Sacraments
Sacrament comes from what word in Latin
The word Sacrament is the conjunction of the Latin word sacer (holy) with the Greek word mysterion (secret rite). Sacrament was thus given a sacred mysterious significance that indicated a spiritual potency.
After how many days should a boy vs. girl go and get baptized?
Boy: 40 days
Girl: 80 days
Chrismation is also known as
Confirmation
Example of the brazen serpent in the desert
When the Jewish people were bitten by poisonous serpents, God commanded Moses to make a brazen serpent, and to hang it over the crotch of a tree (Num 21:8-9); all who would look upon that serpent of brass would be healed of the serpent’s sting. This apparently was a rather ridiculous remedy for poison and not everyone looked at it. If one could discern or guess their reason, it would probably be because they concentrated on only one side of the symbol, namely, the shinny, lifeless brass thing hanging on a pole. But it proved to be a symbol of faith; God used that material thing as a symbol of trust or faith in Him. The symbolism goes still further, the Old Testament is fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ who revealed the full mystery of the brazen serpent. Our Lord told Nicodemus that the brass serpent was lifted up in the desert so that He would have to be lifted up on the cross (Jn 3:14). The meaning now becomes clear; the brass serpent in the desert looked like the serpent that bit the people, but though it seemed to be the same, it was actually without any poison. Our Blessed Lord now says that He is like that brazen serpent. He, too, would be lifted up on the crotch of a tree, a cross. He would look as if He Himself was filled with the poison of sin, for His body would bear the marks, and the stings, and the piercing of sin; and yet as the brass serpent was without poison so He would be without sin. As those who looked upon that brass serpent in the desert in faith were healed of the bite of the serpent, so all who would look upon Him on His cross bearing the sins and poisons of the world would also be healed of the poison of the serpent, Satan.
are Baptism and Chrismation the same Sacrament
No
Examples of the two types of mysteries
DOUPLE POINTS: 1. Mysteries of Knowledge: · “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him” (Ps 25:14) · “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7) · “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel” (An 2:19) · “To you it has been given to know the mysteries [hidden truths] of the Kingdom of God” (Lk 8:10) · “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory” (1 Cor 2:7) · “Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge … but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2) · “Having made known to us the mystery of His will” (Eph 1:9) · “That I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph 6:19) · “The mystery [secret or hidden truth] which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints” (Col 1:26) · “Meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery [hidden truth] of Christ” (Col 4:3) · “The knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ” (Col 2:2) · “Great is the mystery [hidden truth] of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim 3:16) 2. Mysteries of Grace: The word Sacrament is the conjunction of the Latin word sacer (holy) with the Greek word mysterion (secret rite). Sacrament was thus given a sacred mysterious significance that indicated a spiritual potency. The power was transmitted through material instruments and vehicles viewed as channels of divine grace and as benefits in ritual observance instituted by Christ. St. Augustine defines Sacraments as ‘The visible form of an invisible grace’ (Encyclopedia Britannica; Volume 26, Page 834) · “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery [Sacrament] but I speak concerning Christ and the Church” (Eph 5:31-32)
How does Baptism save us and what does it represent?
- Baptism represents the washing away of our sins.
- We are all born with the original sin (from the time of Adam and Eve) and we inherited the corrupted nature and separation from God.
- It is the beginning of the journey of being part of the body of Christ.
- Baptism is essential for our salvation, for through it we become partakers of the death and resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ.
St. Paul writes “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), therefore the road to salvation began by death, for Jesus Christ died on our behalf.
Hence we had to die with Jesus Christ.
How many times do we get anointed by the Holy Myron oil?
36 times
Example of Crossing the Red Sea
Douple Points: St. Paul interpreted the story of crossing the sea (Ex 14) as a symbol of baptism, he said, “All our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Cor 10:1-2). The sea was a symbol of the baptismal water that draws its saving efficacy from the precious blood of our Lord (no wonder its called the Red Sea), the cloud was a symbol of the Holy Spirit who works through the baptismal water, and Pharaoh was a symbol of the devil who is destroyed by the cross of Lord Jesus through the water of baptism.
Through Baptism what is a child receiving
"In the Sacrament of Baptism the body is cleansed, so that the soul may be purified, and in the Sacrament of Anointing the body is anointed
so that the soul may be sanctified." St. Tertullian
salvation and becoming a Christian
Give the General Meaning of a Sacrament
A Sacrament, in a very broad sense of the term, combines two elements: one visible, the other invisible – one can be seen, or tasted, or touched, or heard while the other remains unseen to the eyes of the flesh. There is, however, some kind of relation or significance between the two. A spoken word is a kind of sacrament because there is something material or audible about it; there is also something spiritual about it, namely, its meaning. A horse can hear a funny story just as well as a man. It is conceivable that the horse may even hear the words better than the man and at the end of the story the man may laugh, but the horse will never give a horselaugh. The reason is that the horse gets the material side of the ‘sacrament’ namely the sound, but man gets the invisible or the spiritual side, namely, the meaning.
Why did Jesus Christ need to be baptized or did he even need to?
Jesus Christ was baptized for our human nature. Through His baptism our human nature is renewed with the washing away of our sins.
- St. Matthew says: "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him saying, "I need to
be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus is fitting for us to fulfill
all righteousness." Then he allowed Him." Matthew 3:13-15.
- "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him." Matthew 3:16
- Baptism is one of the means by which Jesus commissions His apostles to make disciples(Matthew 28:18–20).
What does our body become and what does it hold afterward?
The body turns into the temple of God residing in it the Holy Spirit
Symbolism within the story of Noah's Arc
St. Peter interpreted the story of Noah’s ark and the flood (Gen 7) as a symbol of baptism, he said, “The divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 3:20-21) Notice the link between baptism and salvation through the resurrection of the Lord.
Compare baptism within the new testament to something in the old testament
what is circumcision
What is the definition in one word from Greek of the word sacrament, name the two types mentioned in the Holy Bible
The word “sacrament” in Greek means “mystery”, and our Lord Jesus Christ has been called by St.
Paul “a great mystery” (1 Tim 3:16).
The word “mystery” in Holy Scripture has two meanings:
1. Mysteries of knowledge that God reveals (Secrets or Hidden Truths).
2. Mysteries of grace where the Holy Spirits grants invisible gifts (Sacraments)
The baptism by water vs. the baptism of fire
No pre-Pentecostal baptism can be equated with Christian baptism. This not only includes St. John the Baptist’s but also the disciples’ baptisms during the life of the Lord on earth (Jn 4:2). These baptisms were preparatory ones, just for repentance, as St. John said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11). The redemption had not yet been accomplished; the specific relationship of baptism with the cross and the blood of the Lord had not yet been established. Moreover, the gift of the Holy Spirit was not yet available (Jn 7:37-39). On the day of Pentecost no exceptions were allowed for those who may have received St. John’s baptism, St. Peter said, “Let every one of you be baptized” (Acts 2:38)
Myron means
Greek word that means fragrant perfume or ointment
Symbolism within circumcision
St. Paul interprets the commandment of circumcision (Gen 17) as a symbol of baptism, he said, “You were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead” (Col 2:11-12) Notice the link between baptism and salvation (through the resurrection of the Lord) for God said about the child who is not circumcised that he will be “cut off from his people, he has broken My covenant” (Gen 17:14). Likewise, a child who is not baptized cannot enter the Kingdom of God (Jn 3:5)
Name important reasons why we baptize infants
We care for their eternity, Jesus says “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God.” (John 3:5). Children were never exempted from this ruling and we cannot risk losing their eternal life by withholding
Baptism from them.
- Through Baptism, a child is given the opportunity to grow up as part of the church, to enjoy her Divine Sacraments, to experience the work of
Grace, and its effectiveness in his or her life. By doing so, we are preparing them for a life in faith, while if we delay their Baptism we are
depriving them of all the means of Grace and faith.
- Concerning faith, children have nothing to hinder them from believing. They don't have any doubts or in the stage of searching and probing that characterizes adulthood.
- On the contrary, children have a nature that believes and accepts everything. They have not yet acquired the ability that leads them to refuse and resist faith. They lack all the negative influences that prevent them from receiving the kingdom of God.
- Infant baptism was not controversial in the Church during the first two centuries after Christ. St. Polycarp described himself as having been in devoted service to Christ for 86 years in a manner that would clearly indicate a childhood baptism.
- St Origen says, “The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. The apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of the divine sacraments, knew there are in everyone innate strains of [original] sin, which must be washed away through water and the Spirit” (Commentaries on Romans 5:9 [A.D. 248]).
- “The custom of Mother Church in baptizing infants is certainly not to be scorned, nor is it to be regarded in any way as superfluous, nor is it
to be believed that its tradition is anything except apostolic” (The Literal Interpretation of Genesis10:23:39 [A.D. 408]). St. Augsutine
Name all the Holy Sacraments of the Church
1. The Sacrament of Holy Orders (Priesthood) 2. The Sacrament of Baptism 3. The Sacrament of Confirmation or Chrismation 4. The Sacrament of The Eucharist 5. The Sacrament of Repentance & Confession 6. The Sacrament of The Anointing of The Sick 7. The Sacrament of Matrimony
Baptism immersion vs. Sprinkling
In the Coptic Church we always use immersion as the means of Baptism except in very very rare cases.
Jesus Christ was baptized by immersion, according to the Biblical account “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the
water.." (Matthew 3:16)
- Baptism is the new birth. Baptism is the washing away of sins, as Saint Paul was told by Ananias (Acts 22:16), and as he him-self tells his
disciple Titus; “..through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit..." (Titus 3:5). This washing requires immersion into
water and not sprinkling of water.
- And as we read in Romans 6:4, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
What is the Holy Myron Oil and how is it made, how many times has it been made within the Coptic Orthodox Church?
Our fathers, the apostles, granted this Sacrament by the laying of their hands after Baptism, as we read in the Book of Acts when St. Peter and St. John laid hands on the people of Samaria who were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and so received the Holy Spirit, (Acts 9:2-6).
As the laying of hands for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit is a specific rite of the fathers, the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops, and as the regions of mission increased, consequently, the number of believers and those who entered faith increased. It was impossible for the Apostles to wander through all the countries and cities to lay hands on the baptized, so they established anointment by Myron as an alternative for laying on the hands for the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.
Our fathers the Apostles took the spices that were on our Lord’s body in the tomb and the spices that the women had prepared (Lk 24:1), melted all in pure olive oil, and prayed on it. They decreed that this holy oil be used as means of anointing the baptized in order to confirm and give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. They also decided that their successors, the Bishops, renew the holy oil by adding to the original so that the Churches never run out. When St. Mark came to Alexandria, he brought with him some of that holy oil. In the beginning of the fourth century, H.H. Pope Athanasius the Apostolic, the 20th Pope of Alexandria, decided to renew the holy oil. So he gathered all the spices and perfumes that God had ordered Moses the Prophet to use in making the holy ointment (Ex 30) and added them to the remainder of the holy oil that St. Mark had brought with him to Egypt. St. Athanasius sent some of the holy oil to the Bishops of Rome, Antioch, and Constantinople with the recipe that he used in manufacturing it and they all received it with rejoicing. The holy oil was manufactured 29 times in the Coptic Orthodox Church (thus far).
Symbolism of crossing the Jordan River and crossing the Sea of Glass
The Israelites went into the Promised Land after going through the waters of the Jordan (Joshua 3). In the Holy Book of Revelation we read about “a sea of glass” (Rev 4:6) before the throne of God. The point is that we must go through the waters of baptism to reach the heavenly Promised Land and enjoy the company of God (EXTRA POINTS ONLY IF YOU GET WHERE THE SEA OF GLASS WAS MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE)
What is one of the only reasons that sprinkling may be allowed? What happens to infants that pass away before getting baptized?
Because baptism is a very important condition for salvation. the Church allows baptism by sprinkling only in the case where immersion is prevented by a medical condition and there is a risk that the person would die without being baptized. For example, a newborn with a fatal health condition that is kept in an incubator cannot be immersed three times in water, so the Church allows sprinkling in this instance. As humans, it is not revealed to us what will happen to those infants who depart prior to baptism nor do we know how they will be judged. Yet we trust in the wisdom, justice and mercies of our Lord.