1. Sacraments as Signs and Seals
Chapter 27 teaches that sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, instituted directly by God. Their purpose is fourfold:
-
To represent Christ and His benefits
-
To confirm believers in Him
-
To distinguish the visible church from the world
-
To solemnly engage believers in obedience
The Confession is careful to distinguish between the sign (the outward element) and the thing signified (the spiritual reality). Water, bread, and wine do not become grace; rather, they point to grace already promised in Christ.
Yet the connection between sign and reality is not merely symbolic or subjective. By divine appointment, there is a real spiritual relation between them. Thus, Scripture can speak of the sign using the name of the thing signified (e.g., baptism called “washing,” the Supper called “communion in the body and blood of Christ”)—without implying any physical transformation.
Grace is not conferred automatically (ex opere operato), but is effectually applied by the Holy Spirit to those who receive the sacrament by faith, according to God’s sovereign will.
2. Two Sacraments, Not Seven
The Confession recognizes only two sacraments as instituted by Christ for the New Covenant:
-
Baptism
-
The Lord’s Supper
These alone meet the biblical criteria for a sacrament:
-
Instituted by Christ
-
Commanded for the whole church
-
Using a visible sign that signifies gospel grace
In contrast, Roman Catholicism recognizes seven sacraments:
-
Baptism
-
Confirmation
-
Eucharist
-
Penance
-
Extreme Unction
-
Holy Orders
-
Matrimony
From a Protestant perspective, five of these lack either clear dominical institution or the character of a gospel sign and seal. They may be pastoral rites or ecclesial practices, but they are not sacraments in the strict biblical sense.
3. Why Only Lawfully Ordained Ministers May Administer the Sacraments
Chapter 27 insists that the sacraments are to be dispensed only by ministers of the Word lawfully ordained. This is not because ministers possess a higher personal holiness or ontological power, but because:
-
Sacraments are acts of Christ toward His church, not private religious expressions.
-
They belong to public worship, which Christ has entrusted to duly called shepherds.
-
The same authority that preaches the Word authoritatively also administers its visible confirmation.
Word and sacrament are inseparable. To detach the sacraments from ordained ministry risks severing them from their ecclesial and doctrinal guardrails, turning them into either magical rites or subjective symbols.
This is a matter of order, fidelity, and accountability, not clerical privilege.
4. Priesthood of All Believers vs. Ministerial Priesthood
Protestant theology wholeheartedly affirms the priesthood of all believers: every Christian has direct access to God through Christ, offers spiritual sacrifices, and shares in Christ’s anointing as Prophet, Priest, and King.
However, this does not eliminate the need for ordained ministry. Rather, it clarifies its nature.
-
In Protestantism, ministers are not mediating priests who re-present Christ’s sacrifice.
-
They are servants of the Word, stewards of the mysteries, and shepherds of Christ’s flock.
-
Their authority is ministerial and declarative, not sacrificial or ontological.
By contrast, Roman Catholic theology understands the priesthood as a distinct sacramental order, imparting an indelible character and enabling the priest to act in persona Christi, especially in the Eucharistic sacrifice.
The Reformed tradition rejects this, insisting that Christ’s priesthood is once-for-all, unrepeatable, and fully sufficient. No human priest stands between the believer and God—yet Christ still appoints under-shepherds to preach, teach, and administer His ordinances faithfully.
5. A Gracious Balance
Chapter 27 thus holds together two essential truths:
-
The sacraments are profoundly meaningful, truly communicating Christ and His benefits to believers by faith.
-
They are never autonomous, never magical, and never detached from the Word, the Spirit, and the church Christ has ordered.
In this way, the Confession safeguards both the objectivity of God’s promises and the necessity of faith, preserving the sacraments as gifts of grace rather than human achievements.
No comments:
Post a Comment