By: Brent Kercheville

Brent Kercheville — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:45:18 +0000

According to dictionary.com, a sacrament is:

Ecclesiastical. a visible sign of an inward grace, esp. one of the solemn Christian rites considered to have been instituted by Jesus Christ to symbolize or confer grace: the sacraments of the Protestant churches are baptism and the Lord's Supper; the sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches are baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders, and extreme unction.

2.	(often initial capital letter) Also calledÂ Holy Sacrament. the Eucharist or Lord's Supper.

3.	the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, esp. the bread.

4.	something regarded as possessing a sacred character or mysterious significance.

5.	a sign, token, or symbol.

6.	an oath; solemn pledge.

Number one is the standard meaning, that is, this act is the way God's grace is imparted to the individual. The Lord's Supper is a memorial, not God giving us salvation, grace, etc. I think it is unfortunate to call baptism as sacrament because it just makes it sound like part of a checklist, rather than a heart response to God ask for a clean conscience (1 Peter 3:21). Hope that helps.

By: Joel

Joel — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:34:49 +0000

I have always had a questionable mental definition of “sacrament.” Â I have Catholics use the word in a way that makes it sound like a privilege. Â Others make “sacrament” sound like a duty. Â I know what the sacraments are like ‘Baptism” and “Eucharist.” Â I guess I am asking for a clear definition of the term. Â I looked it up on Wikipedia but it left the definition just as blurry as before. Â Maybe this would make a good subject for you or Richard make into a post. Â Â Â

Comments on: Review: NLT Discover God Study Bible

By: Brent Kercheville

By: Joel