- Sep 21, 2006
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As I mentioned in another thread, I'm going through the Augsburg Confession, and I'm struggling with a few of the articles. This is one of them. For reference, it reads:
I've bolded the part I'm having a problem with. What this seems to say to me is that churches in which the sacraments are administered incorrectly aren't part of the one holy Church. Does that mean to say that denominations that don't believe in the True Presence aren't Christian? What about those where the gospel is taught incorrectly, such as in the Reformed tradition?
Also they teach that one holy Church is to continue forever. The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.
And to the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree concerning the doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. Nor is it necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies, instituted by men, should be everywhere alike. As Paul says: One faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, etc. Eph. 4:5-6.
I've bolded the part I'm having a problem with. What this seems to say to me is that churches in which the sacraments are administered incorrectly aren't part of the one holy Church. Does that mean to say that denominations that don't believe in the True Presence aren't Christian? What about those where the gospel is taught incorrectly, such as in the Reformed tradition?