ARTICLE 25 Of the Sacraments Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men

ARTICLE 25 Of the Sacraments Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of
Christian men’s profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses and eectual signs of grace
and God’s good will towards us, by the which He doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only
quicken, but also strengthen and conrm, our faith in Him. There are two Sacraments ordained of
Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Those ve
commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Conrmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and
Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown
partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures;
but yet have not the like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for that they
have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God. The Sacraments were not ordained of
Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such only
as worthily receive the same, have they a wholesome eect or operation: but they that receive
them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as Saint Paul saith. Introduction What
exactly are sacraments? Why are they necessary? Can we replace their physical elements or signs
with more modern elements that we use in every day life? Why have they become such matters of
contention between churches? This 25th Article begins a series of seven Articles (25 to 31) that
concern the sacraments of the Gospel. There is inescapable mystery involved with the sacraments,
as well as a good bit of ignorance and confusion about them, not to mention a good deal of
theological argumentation. This Article seeks to dispel the ignorance and confusion, to clarify the
argumentation, to help us appreciate the mystery, and to help prepare us to participate in the
sacraments more fully and with greater understanding. These seven Articles concerning the
sacraments are placed in Section Four, a section concerned with the Church, because: 1) the
sacraments are administered by the Church in Christ’s name; 2) through the sacraments God
admits members into the Church and nourishes them; and 3) while the sacraments are more, they
are also visible signs of one’s membership in the Church, for both the other members and the
world to see. In the Anglican tradition, which treasures both “Word and Sacrament,” the
sacraments are administered with the Word read and preached. They are usually administered to
the whole congregation, since the sacraments are by nature corporate events. What exactly is a
“sacrament”? The term “sacrament” is actually an unusual word. The term is of obscure origin. It is
usually thought to take its meaning from the cultural use of the word to refer to a Roman soldier’s
oath of loyalty to his unit and commander. It found its way into Western theology through the
Latin translation of the Bible by Ambrose in which he translated the Greek mysterion (mystery)
into Latin sacramentum. The word mysterion referred to many things in the Eastern Church
including the sacraments of the Gospel. So “sacrament” became the Western word for the
mysteries of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and the ve sacramental acts of conrmation, marriage,
ordination, reconciliation of a sinner, and anointing for burial. Because of this obscure path, the
word itself does not tell us a great deal about the nature of the sacraments except that they
involve our commitment and mystery in our relationship with God in Christ. We need, therefore, a
more specic statement of what the Church means by the term. As Anglicans, we nd an excellent,
brief denition in the Catechism of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. It reads as follows: Question:
What meanest thou by this word Sacrament? Answer: I mean an outward and visible sign of an
inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we
receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof. We will treat most of the aspects of this
denition in the teaching points below. At this point we want to note that this Anglican denition
denes the sacraments of the Gospel as one of the means of grace. Since the sacraments are means
of God’s grace, there are three important implications that deserve brief comment: The rst
implication is that, since the sacraments are means of God’s grace, it is God Who is the chief actor
in the sacraments and not we. Grace, in and through the sacraments, is His gift, His favor shown to
us. As a means of saving grace, the sacraments are instruments of His undeserved favor and
rescue shown to us who deserve quite the opposite for having rejected His sovereign authority
over us and His love of us. That God in Christ by His Spirit is the chief actor in the sacraments is
also emphasized by the fact that the sacraments are administered at the command and in the
name of Christ. He is the giver in and through the sacrament. Anyone who does not begin with the
fact that in the sacraments it is God in Christ Who is the initiator and giver will never be able to
appreciate the full meaning and signicance of the sacraments. Since God in Christ is the chief
celebrant and the Lord of the sacrament, it follows that we do not cause Him to act. In fact, God
has the priority and preeminence in all of the means of grace and not just in the sacraments of the
Gospel. For example, having a sermon touch you deeply, open your heart to the Lord, and illumine
your mind, is not something the preacher or you did. It is the gift of God. It is the same with the
sacraments of the Gospel as means of grace. The second implication is that, as means of grace, the
sacraments are highly personal and relational. They are not mechanical and impersonal. Grace is
the gift of God’s love and favor and God’s favor is to be received by us sinners in repentance, faith,
gratitude and humility in response to God. Celebrating a sacrament is not a matter of merely going
through a ritual. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6).
Even though the chief actor in the sacrament is God, we have our part to play, our subordinate
and enabled, personal participation. The third implication is that a “means” of a thing is not the
same thing as that of which it is the means. The telephone is a means for us to converse, but the
telephone is neither the speaker nor listener nor the conversation. So too the sacraments have
their function or ecacy only as instruments or as means of a vital relationship between God and
His people. As previously stated, they are relational and communal by nature. The sacraments are
misused when abstracted from that relational context and misunderstood when viewed as things
in themselves apart from the relationship of which they are a means. The Teaching of Article 25
Here are the teaching points for this Article: 1. Four characteristics of the Sacraments of the
Gospel are listed in this Article. 2. Two Sacraments of the Gospel and the Five Sacramental Acts are
generally accepted by the visible Churches. 3. The right use of the sacraments is by repentant faith
which alone receives a benecial eect. 1. Four characteristics of the Sacraments of the Gospel are
listed in this Article. Explanation This Article lists four characteristics of the sacraments of the
Gospel. They are: 1. “Ordained by Christ” 2. “Badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession” 3.
“Certain and sure witnesses” 4. “Eectual signs of grace and God’s good will towards us by which he
doth work invisibly in us and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and conrm our faith in
him.” We will discuss these characteristics in order. 1. Sacraments of the Gospel are “ordained by
Christ.” The sacraments were instituted by Christ. Therefore by denition, any thing or event that
was not expressly instituted by Christ is not a sacrament of the Gospel. Christ instituted the
sacrament of Holy Baptism in the Great Commission with the words: “Baptizing them in the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” He instituted the Holy Communion, or the Lord’s
Supper or Eucharist, at the Last Supper with the words: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Limiting
the number of sacraments to those explicitly instituted by Christ sets Anglicans apart from Roman
Catholic teaching which holds to seven sacraments, even though ve of them were not expressly
initiated by Christ. Because Christ explicitly ordained the Lord’s Supper and Christian Baptism, they
are sometimes referred to as “ordinances,” the Ordinance of Holy Communion and the Ordinance
of Holy Baptism. The term “sacrament” is avoided by some denominations and the word
“ordinance” is used to make it clear that these denominations do not believe that every time a
baptism is done or the Lord’s Supper is celebrated, God’s grace is conveyed simply by the doing of
the ceremony, irrespective of the faith and disposition of the participants. These denominations
would also hold that a right disposition on the part of the recipient also applies to listening to the
preaching of the Gospel or to the reading of Scripture for them to be eective in deepening our
relationship with God. Unfortunately, the use of the term “ordinance,” while accurate, is
inadequate, for it fails to refer to these ordinances as means of God’s grace and to convey that
God is the chief actor in the sacraments of the Gospel. Therefore, this use tends to obscure and
weaken a right understanding and use of the sacraments in the Churches that use the term
exclusively. Further, such an avoidance of the term “sacrament” is unnecessary and is based on a
misunderstanding. It is incorrect to assume that the term “sacrament” implies that merely going
through a rite automatically bestows the Lord’s blessing. That is not the teaching of any part of the
Church. Even the Roman Catholic Church, which teaches that the sacraments convey their blessing
ex opere operato, that is “by their being done,” qualies that principle by adding that the blessing is
bestowed as long as the participant does not place a block to the reception of the blessing of the
sacrament. Anglicans stress that faith is needed for a “right use” of the sacraments, that is, to
receive the grace of God given through them. 2. Sacraments are “not only badges or tokens of
Christian men’s profession.” It is true that the sacraments are not rst and foremost about our faith
in Christ; however, the sacraments are also, in fact, public badges and tokens of a Christian’s
profession of faith. If faith in Christ is a condition for a right participation in the sacraments, then
by participating in the sacraments we are declaring to the Lord, to other believers, and to the
world that we are believing Christians. It is important for other Christians to know where we stand
with the Lord. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells us not to neglect meeting together,
but to gather together to encourage one another to good works (Hebrews 10:24-25). It is also
important for the world to see that we are Christians and that we want them to become Christians
as well. Naturally, all of this assumes that one ought not to participate in the sacraments of the
Gospel if one is not a believing Christian. To do so without faith is hypocritical and oends God. 3.
The sacraments are “certain and sure witnesses.” This point is tied closely to the next point that
the sacraments are eective signs. Perhaps all we need to say at this point is that, because these
sacraments are ordained by Christ, they stand alongside us and witness to us. They are not the
voice of the Church, not our own voice, but rather they are Christ’s voice, His enacted Word and
action, witnessing to us of His grace and love for us. What could be more certain and sure than
these Word-actions lovingly instituted and commanded by the Savior Himself? Coming from Him
as they do, they speak to us as “sure and certain witnesses.” 4. The sacraments are “eectual signs
of grace and God’s good will towards us by which he doth work invisibly in us and doth not only
quicken, but also strengthen and conrm our faith in him.” First, we note that the sacraments are
signs: “signs of grace and God’s good will towards us.” A sign signies something, conveys a
meaning or a rich fullness of meaning. The sacraments are enacted signs using physical elements,
actions and words that convey meaning. The physical elements that are part of the signs of the
sacraments have a natural appropriateness for what the sacrament is signifying. Think of the
associations with the water in Baptism, such as dying and rising, life-giving, and cleansing.
Consider the wine and bread as food in the Lord’s Supper. Food nourishes life, and eating together
is a profound act of fellowship; red wine suggests His blood shed; the bread broken suggests
Christ’s body broken. Going beyond the natural associations of the elements, there is an essential
historical connection. The fact is that the physical elements, actions and words are anchored in the
history of Jesus and the Gospel. They bring Christ to our minds and hearts as He is revealed in
those crucial events that enacted and speak of God’s love and grace that are set before us in and
through the sacraments. In addition, the sacramental signs are personally appropriated by each of
the participants, the words are spoken to each, the water is applied to the person being baptized,
and the bread and wine are taken and eaten by each of the communicants. Sacraments are signs,
powerful, rich and vivid signs, to say the least. Second, the sacraments are not only signs but they
are eective signs; that is, they are instruments or means through which something is eected,
something happens. Through them the Lord gives Himself to us. Let me repeat that, through them
He gives Himself to us! He communicates His love and favor to the believers and thus He works
invisibly in our hearts and lives, to enliven and stir up, strengthen and conrm our faith in Himself.
This work that God does in us through the sacraments of the Gospel is appropriate to each specic
sacrament of the Gospel. (See Article 27 on Baptism, Article 28 on the Lord’s Supper.) His work in
us does not always produce a vivid emotional experience; it can be at times a deep, almost hidden,
work of the Spirit. On the other hand, at times, it can be quite emotional, provoking us to awe and
wonder and tears. It can bring to our understanding entirely new insights into the Gospel and the
grace of the Lord. By His presence and the Spirit, the Lord does His gracious work within us and
within the congregation as we participate in faith. The sacraments of the Gospel are ecacious
(eective) signs by God’s design and sovereign action. Biblical Foundations I baptize you with water
for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy
to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with re. Matthew 3:11 Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you
always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and
after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 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 tell you
I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father’s kingdom. Matthew 26:26-29 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 And Peter said to
them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 And now why do you wait? Rise
and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. Acts 22:16 Do you not know that all
of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried
therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-4 For in Christ Jesus you
are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:26 False Teachings Denied/Objections Answered 1.
Some in the history of the Church have placed all the emphasis upon the believer in interpreting
the sacraments. They speak primarily about our activity. The sacraments are our badge and the
token of our profession. This man-centered view of the sacraments is sometimes called
Zwinglianism and is attributed to the teaching of Zwingli at the time of the Reformation. Whether
Zwingli actually believed and taught that is disputed. Be that as it may, the view called
Zwinglianism fails to grasp the sacraments at the core. It ignores the priority and action of God and
exalts man’s role. It fails to grasp the nature of Jesus’ institution of the sacraments and the biblical
teaching about them. It fails to understand the Word as a means of grace. It is right in what it
arms, but wrong in what it ignores or rejects. 2. Even further from a right understanding and use
of the sacraments are those Christian bodies that reject the sacraments altogether, thinking them
unnecessary or magical in nature. The Quakers and the Salvation Army are examples of faith
communities that reject the sacraments. In this they are in error and are, at best, on the edge of
the life and witness of the historic Church. They do not measure up to the marks of a visible
Church according to Article 19. Implications God, in and through Christ, has instituted the
Sacraments of the Gospel and works in us, by His Spirit, through them. We are to treasure them
and use them rightly, in faith. 2. Two Sacraments of the Gospel and Five Sacramental Acts are
generally accepted by the visible Churches. Explanation “There are two Sacraments ordained of
Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.” This Article
makes it clear that, for Anglicans, there are only two sacraments of the Gospel: Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper. These two sacraments are set apart in several ways: 1. They alone are expressly
instituted by the Lord Jesus, and have their physical elements and the words of administration
mandated by Him. 2. They are also unique in that they are “of the Gospel,” uniquely centered on
the Gospel. They are rehearsals of the center of the Gospel. 3. In addition, they were instituted for
the participation and benet of all of the people of God and apply to the whole of the Christian life.
The ve sacramental acts are either for some or are related to specic states of the Christian life. In
this sense, by denition, there are only two sacraments of the Gospel. Since each of these two
sacraments of the Gospel has an Article or Articles expressly dedicated to them, we will not
elaborate on them at this point. (See Baptism Article 27, Holy Communion Article 28.) There are ve
sacramental acts that are treasured by almost all Christian bodies. When Anglicans assert that
there are but two sacraments of the Gospel, this does not mean that the other ve sacramental
actions, referred to as sacraments in the preReformation Western Church, are not of great
signicance in the Church’s life. The Article briey states: “Those ve commonly called Sacraments,
that is to say, Conrmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be
counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of
the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures.” These sacramental actions nd
some basis in the work of the Apostles and draw upon the grace of God in Christ. They call for the
Lord’s blessing and empowerment upon signicant aspects of the life of Christians within the life
and ministry of the Church. Conrmation assumes Baptism and is administered by the Bishop in
Anglican practice. It serves to mark a time in the life of a Christian, when after serious instruction
in the Faith, the individual: 1) confesses his or her faith in the Lord; 2) states his or her agreement
with the teaching and practice of the Church; 3) declares his or her readiness to be responsible for
service in the life and ministry of the Church and in society, in accordance with his or her gifts and
sense of calling; 4) declares a readiness to accept the authority of the Bishop and local leaders;
and lastly, 5) asks for a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit for the strength to do all the above and to
grow in grace until his or her life’s end. The Bishop lays hands on the conrmand and prays for the
strengthening gift of the Holy Spirit to that end. Conrmation also gives all of the members of the
congregation an opportunity to rearm their own baptismal and conrmation vows and to commit
themselves to help the newly conrmed to keep his or her vows as well. Penance or the
reconciliation of a penitent provides a private, formal context in which a Christian may confess his
or her sins or a particularly burdensome sin to a Priest of the Church and upon genuine
repentance receive the declaration of the forgiveness of Christ for the same. Among Anglicans,
auricular confession to a Priest of the Church is said to be “required of none, open to all, and
pastorally needed by some.” Holy Orders refers to the ordination of Bishops, Priests or Presbyters,
and Deacons. The Ordinal provides the rite and the Bishops administer ordination to the Diaconate
and to the Priesthood, and the consecration of Bishops. Article 36 will discuss “Holy Orders” more
fully. Matrimony as a sacramental act is an act in which a man and women solemnly exchange
vows and thus marry one another in public before God and the Church. The Church is represented
by the congregation gathered and by the ociating clergy. The clergy ask and declare the Lord’s
blessing on the newly married couple, in which act of marriage they become one and will need the
Lord’s blessing to keep the vows that they have taken. Extreme unction refers to the anointing
with prayer of Christians near death and points to the burial service to come. In the burial service,
thanks are expressed for the redemption and life of the departed Christian and for God’s grace
and victory over death in Christ into which the soul of the departed is commended. Prayers are
oered for those who mourn. While these ve sacramental acts are not sacraments of the Gospel, as
dened by Anglicans, they are sacramental actions that are treasured by Anglicans and provision is
made for each in The Book of Common Prayer. It is instructive that all of the historic Churches of
the Reformation have also provided for their use. Anglicans treasure these important means of
grace. While some distinction in language about the sacraments of the Gospel and the ve
sacramental acts is preferable, there is a reason why the ve sacramental acts were commonly
called “sacraments”; it is that they are all means of grace and use outward and visible signs. There
seems to be no essential reason why they may not be referred to as the lesser sacraments today, if
one so prefers, provided one understands that they lack all of the marks of a sacrament of the
Gospel as stated above. Biblical Foundations For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to
you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my
blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 And Jesus
came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with
you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 False Teachings Denied/Objections
Answered 1. The Council of Trent condemned those who denied that the ve sacramental acts are
sacraments of the Gospel. The Roman Catholic Church holds that while they were not explicitly
instituted by Christ, they are rooted in His earthly ministry and in the Gospel, and are indirectly
instituted by Him and thus are sacraments of the Gospel. They thereby expand the number of
sacraments to seven. This obscures the unique character of the two sacraments of the Gospel. As
mentioned above, some distinction of language is preferable. 2. While Anglicans do limit the
sacraments of the Gospel to those intentionally instituted by Christ with the certain promise of
Christ given in their institution, Anglicans do treasure and make use of the ve sacramental acts, so
it seems that much of the quarrel is beside the point, even if the Council of Trent anathematizes all
who disagree with Rome. Perhaps part of the reason for the strong language of condemnation by
the Roman Church lies in the fact that Anglicans did not and do not recognize the authority of the
Church of Rome over Anglican teaching, but rather submit all teaching to the Word of God written.
Implications Anglicans recognize and celebrate the central and special place of the Sacraments of
Baptism and Holy Communion as sacraments of the Gospel. They, along with all of the Churches of
the Reformation, also treasure and make use of the ve sacramental acts. 3. The right use of the
sacraments is by repentant faith which alone receives a benecial eect. Explanation The Article
states: “The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about, but
that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, have they a
wholesome eect or operation: they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves
damnation, as Saint Paul saith.” The right use of the sacraments of the Gospel has two aspects.
The rst aspect is that the sacraments should be used as Christ intended them to be used. The
second aspect is that they be received in a worthy manner. We need to examine each of these
aspects briey. First, we ask, “What is the intended use of the sacraments?” In the pre-Reformation
Western Church in the Middle Ages, a shift took place in the use of the sacrament of the Lord’s
Supper; it was a shift away from its proper and intended use as a participatory sacramental meal,
instituted by Christ. It became in large measure a non-communicating, miraculous object of
observation. The sacramental sign was lifted up as something or Someone to be gazed upon in
adoration, or carried about in procession within the Church building and in and through the streets
on festive occasions. Several factors were involved in this shift of focus from communion to
observation. One was the fact that many felt themselves too sinful to receive the sacrament. A
second and more inuential factor was the doctrine of transubstantiation which taught that the
substance of the sacramental sign had actually and miraculously been changed into the Body and
Blood of Christ, so that to see the sacramental sign after the consecration of the elements was to
see Christ Himself under the accidents or appearance of bread and wine. This 25th Article states
that the non-communicating use of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is not why the sacraments
were instituted by Christ. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated and taken and
eaten in faith as Christ intended. It was not intended to become service for the observation of the
sacramental signs. Believing sinners were to participate and receive in humble repentant faith, and
not to abstain unless there was some unusual unease of spirit, which should then be addressed
with godly counsel as soon as possible. Article 28 addresses the doctrine of transubstantiation and
rejects it as unscriptural and contrary to the nature of a sacrament. Thus these Articles take away
the fundamental theological reason for gazing upon and carrying the sacramental sign in
procession. To be precise and fair, the Article does not expressly forbid the extra-Eucharistic
practices of procession and the “Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament”; it simply states that these
were not the purposes for which the Eucharist was instituted. On the other hand, the phrase “that
we should duly use them” does seem to discourage such practices. The second aspect of a right
use of the sacraments, according to the Article, is the “worthy reception” of the sacraments. Since
the sacraments are for sinners, what could possibly be meant by “worthy reception”? If we were
worthy, we would not need the sacraments or even Christ for that matter. Of course, “worthy” in
this sense does not mean that we deserve the grace that we receive from Christ in and through
the sacraments, but rather that we take part in the sacrament in an appropriate manner, that is,
with an intentional, humble, repentant faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior, seeking His
forgiveness and intending to follow Him as Lord. We receive as the Publican and not the Pharisee
(Luke 18:9-14). It is only when received in this way that the benets of the sacraments are given
and received. Following St. Paul, the Article also states to receive them with some other
disposition is to court disaster and condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Anglicans take this
matter of worthy participation seriously and The Book of Common Prayer provides exhortations to
be read to the congregation that, in uncompromising terms, call the congregation to humble,
believing participation in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Biblical Foundations And Peter said
to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 And on the Sabbath day we
went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat
down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named
Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord
opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her
household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to
my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. Acts 16:13-15 And all ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them,
and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were
overthrown in the wilderness. 1 Corinthians 10:3- 5 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks
the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the
Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 1
Corinthians 11:27-28 False Teachings Denied/Objections Answered 1. The Roman Catholic
teaching of Trent does not require faith as essential to the right use of the sacraments. They do
speak of the recipient not providing a block to the sacrament. It is not entirely clear what is meant
by a “block”; however, in not requiring faith to receive the benet of the sacrament, Anglicans
believe that the Council of Trent erred and failed to grasp the personal and relational nature of the
sacraments and the biblical place of faith in salvation. 2. It is also true that Rome did not follow
Christ’s institution of the Lord’s Supper in the celebration of the Mass, for Rome withheld the cup
from the laity. That, too, contradicted the right use of the sacrament. It is a happy matter that the
cup has been restored to the laity by the Roman Catholic Church. Implications In the celebration of
the sacraments of the Gospel, the Church is to do what Christ commanded in His institution. In
addition, faith in Christ as Savior and Lord is essential for a right use of the sacraments and to
receive the Lord’s grace in and through the sacraments. Conclusion The sacraments of the Gospel
are of great signicance. They have been instituted by Christ and are to be celebrated as He
prescribed. In order to use them rightly, we participate in humble, repentant faith. The ve
sacramental acts, while not expressly instituted by Christ, apply the Gospel and grace of Christ to
ministries and stages in the Church’s life and the individual Christian’s life. They have been blessed
by the Holy Spirit as they are used in faith. Anglicans treasure them.