Skip to content

Course 11 · Lesson 5.3

How many sacraments? Seven, two, or none

11 minute read

Lessons in this course

Course 11 outline

Module 1: What the Church Is

  1. Biblical images of the church: body, people, temple and bride
  2. One, holy, catholic and apostolic: the four marks
  3. The mission of the church
  4. The visible and invisible church in Augustine, the Reformers and the East

Module 2: Ministry and Apostolic Succession

  1. Ministry in the New Testament: apostles, elders, overseers and deacons
  2. The bishop in the early church: Clement, Ignatius and Irenaeus
  3. Apostolic succession: three meanings (a line of bishops, the teaching, the mission)
  4. Ordination in the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions

Module 3: Scripture, Tradition and Church Authority

  1. Scripture and tradition in the early church
  2. The Catholic account: Scripture, tradition and the magisterium
  3. The Orthodox account: the living tradition of the church
  4. The Reformation and the question of sola scriptura

Module 4: Three Systems of Authority

  1. The bishop of Rome in early history
  2. Papal primacy and infallibility in Catholic teaching
  3. Orthodox conciliarity and the role of the patriarchs
  4. Protestant principles of authority: Scripture, confessions and the priesthood of believers
  5. The strongest objections each tradition raises against the others

Module 5: Sacramental Theology

  1. Mystery and sacrament: the words and their history
  2. Augustine and the definition of a sacrament
  3. How many sacraments? Seven, two, or none
  4. Validity, efficacy and the role of faith

Module 6: Baptism and the Eucharist

  1. Baptism in Scripture and the early church
  2. Infant baptism and believers baptism
  3. The Eucharist in the early church
  4. Real presence: transubstantiation, the Orthodox mystery, Lutheran, Reformed and memorial views

Module 7: Reconciliation and Liturgical Worship

  1. The forgiveness of sins in Scripture
  2. Confession and penance in the history of the church
  3. Confession across the traditions: Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran and Reformed practice
  4. Liturgy, word and table, and the church year
  5. Worship without a fixed liturgy and its principles

Module 8: Schism and Christian Unity

  1. Early schisms: the Donatists and the churches after Chalcedon
  2. East and West: the long division and the events of 1054
  3. The Reformation divisions
  4. Ecumenism and the prospects for unity

All courses

Program / Course 11: Church, Sacraments, and Authority / Lesson 5.3

What you will learn

  • List the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox principal mysteries.
  • Explain why most Protestants count two sacraments or ordinances, and why some count none.
  • State the criteria each tradition uses to decide what counts.
  • Describe the intermediate positions of Lutherans and Anglicans.

The big idea

Catholics teach that there are seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders and matrimony. The Orthodox generally name the same seven as principal mysteries but do not treat the number as a fixed dogma. Most Protestants recognize two, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, because they hold that only these were instituted by Christ with a visible sign. A few groups, such as Quakers and the Salvation Army, practice no outward sacraments. The difference rests on how a sacrament is defined.

Key terms

Dominical institution
Institution by the Lord, that is, by Christ himself. Protestants require it for something to count as a sacrament.
Ordinance
A term used by many Baptist and other free churches for baptism and the Lord’s Supper, stressing that Christ ordained them as acts of obedience.
Sacraments of initiation
Baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist, which in Catholic and Orthodox teaching bring a person into the church.
Sacraments of healing
Penance and the anointing of the sick, in Catholic teaching.
Sacraments at the service of communion
Holy orders and matrimony, in Catholic teaching.
Chrismation
The Orthodox anointing with consecrated oil, given immediately after baptism. It corresponds to Catholic confirmation.
Sacramental
In Catholic teaching, a sacred sign established by the church, such as blessings or holy water, which is not one of the seven sacraments.

Background

The number of sacraments depends on what is meant by the word. As the previous lessons showed, early Christian writers used sacramentum widely, and Eastern writers spoke of many holy mysteries. In the twelfth century Western theologians settled on seven. This list was confirmed by the Councils of Lyons in 1274 and Florence in 1439, and defined by the Council of Trent in 1547, which said that anyone who holds that there are more or fewer than seven, or that any of the seven is not truly a sacrament, is anathema, that is, outside the church’s teaching.

The Reformers disagreed. They reasoned that a sacrament needs a command and a promise from Christ and a visible sign, and that only baptism and the Lord’s Supper meet that test. This lesson states the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant positions and the reasoning behind each.

Step-by-step explanation

Step 1: The Catholic seven

The Catholic Church teaches that Christ instituted all seven sacraments. The Catechism groups them. Baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist are the sacraments of Christian initiation. Penance and the anointing of the sick are sacraments of healing. Holy orders and matrimony are sacraments at the service of communion and mission.

Catholics point to biblical roots for each. Baptism is commanded in Matthew 28:19. The Eucharist is instituted at the Last Supper. Penance rests on John 20:23. Anointing of the sick on James 5:14-15. Orders on the laying on of hands in Acts and the Pastoral Epistles. Matrimony on Genesis 2 and Ephesians 5. Confirmation on the laying on of hands in Acts 8:14-17 and 19:6. Catholic scholars acknowledge that the church’s understanding of Christ’s institution of some of them, such as confirmation, developed over time.

Step 2: The Orthodox mysteries

Orthodox churches commonly list seven: baptism, chrismation, the Eucharist, repentance (confession), holy orders, marriage and anointing of the sick (holy unction). Several Orthodox writers have said that the number is a convenient arrangement taken from the West, and that it is not a defined dogma. Some eastern writers listed more, such as the monastic tonsure, the burial service and the blessing of water. The Confession of Dositheus (1672), a Greek Orthodox statement, lists seven.

In the East baptism, chrismation and the Eucharist are given together to infants. The Orthodox emphasize that all of life is sacramental, and that the principal mysteries stand out because of their central place in the church’s life.

Step 3: The Protestant two

Most Protestants count baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Their reasoning is that Christ instituted these two, attached them to a visible element and gave a promise. Calvin held that confirmation, penance, extreme unction, orders and marriage lack the command, the sign or the promise. Marriage, he said, is a good and holy ordinance of God, but not a sacrament.

The Westminster Confession (chapter 27) teaches that there are two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and that neither may be dispensed by any but a minister of the word lawfully called. Baptists and many other free churches prefer the word ordinance, which stresses obedience and public witness and tends to give less weight to the idea that grace is given through the act.

Step 4: In-between positions

Lutherans hold baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the sacraments, and some Lutheran writings treat absolution, the declaration of forgiveness, as a third. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession (article 13) says that if sacraments are defined as rites with God’s command and a promise of grace, then baptism, the Lord’s Supper and absolution are truly sacraments, and that ordination might be counted if it is understood as the ministry of the word. It adds that the number does not matter much. Luther himself at times named two and at times three.

Anglicans, in the Thirty-Nine Articles (Article 25), call baptism and the Lord’s Supper the two sacraments ordained by Christ in the gospel. The article says that confirmation, penance, orders, matrimony and extreme unction are commonly called sacraments but are not sacraments of the gospel. Anglicans nevertheless practice all of these as rites of the church, and many Anglo-Catholics treat them as sacraments in a fuller sense.

Step 5: Churches with no outward sacraments

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Salvation Army do not practice water baptism or the outward Lord’s Supper. Quakers hold that the baptism and communion that matter are inward and spiritual, and that outward rites can distract from the inward experience. They do not reject Christ’s teaching, but they read the New Testament texts about baptism and the supper as speaking of spiritual realities.

Other Christians, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant, regard this as a departure from the practice of the early church and from Christ’s command. The disagreement shows the full range of possible positions on the question.

  1. Which criteria does this tradition use to decide what counts as a sacrament?
  2. Does it treat the number as essential or as a convenient arrangement?
  3. Which of the seven acts does the tradition keep, whatever name it gives?
  4. What reasons does it give for excluding some acts?
  5. Is the disagreement about practice, definition or both?
  6. What does each tradition say about the role of Scripture in the question?

Examples

Marriage

An Anglican couple, a Catholic couple, an Orthodox couple and a Presbyterian couple are each married in church with prayer and blessing. The Catholic and Orthodox couples understand their marriage as a sacrament or mystery. The Anglican and Presbyterian couples regard it as a holy estate blessed by God. The ceremony may look similar, while the doctrine differs. (A constructed example.)

Anointing the sick

A Catholic priest anoints a dying woman and prays for her healing and forgiveness, citing James 5:14-15. Many Protestants pray for the sick and may anoint them with oil, but do not count the act as a sacrament. The difference is in how the act is described, not necessarily in the care shown.

A Quaker meeting

Friends gather in silence, with no baptism or communion rite. A Catholic visitor may think the sacraments are missing. A Quaker answers that Christ is present in the gathered silence, and that the outward rites are not needed. The example shows how differently the central question can be answered.

Different perspectives

Catholic

There are seven sacraments instituted by Christ, and the church has no power to change that number. Catholics hold that the church’s understanding of the list developed, while its content comes from Christ. They also teach that sacramentals, such as blessings, are different from the seven.

Orthodox

The seven principal mysteries are received, but the Orthodox are slow to define a sacrament narrowly. The whole life of the church is mystery. Some Orthodox theologians have written that the Western definition of the number comes from medieval scholasticism and need not be applied rigidly.

Protestant

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two sacraments because Christ ordained them. Other rites may be useful or good but lack the dominical command and sign. Protestants differ on whether to call the two sacraments or ordinances, and on what they give.

Scholarly view

Historians of doctrine note that the list of seven became fixed only in the twelfth century and was not listed in the same way in the first millennium. They also note that the Reformers’ list of two reflected their definition of sacrament, which differed from the medieval one. Both are historical developments from older and wider usage.

Why it matters

The question of the number of sacraments affects daily life: how marriages are celebrated, how the sick are cared for, whether confession is practiced, and who is ordained. Behind it are different definitions of grace and of the church’s authority. Understanding these definitions helps a student to see that the disagreement is more than a matter of counting.

Common misunderstandings

Misunderstanding: Protestants have no interest in marriage, confirmation or the other rites.

Correction: Protestant churches practice marriage, ordination, confirmation in many traditions, and care of the sick. They do not count them as sacraments in the strict sense, because they lack a dominical command and sign.

Misunderstanding: The Orthodox have a different list from the Catholics.

Correction: The standard Orthodox list of seven is the same as the Catholic one, though the Orthodox do not define the number as a dogma and some earlier writers listed others.

Misunderstanding: Quakers do not believe in Christ’s presence.

Correction: Quakers hold that Christ is present to his people, but understand baptism and communion as inward and spiritual rather than as outward rites.

Misunderstanding: Catholics count anything the church blesses as a sacrament.

Correction: Catholic teaching distinguishes the seven sacraments from sacramentals, such as blessings, which are signs of lesser rank.

Knowledge check

List the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.

Baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance (reconciliation), anointing of the sick, holy orders and matrimony. They are grouped as sacraments of initiation, of healing and of service. The Orthodox generally name the same seven mysteries, using the names chrismation and repentance for two.

Why do most Protestants count only two sacraments?

They hold that a sacrament needs a command and promise of Christ with a visible sign, and that only baptism and the Lord’s Supper meet that test. Other rites may be good and holy but lack this basis in Scripture, in their view.

What is the Lutheran position in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession?

It says that baptism, the Lord’s Supper and absolution meet the definition of a sacrament, with God’s command and the promise of grace, and that ordination might be called one if understood as the ministry of the word. It adds that the exact number is not of great importance.

How do Quakers differ from other Christians on this question?

They practice no outward baptism or communion, and hold that the true baptism and communion are inward and spiritual. Catholic, Orthodox and most Protestant Christians regard the outward rites as commanded by Christ and practiced from the start.

Think it through

  1. What difference does it make if a church counts two sacraments rather than seven?
  2. Is a sacrament defined by Christ’s command, by the church’s practice, or by both?
  3. Why might a tradition resist setting a fixed number?
  4. How should a church that has no outward rites be understood by those who have them?

Independent assignment

A table of rites

In your notebook, make a table with columns for the Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Baptist and Quaker positions. List the seven rites in rows, and mark in each cell whether that tradition calls it a sacrament, treats it as a rite of the church, or does not practice it. Use primary sources for at least four of the columns. Then write 250 to 300 words on what the table shows about definitions. Keep the work in your notebook.

Further study