Does James 5:16 Justify Confession to a Roman Catholic Priest?
When I asked a Roman Catholic where in the Bible does it say that we must confess our sins to the priest, he simply stated this verse: James 5:16 So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed. The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect. (Good News Translation) While the verse seems to suggest that you must confess your sins to the priest but there's a huge misunderstanding of the obvious meaning. We must take a look at the phrase "confess your sins to one another" for more understanding. Here's what John Gill a Reformed Baptist theologian has to say about the matter: Confess your faults one to another... Which must be understood of sins committed against one another; which should be acknowledged, and repentance for them declared in order to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation; and this is when death and eternity seem near approaching: wherefore this makes nothing for auricular confession used by the