Lutheran sacraments
Encyclopedia
The Lutheran
Sacrament
s are "sacred acts of divine institution". Lutherans believe that, whenever they are properly administered by the use of the physical component commanded by God along with the divine words of institution, God is, in a way specific to each sacrament, present with the Word and physical component. They teach that God earnestly offers to all who receive the sacrament forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. They teach that he also works in the recipients to get them to accept these blessings and to increase the assurance of their possession. Though the Lutheran Church only teaches two sacraments, most churches still practice the "seven sacraments
" of the Catholic
, Anglican
, and Orthodox
Church (though they are referred to as "rites.")
, a sacrament is defined as an act or rite:
In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession
, sacraments are defined as:
is the sacrament by which one is initiated into the Christian faith. Lutherans teach that at Baptism, they receive God's promise of salvation. At the same time, they receive the faith they need to be open to God's grace. Lutherans baptize by sprinkling or pouring holy water
on the head of the person (or infant
) as the Trinitarian formula
is spoken. Lutherans teach baptism to be necessary, but not absolutely necessary, for salvation
. What that means is that although baptism is indeed necessary for salvation, it is, as Luther said, contempt for the sacraments that condemns, not lack of the sacraments. Therefore, one is not denied salvation merely because one may have never had the opportunity to be baptized. This is what is meant by saying that baptism is necessary--but not absolutely necessary--to salvation.
(also called the Sacrament of the Altar, the Mass
, the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Table, (Holy) Communion, the Breaking of the Bread, and the Blessed Sacrament
) is where communicants eat and drink the true Body
and Blood of Christ
Himself, "in, with and under the forms" of the consecrated
bread
and wine
. This Eucharistic theology
is known as the Sacramental Union
. (It has been called "consubstantiation
", but most Lutheran theologians reject the use of this term, as it creates confusion with an earlier doctrine of the same name.)
(confession
) is actually considered sacrament by some; but most reject this teaching, saying it does not have a visible element. Holy Absolution is done privately to a pastor, where, following the person (known as the penitent) confessing sins that trouble them and making an Act of Contrition
, the pastor announces God's forgiveness to the person, as the sign of the cross
is made.
Holy Absolution, however, is different from the general confession (known as the Penitential Rite) that is done at the beginning of the Eucharistic service. In this case, the entire congregation says the Confiteor
, as the pastor says the Declaration of Grace
(not absolution). In historic Lutheran practice, Holy Absolution is expected before first
partaking of the Eucharist. General confession, as well as Holy Absolution, are still contained in the Lutheran hymnals.
Two works which are part of the Book of Concord, the Confessions of the Lutheran Church, lend support to the belief that Holy Absolution is for Lutherans a sacrament. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession acknowledges outright that Holy Absolution is a sacrament, referring to it as the sacrament of penitence. In the Large Catechism, Luther calls Holy Absolution the third sacrament, referring to it as Penance.
uses for Lutheran confirmation a different word (Konfirmation) from the word used for the same Sacrament
in the Catholic Church (Firmung). Confirmation teaches Baptized Christians who want to become Lutheran Martin Luther
's doctrine on the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer
, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution
, and the Sacrament of the Eucharist
. An average catechism
class lasts about two years.
(ELCA) allows contraception
to be used in the event the potential parents do not intend to care for a child, more conservative Lutheran denominations (such as the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) teach a similar doctrine as the Catholic Church on the use of contraception, teaching that contraception, as well as means of non-procreative sex acts
are ruled out as ways to avoid pregnancy.
because they do not think sacerdotalism
is supported by the Bible. Martin Luther
taught that each individual was expected to fulfill his God-appointed task in everyday life. The modern usage of the term vocation
as a life-task was first employed by Martin Luther. In Luther's Small Catechism
, the holy orders include, but are not limited to the following: bishops, pastors, preachers, governmental offices, citizens, husbands, wives, children, employees, employers, young people, and widow
s.
However, in some Lutheran churches, Holy Orders refers to the three orders of bishop
, priest
and deacon
, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders, is retained.
. The process of this rite consists of laying on of hands and/or anointing with oil; while the form consists of prayers.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s are "sacred acts of divine institution". Lutherans believe that, whenever they are properly administered by the use of the physical component commanded by God along with the divine words of institution, God is, in a way specific to each sacrament, present with the Word and physical component. They teach that God earnestly offers to all who receive the sacrament forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. They teach that he also works in the recipients to get them to accept these blessings and to increase the assurance of their possession. Though the Lutheran Church only teaches two sacraments, most churches still practice the "seven sacraments
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
" of the Catholic
Sacraments of the Catholic Church
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are, the Roman Catholic Church teaches, "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper...
, Anglican
Anglican sacraments
In keeping with its prevailing self-identity as a via media or "middle path" of Western Christianity, Anglican sacramental theology expresses elements in keeping with its status as a church in the Catholic tradition and a church of the Reformation...
, and Orthodox
Sacred Mysteries
The term sacred mysteries generally denotes the area of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious ideology.-Pre-Christian religious mysteries:...
Church (though they are referred to as "rites.")
Characteristics of a sacrament
In the 1991 edition of Luther's Small CatechismLuther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...
, a sacrament is defined as an act or rite:
- instituted by God;
- in which God Himself has joined His Word of promise to the visible element;
- by which He offers, gives and seals the forgiveness of sin earned by Christ.
In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Apology of the Augsburg Confession
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession was written by Philipp Melanchthon during and after the 1530 Diet of Augsburg as a response to the Pontifical Confutation of the Augsburg Confession, Charles V's commissioned official Roman Catholic response to the Lutheran Augsburg Confession of June 25, 1530...
, sacraments are defined as:
If we define the sacraments as rites, which have the command of God and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to determine what the sacraments are, properly speaking. For humanly instituted rites are not sacraments, properly speaking, because human beings do not have the authority to promise grace. Therefore signs instituted without the command of God are not sure signs of grace, even though they perhaps serve to teach or admonish the common folk.
Baptism
The Sacrament of Holy BaptismBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
is the sacrament by which one is initiated into the Christian faith. Lutherans teach that at Baptism, they receive God's promise of salvation. At the same time, they receive the faith they need to be open to God's grace. Lutherans baptize by sprinkling or pouring holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
on the head of the person (or infant
Infant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
) as the Trinitarian formula
Trinitarian formula
The trinitarian formula is the phrase "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" , or words to that form and effect referring to the three persons of the Christian Trinity.- Biblical origin :...
is spoken. Lutherans teach baptism to be necessary, but not absolutely necessary, for salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
. What that means is that although baptism is indeed necessary for salvation, it is, as Luther said, contempt for the sacraments that condemns, not lack of the sacraments. Therefore, one is not denied salvation merely because one may have never had the opportunity to be baptized. This is what is meant by saying that baptism is necessary--but not absolutely necessary--to salvation.
Eucharist
The Sacrament of the EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
(also called the Sacrament of the Altar, the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Table, (Holy) Communion, the Breaking of the Bread, and the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
) is where communicants eat and drink the true Body
Body of Christ
In Christian theology, the term Body of Christ has two separate connotations: it may refer to Jesus's statement about the Eucharist at the Last Supper that "This is my body" in , or the explicit usage of the term by the Apostle Paul in to refer to the Christian Church.Although in general usage the...
and Blood of Christ
Blood of Christ
The Blood of Christ in Christian theology refers to the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby; and the sacramental blood present in the Eucharist, which is considered by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and...
Himself, "in, with and under the forms" of the consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
bread
Sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, sometimes called the lamb, altar bread, host or simply Communion bread, is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist.-Eastern Catholic and Orthodox:...
and wine
Sacramental wine
Sacramental wine, Communion wine or altar wine is wine obtained from grapes and intended for use in celebration of the Eucharist...
. This Eucharistic theology
Eucharistic theology
Eucharistic theology is a branch of Christian theology which treats doctrines concerning the Holy Eucharist, also commonly known as the Lord's Supper...
is known as the Sacramental Union
Sacramental Union
Sacramental union is the Lutheran theological doctrine of the Real Presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Christian Eucharist....
. (It has been called "consubstantiation
Consubstantiation
Consubstantiation is a theological doctrine that attempts to describe the nature of the Christian Eucharist in concrete metaphysical terms. It holds that during the sacrament, the fundamental "substance" of the body and blood of Christ are present alongside the substance of the bread and wine,...
", but most Lutheran theologians reject the use of this term, as it creates confusion with an earlier doctrine of the same name.)
Holy Absolution
Holy AbsolutionAbsolution
Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This concept is found in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican churches, and most Lutheran churches....
(confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
) is actually considered sacrament by some; but most reject this teaching, saying it does not have a visible element. Holy Absolution is done privately to a pastor, where, following the person (known as the penitent) confessing sins that trouble them and making an Act of Contrition
Act of Contrition
An act of contrition is a Catholic prayer that expresses sorrow for sins. It may be used in a liturgical service or be used privately, especially in connection with an examination of conscience....
, the pastor announces God's forgiveness to the person, as the sign of the cross
Sign of the cross
The Sign of the Cross , or crossing oneself, is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of a trinitarian formula....
is made.
Holy Absolution, however, is different from the general confession (known as the Penitential Rite) that is done at the beginning of the Eucharistic service. In this case, the entire congregation says the Confiteor
Confiteor
The Confiteor is one of the prayers that can be said during the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass of the Roman Rite in the Catholic Church. It is also said in the Lutheran Church at the beginning of their Divine Service...
, as the pastor says the Declaration of Grace
Declaration of Grace
In Lutheranism, the Declaration of Grace is the words that are said in the Divine Service by the priest, following the congregation reciting the Confiteor. It it not regarded as absolution, rather it is regarded as an "assurance of forgiveness".-Text:...
(not absolution). In historic Lutheran practice, Holy Absolution is expected before first
First Communion
The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Catholic Church...
partaking of the Eucharist. General confession, as well as Holy Absolution, are still contained in the Lutheran hymnals.
Two works which are part of the Book of Concord, the Confessions of the Lutheran Church, lend support to the belief that Holy Absolution is for Lutherans a sacrament. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession acknowledges outright that Holy Absolution is a sacrament, referring to it as the sacrament of penitence. In the Large Catechism, Luther calls Holy Absolution the third sacrament, referring to it as Penance.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a public profession of faith prepared for by long and careful instruction. In English, it is known as the "affirmation of baptism", and is a mature and public profession of the faith which "marks the completion of the congregation's program of confirmation ministry". The German languageGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
uses for Lutheran confirmation a different word (Konfirmation) from the word used for the same Sacrament
Confirmation (Catholic Church)
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments through which Catholics pass in the process of their religious upbringing. According to Catholic doctrine, in this sacrament they receive the Holy Spirit and become adult members of the Catholic Church....
in the Catholic Church (Firmung). Confirmation teaches Baptized Christians who want to become Lutheran Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's doctrine on the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution
Confession in the Lutheran Church
In the Lutheran Church, Confession is the method given by Christ to the Church by which individual men and women may receive the forgiveness of sins; according to the Large Catechism, the "third sacrament" of Holy Absolution is properly viewed as an extension of Holy Baptism.-Beliefs:The Lutheran...
, and the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Eucharist in the Lutheran Church
The Eucharist in the Lutheran Church refers to the liturgical commemoration of the Last Supper....
. An average catechism
Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...
class lasts about two years.
Holy Matrimony
Holy Matrimony is a union between a man and woman, acknowledging the grace of God in their life. Though the Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaEvangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
(ELCA) allows contraception
Christian views on contraception
Prior to the 20th century, contraception was generally condemned by all the major branches of Christianity including the major reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin...
to be used in the event the potential parents do not intend to care for a child, more conservative Lutheran denominations (such as the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) teach a similar doctrine as the Catholic Church on the use of contraception, teaching that contraception, as well as means of non-procreative sex acts
Unnatural act
Unnatural act is the term, once common in legal parlance, for certain sex acts, including anal sex, oral sex, other non-procreative sexual practices, incest, or procreative sexual acts in the wrong position or without procreative intent....
are ruled out as ways to avoid pregnancy.
Holy Orders
Lutherans, on the whole, reject the Roman Catholic teaching of Holy OrdersHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
because they do not think sacerdotalism
Sacerdotalism
Sacerdotalism is the idea that a propitiatory sacrifice for sin must be offered by the intervention of an order of men separated to the priesthood...
is supported by the Bible. Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
taught that each individual was expected to fulfill his God-appointed task in everyday life. The modern usage of the term vocation
Vocation
A vocation , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.-Senses:...
as a life-task was first employed by Martin Luther. In Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...
, the holy orders include, but are not limited to the following: bishops, pastors, preachers, governmental offices, citizens, husbands, wives, children, employees, employers, young people, and widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
s.
However, in some Lutheran churches, Holy Orders refers to the three orders of bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders, is retained.
Anointing of the Sick
The Lutheran Church, like others, use as biblical reference for Anointing of the SickAnointing of the Sick
Anointing of the Sick, known also by other names, is distinguished from other forms of religious anointing or "unction" in that it is intended, as its name indicates, for the benefit of a sick person...
. The process of this rite consists of laying on of hands and/or anointing with oil; while the form consists of prayers.