) What are your thoughts on sacraments, sacramental theology, etc.? working4christ2

ltwin  Regular Member Join Date: November 9, 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,611 Religion: Pentecostal

Re: Ask a Pentecostal Quote: Originally Posted by Catholic4Christ  I've got a few questions, just off the top of my head... 1) What are your thoughts on sacraments, sacramental theology, etc.? I would imagine that the Catholic or Orthodox views regarding the sacraments/mysteries are not a part of your personal faith, though I wonder if a Pentacostal would be open to the possibility that the sacraments as understood by Catholics are manifestations of the Holy Spirit's work. Do you only consider Baptism and the Lord's Supper to be 'sacraments', as many other Reformed groups do? Or does the general concept of sacraments not figure into your faith life? You will hear Pentecostals use the words "sacrament," "ordinance," and even "sacerdotal ordinance" in describing the two rites instituted by Christ, baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Some Pentecostals add a third, foot washing). Pentecostals believe that God is always present in the midst of His people, so anything done in faith and among a corporate body of believers will definitely be opportunities for the Holy Spirit to work through. Quote: Originally Posted by Catholic4Christ  2) Spinning off of the last question, what do you believe occurs at Baptism? Someone who has made a confession of Christ is obeying Christ by being baptized in water. In doing this physical act, the believer is "burying the old man" and rising as a new creation. This physical act representing an inward reality therefore seals the spiritual commitment and allows the believer to enter a new phase in their walk with God. Old things have passed away and all things have become new. This freedom and liberty often is a profound experience for the believer. Often, Pentecostals rise from the waters of baptism filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues or just praising God as the Spirit rests on them. Quote: Originally Posted by Catholic4Christ  Also, what are your thoughts on the Eucharist? Most Pentecostal theologies advocate a combination of the Calvinist and the Zwinglian views. As Assemblies of God theologian Frank Macchia says, Pentecostal sacramental theology is complex because the practical side is not really reflected in theological formulations. We've sort of just borrowed what other evangelicals have said because we're lazy like that.  Both baptism and the Lord's Supper are opportunities for God's redemptive presence to be known through the power of the Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a means of grace (like prayer, church attendance, and prayer) provided we partake intelligently, not partaking irreverently or without discerning the realities that we are participating in. As Myer Pearlman wrote in the The Pentecostal Evangel : Let us also remember that as we partake of the emblems we are to look beyond them, and beyond the server, and see the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who said, ‘I am the Bread of Life’. Beyond the wine we must see His shed blood, which is His divine life poured out for us. The Head of the church will Himself administer the Sacrament, as we receive Him by faith. It is very important that non-believers or those believers that are not right with God not take communion. Pentecostals believe that God can heal through partaking of the Lord's Supper, but that one can also become sick if one takes it unworthily. In the church I grew up with, the Holy Spirit often moved beautifully when we took communion. Quote: Originally Posted by Catholic4Christ  3) You've said that you don't view one church as being superior to another, but for you personally, what is attractive about your church (and/or congregation) that other communities lack? I just like congregations that are open to the Spirit's move. I like churches that wait on God and give Him permission to do what He wants to do in His own house and His own church service. I like churches that aren't afraid to pray and believe for the impossible. And I like churches that don't cater to one set of people or social class. Quote: Originally Posted by Catholic4Christ  4) Naturally, the Bible and Scripture is important to your faith. Do you have thoughts on the Deuterocanon? I haven't read it much if any. I think the standard evangelical Protestant position is that they should not be used for development of doctrine, but they can be used for personal inspiration and encouragement. Deuterocanonical books is a term used since the 16th century in the Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Hebrew Bible. The term is used in contrast to the protocanonical books, which are contained in the Hebrew Bible. This distinction had previously contributed to debate in the early Church about whether they should be classified as canonical texts. The term is used as a matter of convenience by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and other Churches to refer to books of their Old Testament which are not part of the Masoretic Text. The Deuterocanonical books are considered canonical by Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, but are considered non-canonical by most Protestants. The word deuterocanonical comes from the Greek meaning 'belonging to the second canon'. The original usage of the term distinguished these scriptures both from those considered non-canonical and from those considered protocanonical. However, some editions of the Bible include text from both deuterocanonical and non-canonical scriptures in a single section designated "Apocrypha". This arrangement can lead to conflation between the otherwise distinct terms "deuterocanonical" and "apocryphal". Quote: Originally Posted by Catholic4Christ  5) Just a personal question: What's your favorite verse/passage from Scripture? And what's your preferred English translation? 2 Corinthians 12:9 is one of my favorites. I like the English Standard Version. __________________ Let your love be my companion