Leaven

Volume 5 Issue 4 The Mind of Christ Article 9

1-1-1997

The Ordinances of the Church: Symbols? Sacraments? Mysteries?

C. Robert Wetzel

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Recommended Citation Wetzel, C. Robert (1997) "The Ordinances of the Church: Symbols? Sacraments? Mysteries?," Leaven: Vol. 5 : Iss. 4 , Article 9. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol5/iss4/9

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The Mind of Christ 29

he featured preacher for the T 1993 Rice-Sifke Institute of Preaching at Northwest Christian College was William Willimon. Dr. Willimon is the Dean of the Chapel at Duke University, a Methodist preacher, and a gifted author. During a sermon on worship at NCC he discussed the Lord's Supper. He prefaced his remarks by saying, "You Disciples are absolutely right. This is basic. This is that toward which it all moves, the Table." Dr. Willimon's book Sunday Dinner: The Lord's Supper and the Christian Life is exciting reading for those of us who are a part of the Stone-Campbell Movement. It is encouraging to see this concern for a more biblical understanding of the Lord's Supper. But more importantly, it is helpful to be instructed by some fresh perspec- tives that we may be missing because of our familiarity with the weekly observance of Communion. Leslie Newbigin is an interna- tionally known missiologist and theologian. From 1937 to 1972, he served in India under the English Presbyterian Church. Since returning to Britain he has initiated a mission to his own culture called "The Gospel and Our Culture." While working in India he was heavily involved in the merger of denomina- tions that became the Church of South India. Because of Anglican involvement in this merger, the new church had "bishops," and Leslie Newbigin became Bishop Newbigin. When he returned to England, where no such merger had taken place, he had to choose whether he would take up membership in the Anglican Church or the Presbyterian Church. His first loyalty was to the church that had originally sent him to India. (It had subsequently merged with the Congregational Church to become the United Reformed Church.) Had he chosen to identify with the

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Anglican Church, he would have This, of course, is where we have and it is our responsibility to share been recognized as a bishop in the always foundered with our Baptist that stewardship. We have not always Church of England. He admits that friends. I responded,"John, we been good stewards. And humility he gave serious consideration to simply take Acts 2:38 literally. We requires that we recognize that our becoming an Anglican, but it was not understand baptism to be for the understanding has been and is often the title of bishop that attracted him. remission of sins." He smiled and flawed and limited. Furthermore, we Rather, he says in his autobiography, said, "I didn't used to believe that, are hardly the only ones in the "We had come to rely upon the until I started working with the Christian world who are concerned weekJy celebration of the Eucharist Chinese community." Quite puzzled, about being biblically sound. That is and the absence of this in the URC I asked, "How is that?" He then why, historically, the Stone-Campbell was not easy to accept."? explained. Movement has not seen itself as a Such examples are numerous. John Aston said that it had been "church" or "denomination" but There is a growing appreciation for his experience that the non-Christian rather a movement within the church. the centrality of the Lord's Supper in worship and the decisiveness of There is a growing apprecia- bel ievers ' baptism-e-yes, believers' baptism by immersion. Interestingly tion for the centrality of the enough, these awarenesses often arise out of experience with the Lord's Supper in worship and Lord's Supper and baptism, not out of polemical arguments. During our the decisiveness of believers' time in Birmingham,England, working with Springdale College, we baptism. developed a good relationship with the Chinese Christian Fellowship. parents raised no objection to their Inclinations to sectarianism and This was a nondenominational group young people's participating in legalism have always been contrary that felt quite at ease with what we Christian activities up to the point of to our best principles and counterpro- were doing at Springdale. They, too, baptism. It was then that protests ductive to achieving our goals. simply wanted to be the church were made, and they often forbade As the narratives above illustrate, revealed in the Scriptures. And thus the son or daughter to be baptized. we have every reason to be grateful we began to get students from this John explained that these non- for the heritage of insights we have group.Their sponsor was an English Christian Chinese were seeing a in the Stone-Campbell Movement. Baptist by the name of John Aston. decisiveness and a significance in Those who have gone before us have He was affectionately known by the baptism that he had not seen before. shared these insights with the Chris- Chinese young people as an egg. He It was at the point of baptism that the tian world with some degree of was white on the outside but yellow old person died and a new person success. But as the Reformers both of on the inside, unlike those Chinese was born. Being born again was not the sixteenth century and the nine- who tried too hard to be English. simply an inner experience. It had teenth century knew, reformation is They were bananas, yellow on the something to do with the act of the ongoing task of the church. outside but white on the inside. baptism. Reformation is the ongoing task of John, in his pastoral concern for the church because God has no the Chinese young people, wanted to he Stone-Campbell Move- grandchildren. What is understood get better acquainted with T ment has made a substantial and practiced by one generation of Springdale. He wanted to check us contribution in drawing the attention believers may degenerate to form out. We had him over for dinner one of the Christian world to the biblical without understanding in the next evening, and in the politest possible teaching concerning baptism and the and may completely disappear in way he asked us a series of doctrinal Lord's Supper. Such a recognition is subsequent generations. questions. All was going well. And not an occasion for gloating or self- Furthermore, reformation is the then he asked, "How do you people satisfaction. We have been made ongoing task of the church because understand the purpose of baptism?" stewards of a certain understanding, our understanding of the eternal

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Word of God is conditioned by the he title of this paper sug- and example-preached, sang culture in which we, as Christians, T gests a problem: How shall hymns, prayed, read Scripture, find ourselves. Culture includes a we talk about baptism and the Lord's taught, pastored, witnessed, fed and people's history, traditions, values, Supper? What term do we use when clothed the needy, tended the sick, worldview, language, epistemology, we want to refer to both baptism and consoled the bereaved, and much and much more. It was only 130 the Lord's Supper? It seems straight- more. And yet baptism and the years ago in our own country that forward enough to call baptism Lord's Supper seem to have struck many Christians were justifying the "baptism" and the Lord's Supper "the Christians as somehow different from practice of slavery from the lack of Lord's Supper" (kuriakon deipon, 1 these other practices of the church. any specific command in the New Cor 11:20), "Communion" (koinonia, They were in a class by themselves, Testament forbidding it. We Ameri- 1 Cor 10:16), "the Lord's table" and classes need terms to designate can Christians look at Anglicans and (kuriou trapeza, I Cor 10:21), or, as them. And so fairly early in the wonder how they can justify a state the British Churches of Christ prefer, history of the church, one begins to church. Many British Christians look "the breaking of bread" (klasei tou read references to "the mysteries" at us and wonder how we can justify artou, Acts 2:42). But what collective (from musteriony or, if in a Latin displaying an American flag in some noun refers to both practices? Much church, "sacraments" (from the Latin of our church buildings. Frankly, I of the Christian world would simply sacramentum). By the time of think both practices are flawed. But say "the sacraments." Our preference Augustine in the fifth century, the more germane to what I intend to say is indicated in the way the title of this notion of the two sacraments is fairly about baptism and the Lord's Supper, paper is structured. We are more well established." Thus historically, the language we use and our under- inclined to use the term "ordi- the church has used terms like "the standing of how that language nances." There is no question mark ordinances," "sacraments," and functions will differ from one culture behind the term "ordinances" in the "mysteries" to give baptism and the to another, and there will be changes title-only after "symbols," "sacra- Lord's Supper this distinctiveness. within a given culture from one ments," and "mysteries." Were this The problem with which we are generation to another. Try convincing topic being discussed among concerned is not just one of language a modern scientist that Aristotle's Lutherans, the title might have been or terminology. The language that we logic is adequate for the practice of "The Sacraments: Ordinances? use expresses our understanding, and modern science. For Christians, the Symbols? Mysteries?" our understanding informs our Word of God is eternal and unchang- We seem to be dealing with a practice. If the problem were solely ing, but the language Christians use problem of terminology. It is as one of terminology, then we ought to talk about the divine Word is in though there is something distinctive not to be worrying about it. If our flux. about the practice of baptism and the only objection to terms like "sacra- Yes, we of the Stone-Campbell observance of the Lord's Supper. ment," "Eucharist," and "mystery" is Movement are blessed with a history This distinction separates them from that we have not been accustomed to that has given us some valuable other practices and observances of using them and hence they sound insights concerning the place of the church and hence requires a strange to us-that is, they are baptism and the Lord's Supper in the special collective noun to designate foreign to our tradition-then we had life of the church. But we must resist them. As we read the New Testament better recognize that familiarity is not the temptation to believe that the way we see that the church-by command orthodoxy nor is unfamiliarity we have formulated these insights is complete or even adequate-ad- equate for us or for those in the Humility requires that we rec- church at large with whom we would share our insights. With these pre- ognize that our understanding liminary considerations in mind, let us turn more directly to the problem has been and is often flawed at hand. and limited.

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necessarily heresy. The Christian Although the term was to take on the church. Alas, we have all been to who bases his participation in broader theological meanings in the Ashdod. And we, Campbell's chil- worship on how comfortable its church, its original use stressed the dren, struggle along with much of the language and surroundings are oath or pledge of allegiance that one church at large to divest ourselves of should consider how the unbeliever is making to the Lord when partici- those Philistine trappings which are a feels when he or she first comes into pating in baptism and the Lord's part of our history and culture. The a Christian worship service. With all Supper. The term "Eucharist," alternative is to baptize these accou- that familiarity has to commend favored by the Greek church, comes trements of Philistia and make them itself, it is not the standard of biblical from the Greek term eucharisteo, "to our own. truth. thank; to give thanks." It is a form of Divest or baptize: this has always We of the Stone-Campbell this word that Paul uses in 1 been the question for the church as it Movement have a tradition of Corinthians 11:24:"And when he confronts the culture in which it finds wanting to call "Bible things by had given thanks he broke it and said, itself. For example, we have divested ourselves of the "Constantinian Settlement," the alliance between Divest or baptize: this has always church and state. But, on the other hand, we have been content with the been the question for the church baptism of two pagan holidays, christening them Christmas and as it confronts the culture in Easter. We, like most of the Christian world, have to a large degree ac- which it finds itself. cepted the motto of Justin Martyr: "Whatever is well spoken belongs to Bible names.T' as Alexander 'This is my body .... ", Hence, to us." Or perhaps we have adapted it to Campbell himself said. He once refer to the Lord's Supper as the read, "Whatever serves us well we prefaced an extensive quotation from Eucharist is simply stressing another will rename it and call it our own." John Brown's Dictionary of the Bible dimension of its meaning, namely, an by cautioning: "The reader will occasion of thanksgiving. Ow do we deal with the perceive that there are many impuri- Campbell prefers the term H problem at hand? We could ties in his style; and, although his "ordinances" when speaking collec- follow the minimalist tradition in the speech betrays that he has been in tively of the Lord's Supper and Stone-Campbell Movement. By Ashdod, still, his arguments are baptism. Although the term "ordi- minimalist, I have in mind that weighty and powerful.?" Hence it is nance" (dikaioma] is a biblical word, stream of our tradition which rejects not surprising that in a discussion of it does not appear in Scripture as a everything in the faith and practice of the Lord's Supper, Campbell seems collective noun referring to baptism the church for which there is not a to classify the terms "sacrament" and and the Lord's Supper. Dikaioma specific command or precedent. The "Eucharist" as the language of carries the idea of a regulation or a silences of Scripture are as much of a Ashdod, since these terms arose in requirement. It can refer to a righ- "thou shalt not" as are the specific the post-apostolic church.Campbell teous deed or judgment. And in prohibitions of Scripture. Such a explains, "As the calling of Bible Romans 5: 16, it is usually translated view is a form of attempted ultimate things by Bible names is an impor- "acquittal" or "justification."No- divestment. It is a hermeneutic that tant item in the present reformation, where is there talk about the "ordi- has led to endless divisions. we may here take occasion to re- nances of the church" as a way of Following the minimalist tradi- mark, that both 'the Sacrament' and referring to the practices of baptism tion, we could resolve the problem 'the Eucharist' are of human origin.'? and the Lord's Supper. In fact, there posed by the title of this paper by Campbell goes on to explain the is no place in the New Testament in out-Campbelling Campbell. Noting Latin origin of the term "sacrament," which baptism and the Lord's Supper his accommodated use of the term that is, sacramentum, which referred are discussed together as though "ordinance," we could reject it along to the oath taken by a Roman soldier there were something distinctive that with "symbol," "sacrament," and to his commander and country. set them apart from other practices of "mystery." We could simply reject

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the need for a collective noun to tiveness in the place it has given the yet, one can see how it might have designate the Lord's Supper and Lord's Supper in worship. Yes, there invited such a use because of the way baptism. Interestingly enough, when is singing, reading, exhorting, and it is used in Ephesians and I discussed this topic with my adult praying. But the occasion that brings Colossians in speaking of "the Bible school class at the Downtown the church together is the "breaking mystery of Christ" (Eph 3:4; Col Christian Church in Johnson City, of bread." As Willimon observed, 4:3), "the mystery of God, namely there were those who were as unac- "This is that toward which it all Christ" (Col 2:2), "mystery of his quainted with the term "ordinance" moves." The Scriptural accounts of will" (Eph 1:9), etc." as they were with "sacrament." They the Lord's Supper all testify to the Campbell, as well as most were not advocating a minimalist fact that there is somehow a special reformers, must often be understood hermeneutic. They had not even communing with the Lord and with in terms of what he was against, not heard of the argument. They had each other that takes place there. simply what he was for. Calling simply grown up in Christian Similarly, we, along with much baptism and the Lord's Supper Churches that talked about baptism of the historical church, have recog- "ordinances" was not just a matter of and the Lord's Supper, but never nized something unique about the act telling us what they were. It was also seemed to call them "ordinances." of Christian baptism. Many things telling us what Campbell and other One person who was well acquainted may happen in the conversion reformers were against. During the with the term "ordinance" reflected process: hearing, reflecting, discuss- sixteenth century, many reformers that the church she grew up in was ing, experiencing guilt, repenting, had used the term "ordinance" in always served by Bible college confessing Christ as Lord, praying, preference to "sacrament" and students. She surmised that being etc. But, as John Aston observed, "mystery," primarily because of the fresh out of classroom lectures and there is something decisive and doctrine of the sacraments that had discussions, the students regularly conclusive about the act of baptism. developed in the medieval Roman blessed the congregation with their And thus I do not think that Catholic Church. Growing up in a newly found theological understand- Campbell was wrong in trying to find Reformed (Presbyterian) tradition, ings. a term that recognized that baptism Campbell would have been quite The minimalist view, separated and the Lord's Supper had a special accustomed to using the term "ordi- from an unhappy reliance on the meaning for the church distinctive nance." notion that the silences of Scripture from all of its other practices. My Many, if not most, in the Stone- are prohibitive, has much to com- only disagreement with Campbell is Campbell Movement would be quite mend itself. As is evident from Scripture, the church of the New Testament seems to have gotten The word "ordinance" does invite along without finding a collective noun to refer to baptism and the a legal model of understanding. Lord's Supper. And, judging from what members of my Bible school that he did not see that his accommo- comfortable in using Zwingli's class tell me, many Christian dated use of the term "ordinance" description of the Lord's Supper. For Churches today are getting along (dikaioma) to designate baptism and him it was a "symbolic" action on the without such a term. the Lord's Supper is no different than part of Jesus, and he "ordains" that And yet there are inadequacies the accommodated use of the term Christians imitate this act as a way of with the minimalist view. It was "mystery" (musterion) by the sec- remembering his death. Zwingli's use neither an accident nor a propensity ond-century church and certain of the word "symbol" here must be to heresy that led the early church to Christian traditions today. It is this understood in terms of his disagree- recognize something distinctive Greek term that gets transliterated ment with the medieval Roman about baptism and the Lord's Supper, into Latin as sacramentum. Like the Catholic notion of the "real pres- something that separated them from term "ordinance," the term "mystery" ence" of Christ in the bread and the other practices of the church. The is a biblical term, but it is never used wine. Too often, the philosophically Stone-Campbell Movement has as a collective noun referring to both complex notion of transubstantiation recognized something of this distinc- baptism and the Lord's Supper. And had led to a belief in a kind of

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priestly magic in which the celebrant earlier, if you want to hold "symbol" does not. If in fact the effects some mystical change in the Campbell's feet to the fire of Lord's Supper is only a symbolic act elements by the recitation of a minimalism, both terms have their that we have been "ordered" to liturgy. It also had led to stories of origin in Ashdod. But I am not observe, then the five- to ten-minute the consecrated bread's being seen to inclined to do so. I would rather "quick in and quick out" Communion be bleeding. Zwingli's language is a service is probably quite acceptable. challenge to both notions. The Lord's Take, for example, persons who want Supper is not a matter of priestly In trying to to leave for the family picnic earlier magic; Christ simply ordains (com- than 12:00 P.M. They come in for mands) his followers to remember make clear Communion but discreetly slip away his death. The bread and the wine do before the sermon. They have done not somehow become the actual body what we were what has been ordained, what they and blood of Christ; they are "only" have been "ordered" to do. Sermons symbols that invite us to call to mind against, we are important and worthwhile, but it his sacrifice. is not absolutely necessary to listen Even his fellow reformer John have limited the to one every week. I am on danger- Calvin felt that Zwingli had reacted ous ground here. I cannot judge what too strongly to the medieval distor- depth of rich- these persons are understanding and tion of the Lord's Supper. Although experiencing as they participate in he had no problem with Zwingli's ness in the the Lord's Supper. The experience terminology, Calvin argued that may be as rich as anyone could hope Zwingli had overlooked the signifi- meaning of for it to be. But ifit is only being cance of the role of the participant in done because it has been ordered, the Lord's Supper. The symbolism of baptism and then they may be understanding the the Lord's Supper is based not only Lord's Supper in the worst sense of on what Jesus has done, but also on the Lord's the word "sacrament," that is, as what the participants do. The Lord's something that conveys the grace of Supper is a remembrance, but it is Supper. God quite apart from the willingness equally a communion (participation) or the ability of the communicant to with the body and blood of Christ. explore the richness of the practice of receive it.7 More likely, they are It is good to remember as one baptism and the Lord's Supper that understanding what they are doing as reads Alexander Campbell that his these terms affirm, as opposed to the fulfillment of a law: God orders roots were in the Presbyterian what they negate. it; I have done it. The word "ordi- Church of Northern Ireland. And that Those of us in the Stone- nance" does invite a legal model of church was staunchly Calvinistic and Campbell Movement have labored to understanding. anti-Catholic. The tragic Irish wars make the Lord's Supper the central between Protestants and Catholics act of worship in the weekly meeting would suggest that we and would have been a part of of the church. Yet it would be amply Iother reformers, in trying to Campbell's cultural inheritance, just clear to any casual observer that, in make clear what we were against, as they have been kept alive today in most of our congregations, it is not. have limited the depth of richness in that divided country. Campbell, as The central act is usually preach- the meaning of baptism and the we all appreciate, attempted to divest ing-another reformed tradition. The Lord's Supper. There was a good himself of the "language of Ashdod" Lord's Supper is too often a five- to reason why the early church came to in his exegetical studies of the New ten-minute prelude or postlude to the refer to these two decisive acts by a Testament. But it is still clear that he thirty-minute sermon. Why this single term. Baptism marked a is more comfortable with the word contradiction? Scripture and apos- person's birth into the family of God, "ordinance," a term with a good tolic precedent argue for the central- the church; the Lord's Supper was Presbyterian pedigree, than he is with ity of the Lord's Supper; limiting our sustenance for God's children. That the word "sacrament" and its Roman understanding of the Lord's Supper we could become members of the Catholic association. As I have noted to the language of "ordinance" and family of God is the "mystery" that

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God has disclosed through Christ. 8 Since I began this presentation Notes Surely when we experience baptism by adding one more question mark to lLesslie Newbigin, Unfinished or gather around the Lord's table, the three that were already a part of Agenda: An Autobiography (Geneva: there will always be a sense of awe the title of this paper, let me conclude WCC Publications, 1985),243. and wonder at the working of God's by answering all of those questions. 2It was not until the medieval period grace. Baptism and the Lord's Baptism and the Lord's Supper are that the Latin church expanded the number of sacraments to seven. Supper are "sacraments," both in the "ordinances" in that they are acts 3Alexander Campbell, The Christian original sense of the Latin word, that ordered by God. But they are more System (reprint, Nashville: The Gospel is, an oath of allegiance, and in the than ordinances. They are "symbols" Advocate, 1980), 272. later liturgical sense, namely, "an or emblems in that they serve as 4Ibid., 280. outward and visible sign of an vivid reminders of the death, burial, 5Ibid., 272. inward and spiritual grace."? It is and resurrection of the Christ and our 6Markus Barth speculates that such difficult to maintain a doctrine of participation in his body. They are passages may have been used in early baptism for the remission of sins "sacraments" in that through our liturgies associated with the observance without seeing baptism as fitting willing participation in these acts we of the Lord's Supper, and hence the term within this definition of "sacrament." experience the grace of God. They "mystery" developed a familiar associa- We are indebted to British are "mysteries" in that we shall tion with the Lord's Supper. See his Churches of Christ scholar William forever stand in awe and wonder at Discovering the Lord's Supper (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988). Robinson, who consciously devel- how the very Creator of this world 7Jt is this understanding of sacra- oped a theology of the sacraments. has shown his love to us in his only ment that is associated with the practice His understanding adds richness to begotten son, Jesus Christ. Yes, of infant baptism. God's grace is our own practice of baptism and the baptism and the Lord's Supper are conveyed quite apart from the baby's Lord's Supper. At the same time, he ordinances, symbols, sacraments, and understanding of what is happening or spoke in a language that enabled him mysteries. They are all of these and his willingness to receive it. to give witness to the broader Chris- more. And we would do well to 8See Colossians 1:25-27, where tian world of what we were about as spend a lifetime exploring and Paul speaks of "the glorious riches of a movement within the church. opening ourselves to the richness of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the Byron Lambert, in his Westwood what God is saying to us in these hope of glory." Christian Foundation lectures, decisive events in the life of the

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