Do we need a priest?
Did Jesus Teach That You Must Confess Your Sins to a Priest?
Forgiveness is at the heart of the message of Jesus.
But one question has divided sincere Christians for centuries:
Did Jesus teach that a person must confess sins to a priest before God will forgive them?
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Jesus clearly took sin seriously. He called people to repent. He warned that sin can enslave us. He taught people to turn back toward God and leave destructive ways behind.
But He also taught His followers to pray directly to the Father:
“Forgive us our debts.”
Jesus described a man who simply cried out, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and said that man went home justified.
Then, after His resurrection, Jesus told His apostles:
“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven.”
That statement in John 20:23 has become one of the most important passages in the Christian discussion about confession.
So what did Jesus mean?
Was He giving the apostles—and eventually priests—a unique authority to personally forgive sins?
Or was He commissioning His followers to proclaim the forgiveness God offers to people who repent, believe, and return to Him?
Sincere Christians have reached different conclusions.
Catholic and Orthodox Christians have historically understood passages like John 20 as supporting sacramental confession and the ministry of ordained clergy.
Many Protestant Christians understand the same passage as Jesus authorizing His followers to announce the forgiveness available through the Gospel rather than giving individual ministers control over whether God forgives someone.
Both perspectives deserve to be examined carefully.
But the larger question may be even more important:
What did Jesus consistently teach about how a sinner returns to God?
When we read the Gospels, we repeatedly see Jesus pointing people toward repentance, mercy, faith, restoration, and a changed life.
We see a shepherd searching for a lost sheep.
We see a father running toward a lost son who has finally come home.
We see a sinner asking God for mercy and receiving it.
We see people trapped by sin being offered freedom.
And we see Jesus confronting religious authority whenever it placed unnecessary burdens between people and God.
That leads to another important distinction:
Spiritual guidance is not the same thing as spiritual control.
A good pastor, priest, mentor, or Christian friend can be a tremendous blessing.
Confession can bring honesty.
Accountability can create change.
Wise spiritual leadership can help us recognize areas of our lives that need repentance.
But healthy spiritual leadership should always point people toward God.
It should never make people believe that they are incapable of approaching God without another human being giving them permission.
That is why Christians should never be afraid to examine Scripture for themselves.
Read John 20:23.
Read Matthew 6.
Read Luke 18.
Read Mark 2.
Read Luke 24.
Read Acts.
Look carefully at how Jesus and His apostles spoke about sin, confession, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.
Do not begin with fear.
Do not begin with denominational loyalty.
Begin with Jesus.
Ask what the passages actually say.
Consider the different interpretations honestly.
Pray.
Study.
And then decide what you believe Jesus actually taught.
Forgiveness does not mean sin is insignificant.
Jesus never treated it that way.
Forgiveness means that sin does not have to have the final word.
Repentance gives us a new direction.
Grace gives us a way home.
And Jesus gives us hope that the person we have been does not have to determine the person we become.
Truth should never need fear or manipulation to protect it.
Watch the complete video and examine the evidence for yourself:
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If you are searching for a deeper understanding of Jesus, Scripture, forgiveness, faith, and the Christian life, continue exploring these conversations with me.
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Your friend,
Douglas Vandergraph
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