Concord Matters — Apology of the Augsburg Confession: Article 13. Number of Sacraments

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How many Sacraments do we have? It depends on who you ask! The Reformers were focused on the reception of God’s gracious gift of forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ. The Roman Catholic Church focused on the authority of the Pope and traditions, but as we know, traditions and the Pope can err. Yet, Jesus and His Word do not err and give what He promises: the forgiveness of sins. A Sacrament is defined as a physical element with the promise of forgiveness attached to it (Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and sometimes Absolution). To quibble over exact numbers is unproductive when the focus needs to be on Christ and His gifts. “O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high, O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky: We praise You for the radiance That from the hallowed page, A lantern to our footsteps, Shines on from age to age.” LSB 523, st. 1

Rev. Paul Cain, senior pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Sheridan, Wyoming, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study the number of Sacraments.

Find your copy of the Book of Concord – Concordia Reader’s Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org.

Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations.