The Sacrament of the Church

　

1. The Nature of Sacrament

(i) The Church has the special privilege and duty to offer some sacred ceremonies to her members, and it is called ‘sacra-ment’. It is called ‘mysterion’ in the Eastern churches to emphasize its mysterious effects. However, it is called ‘ordinance’ in some traditions where its mysterious effects are denied, for it is simply ordained by Christ.

(ii) The sacrament consists of three components: the outward or sensible signs(material externa), the inward and spiritual grace(material interna), and their sacramental union(forma sacramenti). Augustine’s definition of sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible grace" is widely followed. While the Roman Catholic Church insists its automatic efficacy(ex opere operato), the Protestant churches requires the faith of the recipient and the operation of the Holy Spirit for its efficacy. Also, there is a great difference in the understanding of its efficacy between realism and symbolism, divine act and human act, the continuity and discontinuity of OT and NT sacraments.

(iii) However, it is generally agreed that the sacraments were instituted, commanded, and commissioned to the church directly by God, and therefore they are necessary and required to all members of the church. Concerning their benefits and functions, to establish and increase faith, to confess our faith, to act out our faith, to promote the unity of the church, to vividly memorialize and reenact the redemptive story of Christ, to spiritually nourish and strengthen, to communicate the grace of God(means of grace), to unite closer with Christ, to sign and seal our salvation, or to transform and sanctify is suggested.

　

2. The Forms of Sacrament

(i) The early church was quite free to call meaningful ceremonies as sacrament, and "Augustine had mentioned several dozen"(White, 15). But, Peter Lombard in The Sentences(1150) limited it to seven: baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, extreme unction, ordination, and marriage. It became official in the Council of Florence(1439) and Trent(1545-63), which finalized it no "more or less than seven". They insisted that all seven were instituted by God, suggesting some biblical grounds: confirmation(Ac 8.17, 14.22, 19.6, Heb 6.2), penance(Jas 5.16), extreme unction(Mk 6.13, Jas 5.14), ordination(1Tim 4.14, 2Tim 1.6), and marriage(Eph 5.32).

(ii) In opposition to the RC sacramentalism and sacerdotalism, the Reformers rejected five not instituted by Christ and accepted only two, baptism and eucharist, as the sacraments of the church, for they denied the right of apostles or church to establish sacrament. Some radical spiritual Reformers rejected any physical sacrament.

(iii) However, Martin Luther strongly expressed the benefit of penance: "I would not give it up for all the treasures in the world." So, it is included in the Augsburg Confession, as seen in some early Protestant Confessions. Donald Bloesch discussed it possible revival, regretting its replacement by the pastoral counseling of therapeutic sciences. Anabaptists included foot washing as the third sacrament. Count Zinzendorf insisted that matrimony must be regarded as sacrament. Considering the contemporary trend to restore and enrich sacraments, James White suggested three categories of sacrament: the gospel sacraments, apostolic sacraments, and natural sacraments.

　

3. The Baptism

(i) Baptism was developed in the intertestamental period, and John the Baptist popularized it. For Jesus received baptism and commanded to baptize all his disciples and believers(Mt 28.19, Mk 16.16), the Church obeyed and practiced baptism throughout the church history.

(ii) Since Jesus said that "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit"(Jn 3.5), it is believed that both water and Holy Spirit baptisms are required to be saved. However, since Wesley’s teaching of second grace for entire sanctification and the Pentecostal understanding of the Holy Spirit baptism as a post-conversion experience, there arose some confusions and controversies, because it was regarded as a conversion experience in the traditional Christianity. The Holy Spirit was prophesied by John the Baptist as the baptism of Jesus Christ(Mt 3.11, Mk 1.8, Lk 3.16, Jn 1.33), but the Scripture records no such activity, while Jesus predicted the Holy Spirit baptism after resurrection that it will take when the Holy Spirit comes: "John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."(Ac 1.5) It happened at the Pentecost, but it is not mentioned except as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Later, it is mentioned only in Act 11.16, where Peter remembers the prediction of Christ at the reception of the Holy Spirit, so baptizing with the Holy Spirit is identified with receiving the Holy Spirit: "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ" The gift of the Holy Spirit happened before water baptism(Ac 10.47-48, 11.15-17), but sometimes after it(Ac 2.38), but two are inseparably related.

(iii) To understand the Holy Spirit baptism, a long history of development for the perfect baptism has to be recognized. In the Old Testament, God required two ceremonies of purification(taj'x; a`gnismoj) and circumcision(hl'Wm peritomh) to symbolize the holiness of God’s people, but these pre-figured ceremonies are abrogated in the New Testament because Christ fulfilled all the requirements of the Law. The circumcision was internalized by introducing the concept of the circumcision of heart(peritomh kardiaj). Now, it is expressed by the circumcision of Christ(th peritomh tou Cristou). Instead of circumcision, the believers of the New Covenant are required to receive baptism(baptisma) which has two kinds, i.e., water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism. Even though water baptism was introduced by John the Baptist for preparation, so "baptism of repentance"(Ac 19.4), the water baptism required to all Christians is the baptism of forgiveness and salvation. But it is not effective without the real washing of sins in the soul, i.e., the baptism of the Holy Spirit, for water baptism symbolized the real baptism of forgiveness and salvation which is performed only by the power of the Holy Spirit(1Pet 3.21). It happened when one is filled with the Holy Spirit or received the Holy Spirit. Here, it is crucial to conceive that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism, though the perfect baptism, which is an act of washing sins either symbolically or really.

(iv) As the unifying Spirit, He establishes and maintains the unity of the Church also by the unity of baptism(Eph 4.5): "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."(1Cor 12.13) Therefore, it is wrong to divide baptism into several classes, whether it is water baptism or Holy Spirit baptism.

(v) The command of water baptism by Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, shows the essential elements of baptism.

Matt 28.18-20

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Mark 16.16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

The accomplished redemption and its recognition and exaltation of God is the ground of baptism, faith and commitment is the precondition and presupposition of baptism, and obedience is the promise and duty of the baptized. The baptismal formula, "in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit" implies the personal knowledge and relationship with the triune God as the condition and content of baptism. Sometimes, apostles baptized "in the name of the Lord Jesus"(Ac 19.5). Water baptism is the public confession of faith produced by the Holy Spirit baptism which actually works for the washing and forgiveness of sin. Also, it is the initiation ceremony to welcome new members to the Body of Christ.

(vi) Baptism was understood as the NT form of the Exodus(1Cor 10.1-2), circumcision(Col 2.11-12), and the Flood(1Pet 3.19-21). It signifies our union with Christ, and thus union with His Body, i.e., His Church(1Cor 12.13). Also, it symbolizes our participation in His death and resurrection(Rom 6.3-5), as well as the washing, cleansing and forgiveness of our sins(Ac 2.38, 1Pet 3.21).

(vii) Infant baptism has been practiced by the Church throughout the church history, but the Baptists oppose it and insist that only believer’s baptism is valid, because it faith is the "necessary prerequisite" of baptism and therefore infant baptism is inferior, harmful and dangerous. The Roman Catholic Church suggests baptismal regeneration as its ground, while the Protestant pedobaptists ground their practice on the NT continuity of circumcision as the initiation ceremony to the covenant of God, family as the covenant unit, examples of household baptism, and the dominant evidence of church history. However, the place of the mentally or intellectually incapable to believe and confess in the church is to be considered seriously.

(viii) The three modes of baptism were used in the church: sprinkling, pouring, and immersion. Immersion is natural to baptize and fully signifies our participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. But the situation of baptism varied and the early church gave some freedom according to the situation, as seen in the Didache 7:

Now about baptism: this is how to baptize. Give public instruction on all these points, and then "baptize" in running water, "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." ²If you do not have running water, baptize in some other. ³If you cannot in cold, then in warm. If you have neither, then pour water on the head three times "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." ⁴ Before the baptism, moreover, the one who baptizes and the one being baptized must fast, and any others who can. And you must tell the one being baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand

The Reformers understood the washing and cleansing of sins as the primary meaning of baptism, rather than the participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, and preferred pouring as the standard mode of baptism, while sprinkling was adopted in some traditions to reflect the sprinkling of Christ’s blood for the forgiveness of sin and Ezek 36.25: "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean."

　

4. The Lord’s Supper

(i) The Lords’ Supper was instituted by Christ as the NT form of the Passover Feast and commanded to continue repeatedly until the Parousia. It is recorded in Mt 26.26-29, Mk 14.22, Lk 22.14-20, and 1Cor 11.23-34.

Mt 26.26-29

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

Mk 14.22-25

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine

until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."

Lk 22.14-20

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

1Cor 11.23-34

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under

judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.