What Shall I Do To Be Saved?

By Rev. Dr. Curian Kaniyamparambil

Question 83. But David confessed to God, and to no one else!

This incident occurred long before our Lord's incarnation and establishment of the church. During those days (Old Testament times) God had not authorized anyone to forgive sins. So David could do only that, as there was no other alternative. But our situation is different.

It is interesting to meet this argument. Let me quote John 20:22-23: "Jesus said to them. Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you. And when he had said this, He breathed on them and said to them 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained.'"

Our Lord gave the apostles (to the apostles alone, not to any one else) the right to absolve sins, just before ascending to Heaven (This power to forgive was given only after the apostles received the Holy Spirit). If the apostles do not absolve a person's sins, he or she has no other way of absolution, and shall die in sin! Now unless I confess to the apostles what my sins are, how can they (the apostles) absolve them? We all know that there were people who came to Jesus Christ in order to get relief from diseases. Jesus told the paralytic, "As for you, your sins are forgiven." (Luke 5:17-26). If the paralytic and others had not approached Jesus, would their sins be absolved? No! We can read in John 20:22-23 that the apostles were given the authority to absolve sins. If one was stubborn as to think that he would not approach the apostles for absolution of their sins, he would be like the people who refused to approach Jesus Christ for absolution of their sins. He would be defying Christ.

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