More than merely signifying something, baptism actually conveys something. This means that, based on the Biblical example, only church officials pastors and elders may administer the sacraments. They strive to ensure that only those who Biblically qualify for them are included.
Improper administration of the sacraments is considered blasphemous. As we have stated already, Reformed theology refers to baptism as a sacrament where Baptist theology refers to it as an ordinance. Here is a typical statement of what Baptist churches believe about baptism as found at the Web site for the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists :.
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Baptism, then, is not a means by which God conveys grace, but is a testimony of a person who has believed. It is a sign, but not a seal.
Where sacraments revolve around what God does, ordinances revolve around what man does and what God did. There is nothing supernatural occurring, as if the supernatural realm were off limits to the Creator of the universe, God merely observes as we commemorate His work.
An ordinance is actor-centered. So where do my beliefs lie? I guess since I have taken the time to write all of this I should identify what I believe. So here goes. As a Reformed believer attending a Baptist church I struggle with this on an on-going basis. I have trouble viewing baptism as a mere ordinance. Christianity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more.
It only takes a minute to sign up. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I have observed that Catholics and some other denominations call certain things they do "sacraments", and Protestants call certain things they do "ordinances".
I am not a Christian, but as an outsider, it seems that these things like the symbolic drinking of wine in church appear very similar. What is the difference between "sacraments" and "ordinances"? It is not only Catholics who believe in sacraments. All Orthodox and most Protestants believe in them as well, but with some differences between them.
It is only Baptists and their offspring which eschew the word sacrament and prefer ordinance. The word sacrament comes from the Latin sacramentum , which is itself a translation of the Greek mysterium. These words mean "mystery," which is a concept in the Bible too complex and controversial to get into adequately here, but the way it relates to the word sacrament is that the sacraments of the church mysteriously and invisibly convey grace to the recipients.
Catholics, Lutherans, and Presbyterians all define "sacrament" similarly:. The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament.
They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions. Catechism of the Catholic Church , Sacraments [are] rites which have the command of God, and to which the promise of grace has been added. These ordinances are symbolic of the fact that Christ was born; he lived and gave his life for us. He ascended to the heavens , but he will return someday. Ordinances in baptism are believed to have been instituted by Christ himself and taught and spread among the masses by apostles.
Only two religious rites classify to have these features and these are communion and baptism. What is the Difference Between Sacrament and Ordinance?
Ordinance: Ordinances are visual aids for the faithful to understand and realize what Jesus went through and did for our salvation. Nor is this generally a gospel issue which marks someone out as unbeliever or a false teacher. Space exists for friendly disagreement among Christians, but the difference of understanding over ordinances and sacraments is important.
This issue shapes how one views the function and purpose of two of the most important memorials given by Jesus to His church. Standard Posted by Dave. Posted on January 24, Posted under Christianity. Like this: Like Loading
0コメント