The Two Sacraments of the Church: Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Rather than seven, as in Roman Catholicism and Orthodox expressions of the Christian Faith, most Protestant denominations have two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion. This brief paper will focus on these two sacraments as proper, examine their significance as means of grace, and declare their proper methodologies and details of their administration, answering the questions, "In what way do they communicate grace, by whom are they administered, to whom are they administered, and in what setting?"
Introduction
Rather than seven, as in Roman Catholicism and Orthodox expressions of the Christian Faith, most Protestant denominations have two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. This brief paper will focus on these two sacraments as proper, examine their significance as means of grace, and declare their proper methodologies and details of their administration, answering the questions, “In what way do they communicate grace, by whom are they administered, to whom are they administered, and in what setting?”
According to Edmund P. Clowney, “A sacrament is a sign of participation in saving grace. It marks not simply the presence and work of God, but his application of salvation to sinners… God’s Word declares his saving grace; he has appointed particular signs to mark and accompany that saving Word.”1 More succinctly, a sacrament is a visible sign accompanied by the Word and received and partaken in by faith, for “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Faith and Scripture are so joined together that where one is, the other is also. Therefore, the sacraments as signs possess both faith and the Word by definition.
Means of Grace and Setting
As mentioned previously, sacraments are called so because they allow participation by faith in the Word, and participation in such a way is a blessing. Clowney explains,
There is no distinct brand of God’s grace that can be conveyed only by the sacraments… The fellowship of the sacraments, however, provides the setting in which the body of Christ is not only present but active, functioning together. The sacraments are the Word made visible; they are joined to the teaching and preaching of the Word, and the Word gives them their authority. Just as there is blessing in hearing the Word together (as it is addressed), so, too, the blessing of the sacraments is shared.2
Thus, the sacraments do not convey a grace different from the Word but are the Word demonstrated and applied to the church. This edification of the body together implies and “require[s] corporate worship.”3 Still, the questions remain: what does this building up look like for each of the sacraments, and how exactly is grace communicated?
The grace of Baptism is efficacious in applying salvation to the elect, uniting them to Christ by the work of the Spirit in regeneration. This does not mean baptism, as a sign, is regenerative in and of itself, as the Roman Catholic Church argues, but that it does convey saving grace when joined to the Word and faith (Rom. 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21).4 The Lord’s Supper is efficacious in sustaining the Christian, as Christ is the bread that came down from heaven in the incarnation (John 6:33). This does not mean that the bread and wine as symbols transubstantiate into the body and blood of Christ, but that the symbols are so joined to the elements of Christ, who reigns bodily in heaven, that believers feast on Him and His Gospel through sacramental union (1 Cor. 10:16).
The Administrator and the Recipient
Because the setting of the sacraments is in corporate worship, it makes sense that the administrator would be a qualified individual. This does not mean that “the legitimate ordained priesthood [only] can convey sacramental grace,” but that ordinarily ministers of the Gospel serving in the office of elders (including pastors) administer the sacraments.5 This is because elders are responsible for the apostolic Gospel and commands given to the Apostles in the Great Commission and the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 28:19; Luke 22:19).
The recipients of the Lord’s Supper are baptized Christians who profess faith in Christ, repent of their sin, and desire to know the Lord deeper. For this reason, Paul warns that Communion involves self-examination so that it is received in a worthy manner (1 Cor. 11:29). Understanding the recipients of baptism, however, requires more nuance. Presbyterians baptize both adults who profess faith in Christ and the children of believing parents. While this paper is far too short for a defense of infant baptism, it may be summarized as a covenantal promise: Just as God included the children of Abraham by circumcision, He includes the children of believers in baptism (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit will work salvation in the elect in His timing, ordinarily through the raising of the child in the fellowship of believers.
Conclusion
In summary, baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two sacraments of the church: administered by elders, communicating grace to both believers and offspring, and set in the confines of a local church gathering. The sacraments do not automatically confer grace by their own power, but they are instrumental means of grace when joined to the Word and faith in Jesus and His Gospel. In the sacraments, the church is edified, participating and receiving the Gospel in a visible manner. Thus, Christians as a unified body must partake in the sacraments regularly, for when they do so, God will use them to communicate the grace of the Gospel to save and equip the community of believers for worship and ministry.
Bibliography
Clowney, Edmund P. The Church. Contours of Christian Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995.