1. Then, if you want forgiveness - why go to a priest?
Because this is precisely what Jesus prescribed in Matt. 16:18-19, 18:15-18 and John 20:21-23.You can deny it all day long but you'd STILL be wrong . . .
That's right, Jesus never once said we are to only confess our sins to a priest.
Do you delete the petition Jesus taught us to pray, ".... as WE
forgive those that sin....?" If not, are you a priest? Why would Jesus tell us all to forgive others if we are only to confess to a priest? Or are we ALL priests?
2. The Bible never mentions apostolic succession or your priest. What you stressed is that Jesus promised this ONLY to the 12 Apostles, not to any others. Then, according to you, ONLY the 12 Apostles can bind and loose. They're dead. I think you know that. Your priest is not one of them.
Josiah - HOW many times do I need to show you Acts 1:15-26??
ONCE, an Apostle was replaced (that we know of).... Not Paul, not Peter, not James- all of whom died within the NT record. But, when Judas was replaced, does it say ANYTHING about special powers or rights or previleges or authorizations that belongs ONLY to the 12 now being his? Nope.
When did the Apostles replace any of the number with your priest?
Where did Jesus say that the ONLY ones that can forgive (or "bind/loose" HOWEVER that's different - you won't say) are "successors" of the Apostles? In fact, where did Jesus even once say the word, in any context, about anything?
Apostolic succession is described here in Acts 1 when the Apostles chose a successor for Judas, fulfilling the prophecy in Psalms, "May another take his office."
Nope. It's about the replacement of ONE PERSON - just one (did you notice, Paul wasn't replaced, PETER wasn't replaced, James wasn't replaced), the Pslam is about ONE person - not millions of them. The Psalm says NOTHING about unmitigated power or authority or docilic submission as unto God, it say ONE will be replaced. IF Judas had special 'powers' then there's NOTHING that says Matthias grained these.
You are good about referencing Scripture, but perhaps the reason why you don't quote them is that they don't say what you seem to suggest they say. I think perhaps you notice what's there, you seem seem to not notice what's NOT there - your whole point, the very thing you are referencing the Scripture about. It's not there. Your claims are baseless - as I think is obvious if we actually READ the references you give rather than you imputation of all kinds of entirely foreign thought NOWHERE stated in the verse.
No one here has disagreed with the value of confessing our sins to Christians.
What some are disagreeing with is that only a priest in the RC Denomination may forgive us or others (and whatever distinction you are making between "forgive" and 'bind' is entirely unsubstantiated - and irrelevant since you are likely aware all the Apostles are dead).
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