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7. Now this same power of pardoning, Christ promised to Peter and the other
apostles when He said: (Matthew 18:18) “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye
shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Even more specific and in a manner more
impressive than above, was the action of Christ after His resurrection in
solemnly conferring upon His apostles this power of pardoning: (John 20:21-23)
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me,
even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith
unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”11
None of the apostles were recorded in the scriptures as carrying a confessional
booth with them. Nor do we read of them suggesting prayers of penance after a
confession of sins. We DO read of this example of Peter using this power to
remit sins:
Acts 10:42-44 And he charged us to preach to the people and to testify
that he it is who has been appointed by God to be the judge of the living and of
the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that through his name all who
believe in him may receive forgiveness of sins. While Peter was still
speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening to his
message.
(Acts 5:32 And
we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given
to who
obey him.)
Acts 13:38-39 Be it known therefore to you, brethren, that through him
forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you: and in him everyone who
believes is acquitted of all things, of which you could not be acquitted by
the Law of Moses.
Acts 15:7-11 And after a long debate, Peter got up, and said to them, “Brethren,
you know that in early days God made choice among us, that through my mouth the
Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the
hearts, bore witness by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; And he
made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.
Why then do you now try to test God by putting on the neck of the disciples a
yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe
that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
Note these clear and explicit verses:
I
Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, bearing
witness in his own time.
I John 2:1-2 My dear children, these things I write
to you, in order that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just; And he is a propitiation
for our sins, not for ours only but also for those of the whole world.
11Rev.
John A. O'Brien, PH.D, Faith of Millions, (Huntington, Ind., Our Sunday
Visitor), p. 185
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