then is John here teaching us to confess our sins? To better understand this there are two things to consider, sin and confession.
1 John 3:4 states: "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact sin, is lawlessness." Lawlessness means a lack of order, chaos, and anarchy. If sin is lawlessness it means the one in sin does not follow the law or breaks the law. A sin, therefore, is the result of an act of the person against the established law or transgression of the law. To cut our article short we will not delve here into the law but on sin as an act of one that breaks the Law. On the other hand, confession means admission, acknowledgment, and revelation of one's action already committed. To confess therefore is an act of making a statement of what one has done, it can be in written form or orally. To confess our sins is to make a statement of admission to one who is authorized to hear our confession for the purpose of asking forgiveness and make repentance an act of being sorry and remorseful of having committed the transgression of the law also known as penance.
The next question we asked is to whom are we going to confess our sins? Non-Catholics would say, well we confess it directly to Jesus and to God but, not to priests or bishops. Yes, we can do that, but since God is all-knowing he already knows our sins and we don't have to confess to him our sins but ask forgiveness from him. But Jesus himself said, not all who call on me Lord, Lord will be saved. So confessing it directly to Jesus does not guarantee that he will hear us since he said, not all who call on him will be saved, and being saved is having our sins forgiven. What one can do in confessing directly to Jesus is to make assumptions that he hears us and that he will forgive us. Definitely, we cannot call on God the Father to confess our sins since he has given all the power and authority to the Son and that no one can come to the Father except through the Son. In fact, if we follow the bible how our prayers that include confession of our sins reach God it is through the Angels and Saints in heaven. But since non-Catholics reject these "protocols" of heaven, they have no one to hear their prayers and confession. If that is so, the chances that one's sins are not yet forgiven are higher and one may still be living in a sinful state because God has not forgiven him yet.
Now consider the effect of confession and the implication of what John teaches in his Gospel. It is that confession is a must for our salvation.
To whom are we to confess our sins? Non-Catholic or Protestants would say only God can forgive sins but the bible also teaches that the power and authority to forgive sins are likewise given to men as shown by the "man" Jesus Christ. This is true in Matthew 9:8 it says that God has given authority to forgive sins to men as it is written: “When the crowds saw this (Jesus forgiving sin and healing a paralytic), they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” What is that authority they are saying? It’s the authority given to men to forgive sins as exemplified by Jesus in the earlier verse of the same chapter.
On the other hand, the same power and authority to forgive sins have also been given by Jesus to the leaders of the church, the Apostles in John 20:21-23 saying: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” And with that, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” How can Jesus say this? In Matthew 28:18-20, this is what we will read "Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Having given all power and with it authority from the Father, Jesus too gave the Apostles and their successors the same power and authority.
So to say Jesus alone can forgive sins is incorrect because he handed over the same power and authority to the Apostles who he sent to build his church, the Church of God, which is Catholic in nature and reach (Ekkelsia Katholes, Acts 9:31). It is to be built throughout the world thus it is called the Catholic Church of Christians. Did the Apostles also send others as Jesus sent them? Yes, they appointed Bishops and Presbyters (priests) and send them for the mission of the Church with the same power as given to them by the Lord for the building of the Church.
Now under John 20:21-23, how can the Apostles and their successors the Bishops and priests forgive the sins they are authorized to forgive if they don’t know the sins of the person they will forgive? Only by confession will the Apostles and their successors the Bishops and Priests know what they are going to forgive or not to forgive. That is the context of 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins [to those empowered by the Lord to receive our confession] he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." The power of the Bishop and Priest to forgive sins comes directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. They serve as the channel used by the Lord. The Priest would always say “I absolved you of your sins in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” He does not own up the forgiveness itself but only the channel of the sacrament of forgiving sins instituted by Jesus himself in John 20:21-23 although they are given power and authority to forgive or not to forgive freely.
Do they really practice confession of sins in the biblical times of the Apostles? St. James said it well in James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Confession of sins is not only obligatory for the Christian but is also part of the healing process of the penitent sinner. There are however two types of sins, one is a public sin where the public is scandalized by the acts of the person or persons and one is private Those public sins in the past include heretical acts of apostasy and the sinner or sinners make an act of public confession but for sin that is made in private, the penitent makes a private confession with the priest and or bishop and these are sealed because it is between the penitent and God through the priest having given authority to either forgive the sins or retain them.
Confession of sin is an act that is hard for the person but it is not only a must according to the command of Jesus but it is also a part of the healing process of guilt that the person suffers and carries in himself or herself. When anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. Leviticus 5:5 because keeping the sins committed to oneself will always live with that guilt and will find no peace. That is why Proverbs 28:13 says "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
Jesus gave us the gift of the sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation that we may find peace and assurance of hearing that God forgives us or our sins from the mouth of the Priest or Bishop to which he gave authority and power to forgive sins. Its music to the ears to hear the Priest "I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit".
By: Bro. Manny Santos, OTFS Apologist
