Sacraments / Ordinances

## Core Position

The church observes two ordinances — water baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are the only two practices directly instituted by Christ himself with an explicit command to continue them. The term ordinance is preferred over sacrament because it more accurately reflects the biblical concept: acts ordained by Christ, not rituals that convey grace through the act itself.

The Two Ordinances

Water Baptism:
Matthew 28:19 — "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." Directly commanded by Christ.
Acts 2:38 — The normative response to new birth from the day of Pentecost forward.

The Lord's Supper:
Luke 22:19 — "Do this in remembrance of me." Directly commanded by Christ at institution.
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 — Paul confirms and repeats the command.

Both share these characteristics: directly instituted by Christ with an explicit command to continue; physical acts that represent a spiritual reality; practiced by the NT church from the beginning; received by faith, not effective by the act itself.

Ordinance vs. Sacrament

The word sacrament does not appear in Scripture. It derives from the Latin sacramentum (oath or sacred pledge) and was applied to church rituals through TRADITION.

Ordinance better reflects the biblical concept — these are acts ordained (commanded) by Christ for the church to observe as long as it gathers until his return. The word points to the authority behind the practice: Christ commanded it.

The Catholic Seven — Evaluated

The Catholic and Orthodox traditions number seven sacraments. The five additions beyond baptism and the Lord's Supper:

Confirmation — no dominical institution; the laying on of hands in Acts is contextual, not a prescribed continuing ordinance. TRADITION.
Penance (Confession) — confession and forgiveness are biblical (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9) but not instituted as a sacrament administered by a priest. TRADITION.
Anointing of the Sick — James 5:14-15 describes elders praying and anointing — a practice, not a sacrament conveying grace through the act. TRADITION to elevate it to sacrament.
Holy Orders (Ordination) — ordination to ministry is practiced in the NT (1 Timothy 4:14) but not instituted as a grace-conveying sacrament. TRADITION.
Matrimony — marriage is honored and regulated in Scripture but never instituted as a sacrament by Christ. TRADITION.

None of the five additional Catholic sacraments carry the same direct dominical institution as baptism and the Lord's Supper.

The Ex Opere Operato Rejection

The Catholic sacramental system teaches that the sacraments convey grace through the act itself (ex opere operato — "by the work worked") — regardless of the faith of the recipient.

Rejected on the following grounds:
Ephesians 2:8 — grace is received through faith, not through ritual performance.
Acts 8:9-25 — Simon was baptized and received no grace because his heart was not right. The act without the faith produced nothing.
1 Corinthians 11:27-29 — taking the Lord's Supper unworthily brings judgment, not grace — the faith and posture of the participant are the active ingredients, not the elements themselves.

What This Rejects

Seven sacraments — five of the seven lack direct dominical institution with a command to continue.
Grace conveyed through ritual act itself — Ephesians 2:8, Acts 8:9-25.
Sacramental necessity for salvation — faith alone is the instrument of salvation.