Q. Where does Christ insist or even mention Confession to a priest in the Bible?
A. He doesn't. Not in those words at least. Neither does he mention believing in the “Trinity” or the “Bible”. But all Christians accept these as dogma. So rather than search for the words "trinity" or "Bible" or "confession" in Scripture, search for the concepts. And all 3 concepts are very much present...
Q. Forget Trinity and Bible. I'm asking about confession... to a priest.
A. The only recorded time God breathed on man in the Old Testament was when He created man and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life". The second and only time it is mentioned in the New Testament (just to underline the importance of the occasion) is in the episode on Easter Sunday when Jesus breathed on the apostles and invoked on them the Holy Spirit to forgive sins.
Christ told the apostles to follow his example: "As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.”(Jn 20:21). What He did, they were to do. Just as the apostles were to carry Christ's message to the whole world, so they were to carry his forgiveness: "If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.” (Jn 20:23)
This power wasn't to be understood as coming from themselves, but as coming from God: "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18). Priests don’t baptise or absolve our sins because they are sinless. The Sacraments work because of Christ their author. Anyone baptised by Judas was still a validly baptised Christian.
Note that the power given to the apostles by Christ was twofold: to forgive sins or to retain them unforgiven. The apostles could not know which sins to forgive and which to retain, unless they were first told the sins by the sinner. This implies mentioning your sins to the apostles: confession.
Also, if as some Christians hold God has already forgiven all of a man's sins (past and future) upon a single act of repentance, then it makes little sense to tell the apostles they have been given the power to "retain" sins. Similarly, it would make no sense for Christ to require us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," which He explained is required because "if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses;" (Mt. 6:12-15).
Lastly, if forgiveness really can be partial, not a once-for-all thing, how is one to tell which sins have been forgiven, which not, in the absence of a priestly decision? You can't very well rely on your own gut feelings.
Happy birthday to Pope Francis!
Remember to pray for him!
17thDecember 2015