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OrthodoxForever

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Can some protestants please help me understand the view that there is no biblical evidence for the other 5 sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion being purely symbolic, and the supposed lack of biblical support for the communion of saints including but not limited to Mary as well as the position that Icons should not be used in worship? This will be bible based since I have a long series of verses that to me, quite clearly contradict all these things...
 

OrthodoxForever

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These are what I have found (so far) regarding Icons, namely proof that clearly even prior to Christ's birth not every image was a "graven image" and that extended to the Ark of the Covenant and Solomon's Temple

"He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8 one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat." - Exodus 37:7-9

"4 And the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuaryc]'>[c] was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was one hundred andd]'>[d] twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 The larger roome]'>[e] he paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it. 6 And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper area with gold. 10 In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub; 12 one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward. 14 And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it. 15 Also he made in front of the templef]'>[f] two pillars thirty-fiveg]'>[g] cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork. 17 Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz." 2Chronicles 3:4-17
 
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Cis.jd

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There is no biblical view that contradicts the 5 sacraments, praying to saints and everything else you mentioned. Not all Protestants speak against this, it's just the protestant denominations that were born 1,000+ years after the Bible was canonized that began to think this. They will pull off bible verses that is 10% in context to what they are arguing against.
 
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Albion

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Can some protestants please help me understand the view that there is no biblical evidence for the other 5 sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion being purely symbolic.
I was just about to offer an answer, but then I realized that you'd included the part I've highlighted above. That removes the majority of Protestants from the issue and aims it mainly at Protestants of the Anabaptist tradition.

It doesn't seem to be "denomination-specific," but it's a somewhat refreshing question to ask, considering that we tend to retread the 'same old stuff' around here quite a lot.
 
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OrthodoxForever

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There are non-Anabaptist protestants that feel that way though, of the three Methodist pastors I experienced in my youth only one preached anything like "real presence" and the United Methodist Articles of Faith explain both baptism and Holy Communion as purely symbolic acts.
 
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Albion

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The Methodist view--and you can verify this--is Real Presence, and certainly not that either of the Sacraments of the Gospel are "purely symbolic." To think that every member or even every pastor believes in the Real Presence, though, would be a mistake, I agree.
 
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GreekOrthodox

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The Lutheran definition consists of three points:
- Commanded by God
- Visible elements
- Offers forgiveness
This limits the Lutheran definition to only two baptism and communion. The other sacraments such as marriage are missing one of these items. So marriage is commanded but doesnt have visible element nor does it offer forgiveness. Anointing with oil, while having a visible element and being offered to the sick, was not commanded by Christ. Part of the Lutheran reaction was to certain Catholic practices being called sacraments, that to the Lutheran reformers, went against a more limited definition. I believe the Lutheran Confessions point out baptizing church bells was one of their objections to this broader definition of a sacrament.
 
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