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 in 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 must, therefore, 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 refer 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. But 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." But 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, however, 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."

During the course of every worship service of the New Testament church, far-sighted, contemporary congregations offer an invitation. It is during this time that erring Christians have the opportunity to make known their faults and repent of their sins. This does not, however, limit an erring Christian to confess faults at this time. An erring Christian can do so at any time he or she is able to do so. After the repentance, it is made known to the congregation that the individual did so repent. The only time private repentance is permitted is when a private sin is committed. Public sins necessitate a public repentance.