What's the Protestants' view on the purpose of sacraments?

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Accepted answer

Let me preface this with a note that the view I present does not think it serious to hold a more traditional view. Unity on other matters make this subject peripheral.

Another common view is among popular evangelicalism that would not try to defend their emphasis on the sacraments, but oppose an over emphasis by others. From their view the need for any kind of visible succession is more or less superstition. The situation with Jesus at the well with the Samaritan would seem similar. The woman was not very spiritual. She could not help worrying about external rites. She did not know which mountain to worship on. Should she worship at the visible, material mountain from her holy men's traditions, or the one from the Jew’s traditions? Jesus said it does not matter:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

In a similar way, most evangelicals think the Catholic Church was like a snowball of superstition. Starting to collect superstitions, around the time of Constantine, until Luther, the snowball formed. At this point the Church and its Traditions had become a molted layer of dead skin, with the 'histoblast' of a butterfly forming, which is the reformation under Luther.

Yet Luther attached 'spooky' 'superstitious' ideas about Baptism and The Lord's Supper still, so we have not yet arrived at the popular view I am explaining as one alterative view. By ‘spooky” I mean Luther believed that there is “the Real Presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Christian Eucharist.” (sacramental union) and although not fully believing in baptismal regeneration (that water baptism was necessary for salvation) he did seem to infer that salvations was more intimately linked to baptism than later reformers.

Most feel it is easy to forgive Luther on this point because having been raised under so many superstitions; one cannot expect full departure in one man. Therefore during the next generation, or two, or three, we find the lead being taken by the independent Puritans, like John Owen, some of who settled into America, like the Presbyterian Jonathan Edwards. America, having possibly the most independant evangelical community, now also has a strong contingent of Baptist churches, who in addition to strictly taking a symbolic view of the sacraments, also reject infant baptism altogether.

For example John Owen, a leading Puritan in the mid 1600’s, though still quite traditional, said the following with regard to the Lord’s supper:

Do the elements remain bread and wine still, after the blessing of them?...Yes; all the spiritual change is wrought by the faith of the receiver”

This is clearly different from Luther.

Or with regard to the Lord’s supper:

Regeneration doth not consist in these things, which are only outward signs and tokens of it, or at most instituted means of effecting it...The apostle really states this case, 1 Peter 3:21, “In answer whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” The outward administration of this ordinance, considered materially, reacheth no farther but to the washing away of “the filth of the flesh;” (John Owen's Works Volume 3 P268)

Taking great emphasis on the 'inner reality' of regeneration as opposed to the 'external practice' of the Lord’s Supper, Jonathan Edwards (considered by many as one of the most influential evangelicals in American history) was excommunicated from his own church. only latter to be asked the he might forgive them! This was partly because Edwards's became convicted that unless someone is really a regenerate believer, they should not partake in the Lord’s Supper. For people should not perform and external rite symbolizing something that has not actually occurred inside them. His argument was published in a book entitled, Qualifications for Communion (1749). (Refer to Works of President Edwards Volume 1, Page 276)

Regarding the two sacraments themselves, Baptism primarily is seen as a New Testament version of circumcision, symbolizing the cutting away the sinful flesh, including all of its superstitions by faith. It symbolizes dying to the world and rising in Christ. There was nothing spooky about circumcision.

The Lord's Supper, the only repetitive practice, is seen as a very solemn means to enforce the creed that Christ and His works are all that matters, our works have little importance. This emphasis is seen as so important, that if you blaspheme against it as some did in Corinth, you could create scandalous shame that God would have to publicly manifest His displeasure, as He did in Corinth.

30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 11:29-30)

So although this large portion of evangelicals largely avoid any link with ancient church tradition, they take their freedom about these matters seriously.

Their 'succession' of tradition is not through Popes or Saints but faith like Abraham's. Succession even through one man is enough for them, but even in the dark ages, it was not as bad as Noah's time regarding numbers of true church leaders.

The Bible is viewed as the only authority on the matter and all ‘holy’ tradition praised or condemned on that basis.

I should mention I am not representing the whole evangelical view, or of even the average view. The fact is, there are many views. But I have presented a view that does not think the emhasis should in any way be placed on the external form of religion.

Upvote:1

This is a bad question because there is too much diversity of belief to say that there is a single "Protestant" view of sacraments. Some Protestants, notably the Salvation Army, do not even practice sacraments. On the other hand, there are some Protestants, especially in certain corners of Anglicanism who have essentially the same beliefs as Catholics.

According to the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is the creed of the Presbyterians, sacraments function as a visible sign of unity (differentiating the church from the world) and to confirm the elect in their faith and the grace of God.

On the sacraments in general:

Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ and His benefits; and to confirm our interest in Him: as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word. (WCF 27.1)

Unlike in modern Evangelical (in the common American usage of the word) theology, the sacraments do really convey grace according to the Westminster Confession.

On Baptism:

The efficacy of Baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongs unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in His appointed time. (WCF 28.6)

On the Lord's Supper:

Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements, in this sacrament, do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally but spiritually, receive and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of His death: the body and blood of Christ being then, not corporally or carnally, in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet, as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses. (WCF 29.7)

This should not be mistaken for teaching identical with Catholicism since they deny that five of the seven Catholic sacraments are really sacraments, they say that sacraments are efficacious only for the elect, that the sacraments of the New Testament are identical to the Old Testament and so on.

Upvote:2

The Purpose of the sacrmanents in the Protestant view -- I would specifically answer from a Born Again Christian view point.

First of all, Born Again Christians do not believe that the sacraments --the Eucharist and Water Baptism -- have graces that saves/cleanses/justifies someone from any sin.

The Lord's Table

Born Again Christians believe that the purpose of the sacrament of the Eucharist is both remembrance and proclamation of the Good New until the second coming as the New Testament records show.Born Again Christians do not believe that the bread changes substance ( Transubstantiation) into Christ's real flesh because it is recorded in the Scriptures that Christians who celebrates the Lord's Supper eats bread not eats the body.

1 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NASB)

23For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Water Baptism

Born Again Christians believe that water baptism is a symbol of the new birth and the reality of the new life in Christ Jesus. It is a response from a clean conscience by faith alone.All of this is as it is recorded in the New Testament Scriptures.

Titus 3:5 (NLT)

he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 3:16-21 (KJV)

16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

21 The like figure where unto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 11:7 (NASB)

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith

Upvote:9

Asking "What do Protestants think about the sacraments?" is a bit misleading. There are a large variety of Protestant views, some of them are more traditional than others. The question as to whether Protestant groups are wholly divorced from the Apostolic succession is also not 100% correct. There are a few clearly Protestant groups who have at least some claim to succession (Certain Anglicans, the Old Catholic Church, etc.).

This is a statement from the Presbyterian Church of the USA (PCUSA):

In the words of John Calvin, sacraments are "a testimony of divine grace toward us, confirmed by an outward sign, with mutual attestation of our piety toward [God]." A sacrament is a testimony of God's favor toward the church, confirmed by an outward sign, with a mutual testifying of our godliness toward God. It is a primal, physical act that signifies a spiritual relationship between personal beings.

Here's the Lutheran perspective (ELCA):

Contemporary theologians, especially Edward Schillebeeckx, have said that Christ is the "primordial sacrament." The grace that is received in the sacraments is the grace of Christ. In the two sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist Jesus Christ is the content of the sacrament as well as the minister of the sacrament. In both sacraments it is the whole Christ who encounters us. The sacraments are wonderful ways in which Christ is present to us. This is not to deny that Christ is present to us in other ways as well, but if we look at Christ’s command and Christ’s promise it is obvious that two actions are central.

The United Methodist Church (UMC) has similar thoughts:

Like baptism, Holy Communion is regarded by Protestants as a sacrament. That is, it’s an act of worship ordained by Christ and is a means of grace. This does not mean that we become any more worthy of God’s grace by taking part in Communion. Rather, we open ourselves to the divine love that’s already there; we become more ready to receive that love and to respond to it.

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