Each of these Catholic Bible verses is quoted word for word from the King James Version, followed by a short note on the Catholic teaching or practice it is most often linked to.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18 (KJV)
This is one of the Catholic Bible verses read as the foundation text for the Church’s visible unity under Peter and his successors. Jesus names Simon as Peter, the rock, and promises that hell will not overcome the community he builds. Protestants often read the rock differently, as Peter’s confession of faith.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:19 (KJV)
Keys were the symbol of a royal steward’s authority in Isaiah 22. Among Catholic Bible verses, this one is where Catholic teaching sees a real teaching and governing authority entrusted to Peter, and later shared with the apostles, to bind and loose on earth with heaven’s backing.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 6:51 (KJV)
This is the central text among Catholic Bible verses behind belief in the Eucharist. Jesus does not call the bread a symbol; he says it is his flesh given for the life of the world. Catholics take the words in their strong, literal sense and build the Mass around them.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54 (KJV)
In these Catholic Bible verses, when listeners objected, Jesus repeated the claim instead of softening it. Catholics point to this as evidence that he meant it firmly. Receiving communion is therefore understood as sharing in his life and as a pledge of resurrection.
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1 Corinthians 11:24 (KJV)
Among Catholic Bible verses, Paul passes on the words of institution he himself received. The command to do this is why Catholics celebrate the Mass again and again, believing the Lord’s Supper is a living memorial, not only a remembered meal.
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
John 20:23 (KJV)
In one of the Catholic Bible verses on confession, the risen Christ breathes on the apostles and gives them a share in forgiving sins. Catholics see in this the roots of sacramental confession, where a priest absolves in Christ’s name.
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
James 5:14 (KJV)
This is among the Catholic Bible verses that form the main biblical basis for the Anointing of the Sick. The elders of the church are called, they pray, and they anoint with oil, a pattern Catholics still follow for the seriously ill and the elderly.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:5 (KJV)
Catholic teaching links being born of water and the Spirit with baptism, which is understood as real new birth and not only a public sign. In Catholic Bible verses on baptism, the Church baptizes infants too, bringing children into that new life.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
Among Catholic Bible verses, the risen Lord’s great commission joins teaching and baptism, and names the Trinity. The Catholic baptismal formula and the Church’s missionary work both rest on these words.
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 8:17 (KJV)
After Philip baptized believers in Samaria, Peter and John came and laid hands on them so they would receive the Spirit. These Catholic Bible verses show the apostolic pattern behind confirmation, a distinct completing of baptism by the laying on of hands.
Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
Acts 6:6 (KJV)
The seven chosen to serve the community are prayed over with the laying on of hands. Catholics trace holy orders, a theme in Catholic Bible verses, the sacramental setting apart of deacons, priests and bishops, to this apostolic practice of ordination.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)
Paul compares the love of husband and wife to Christ’s love for his Church. Of the Catholic Bible verses on marriage, this comparison is drawn on in teaching that marriage is a sacrament, a lasting covenant that images Christ’s self-giving.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 (KJV)
Paul places teaching passed on by word of mouth alongside his written letter. Catholics cite this among Catholic Bible verses when explaining that the faith is handed down through both Scripture and apostolic Tradition, which together the Church guards.
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1 Timothy 3:15 (KJV)
In these Catholic Bible verses the church itself is called the pillar and ground of the truth. Catholics use this to support the Church’s role in teaching authoritatively and safeguarding the faith, not merely supplying a private reading of the Bible.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James 2:24 (KJV)
Catholic teaching holds that saving faith is a living faith that shows itself in love and good deeds, enabled by grace. James is often quoted among Catholic Bible verses in conversations about how Catholics and Protestants understand justification.
And they continued stedfastly in apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:42 (KJV)
This snapshot of the first believers, one of the Catholic Bible verses on worship, lists teaching, community, the breaking of bread and prayer. Catholics see in it the outline of the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word, the Eucharist, and the communal prayer of the Church.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luke 1:28 (KJV)
The angel’s greeting to Mary begins the Hail Mary prayer, a favorite among Catholic Bible verses. Catholics read the words as honoring Mary’s unique place in God’s plan, while always pointing to Christ as the source of that favor.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Luke 1:48 (KJV)
In the Magnificat Mary herself predicts that all generations will call her blessed. Catholics take this among Catholic Bible verses as a biblical warrant for honoring Mary, a respect that stays well below the worship due to God alone.
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:40 (KJV)
This is one of the Catholic Bible verses that sits behind the Church’s corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and prisoners. Catholics see Christ present in the poor, so service is a form of worship.
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
John 17:21 (KJV)
Jesus prays for the unity of his followers in one of the Catholic Bible verses on unity. Catholics hold this up as the reason the Church seeks visible unity and takes part in dialogue with other Christians, trusting that unity is part of the world’s belief.
Anyone who attends a Catholic Mass will hear a great deal of Scripture without necessarily noticing it. The opening greeting, the readings, the responsorial psalm, the Gospel acclamation, even the words just before communion are drawn from the Bible. Catholic Bible verses are therefore not a separate collection of special texts. They are the passages the Church has returned to most often when it prays, teaches and explains who it believes Jesus is.
This page looks at those Catholic Bible verses in the King James Version, the translation used throughout this website. It is worth saying plainly at the start that the KJV is a Protestant translation, completed in 1611 for the Church of England, and that Catholic Bibles such as the Douay-Rheims and the New American Bible Revised Edition word some verses differently. The meaning is usually close, but small differences in phrasing can matter in a theological argument, so a Catholic reader may want to compare translations.
Reading Catholic Bible verses well means holding two things together: the plain words on the page and the long tradition of how the Church has understood them. Neither is meant to cancel the other, and the sections below try to show both without pretending that Christians have always agreed.
Catholic Bibles contain seventy-three books, while Protestant Bibles have sixty-six. The additional Old Testament books, such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch and the two books of Maccabees, are called deuterocanonical by Catholics. Because this site follows the traditional KJV canon, none of the Catholic Bible verses quoted here come from those books, even though Catholics treat them as Scripture and draw teaching from them, for example on prayer for the dead in 2 Maccabees.
That limitation does not leave the Catholic faith without biblical support. Most of what Catholics teach about the Church, the sacraments, Mary and moral life is argued from books found in every Bible, especially the Gospels, Acts and the letters of Paul, Peter and James. The Catholic Bible verses in this article were chosen for exactly that reason: they are central to Catholic life and teaching and they appear in the KJV canon in its own wording.
If you read a verse here and then open a Douay-Rheims or a NABRE, expect occasional differences. Luke 1:28, for instance, reads as highly favoured in the KJV, while Catholic translations commonly render the same Greek word as full of grace. Seeing such differences is not a problem. It is a good reminder to study the text and not just memorize a line.
Few of the Catholic Bible verses are as closely tied to Catholic identity as the conversation at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asks his disciples who people say he is, then who they say he is, and Simon answers with the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus responds by giving him a new name and a new mission, saying that upon this rock he will build his church. The verses in Matthew 16:18-19 are the foundation for the Catholic teaching on the papacy.
In these Catholic Bible verses, Catholics understand the rock to be Peter himself, in his office as leader of the apostles, and they see the keys as the sign of delegated authority, echoing the steward who held the keys of David’s house in the book of Isaiah. When Peter is told that whatever he binds on earth will be bound in heaven, Catholics hear the beginning of a teaching authority that continues through his successors, the bishops of Rome.
Many Protestants read the same verses differently. Some say the rock is Peter’s confession of faith, or Christ himself, and that the binding and loosing language is later given to all disciples. Honest study notes that the two readings begin from the same words. For a wider look at how Scripture speaks of the community Jesus founded, you can visit Bible verses about the church.
The sixth chapter of John is the heart of Catholic Eucharistic belief, and its lines are among the most quoted Catholic Bible verses. After feeding the five thousand, Jesus teaches in the synagogue at Capernaum that he is the living bread which came down from heaven, and that the bread he will give is his flesh. The language grows stronger rather than gentler. In the same chapter he says that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood has eternal life.
Catholics note what happens next. Many disciples say the teaching is hard and walk away, and Jesus does not call them back to explain that he was speaking in metaphor. For Catholics, that detail is telling. It suggests that the words were understood as shockingly literal and were meant that way. The Church teaches that at Mass the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ, a change called transubstantiation.
Other Christians receive the Lord’s Supper as a memorial, a spiritual presence, or a symbol of union with Christ, and they read John 6 as a picture of faith in him. Even so, nearly all agree that these words draw believers toward Jesus as the source of life. If you want to explore the wider theme, the page on Bible verses about communion collects more passages.
Paul’s account of the Last Supper in First Corinthians is the earliest written description of the meal, and it is a cornerstone among Catholic Bible verses on the Mass. He says he received the tradition from the Lord and then passed it on: Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said that it was his body for the disciples. Paul then repeats the instruction to do this in remembrance of him, which he also applies to the cup.
For Catholics, the command to do this is the reason the Mass exists. The priest repeats Christ’s words over bread and wine, and the Church holds that the sacrifice of Calvary is made present, not repeated, so that each generation can share in it. The word remembrance is understood in a strong biblical sense, where remembering is also participating in what is remembered, much as Israel did at the Passover.
The same chapter warns that those who eat and drink without discerning the Lord’s body eat and drink judgment on themselves. Catholics take that warning seriously and encourage preparation, including confession when conscious of serious sin, before receiving communion. The idea that the Eucharist is both gift and responsibility runs through Catholic teaching.
On the evening of the resurrection, Jesus appears to his frightened disciples, breathes on them, and says to receive the Holy Ghost. He then adds the words recorded in John 20:23 about remitting and retaining sins. Catholics have always seen this as the founding moment of the sacrament of reconciliation, commonly called confession, and it features on every serious list of Catholic Bible verses.
The logic of these Catholic Bible verses is simple. If the apostles are given the ability to remit sins, they must know which sins to remit, and that requires that sins be confessed. The priest does not forgive by his own power but acts in the person of Christ. In practice, a Catholic names their sins, expresses sorrow, receives counsel and a penance, and hears words of absolution.
Not everyone shares this reading. Many Protestants believe believers confess directly to God, citing First John 1:9, while Catholics hold both that God forgives repentant hearts and that Christ left a visible way to receive that forgiveness. Whatever your tradition, the call to repentance is a shared one, and it is worth studying alongside Bible verses about repentance.
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus gives Catholics their most direct teaching text on baptism. Jesus tells him that unless a person is born of water and of the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. Catholic teaching reads water as the baptismal water, and the Spirit as the power that makes baptism more than a ritual. These Catholic Bible verses are read aloud at baptisms and at the Easter Vigil.
Among Catholic Bible verses, at the end of Matthew, Jesus sends his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. This is the origin of the Trinitarian formula that Catholics still use. Water poured or immersed, with those words, is the valid form of the sacrament, and the Church even recognizes baptisms performed by other Christians when done properly.
Because baptism is understood as God’s action, Catholics baptize infants, pointing to the household baptisms in Acts, where whole families were baptized together. The sacrament is said to remove original sin and to bring a person into the Church. More on this theme can be found in Bible verses about baptism.
In the eighth chapter of Acts, Philip preaches in Samaria and many believe and are baptized. When the apostles in Jerusalem hear of it, they send Peter and John, who pray for the new believers and lay hands on them, and they receive the Holy Ghost. Among Catholic Bible verses, this passage separates baptism from a further giving of the Spirit through apostolic hands.
Catholics see this as the biblical root of the sacrament of confirmation. In the Latin Church the bishop, as the successor of the apostles, normally confirms by anointing with chrism and laying on of hands, sealing the baptized with the gift of the Spirit. It is a strengthening for witness and life, completing what baptism begins.
Pentecost also stands behind this sacrament, since the Spirit came in power on the apostles and gave them boldness. Confirmation is often celebrated with teenagers who are old enough to make the faith their own, and the readings chosen for it frequently speak of the gifts of the Spirit such as wisdom, understanding and fortitude.
In Acts 6 the apostles ask the community to choose seven men of good reputation to serve the tables of the widows. They are presented to the apostles, who pray and lay their hands on them. The passage is a small detail in a longer story, but Catholics see something significant: ministry is not self-appointed. It is entrusted to a person by those who already carry apostolic authority. That is why it appears among the Catholic Bible verses on ordination.
That pattern in Catholic Bible verses is the basis for the sacrament of holy orders. The Church ordains bishops, priests and deacons by the laying on of hands and a prayer of consecration, believing a lasting spiritual mark is conferred. Paul’s letters to Timothy mention the same gesture, reminding him not to neglect the gift that was given through prophecy and the laying on of hands.
For Catholics, this is why the chain of ordination matters. Apostolic succession means that today’s bishops can trace their ordination back, link by link, to the apostles. Other traditions understand ordination and ministry in different ways, but most agree that the early Church set apart leaders with prayer and the laying on of hands.
Ephesians 5 is a long passage about how husbands and wives should treat each other, and it is often read among Catholic Bible verses at weddings. Paul compares the husband to Christ and the wife to the Church, saying that husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. The comparison lifts marriage far above a mere contract.
Catholic teaching holds that the marriage of two baptized persons is a sacrament, in which the couple themselves are the ministers of the covenant before God and the Church. Because it images Christ’s faithful love, marriage is meant to be permanent, faithful and open to children. Paul himself calls the relationship a great mystery.
The teaching is demanding, but the model is self-giving love and not control. A husband who loves as Christ loved gives himself up, and the passage speaks of mutual submission out of reverence for Christ. Readers looking for related reading may enjoy Bible verses about love and marriage.
James gives a very practical instruction. If anyone among you is sick, call for the elders of the church, let them pray over the person and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. He adds that the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up, and that sins will be forgiven. Few Catholic Bible verses are quoted more often at a hospital bedside.
Catholics treat this among Catholic Bible verses as the New Testament basis for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. A priest anoints the forehead and hands with blessed oil while praying for healing, strength and forgiveness. The Church teaches that the sacrament is for those seriously ill, those facing surgery, and the elderly, and not only for the dying, though it was once popularly called last rites.
The sacrament does not promise a physical cure every time. It promises grace, comfort and union with the suffering of Christ. For anyone ministering to a sick friend or relative, the basic pattern of James remains a model: send for others to pray, do it in faith, and do not face illness alone. Related prayers are collected in Bible verses about prayer for healing.
A major difference between Catholics and many Protestants is how they understand authority. Protestant churches often hold to the idea that Scripture alone is the final rule of faith. Catholics teach that Scripture and sacred Tradition flow from the same source and together form one deposit of faith, interpreted by the teaching office of the Church, the Magisterium. Catholic Bible verses on this subject are therefore read in that light.
Two verses are regularly quoted. Second Thessalonians 2:15 tells believers to hold the traditions they were taught by word or by letter, which suggests that not everything the apostles taught was written down. First Timothy 3:15 calls the church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth, which Catholics read as a sign that the Church itself is a guardian of what is true.
Not every Protestant will agree, and they raise serious questions about whether later developments always match the Bible. A fair reader will see that both sides take the Bible seriously and differ over who interprets it and how. The related page on Bible verses about meditation on scripture offers a quieter way into reading the text itself.
The statement that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only, is probably the most debated of all Catholic Bible verses in conversations between Catholics and Protestants. Martin Luther famously doubted the letter of James because it appeared to contradict Paul’s teaching on justification by faith. Catholics have long treated the two writers as complementary.
The Catholic position is that justification begins with God’s grace, received in baptism and in faith, and that a living faith naturally grows into love and good works. Works are not earning salvation as a wage, but they are the fruit and expression of grace working in a person. Paul, after all, also speaks of faith working through love.
Many Protestants answer that James is describing the evidence of true faith, which is not very different from the Catholic view in practice. The shared point is that faith without action is dead. For deeper study of grace and how it shapes daily life, see Bible verses about God’s grace.
Acts 2:42 describes the first believers continuing steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Reading this verse, Catholics often hear the shape of the Mass. There is teaching, which corresponds to the Liturgy of the Word, there is the breaking of bread, which is the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and there is communal prayer. It is one of the most useful Catholic Bible verses for explaining worship.
Other early sources confirm that Sunday worship followed this pattern within a few generations. Writers in the second century describe Christians gathering to hear the apostles’ memoirs read, to pray, and to share the bread and cup that they believed to be the body and blood of Christ. The Catholic Mass is thus understood as continuity with a very ancient practice.
The phrase breaking of bread is also used in Luke 24, when two disciples recognize the risen Jesus at Emmaus. For many Catholics, a Sunday Mass is both a place to hear Scripture and a place to meet Christ in the breaking of the bread, with the same recognition that happened on that road.
Luke’s opening chapter gives Catholics their basic biblical material for devotion to Mary, and its lines are cherished Catholic Bible verses. The angel Gabriel greets her with words of favor, saying the Lord is with her and that she is blessed among women. Elizabeth later says something very similar. Together these lines form the first half of the Hail Mary, one of the most repeated prayers in the Church.
In the Magnificat, Mary sings that all generations will call her blessed. Catholics take this seriously as a prophecy fulfilled in their tradition of honoring her. They are careful to distinguish veneration from worship: Mary is a creature, the mother of the Lord, and a model of faith, and prayers to her ask for her intercession alongside the whole communion of saints.
Protestants generally respect Mary but worry that Catholic devotion distracts from Christ alone. Catholics reply that honoring the mother of Jesus is a way of honoring Jesus. If you want to read more of the biblical story, visit Bible verses about Mary the mother of Jesus.
The parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 ends with a surprise. The King says that whatever was done for the least of his brethren was done for him. The righteous are astonished, because they never realized they were serving Christ. Catholic social teaching returns to these Catholic Bible verses constantly.
The Church has long listed the corporal works of mercy, based on this chapter: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. Alongside them are spiritual works of mercy, such as counseling the doubtful and forgiving offenses. Many parishes organize food pantries and visits to nursing homes with these lists in mind.
The practical effect is that Catholic faith is meant to leave the church building. Worship on Sunday leads to service during the week, and charity is understood as a way of meeting Christ. A reader who wants to put this into practice might start with a small, regular act of service and let the habit grow from there.
In John 17, on the night before his death, Jesus prays for those who will believe through the apostles’ word. His request is that they all may be one, just as he and the Father are one, so that the world may believe. The unity of believers is therefore tied to the credibility of the Gospel itself, a theme found in many Catholic Bible verses.
For Catholics this is a theme of great importance. They believe the Church is meant to be visibly one, and they also acknowledge the sadness of the divisions among Christians. In recent decades the Church has taken part in dialogues with Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran and other communities, and many local parishes share in joint prayer services and charitable projects.
Whatever tradition you belong to, the prayer of Jesus is an invitation to humility. It is easy to quote verses as weapons. It is harder, and more faithful, to listen carefully to those who read them differently. Related reflections can be found in Bible verses about church unity.
Catholic Bible verses become far more helpful when they move from the page into routine. A simple way to begin is to read the Gospel for the day, which most parishes publish, and to choose one verse to remember until evening. Many Catholics also pray the Rosary or the Liturgy of the Hours, both of which are woven from Scripture.
Another good practice is lectio divina, a slow prayerful reading that moves from reading to meditation, to prayer and finally to quiet. Choose one passage from this page, such as John 6 or Luke 1, read it twice, and ask what word or phrase stands out. Write it down and return to it during the day.
Finally, read widely. Memorized proof texts are helpful, but they work best when you know the context around them. If you are building a habit of memorizing, the page on Bible verses for memorizing scripture offers short passages to begin with.
Readers often ask whether it is wrong for a non-Catholic to study Catholic Bible verses. It is not. Understanding how another tradition reads the Bible is a respectful way to learn, and it often sharpens your own understanding. The aim of this page is to explain, not to win an argument.
Another common question is whether Catholics read the Bible at all. They do, and the Church has encouraged Scripture reading strongly, especially since the Second Vatican Council. The Mass itself includes a large share of the Bible over a three-year Sunday cycle and a two-year weekday cycle, so the best-known Catholic Bible verses are heard repeatedly.
A third question is which translation to use. The KJV is beautiful and historically important, but it is a Protestant translation, so for Catholic study many readers pair it with the Douay-Rheims or the NABRE, which include the deuterocanonical books. Comparing translations side by side is one of the best ways to read slowly and notice details.
If you enjoyed these Catholic Bible verses, you may also find these related collections helpful: Bible verses about the church, Bible verses about communion, Bible verses about baptism, Bible verses about repentance, Bible verses about Mary the mother of Jesus, Bible verses about salvation, Bible verses about God’s grace, Bible verses about church unity, Bible verses about prayer for healing.
To study these verses in more depth, try Bible Gateway, Bible Hub, Bible Study Tools, Blue Letter Bible.
Catholic Bible verses themselves come from the same Bible, but Catholics emphasize different texts and interpret some differently. Catholic Bibles also include seven additional Old Testament books, so a few passages exist only in Catholic editions, while the wording varies between translations like the KJV and the Douay-Rheims.
Among Catholic Bible verses, Catholics most often point to Matthew 16:18, where Jesus tells Peter that upon this rock he will build his church. Verse 19 adds the keys of the kingdom. Together they are read as the basis for the Church’s structure and the authority of Peter and his successors.
The main passage among Catholic Bible verses is John 6:51-58, where Jesus calls himself the living bread and says his flesh is food indeed. Catholics also cite the words of institution in First Corinthians 11:24, where Jesus says of the bread, this is my body, which is broken for you.
No. The King James Version is a Protestant translation produced for the Church of England in 1611. Catholics usually read the Douay-Rheims, the NABRE or similar editions, which include the deuterocanonical books. Still, KJV quotations of Catholic Bible verses are useful for comparing the shared books and wording.
Among Catholic Bible verses on confession, Catholics cite John 20:23, where the risen Jesus tells his apostles that whose sins they remit are remitted. They read this as the origin of sacramental confession, where a priest, acting in Christ’s name, pronounces absolution after the penitent confesses.
James 2:24 says a person is justified by works and not by faith only. Catholics read this among Catholic Bible verses to mean that saving faith is a living faith that expresses itself in love and good deeds, made possible by God’s grace, not that works earn salvation on their own.
