DO CHRISTIANS HAVE TO CONFESS THEIR SINS TO A MEMBER OF THE CLERGY?

Some churches hold to the practice of confessing their sins to a member of the clergy. Is this a scriptural command or simply a church tradition?

We are told in 1 John 1:9 that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Who does John say we are to confess our sins to? It appears it is to God, not a clergyman.

When King David sinned with Bathsheba he confessed to God. In Ps 32:5 we read, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord – and you forgave the guilt of my sins.”

We are told in James 5:16,”Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Notice that people are to confess their sins to each other. If I sinned against you, I should go to you, not to a clergyman, to seek reconciliation. 

One passage that is sometimes used to justify confessing to a clergyman is John 20:21-23 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’ What this passage appears to be saying is that if people respond positively to the Gospel message, we have the right to declare to them, that their sin of unbelief is forgiven.

If you feel the need to confess to a clergyman, simply go to a fellow Christian since we are all referred to as priests. I Peter 2:9 calls all Christians “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God . . .” Now I wouldn’t suggest that you go out and purchase clergy garb and place an ecclesiastical title in front of your name.

We should go to those whom we have sinned against to seek reconciliation. But we do not need to go through a human intermediary to get to God to ask for His forgiveness. Paul tells us that there is only one intermediary between us and God. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Though we are not told that we can’t confess our sins to a member of the clergy, I don’t believe there is any command to do so either.