XPost: alt.bible, alt.religion, alt.religion.christian.biblestudy   
   XPost: alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic   
      
   Friend james proposes a theory:>   
      
   >No one went to a confessional by the first century Christians.   
      
   Correct, one by one individuals stood before the congregation for public   
   confession/absolution of their sins in the early church.   
   >   
   How does the jw vatican prescribe practicing confession/absolution and on   
   what authority?   
      
   1 John says all blievers sin and confession of the sin is the cure.  He   
   adds if someone says they do not sin; they are a liar.   
      
   As for who has the authority of absolution scripture declares:   
      
   In the Gospel of John, Jesus says to the Apostles, after being raised from   
   the dead, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they are   
   forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained".   
      
   In the line of apostolic succession and for the church established by   
   Christ; a priest as the srvant and on behalf of his bishop can excersize   
   that authority.   
      
   That doctrine includes the lutheran and anglican churchs among protestants.   
   Other protestants have a general confession/absolution, ie. it is done by   
   the congregation as a whole in the presence of the pastor.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)