Page 558 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also dependent on the priest’s prayers which must be paid
to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by for by relatives or friends” (Boettner, p. 53).
him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for 6. Confession of sin is to be to God, not to a priest.
them” (He. 7:23-25). “Confession of sins is commanded all through the Bible,
(d) The priesthood of Melchizedek requires a sinless but always it is confession to God, never to man. It is a
life. “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, striking fact that although Paul, Peter, and John dealt
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made frequently with men and women in sin, both in their
higher than the heavens” (He. 7:26). teaching and in their practice, they never permitted a
(e) The priesthood of Melchizedek requires a perfect, sinner or a saint to confess to them. Paul wrote thirteen
once-for-all sacrifice. No Catholic priest has the power of the New Testament epistles, and in them he often
to make such a sacrifice. “Who needeth not daily, as speaks of the duties and practices of Christians. But
those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own never once does he mention auricular confession
sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, [confession in the ear of a priest]. Peter, John, and Jude
when he offered up himself” (He. 7:27). wrote six epistles in which they have much to say about
(f) The priesthood of Melchizedek requires the the matter of salvation. But not one of them ever
absence of all infirmity and weakness. “For the law mentions auricular confession. And certainly Christ
maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the never told anyone to go to a priest for forgiveness.
word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Nowhere do the Scriptures tell us that God appointed a
Son, who is consecrated for evermore” (He. 7:28). special class of men to hear confessions and to forgive
In light of these qualifications, we see the utter sins” (Boettner, pp. 206-207).
impossibility of anyone holding the office of the What about James 5:16 -- “Confess your faults one to
Melchizedek priesthood other than the Lord Jesus another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
Christ. healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
3. The believer has all blessings IN CHRIST (Ep. 1:3). availeth much”?
Biblical pastors do not distribute spiritual blessings. First, we are to confess our faults, not our sins. The
Their work is to proclaim the Good News of God’s offer standard Greek word for sin is harmartia. That is not
of blessing through Christ and point men to the Saviour. used here. Instead, James uses the word paraptoma,
The blessings of salvation must be received directly from which refers to “a side-slip, lapse, deviation, or
Christ. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour error” (Strong). Elsewhere it is translated “fall” (Ro.
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:11), “offence” (Ro. 4:25), “trespass” (Mt. 6:14).
11:28). James is instructing us to confess those faults that are
4. There is no Bible authority for a special priesthood committed against other brethren. He is not asking us to
confess our deepest sins against God. Those are
today. The Scriptures say that the Old Testament confessed to God directly. “The confession referred to is
priesthood was fulfilled in Christ and has passed away for ‘faults’ with reference to ‘one another,’ that is, where
(He. 5-10). Today every true believer is a priest (1 Pe. one has injured another; and nothing is said of
2:9), and there is no special priesthood as in O.T. times. confessing faults to those whom we have not injured at
The Roman priesthood is the creation of men in all” (Barnes). (Modern versions such as the NIV and
rebellion to biblical revelation. NASV erroneously read “sin” instead of “faults” in James
5. The Catholic priesthood is an evil attempt to rob 5:16 because they follow the corrupt Westcott-Hort
Christians of their God-given privileges. “Christ intended Greek text which replaces the word paraptoma with
that His church, which consists of all true believers, hamartia.)
should enjoy all the rights and privileges that were Second, we are to confess our faults to one another,
conferred by Him. But Rome withdraws those rights and not to a priest. Nowhere in the N.T. do we find a special
privileges from the people, and invests them in an order priesthood that stands between Christ and the believer.
of priesthood. ... Romanism puts the priest between the
Christian believer and the knowledge of God as revealed Third, we are to pray one for another, not pronounce
in the Scriptures, and makes him the sole interpreter of God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness comes from God and not
truth. It puts the priest between the confession of sins from man. The Bible tells us in 1 Kings 8:38-39 that
and forgiveness of sins. It carries this interposition only God can forgive sins because only God knows the
through to the last hour, in which the priest, in the hearts of men: We see, then, that even in O.T. times
sacrament of extreme unction, stands between the soul when there was a divinely-ordained priesthood between
and eternity, and even after death the release of the soul the people and God, it was not the priests who
from purgatory and its entrance into heavenly joy is still bestowed forgiveness. That has always been the
prerogative of God alone.

558 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity