Christian Churches of God
No. 150z
Summary:
The Sacraments of the Church
(Edition 2.1 19951216-20011118)
This paper examines the claims of multiple sacraments in the Church and concludes there are only two authorised by the New Testament.
Christian Churches of God
PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA
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secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright ã 1995, 2001 Wade Cox)
(Summary by Andrew Mason, Ed. Wade Cox)
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The Sacraments of the Church
Modern Orthodox Christianity claims a multiplicity of sacraments for herself, seeking to control various vital aspects of human life and so increase her power. Among these extraneous sacraments are Marriage, Last Rites, and Eucharist.
Marriage, although divinely instituted, is not a sacrament of the Church, for it is a function of both family and nation also. Under the Laws of God, only the consent of parents is required for a marriage to be valid (Ex. 20:16-17). The doctrines of marriage and divorce exist external to the Church, from Mosaic Law and prior.
Christ himself pronounced important doctrine on marriage in John 4:16-18. He recognized marriage and divorce as valid institutions among the nations but rejected a de-facto relationship.
Duty to God always comes first (Deut. 13:6-10; Mat. 19:29; Lk. 14:26), and marriage cannot be eternal or binding after death (Mat. 22:29-30; Mk. 12:24-25). It is a physical relationship with a spiritual application and symbolism.
The doctrine of Last Rites derives from erroneous belief in an immortal human soul and in the Church controlling its destiny beyond the grave. The Bible shows us that, instead, there are two resurrections (Rev. 20:4-15) and the role of the Church is to warn her members of sins, which could keep them from the first resurrection (1Cor. 5:5).
The idea of a purgatory is entirely false, pagan, and aimed at power and profit. Neither can the Church absolve any person of sin. All baptized individuals are responsible directly to Jesus Christ for their relationship to God under the Law.
Eucharist is a confusion of the annual Lord’s Supper with the weekly eating of Shewbread. However, the Shewbread was to be eaten only by the Levites, only on the seventh day Sabbath, and only under the Levitical system. Christ has removed the traditional distinction between priest and laity. We are now under the priesthood of Melchisedek. We now have the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, which is tied to Passover and the removal of sin.
Moreover, both the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine are required for one to inherit eternal life (Jn. 6:53-58), and it is quite clear that these elements are in fact substitutes for the body and blood of Christ, our Paschal lamb. Footwashing is also an integral part of this process (Jn. 13:12-17).
The only real sacraments of the Church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. While the act of baptism itself does not confer the Holy Spirit, it is a necessary prerequisite (Acts 19:1-7). John’s baptism of repentance was in preparation for the receipt of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Baptism is based on repentance as an adult before God and it is clearly commanded of the Church (Mat. 28:19-20). The Lord’s Supper must be kept properly as part of the entire process of Sanctification, Passover, and Unleavened Bread.
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