Church and Sacraments 4

7/30/2019 Church and Sacraments 4

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SACRAMENTS


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5/16/2013 Church and Sacraments 4 2

SACRAMENTS: DEFINITION

Sacrament is derived from Latin sacramentum Used of a military oath of allegiance

The word, which was first used by Tertullian, isconnected with sacrareor consecrare, and the termmeans a legally valid and permanent removal of a

person or thing from the sphere of human law to thatof divine law. M. Schmaus, Dogma 5, The Church asSacrament, 27.

Baptism and the Lords Supper, then, are the

military badges and signs of allegiance to Christ Sacramentumis Latin translation Greekmusthrion,

mysterion, which we transliterate as mystery, amystery, unknown until revealed.


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Augustine defined sacrament:An outward sign of an inward (or invisible) grace.

Or, a sacrament is a visible word.

Donald Bloesch defines sacraments asthe visible Word or the visible form of the Word. Yet .

. . there can be no sacrament apart from theproclaimed and read word of Scripture. The sacramentis a supplement to the Word but not a substitute for it.While the sacraments are supremely helpful in the

application of the fruits of our salvation, the Wordalone is indispensable for salvation. There is nofullness of the Church without the sacrament, butthere can be true fellowships of believers apart fromthe sacraments.Evangelical Theology, 2:89.


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The Larger Catechism, answering Q. #162, givesthe following definition: A sacrament is an holyordinance instituted by Christ in his church, tosignify, seal, and exhibit unto those that are

within the covenant of grace, the benefits of hismediation; to strengthen and increase their faithand all other graces; to oblige them toobedience; to testify and cherish their love and

communion one with another; and to distinguishthem from those that are without.

See also WCF27; S.C. # 92.


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SACRAMENTS vs ORDINANCES

Not everyone is satisfied with the termsacrament.

Many evangelicals, particularly those withBaptistic leanings, prefer to use the language of

ordinances. The Baptist View affirms that there are two

ordinances, Baptism and Communion.

This term is preferred to sacrament. Since it

(baptism) was ordainedby him (Jesus), it is properlyunderstood as an ordinance rather than a sacrament.It does not produce any spiritual change in the onebaptized. M. Erickson, Christian Theology, 1096.


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SACRAMENTS: ROMAN CATHOLIC

Expands the two sacraments of Scriptureinto a total of seven (7) sacraments Baptism

Eucharist

Confirmation Penance

Matrimony

Holy Orders

Anointing of the Sick (formerly, ExtremeUnction) Denzinger, Enchirdion Symbolorum,1601.


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SACRAMENTS: ROMAN CATHOLIC

In Roman Catholic thinking, the sacramentscontain the grace that they signify

Traditionally, ex opere operato, by the workperformed

As long as the priest has the correct authority andintention, the sacrament produces its effect

Roman Catholic theologian, Michael Schmaus, notesthat sacrament can be understood as the realsymbolic manifestation, the historical and social-

physical expression, of grace. . . . The sacramentsachieve their effect through the act of signifying:Significando efficiunt quod significant.Dogma 5, 33-34.


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SACRAMENTS: LUTHERAN

There are Two Sacraments, Baptism andLords Supper (although the AugsburgConfession allows for confession as a third

sacrament). There is an inherent efficacy to the

sacraments, although they hold to the

necessity of faith in the recipient for graceto accomplish that which is promised.


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SACRAMENTS: REFORMED

Sacraments are signs and seals of thecovenant of grace, Rom. 4:11, He received the sign of circumcision

as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faithwhile he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was

to make him the father of all who believe withoutbeing circumcised, so that righteousness would becounted to them as well

Gen. 9:12,13, And God said, "This is the sign ofthe covenant that I make between me and you

and every living creature that is with you, for allfuture generations: I have set my bow in thecloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenantbetween me and the earth.


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Gen. 17:7, And I will establish my covenantbetween me and you and your offspringafter you throughout their generations for aneverlasting covenant, to be God to you and

to your offspring after you. . . .This is mycovenant, which you shall keep, betweenme and you and your offspring after you:Every male among you shall becircumcised. You shall be circumcised in theflesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a signof the covenant between me and you.


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Sacraments are immediately institutedby God to represent Christ and hisbenefits Matt. 28:19, Go therefore and make

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in thename of the Father and of the Son and ofthe Holy Spirit

I Cor. 11:23, For I received from the Lordwhat I also delivered to you, that the LordJesus on the night when he was betrayedtook bread


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Sacraments are immediately instituted by Godto to confirm our interest in Christ I Cor. 10:16, The cup of blessing that we bless, is

it not a participation in the blood of Christ? Thebread that we break, is it not a participation in the

body of Christ? I Cor. 11:25-6, In the same way also he took thecup, after supper, saying, This cup is the newcovenant in my blood. Do this, as often as youdrink it, in remembrance of me. For as often asyou eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaimthe Lord's death until he comes.

Gal. 3:27, For as many of you as were baptizedinto Christ have put on Christ.


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There is no automatic application of Grace;instead, faith on the part of the recipient isrequired (in the case of adults), S.C. Q. 91Acts 2:38, And Peter said to them, Repent and

be baptized every one of you in the name of JesusChrist for the forgiveness of your sins, and you willreceive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 11:28-29, Let a person examinehimself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of

the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks withoutdiscerning the body eats and drinks judgment onhimself.


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There is the promise of benefit to worthyrecipients, i. e., not living in deliberate sin Matt. 26:27-8, And he took a cup, and when he had

given thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink of it,all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which

is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I Cor. 11: 28, Let a person examine himself, then,

and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

John 6:53-4, So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I

say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son ofMan and drink his blood, you have no life in you.Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood haseternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.


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There is a close spiritual relation, or sacramentalunion, between symbol and the thing signified Rom. 6:3,4, Do you not know that all of us who have

been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into hisdeath? We were buried therefore with him by baptism

into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised fromthe dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walkin newness of life.

I Cor. 10:16,21, The cup of blessing that we bless, isit not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread

that we break, is it not a participation in the body ofChrist? . . . You cannot drink the cup of the Lord andthe cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table ofthe Lord and the table of demons.


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There is a close spiritual relation, or sacramentalunion, between symbol and the thing signified

Titus 3:5, he saved us, not because of works done by

us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy,by the washing of regeneration and renewal of theHoly Spirit.

I Peter 3:21, Baptism, which corresponds to this, nowsaves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body butas an appeal to God for a good conscience, throughthe resurrection of Jesus Christ.


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There is no virtue in the sacrament itself(ex opere operato): S.C. Q. 91, A- Thesacraments become effectual means of

salvation, not from any virtue in them, orin him that doth administer them; but onlyby the blessing of Christ, and the working

of his spirit in them that by faith receivethem.


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SACRAMENTS

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Church and Sacraments 4