Before discussing auricular confessions, we must first define terms. Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines auricular as “received by or spoken directly into the ear; private.” To confess is “to admit a fault or crime; acknowledge one’s guilt.”

An auricular confession refers to the act of one privately confessing sins to a priest in a confessional. This ritual, practiced by Catholics, has no biblical authority. There are two main faults with the belief of auricular confessions: (1) the use of priests and (2) secret confessions.

The first fault of this belief is the use of priests. As God designed the New Testament church, there is no special title of priests among the saved. First Peter 2:5 refers to all Christians as a “holy priesthood” and verse nine uses the phrase “royal priesthood.” Based on these verses, every Christian is a priest. If we were, therefore, to make secret confessions of our sins to priests, then any Christian can hear these confessions.

The second fault of this belief is that of a secret confession being made in the first place. Nowhere in the Scriptures can one find a command to make such secretive confessions. James 5:16-17 refers to Christians confessing sins. There, we are commanded to confess our faults “one to another.” This means Christians are to confess sins to each other. By no means does “one to another” imply a secret confession. We are not restricted to confessing before a few choice individuals but the whole body of Christ.

We now know that auricular confession is unscriptural. Christians are to confess their sins to each other, not privately to select individuals. Yet, how do we confess our faults one to another? Is there a passage of Scripture that qualifies how we are to confess our faults “one to another?” The answer is, “No.” However, here, we utilize what is called expediency. Expediency is when God commands an action but not the mode of that action. For example, God commands us to go and preach (Mark 16:15-16). He does not, though, tell us how we are to go. The expediency is the choice we make of how to go, whether by foot, car, bus, plane, train, etc. Likewise, we use expediency in confessing our faults “one to another.” God told us to do it, the only how being “one to another.”

Usually, an invitation is extended at the close of our worship services and following midweek Bible classes. Especially, during these times, erring Christians have the opportunity to make known their faults and to repent of their sins. However, erring Christians are not limited to confessing faults at this time, but they can do so any time. Then, one’s repentance is made known to the congregation. Private repentance is permitted for private sins, but public sins necessitate public repentance.