Do Protestants Teach Sacramentalism?

[patricius79]

Protestants claim that the Sacramental principle of the Catholic CHurch is false and involves salvation through works in a sense opposed to Pauline teaching.

But how can this be when Protestants teach that we are saved through the physical acts of preaching, hearing, understanding through the brain, confessing, reading Scripture printed through humans or human-made technology?

A few other notes:

Lk 6:18-19 is a good summary of the sacramental principle, which states that the Word became flesh, so that matter can be used to transmit grace. This verse says that power of healing came from Jesus's body.

Acts 19:11-12 is one example of God using Paul's hands and handkerchiefs to cast out demons. Likewise the Letter to the Hebrews lists "instructions about the laying on of hands" fundamental Christian doctrine. Heb 6:1,2, Acts 19:6,



Peace to all who love Jesus Christ,

pat

 

[CryptoLutheran]

Lutherans speak of the "Means of Grace", i.e., the Word and Sacraments. Lutherans are deeply sacramental.

Means of Grace

-CryptoLutheran

 

[patricius79]

Lutherans speak of the "Means of Grace", i.e., the Word and Sacraments. Lutherans are deeply sacramental.


-CryptoLutheran

right. I think that Protestant Evangelicals are also, though they don't realize it.

 

[Baqueinfaith]

I sometimes think the biggest difference between Protestant and Catholic in the way we understand our faith is that that Protestant theology is more about philosophic consistency, while Catholic theology is more concerned with the practical aspects of how to live our faith.

MASSIVE OVERSIMPLIFICATION ALERT

For example, neither Protestants nor Catholics teach salvation by works. Protestants get closer to God by trying to understand exactly how he does or doesn't predestine us to receive His grace. Catholics prefer to get closer to God by understanding how his Grace can touch us in our lives. So Catholics think of the Mass, and of Confession, as means through which God uses our human lives to give us grace, whereas Protestants think of Church and of talking to their Pastor, as merely incidental to the spiritual growth they receive from that.

They are both useful and both valid. What Protestant would deny that some have received God's grace through listening to a sermon, picking up a Bible, or taking part in a Church service? What Protestant would eschew all fellowship, worship, and learning? He wouldn't, but he doesn't view these actions that have nonetheless helped us grow closer to God as works-based salvation.

Catholics have just more formally made an issue of things like mass and confession as means through which God transmits Grace. It is the same idea, but there's a massive communications gap.

 

[OldStudent]

While there is place for preaching, teaching, reading, and intellectual persuits - these inform us but do not save us. All are saved through the love, grace, and work of the Christ - THE One anointed, appointed, Redeemer. We must hear of our dire and broken state, of God's love for us, of His desire that we recover His design for us. "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9. The change in us is so drastic Jesus calls it being born again (John 3:1-21. "...for there is none other name under heaven [Jesus] given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12. Tools of technology may have a place - a starting place - but they can't do the deed. I think you understand that. I hope it is useful to hear a Protestant lay it out.

I am a lifelong Protestant so I do not have a cultural understanding or feel of what is meant by "sacrimentalim." The dictionary indicates that in "sacrimentalism" participation in or attending certain ceremonies (sacriments) are paths through which grace flows and is carried into the soul of a person. Without the sacriments God's grace and hence His salvation cannot reach us. This seems also the sense I have gleaned from the Catechisms I have read.

Jesus does indicate that there are a couple of ceremonies we are expected to participate in - baptism (by immersion) and the "Lord's Supper" (including the service of footwashing). But these do not bring grace, they are responses to His grace. Baptism is part of "being born again." It signifies, makes visible, and makes a historical marker of our entry into a covenant relationship with God where He has cleared the past history of our sin - Jesus died for our sins. It signifies that we submit ourselves to Him that He live in us and through us. He knows that we need to refresh that covenant so through the footwashing we refresh the cleansing of baptism and by the bread and wine refresh our understanding of the cost of our sin to Jesus.

So as I understand it, in sacrimentalism the sacriments are "works" of grace bringing salvation where Protestants are more likely to hold that the "sacriments" are RESPONSES to grace - the work is already done and we make living acknowldegement.

I have not looked into the use of artifacts present in a few of the records of healing. I am unaware of any teaching that sanctifies any amulets or holy artifacts to hold in themselves power to heal or otherwise convey God's power. There is at least one OT story (of the brass serpernt - Numbers 21, 2 Kings 18:4) that provides warning about what happens with artifacts associated with a healing event.

 

[CryptoLutheran]

While there is place for preaching, teaching, reading, and intellectual persuits - these inform us but do not save us. All are saved through the love, grace, and work of the Christ - THE One anointed, appointed, Redeemer. We must hear of our dire and broken state, of God's love for us, of His desire that we recover His design for us. "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9. The change in us is so drastic Jesus calls it being born again (John 3:1-21. "...for there is none other name under heaven [Jesus] given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12. Tools of technology may have a place - a starting place - but they can't do the deed. I think you understand that. I hope it is useful to hear a Protestant lay it out.

I am a lifelong Protestant so I do not have a cultural understanding or feel of what is meant by "sacrimentalim." The dictionary indicates that in "sacrimentalism" participation in or attending certain ceremonies (sacriments) are paths through which grace flows and is carried into the soul of a person. Without the sacriments God's grace and hence His salvation cannot reach us. This seems also the sense I have gleaned from the Catechisms I have read.

Jesus does indicate that there are a couple of ceremonies we are expected to participate in - baptism (by immersion) and the "Lord's Supper" (including the service of footwashing). But these do not bring grace, they are responses to His grace. Baptism is part of "being born again." It signifies, makes visible, and makes a historical marker of our entry into a covenant relationship with God where He has cleared the past history of our sin - Jesus died for our sins. It signifies that we submit ourselves to Him that He live in us and through us. He knows that we need to refresh that covenant so through the footwashing we refresh the cleansing of baptism and by the bread and wine refresh our understanding of the cost of our sin to Jesus.

So as I understand it, in sacrimentalism the sacriments are "works" of grace bringing salvation where Protestants are more likely to hold that the "sacriments" are RESPONSES to grace - the work is already done and we make living acknowldegement.

I have not looked into the use of artifacts present in a few of the records of healing. I am unaware of any teaching that sanctifies any amulets or holy artifacts to hold in themselves power to heal or otherwise convey God's power. There is at least one OT story (of the brass serpernt - Numbers 21, 2 Kings 18:4) that provides warning about what happens with artifacts associated with a healing event.

Those of us in the Lutheran tradition preach a very strict salvation by grace alone through faith alone (that whole Protestant Reformation thing and all), but however still understand the Sacraments as being God's means of Grace.

For us, Baptism is not our response to grace, nor is it a work we do for God, it is instead God's gift to us, apart from our works. Baptism is therefore grace, not works; it is gospel, not law. We contribute nothing in Baptism, God contributes everything, including the very faith through which we are justified before God and clothed with the righteousness of Christ by His all-sufficient work on the Cross. It's all Him, none of it is us.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Baqueinfaith]

Crypto stop making me like you.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Those of us in the Lutheran tradition preach a very strict salvation by grace alone through faith alone (that whole Protestant Reformation thing and all), but however still understand the Sacraments as being God's means of Grace.

For us, Baptism is not our response to grace, nor is it a work we do for God, it is instead God's gift to us, apart from our works. Baptism is therefore grace, not works; it is gospel, not law. We contribute nothing in Baptism, God contributes everything, including the very faith through which we are justified before God and clothed with the righteousness of Christ by His all-sufficient work on the Cross. It's all Him, none of it is us.

-CryptoLutheran

Likewise, the Eucharist is a means of grace given by Christ for us through the reception of His very body and blood; as is confession and Holy Absolution.

Lutheran theology; the Theology of the Cross, is all about what God has done for us, and has nothing at all to do with what we do for God.

Crypto stop making me like you.

What's not to like?