There is no single passage in the Bible that lists the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church specifically, nor was the Bible ever intended by Christ to do so as if it was a manual to his Church. The bible is not what most protestant sects would like it to be as the ONLY source that Christ left for instruction and teaching on how to live in His likeness for salvation. Christ left more than just the bible to lead his flock, which is a clear fact stated by the bible itself. Catholics believe Christ left three instruments to lead his flock, which together make up His perfect and everlasting Church.
1) Tradition
2) Magisterium
3) Scripture (bible)
However, everything in the Catholic Church is derived from the bible and the 7 Sacraments are mentioned throughout the bible as important acts of Faith instituted by Christ and carried on by his Church. These were special ceremonies that Christ administered to people to bring about the salvation of those that followed them.
So where can we find the Catholic Church's seven Sacraments in the Bible? The following biblical proofs are only a few of the many that mention the Sacraments:
1) Baptism
Baptism is mentioned in many places in the bible but specifically relating to where the Catholic Church has derived it from to be a Sacrament would be in Matthew 28:18, 19, 20. This passage takes place after Jesus' Resurrection and is actually the last three verses of the Gospel. Christ summons all of His Apostles together and says to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, FIRST baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Then teaching all I have commanded you. I am with you always even till the end of the age." This language is also proof of the lineage of the Pope and priesthood that once the Apostles died, others would take their place and continue Jesus' office, or his threefold office of prophet, priest and King. So in this language it is clear that Christ intended there to be a continuation and line of men (magisterial) who will carry out Christ's wishes and make disciples of people all through time till the last days on earth.
Secondly, in St. Mark Chapter 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and be baptized shall be saved." So here we see again that belief, Faith and baptism are all necessary for salvation. How can one be saved just by Faith alone without baptism? That would be unbiblical according to this verse.
Thirdly, in the Gospel of John Chapter 3 1:2, Jesus says to an old Rabbi, Nicodemus, that comes to Him by night, "Truly, Truly I say to you that unless a man is born again, he cannot see God." Nicodemus asks Jesus, "How can a man be born again." Jesus replies, "Unless one is born of WATER and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." So Jesus is first talking about being baptized by water then by spirit in that very order that He commands them. This also is another proof that infant baptism is not against God's will.
There is proof in many places in the Bible that when Jesus said water, he meant physical water and not water of the spirit or water of the womb to be born again. In fact, a Protestant Baptist, Gerald Borchert, completely agrees with the Catholic teaching on baptism and the meaning of water in the bible being meant as physical liquid and not the spiritual sense. The New American Commentary Series in volume 25-A, which covers John Chapter 1 - 11, is written by Gerald Borchert, a Baptist and professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Here is what he says about water and what the bible means when actual water is mentioned v spirit. He writes, "These two words that is water and spirit also should not be bifurcated (to separate or split a main body) as in some inadequate folk interpretations of the text where water is equated with that of the water of natural birth. Water appears with spirit conjunctively in John Chapter 1 - 11 and water appears with flesh disjunctively in the John Chapter 3-6." This Baptist himself is admitting and bringing clarity to the argument that water is not a reference to natural birth but to a spiritual birth only. And that the water Christ speaks of is first a physical water for the act of Baptism and then a spiritual water for the cleansing of the spirit, only after the physical act has been performed.
Also the book of Acts backs up baptism as well when Peter replies to the question of what must we do to be saved. Peter says, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."
2) Confirmation
Confirmation is the Sacrament of confirming or strengthening the Holy Spirit within us where we openly confess we believe in Christ one more time, after baptism.
In Acts Chapter 8 Phillip the Evangelist was sent to Samaria. After Phillip had evangelized the people and baptized them, he then began laying his hands on them as well and the Holy Spirit came down into the people. This act was actually able to be seen by all that were there where they saw the fire of the Holy Spirit come down upon those Phillip was laying his hands on.
So what was actually going on here and why does the Church view this as a Sacrament? Phillip did exactly as Christ commanded. He evangelized and baptized the people and then God poured out the Spirit in a way that was visible to the people. Peter and John were also laying their hands on the Samaritans, who were already baptized, and those Samaritans received the Holy Ghost in this visible form, just as the Apostles received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead in the same form.
God sent his two bishops, Peter and John, from Jerusalem to Samaria to bring a second endowment of the Holy Spirit to the people by the laying of their hands on the people. From this, Catholics continue this sacred act as Confirmation.
3) Penance or Confession of Sins (Confession)
John Chapter 20:21 after Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus appears to the Apostles and says, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you."
Now, how did the Father send Jesus?
Jesus said that you know that the Son of Man has been given authority on earth to forgive sins. So Jesus is God, but as MAN, Jesus says he has been commissioned by the Father to be a human being pronouncing the words from human lips, "your sins are forgiven." Jesus is constantly saying your sins are forgiven throughout the Gospels.
Jesus also said He had been authorized by the Father to have the power to forgive all sins. Therefore, Jesus uses his authority given to him by the Father and passes it on to his Apostles to carry out the forgiveness of sins in His stead since He no longer will be on earth. In John 20:22 it explicitly says just this, "And when Jesus said this, He breathed on the Apostles and said receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of many, their sins have been forgiven them and if you retain the sins of many their sins will be retained." Christ clearly gives the Apostles the power to forgive and retain sins of others in this verse.
We also see proof text of the Sacrament of Confession in Matthew 3:6 when people came to John the Baptist to get baptized. The bible records them confessing their sins to John the Baptist while being baptized as a part of Baptism and this was continued in the Church so that adult converts to Christianity would REPENT and be baptized. Both were required by God, not just baptism.
Therefore the Apostles main duty was to go and plant churches in each city they evangelized to, according to Acts 14:23, where it tells us of the Apostles anointing priests in those towns as the "Elders" who were given the power by the Apostles to carry on in that town the spiritual gifts of confession, baptism, preaching the Word of God and so on after the Apostles left.
In the book of James, James 5:14-16, "14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
This passage is very important and is a biblical proof text for two reasons.
1) Calling us to confess our sins to the Elders (Priests) of the Church for God to forgive us as He commanded.
2) This is also a biblical proof text for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, or the anointing of a person in their last days just before they die. This verse commands us to call for the Elders (Priests) of the Church, ask them to pray over you and anoint you with oil and if it is God's will you will be raised up from your sick bed, and if not, then you will be prepared to die and putting your soul in the best possible preparation for God.
4) Holy Communion
The first biblical backing for Holy Communion is when Jesus is in the upper room on Holy Thursday, the day before He is put to death on Friday, and says to his Apostles in Matthew 26:26-27, "26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.28 This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
This same message is taught in St. Mark's gospel, Mark 14, and in St. Luke Chapter 22. St. John 6:53 gives a profound message about communion saying, "52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Also St. Paul talks about Communion in his 1st Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 10:16-21, "16 The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord ? 17 For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread. 18 Behold Israel according to the flesh: are not they, that eat of the sacrifices, partakers of the altar ? 19 What then ? Do I say, that what is offered in sacrifice to idols, is any thing ? Or, that the idol is any thing ? 20 But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils 21 You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord, and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of devils."
5) Matrimony
The first biblical proof text for the Sacrament of Matrimony is discussed by Paul, in Ephesians Chapter 5:22-27, "22 Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord: 23 Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it: 26 That he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life: 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any; such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.28 So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. 29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church: 30 Because we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. 32 This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church."
We can see that Paul speaks of marriage between the husband and wife as a Sacrament and as an analogy of the relationship between Christ (husband) and his Church (bride). Paul says this is a great mystery and just like communion when we receive Christ in our body, so does the man and woman become one flesh when they get married and do the marriage act.
6) Holy Orders (Priesthood or Nun)
The washing of the feet with Jesus and his Apostles has very in depth meaning to what it means to have a part with Jesus. In John 13:8 "If I do not wash then you have no part with me." That language Jesus uses is technical language that is used in the Bible to describe participation in the priestly ministry.
In the upper room at the Last Supper, Jesus ordains the Apostles into His priesthood when he said in Luke 22:19, "Do this in remembrance of Me." Here Jesus was ordaining them and giving them the priestly powers to change bread and wine into His body and blood, just as He did.
Another proof text of Christ's Priesthood is found again in John 20:22 it explicitly says this, "And when Jesus said this He breathed on the Apostles and said receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of many, their sins have been forgiven them and if you retain the sins of many their sins will be retained." Here he is giving the Apostles, His priests, the power to forgive sins.
7) Extreme Unction
In the book of James, James 5:14-16, " 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
No comments:
Post a Comment