By: Robert Serreyn

Question? What is your take on John 20:23?

(John 20:23) Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Answer:

The Roman Catholic Church HAS USED this verse OUT OF CONTEXT to give support to their UNSCRIPITUAL PRACTICE of Confession of Sins to a priest.

The SIMPLE ANSWER to this verse is as follows:

– Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them.

Meaning Preach the Gospel and those THAT BELIEVE are saved.

(Acts 16:31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

(John 3:16, 17) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

– Whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Meaning those that REJECT Christ and BELIEVE NOT the gospel, they ARE LOST in their sins.

(John 3:18, 36) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (36) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

In Conclusion:

NO WHERE in this verse or in scripture are we told to confess our sins to a Priest, Preacher, or Minister, to enforce a unscriptual practice such as Confess your Sins to any one other than to Jesus Christ is MIND CONTROL at the very lest and a DOCTRINE OF DEMONS at its very worst.

(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(1 John 2:1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

(1 Timothy 4:1) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (demons).

NOTE: There is ONLY ONE devil, Satan (Lucifer), but there are MANY demons.

(Colossians 2:8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.

-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8

-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24

-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9

“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23

IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH