Sacramental questions
Nothing more fascinating than the subject of sacraments. But nothing more divisive throughout the history of the Church. In fact, the great Reformers of old could not come to agreement and many Christians have been put to death over the issue of baptism. Personally, I am suspicious of Roman Catholicism, which coined this unBiblical term centuries ago.
Consider. We are instructed in Scripture to greet one another with a holy kiss. And according to the Saviour we should wash each others feet. Are these also sacraments? Why not, I wonder? What about the Lord's Prayer? Jesus said to pray in this manner.
How many sacraments are there? And who determines? Some say 30. Some say 2. Who decides?
As for the Lord's supper, it can occur without an administrator or a complicated ceremony, in public or private. In my opinion. You will recall that the Passover was a family meal rather than a community event.
Of course, the unharmonious meal among the Corinthians was a public meal. A real hunger and thirst quenching meal compared to the micro meal of today. Yes, it should have been a "supper of the Lord" - not one where some had too much food and drink and others too little.
By the way... the New Testament also mentions a "table of demons" and a "synagogue of Satan". Were these carefully defined physical realities? I would think not. What I am getting at is that the only occurrence of the phrase "Lord's Supper" is employed in the same sentence with purely symbolic language about another supper or table - that of demons.
As for baptism, I was unaware that other than Quakers, there were Christians who did/do not baptize with water, believing that the Holy Spirit baptism replaced it. I am not convinced myself but intend to vigorously research the matter in the days ahead.
My question today: How symbolic is your world? Would you have been like the Israelites who just ate and drank without a care? Or would you have realized that the symbolic rock from which the water flowed was CHRIST, the water of life?
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10
What we can agree upon is that once something is consumed, it is very difficult to retrieve or to be taken from you. Same with Christ. No one is greater than He and he will never leave us. Nor can anyone snatch us away from the arms of the Good Shepherd.
Praise his Mighty Name. Blessed assurance - Jesus is Mine.
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- · Todd Buiten
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Nice work, David. I think that you hit on some key points for me. Your comments on the Lord's Supper are close to my heart. So too those on baptism. I had lived nearly six decades before I became aware that Paul's comments to the Corinthians were made in the context of a public meal. As you describe it, a "real hunger and thirst quenching meal". Yet I can never recall any church of any denomination that I've attended ever talking about this. Either Communion was ignored, or it was just a quick five minute deal after the morning sermon on the first Sunday of each month. Every church denomination appears to want to be true to the church as found in the Book of Acts, so why isn't a simple detail like Communion being a part of a regular meal for which the saints gather not a well-understood part of the activity of the church?
For those who confess that Jesus is God Incarnate, come in the flesh to save us from our sins (1 John 4:2), I say that you are my brother or sister in Christ. Beyond that, any division that you would place between us by your interpretation of Scripture is shameful and sinful. The Bible calls us to be united in Christ, not argue over nuances of our respective theologies and the machinations of humans.
Praise his Mighty Name. Blessed assurance - Jesus is Mine
Amen!