V. Of the Sacraments

Q309. Are there not other means, besides the word, by which God communicates himself to us?

Yes; alongside the preaching of the word, He has added the sacraments.

Q310. What is a sacrament?

It is an outward testimony of God's goodness toward us, which uses a visible sign to represent spiritual graces, sealing God's promises in our hearts so that we may trust them more firmly.

Q311. Does the visible sign itself carry enough power to confirm our consciences in the assurance of salvation?

It does not have that power on its own, but receives it from God's will, since it was instituted for precisely that purpose.

Q312. Since it is the particular work of the Holy Spirit to seal God's promises in our minds, how can you attribute this same work to the sacraments?

The distinction between the Spirit and the sacraments is significant. It is truly the Spirit's work alone to move and stir the heart, to illuminate the understanding, and to bring the conscience to a place of stability and peace. That work belongs entirely to Him, and all credit should be referred to Him, so that His praise is not redirected elsewhere. But this in no way prevents God from using the sacraments as secondary instruments, applying through them what He sees fit; and He does so in a way that takes nothing away from the Spirit's power.

Q313. You believe, then, that the power and effectiveness of the sacrament do not reside in the physical element, but come solely from the Spirit of God?

That is what I believe. And it truly pleases the Lord to exercise His power through His own appointed means, for the very purposes He designed them to serve; and He does this in a way that diminishes nothing of His Spirit's power.

Q314. Can you give me a reason why He works in this way?

He accommodates Himself to our weakness, and this is precisely why He gave us the sacraments. If we were entirely spiritual, like the angels, we could perceive Him and His gifts in a purely spiritual way. But because we are bound up in earthly bodies, we need visible signs and representations that can present spiritual and heavenly realities to our senses in a tangible form; without them, we would be unable to grasp those realities at all. Beyond this, it is good for us that all our senses are engaged with God's promises, so that those promises may be more deeply confirmed in us.

Q315. If God instituted the sacraments specifically to help us in our weakness, shouldn't those who consider themselves above the need for them, or who dismiss them as useless, rightly be charged with arrogance?

Without question. So if anyone deliberately avoids the sacraments on the grounds that he has no need of them, he is in effect despising Christ, rejecting His grace, and quenching the Spirit.

Q316. But what real confidence or assurance for our consciences can the sacraments provide, given that both the godly and the ungodly receive them alike?

Although God's gifts are genuinely offered to the wicked through the sacraments, the wicked themselves render those gifts empty and void, at least as far as their own experience is concerned. Even so, this failure on their part does not alter or undermine what the sacraments are in themselves, or the power they inherently carry.

Q317. How and when does the sacrament actually produce its effect?

When we receive the sacraments in faith, looking to them for nothing other than Christ and His grace.

Q318. Why do you say that Christ is what we should be seeking in the sacraments?

I don't mean that Christ is physically contained within the visible signs, as though we should look to them for salvation or imagine that they carry some inherent power to confer grace. Rather, the sign should be understood as a help that leads us directly to Christ, from whom we seek salvation and every lasting blessing.

Q319. Since faith is required for the proper use of the sacraments, how can you say that the sacraments are given to us for the confirmation of faith, to make us more certain of God's promises?

It is not enough for faith to simply begin in us; it must be continually nourished and increased day by day. For this purpose, the Lord instituted the sacraments: to nourish, strengthen, and grow our faith. Paul teaches this when he says that the sacraments serve to seal the promises of God.

Q320. But doesn't a lack of settled confidence in God's promises, unless they are confirmed to us by other means, suggest unbelief?

It does reveal the weakness of faith, which is something God's children struggle with. Yet this weakness doesn't stop them from being genuine believers, even if their faith is still small and imperfect. As long as we live in this world, traces of doubt cling to our flesh, and the only way to shake them off is to keep pressing forward in faith until the end of life. It is therefore every person's duty to continue growing in faith.

Q321. How many sacraments are there in the Christian Church?

Only two, and both are shared among all believers.

Q322. What are they?

Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Q323. What do they share in common, and how do they differ?

Baptism is the proper way of entering the Church. Through it, we receive the testimony that those of us who were once strangers and outsiders have been welcomed into God's family and counted among His household. The Supper, in turn, witnesses that God nourishes our souls and shows Himself to be our Father.

Q324. To understand each sacrament more clearly, let's treat them separately. First, what does Baptism signify?

It has two parts: first, it represents the forgiveness of sins; second, it represents the regeneration of the soul.

Q325. What connection does water have with these things, that it should represent them?

The forgiveness of sins is, in essence, a kind of washing by which souls are cleansed from their corruption, just as water washes away the filth of the body.

Q326. But how does water represent regeneration?

Regeneration begins with the death of our old nature and ends with our becoming new creatures. So when water is poured on the head, it pictures death; and because we don't remain submerged but pass through the water only for a moment and emerge as if from a tomb, it also pictures a resurrection to new life.

Q327. Do you believe the water itself is what cleanses the soul?

Not at all. It would be wrong to strip that honor from the blood of Christ, which was shed precisely so that He might cleanse us from every stain and present us pure and spotless before God. We receive the fruit of that cleansing when the Holy Spirit sprinkles our consciences with His sacred blood. The sacrament, however, gives us the seal and confirmation of that cleansing.

Q328. Do you attribute anything to the water beyond its role as a symbol of cleansing?

I consider it to be a figure, but one that carries real substance along with it. God does not deceive us when He promises His gifts. Therefore, since forgiveness of sins and newness of life are offered to us in baptism, we can be certain that we actually receive them.

Q329. Does this grace work the same way for everyone?

Many people block the way to it through their own corruption, making it worthless to themselves. Believers alone receive this fruit. Yet that takes nothing away from the nature of the sacrament itself.

Q330. Where does regeneration come from?

It comes from both the death and the resurrection of Christ. His death carries this power: through it, our old self is crucified, and the corruption of our nature is, in a sense, buried, so that it no longer rules over us. His resurrection brings the benefit of our being born into a new life, one of obedience to the righteousness of God.

Q331. How do we receive these benefits through baptism?

Through baptism we are clothed with Christ and filled with His Spirit, provided we do not reject the promises and thereby make the benefits offered to us fruitless.

Q332. What must we do in order to use baptism rightly?

The right use of baptism rests on faith and repentance. This means, first, that we settle with genuine confidence of soul that we are cleansed from every stain by the blood of Christ and are acceptable to God; second, that we believe His Spirit dwells within us; third, that we make this visible through our conduct toward others; and fourth, that we diligently practice the mortification of the flesh and pursue obedience to the will of God.

Q333. If these things are required for the legitimate use of baptism, why do we baptize infants?

It is not necessary that faith and repentance always precede baptism. These are required only of those who are old enough to be capable of both. It is sufficient that infants, once they reach maturity, bear the fruits of their baptism.

Q334. Can you prove to me that there is nothing unreasonable about this?

I certainly can, provided we agree that our Lord instituted nothing unreasonable. Although Moses and all the prophets teach that circumcision was the sign of repentance, and Paul teaches that it was the seal of the righteousness of faith, we see that infants were not excluded from it.

Q335. But are infants admitted to baptism today for the same reason they were admitted to circumcision back then?

Entirely the same. The promises God gave to the people of Israel are now proclaimed throughout the whole world.

Q336. Do you conclude from this that the sign should also be used?

Anyone who carefully examines both sides of the question will see that this follows naturally. Christ has not made us partakers of the grace that was previously given to Israel in a way that is either more obscure or in any part diminished; rather, He has poured out His grace on us in a clearer and more abundant manner.

Q337. Do you think that if infants were excluded from baptism, they would thereby lose some measure of God's favor, such that one could say their privileges were diminished by the coming of Christ?

That is plainly evident. If the sign were taken away, the sign that carried such weight in testifying to God's mercy and confirming His promises, we would be deprived of that most precious consolation which the Church has enjoyed from the very beginning.

Q338. So this is your position: because God, under the Old Testament, wanted to show Himself as a Father to young children, He commanded that the promise of salvation be inscribed on their bodies through a visible sign. It would therefore be a disgrace if believers, after the coming of Christ, received less confirmation than that, especially since the same promise once given to the patriarchs is now ordained for us, and God displays His goodness to us even more clearly through Christ?

That is exactly what I think. Beyond that, since it is clear enough that the power and substance (so to speak) of baptism belong equally to infants, denying them the sign, which is actually less than the substance itself, would be a plain injustice done to them.

Q339. What purpose, then, does infant baptism serve?

It gives them a visible seal, confirming that they are heirs of the blessings promised to the children of believers. Then, when they reach the age of understanding and come to recognize the substance of their baptism, they can receive it fully and bear fruit from it.

Q340. Let us move on to the Supper. First, I would like to know what its meaning is.

Christ instituted it so that, through sharing in His body and blood, He might nourish our souls in hope and give us assurance of eternal life.

Q341. Why is the Lord's body represented by bread and His blood by wine?

This teaches us that just as bread has the power to nourish our bodies and sustain our present life, the body of our Lord has that same power for the spiritual nourishment of our souls. And just as wine gladdens the hearts of people, renews their strength, and fortifies the whole body, so our souls receive those same benefits from the blood of Christ.

Q342. Are we, then, fed by the body and blood of the Lord?

Yes, I believe so. Our entire confidence in salvation rests on this: that the obedience Christ rendered to the Father is credited to us and counted as our own. For this reason, we must receive Him, since we can only share in His benefits when He makes Himself ours.

Q343. But didn't He already give Himself to us when He offered Himself to death, so that He might reconcile us to the Father after redeeming us from the sentence of death?

That is certainly true, but it isn't enough for us unless we now receive Him, so that we may share in the fruit and power of His death.

Q344. Does our receiving Christ, then, consist in faith?

Yes, but I would add this: it must be a faith in which we not only believe that He died to deliver us from death and rose again to secure life for us, but also acknowledge that He dwells in us and that we are united to Him in the way that members are united to their head. Through the privilege of this union, we are made partakers of all His benefits.

Q345. Do we obtain this communion through the Supper alone?

Not at all. As Paul testifies, Christ is communicated to us through the gospel as well, since we are taught there that we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone; that He is the living bread who came down from heaven to nourish our souls; that we are one with Him, just as He is one with the Father; and so on.

Q346. What other benefit does the sacrament give us?

This: the communion I just described is strengthened and confirmed in us. For although Christ is offered to us in both baptism and the gospel, we receive Him only in part through those means.

Q347. What do we have, then, in the symbol of the bread?

The body of Christ: just as He was once offered as a sacrifice for us to reconcile us to God, He is now given to us so that we can know with certainty that this reconciliation belongs to us.

Q348. What do we receive in the symbol of the wine?

Just as Christ poured out His blood once as payment for sins and as the price of our redemption, we believe it is now offered for us to drink so that we may receive its benefits.

Q349. According to these two answers, the Lord's Holy Supper calls us back to His death so that we may share in its power?

Yes, entirely. At that moment, one single and permanent sacrifice was completed, sufficient for our salvation. Nothing more remains for us to do except receive its fruits.

Q350. Was the Supper not instituted so that we might offer God the body of His Son?

Not at all. The right to offer a sacrifice for sins belongs to Christ alone, since He is the eternal Priest. This is the meaning of His words when He says, "Take and eat." He is not commanding us to offer His body; He is commanding us to feed on it.

Q351. Why do we use two signs?

In this, the Lord accommodates our weakness. He wants to teach us plainly that He is not only the food for our souls but also the drink, so that we seek our entire spiritual life in Him alone.

Q352. Should all people without exception use both?

Christ commands it, and it is the gravest impiety for anyone to diminish this in any way by attempting something different.

Q353. In the Supper, do we receive only the sign of those benefits you mentioned, or are they truly given to us there?

Since Christ our Lord is truth itself, there can be no doubt that He fulfills the promises He makes to us in the Supper, giving substance to what the signs represent. I have no doubt, therefore, that just as He is made known to us through words and signs, He will also make us partakers of His very substance, so that we may be united with Him in one life.

Q354. But how can this happen, given that Christ's body is in heaven while we are still living on earth?

He accomplishes this through the marvelous and mysterious work of His Spirit, for whom it is no great difficulty to unite things that are otherwise separated by vast distances.

Q355. You don't believe, then, that Christ's body is enclosed in the bread, or His blood in the cup?

Not at all. My view is this: to truly receive what the signs represent, our minds must be lifted up to heaven, where Christ is, and from where we await Him as our Judge and Redeemer. To seek Him in these earthly elements is both misguided and futile.

Q356. To bring together everything you've said into a single summary: you are asserting that the Supper contains two things, namely bread and wine, which are seen with the eyes, held in the hands, and tasted on the tongue; and beyond that, our souls are spiritually fed on Christ as their true and proper nourishment.

Yes, exactly. And in this sacrament, the resurrection of our bodies is also confirmed to us as a given pledge, since our bodies share in the symbol of life.

Q357. What, then, is the true and proper use of this sacrament?

The use Paul defines: "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup" (1 Cor 11:28).

Q358. What should this self-examination focus on?

Whether he is a true member of Christ.

Q359. By what evidence will he know that he is a true member of Christ?

He must possess genuine faith and repentance, show sincere love toward his neighbors, and keep his heart free from hatred and malice.

Q360. But do you require perfect faith and charity from every person?

Both faith and charity must certainly be free from all hypocrisy. Yet no one among us will ever be found completely perfect. The Lord's Supper would therefore have been instituted for nothing if only the wholly perfect could receive it.

Q361. Should the imperfection we all struggle with here prevent us from coming to the Supper?

Not at all. If we were perfect, the Supper would serve no further purpose among us, since it is designed precisely to help us in our weakness and to be a refuge in our imperfection.

Q362. Do these two sacraments serve any other purpose?

They also function as markers, and in a sense as badges of our profession. In receiving them, we declare our faith before others and testify that we share one mind in the religion of Christ.

Q363. What should we think of someone who despises the use of these sacraments?

This would rightly be judged an indirect denial of Christ. Since such a person refuses to identify himself as a Christian, he is unworthy to be counted among Christians.

Q364. Is it enough to have received each sacrament once in a lifetime?

One baptism is indeed sufficient, and it cannot lawfully be repeated. The Supper, however, is a different matter.

Q365. What is that difference?

Through baptism, the Lord brings us into His Church and adopts us as His own, from that point forward counting us as members of His household. Having enrolled us among His people, He then testifies through the Supper that He continues to care for us and nourish us as His members.

Q366. Does the administration of baptism and the Supper belong equally to everyone?

Not at all: these responsibilities belong specifically to those who hold the public office of teaching. Feeding the Church with the doctrine of salvation and administering the sacraments are inseparably linked to one another.

Q367. Can you prove that from scripture?

Christ gave the apostles an explicit commission to baptize; and in the celebration of the Supper, He commanded us to follow His example. The Evangelists also tell us that He Himself performed the role of a public minister in that act of distribution.

Q368. But should the pastors entrusted with administering the sacraments admit everyone without distinction?

When it comes to baptism, since it is administered today only to infants, all are to be admitted without distinction. At the Supper, however, the minister must take care not to give it to anyone who is publicly known to be unworthy.

Q369. Why not?

Because to do so would show contempt for the sacrament and profane it.

Q370. But didn't Christ honor even Judas, wicked as he was, with the sacrament?

Yes, but Judas's wickedness was hidden at that time. Christ Himself knew it, of course, but it was not yet known to anyone else.

Q371. What then should be done about hypocrites?

The pastor has no authority to turn them away as unworthy. He must wait until God exposes their sin to the point that it becomes publicly known.

Q372. What if the pastor already knows, or has been told, that someone is unworthy?

That alone would not be sufficient grounds for excluding that person from communion. There must first be a proper process of examination and judgment by the Church.

Q373. It is important, then, that a clear structure of governance be established in the churches?

This is true, because without such structure, churches can neither be firmly established nor properly governed. The order works like this: Elders are chosen to preside over the oversight of morals (the censura morum), to watch for minor offenses and correct them, and to bar from communion those they know are unfit to receive the Supper, as well as those whose admission would dishonor God or cause offense to fellow believers. END OF THE CATECHISM.