Can A Priest Absolve Sins?

A couple weeks ago this happened near my hometown:

Eventually they found the mystery priest (aptly named Father Dowling):

There is one statement from Dowling’s interview that I want to address today; namely, his claim to have been given the power to absolve this young lady of her sins.

Where does such power come from?

How in the world is a priest given the power to absolve sin? I thought only Jesus could forgive sins. Do you get bitten by a radioactive spider? Do you put on a black shirt and a collar, and declare yourself a sin-forgiver? Does this belief actually come from the Bible?

If you ask a Roman Catholic priest he will say that the power to absolve sin was given to the apostles (and their successors) in John 20:23. Here we read Jesus saying,

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

The Catholic prayer of absolution is based on this passage. A Catholic priest does not believe that he, in and of himself, has the power to forgive sins. It is a power that has been granted to him as a priest. He is a representative of the forgiven Christ. Christ alone forgives sin. But as he now reigns from heaven he does so through His Spirit working through His servants (priests).

Therefore, when a priest declares you forgiven you are indeed forgiven. You can have certainty because Christ has given His power (through the sacrament of penance) to His representatives.

A Protestant Response

I am not convinced by the Catholic interpretation of John 20:23. In order to accept this interpretation one would also have to accept the doctrine of apostolic succession. Because I believe in the priesthood of all believers I would have to say that the power to absolve sin (or to withhold forgiveness) was in the power of every believer, and that is not something that I find in the Scriptures.

Secondly, there is an assumption behind such a prayer. That assumption is that our sins are not all forgiven upon the moment of justification. Catholic doctrine denies that at the moment of conversion we are forgiven all sins: past, present, and future. This seems to me to deny our union with Christ. When Christ “canceled the record of debt” that stood against believers our sins were future. And yet they are forgiven. This because of our union with Christ—all that He has accomplished is given to us. Therefore, you and I do not need a priest to do for us what Christ has already done.

Which leads me to ask where is faith? Where is the gospel? Nowhere in Acts do I see the apostles doing anything similar to the Catholic practice of absolution of sins. They are not praying over people and saying, “your sins are forgiven”. They are doing the same thing that Jesus did—proclaiming the coming kingdom and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Upon reception of the gospel through faith then you might read something about declaring people forgiven.

Therefore, the rest of the Scriptures cause me to be unable to accept the Catholic interpretation of John 20:23.

So what is John 20:23 saying?

As I go about answering that question I want to be careful not to read the practice of absolution (either pro or con) into the text. This text really speaks to our union with Christ. It is here that we (the Bride of Christ) are empowered. It’s not mechanical, it’s not removed from the person of Christ or the work of the Spirit.

It’s not as if we go about proclaiming forgiveness apart from faith in the risen Christ. No, this is proclaiming the risen Christ. And when someone comes to know Christ the church through baptism and membership declares (not mechanically) that “their sins are forgiven”.

You can see the difference in the way that a Protestant and a Catholic discuss the Scriptures. You ask, “How do you know that the gospel of Mark is Scripture?”

Catholic: The Gospel of Mark is Scripture because the Church has declared it so.
Protestant: The Gospel of Mark is Scripture, therefore the Church declared it so.

There is a world of difference between the two.

Now to our question at hand. How do you I know that my sins are forgiven?

Catholic: My sin is forgiven because the Church has declared it so.
Protestant: My sin is forgiven, therefore the Church has declared it so.

I believe this is backed up by the past tense of “they are forgiven” and “it is withheld”. Those are past action with continuing results. Jesus is not telling us here to go about forgiving sins or to withhold forgiveness. Jesus is commissioning us to go and proclaim the gospel and to do so with the confidence that He is with us, working through us, and still shepherding His church from heaven.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…run to him.

Review of The Pastor’s Justification by @JaredCWilson

“That was terrible. I totally blew that sermon. Nobody was paying attention. Heck, I almost fell asleep..and I was the one preaching.”

There I was wailing and moaning and discouraged by a sermon that didn’t go the way that I thought it should have.

Then my sweet wife lovingly rebuked me. I don’t think she meant to really rebuke me, but she did. She quietly said, “Mike, I wish you wouldn’t speak that way after a sermon. Because when you do it makes me not believe what you just preached. Nor do I think you really believe what you just said.”

Ouch.

She was right. I had probably been preaching on the sufficiency of Jesus, the benefits of the gospel, the power of the risen Christ, etc. etc. and I left the pulpit not believing a one of them—at least not applying them.

It’s not always that way. Sometimes I exit the pulpit floating on cloud nine. I know that I knocked it out of the park. Everything that I wanted to say, I said eloquently. No slip ups. I preached passionately. I did it the way that you are supposed to. (Minus the pride of course). Totally faithful to the text. Centered on Christ (except for that pride thing again).

For some reason fewer people seem to have been impacted—but it’s probably because they are just soaking up my awesome sermon.

Both of those episodes betray a heart of unbelief. A foolish heart of unbelief. And I could replace preaching with counseling, planning, living, leading, loving, and a host of other things and it would be the same. We pastors (we disciples) vacillate between moments of pride convinced of our awesomeness and moments of despair convinced of our complete unworthiness.

Enter the Pastor’s Justification

This is why a book like The Pastor’s Justification is so helpful. Jared Wilson is a good writer. One of the things that sets this book apart from the others is that Jared can just flat out write. But more than anything Wilson keeps the gospel front and center. That is important—no, that is vital.

It is vital because the same gospel that strengthens and encourages the discouraged pastor is the same gospel that rebukes and humbles the puffed up pastor. Both need the gospel. In both of these foolish responses we need the sufficient Christ to remind us of who we actually are—not awesome and not scum. We are His. The gospel brings the lofty low and exalts the humble—bringing both to the place of Christ.

Wilson writes as a pastor. This means that he is not afraid to speak in a prophetic voice, as when he speaks to younger pastors:

Young men, be teachable. You do not know everything. And your theology and your position are never licenses for authoritarianism. If you don’t want others to look down on your youth, don’t look down on their age.

Yet, Wilson also speaks with pastoral tenderness and encouragement. After listing a myriad of questions that bring to light our sinfulness, he writes this:

You and I both know that you have transgressed over and over and over again. And you’re going to stand before a holy God to be judged by these things, according to a stricter standard than all other because you are a pastor, and he will ask you to give an account. And looking back over the failures of your life and ministry, you will grasp at straws. What do you think he will say to you?

“Justified.”

In this book Jared does what a good pastor does, he points to Jesus at every corner. He uses the glaring holiness of Jesus to expose our pride, sinfulness, and foolish ways that we pastor. And He uses the wide mercy of Christ to comfort weary pastors.

The Pastor’s Justification is a book that every pastor would do well to purchase. It has some of the same benefits as Paul Tripp’s, Dangerous Calling, and reads like Eswine’s Sensing Jesus. Those were two books that really benefited me in 2012. This book stands toe to toe with those immensely helpful books. But Jared’s writing has a tendency to stick in my brain and rattle around in my soul better than many other books on pastoral ministry.

You can buy it here. And you probably should.

Pray For Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge—Day Nineteen

Day Nineteen: That her husband would romance her

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. –Song of Solomon 4:9
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, -Proverbs 5:18

Brothers, we are to take delight in our wives. This is not to be a secret delight. Our wives should know without a doubt that they have captivated our hearts. As the Lord spoke tenderly to His bride in the wilderness (in spite of her actions) let us always speak tenderly to our wives. Let us romance them no matter our life circumstance. If your heart isn’t there pray that the Lord would renew in you a delight in the wife of your youth. If your heart is there give it full expression; romance her.

Lord, thank you for my wife. She truly has captivated my heart. Keep my heart from growing cold, stale, and merely satisfied. Stir in my heart deep affections for my wife. Help me to study her—to know her—and to know how I can communicate to her that she has captivated my heart. In every area where my heart is wayward towards her would you strengthen it? Cause my love for her to be as deep and settled as the elderly couple that knows one another so well. But also make it such a love that would shame the shallow expressions of teenagers. Help me to sweep her off her feet. Amen.

Pray For Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge—Day Eighteen

Day Eighteen: That she would be hospitable

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. -1 Peter 4:9

Our wives hospitality is a great reflection of her grasp of the gospel. Hospitality is a reminder of our alien status. A wife that does not practice hospitality is likely a wife that is comfortably living the American dream. She has started thinking that she is at home and therefore has lost her sojourner impulse. Let us pray today that our wife would have a missional heartbeat. And part of this missional heartbeat would be a drive to open up her home so that the gospel might flourish.

Lord, thank you for my wife’s hospitable heart. Increase it. Help her to consistently have a sojourner impulse and not lay her roots too deeply in this world. Give my wife a missional heartbeat that constantly thinks of ways to fulfill the Great Commission. May her heart be ultimately others-focused for the sake of your glory. Thank you for making your home among us. Might we live the life of Immanuel. Amen.

Pray For Your Wife: 31 Day Challenge—Day Seventeen

Day Seventeen: That her faith would increase

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"  -Luke 17:5
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” –Mark 9:24

I am continually encouraged by the Puritan adage that “a weak faith can lay hold of a strong Christ”. It is interesting that in Luke 17:5 when the apostles ask for an increase in faith that Jesus points them back to faith’s object. The vivacity of faith is not nearly as important as the One that we place our trust upon. Even still the Scriptures would have us grow in our faith as unbelief dwindles before the Lord. Let us pray today that our wives would increase in their faith. That she would trust the Lord and believe that everything God does is ultimately for her good.

Lord, I thank you for being faithful. You are mighty and worthy of every ounce of our trust. I’m very grateful that a weak faith can lay hold of a strong Christ, because Lord there are times when my faith is weak. I know this same thing is true of my wife. Father, would you graciously increase her faith in you today. Blow her away with your goodness and love towards her. Help her to see you and her heart to leap in faith and joy. Lord, my wife believes, help her unbelief.