The Doctrine of the Sacraments

This chapter maps the essential contours and points of dialogue or contention pertaining to the sacraments among Presbyterian denominations. First, the chapter examines the distinctively Presbyterian understanding of sacraments in general. The chapter then explores in detail the theological meaning and practices of the two Presbyterian sacraments: baptism and Holy Communion. For Presbyterians, baptism serves as the rite of Christian initiation. The chapter also explains why Presbyterians practice paedobaptism. While baptism is for Presbyterians the sacrament of initiation into the church, the sacrament of Holy Communion is at the core of the church’s corporate life and work. The chapter next examines several contemporary issues related to the sacraments for Presbyterians. In the spirit of “the Reformed church always being reformed according to the Word of God,” the chapter concludes by posing several provocative questions for Presbyterian denominations and the sacraments in the digital age.

Die Ned Geref Kerkorde van 1962: In samehang en voeling met die res van die lewe of werklikheid?

Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship ◽

10.19108/koers.83.1.2369 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 83 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pieter Johannes Strauss

Keyword(s):

Dutch Reformed ◽

The Core ◽

Reformed Church ◽

The Church ◽

Abstract: The Church Order of 1962 of the Dutch Reformed Church: connected to the rest of life with a feeling for the whole of creation? The Church Order of 1962 was the first church order accepted by the new General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church. Apart from the fact that it tried to be an order according to Holy Scripture and the Three Formulas of Unity as reformed confessions of faith, it contains articles based on norms revealed outside the contact and cooperation of the church with the rest of life. Norms revealed out of the pattern of God’s creation in which aspects created with an own character together with other such aspects, form an integrated whole. An aspect will lead a human act and use the core of other aspects to form norms for the act mentioned. The Church Order of 1962 is investigated from article 1 till 70. The question in the title is answered in the affirmative. This Church order is connected to the rest of life and contains articles to confirm this. Opsomming: Die eerste kerkorde van die nuwe Algemene Sinode van die Ned Geref Kerk in 1962 poog om Bybels en belydenismatig te wees. Daarom bou dit op konstantes of beginsels wat op die Woord van God en die belydenisskrifte van die Ned Geref Kerk gebaseer is. Hiernaas weerspieël dit norme soos blootgelê deur die samehang van die kerk met die res van die lewe of geskape werklikheid. ‘n Werklikheid waarin daar ‘n verskeidenheid oorspronklike aspekte is wat met mekaar saamhang. ‘n Lewe waarin elke menslike handeling deur ‘n aspek gelei word en die kern van ander aspekte in diens neem as norme vir optrede. Die Kerkorde van 1962 word van artikel 1 tot 70 vir sulke norme of samehange ondersoek. Die vraag in die titel word bevestigend beantwoord. Die Ned Geref Kerk leef in samehang en voeling met die res van die lewe.

Roman Catholics and Baptists in Dialogue

Ecclesiology ◽

10.1163/17455316-01101006 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 84-92

Author(s):

David M. Chapman

Keyword(s):

Catholic Church ◽

Roman Catholic ◽

Roman Catholic Church ◽

Word Of God ◽

Christian Initiation ◽

Roman Catholics ◽

This article provides an overview of the latest report of formal conversations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Baptist World Alliance, The Word of God in the Life of the Church (2010), drawing attention to points of ecclesiological interest. It begins by sketching the report’s historical and theological context in Baptist-Roman Catholic relations and dialogue before considering the aims, scope and methodology of the conversations. The article comments on the report’s treatment of its main themes: Scripture and tradition; Christian initiation; Mary as a model of discipleship; and the ministry of oversight. The article concludes that the report is a substantial theological convergence statement of broad ecumenical interest and significance.

The Theology of the Holy Eucharist and the Doctrine of Transubstantiation

E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies ◽

10.38159/erats.2021761 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 78-86

Author(s):

Francis Appiah-Kubi

Keyword(s):

Holy Spirit ◽

Catholic Church ◽

The Body ◽

Word Of God ◽

Holy Communion ◽

The Third ◽

Real Presence ◽

The Holy Spirit ◽

Underlying Reality ◽

Holy Communion is one of the seven sacraments in the Catholic Church. With Baptism and Confirmation, they constitute the sacraments of Initiation. Similarly, with the Word of God, they constitute the two indispensable pillars upon which the Church is built. It is the “fount and apex of the whole Christian life” (LG 11). It is named Holy Eucharist because it is an action of thanksgiving to God. It recalls God’s work of creation, redemption, and sanctification. The Eucharistic elements, bread and wine become, by the prayer of consecration and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, Christ's Body and Blood through an act appropriately known as transubstantiation. The term emphasizes the conversion of the total substance of bread and wine into the entire substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. When the bread and wine are consecrated at Mass, they are no longer bread and wine; they have become instead the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the words of Christ. The empirical appearances and attributes remain the same, but the underlying reality changes. Therefore, the doctrine of transubstantiation teaches without ambiguity that in the Holy Communion, the Body and Blood, together with the soul and divinity, of the Lord Jesus Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained. How is this understood and what is its implication theologically? In an attempt to elucidate this problem, this work seeks first to highlight the theology of the Holy Eucharist within the context of the ecclesiology of Communion, and second, through some theological themes: sacred memorial and sacrificial banquet; eschatological meal. The third and final part treats the theme of real presence under the rubrics of Transubstantiation. Keywords: Transubstantiation, Eschatological Meal, Memorial, Real Presence, Communion, Eucharistic conversion.

Glas in beeld – beeld in glas. Verkondiging in fragment en fragmente van verkondiging ...

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies ◽

10.4102/hts.v71i3.3044 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Elsabé Kloppers ◽

Wian Kloppers

Keyword(s):

Religious Education ◽

Dutch Reformed ◽

Word Of God ◽

Stained Glass ◽

Work Of Art ◽

Reformed Church ◽

Liturgical Year ◽

The Bible ◽

The People ◽

Glass in the image – image in glass. Preaching in fragments and fragments of preaching . . . The view that the sermon is an ‘open work of art’, promoted the awareness that the ‘meaning’ of a sermon is not fixed, but that possibilities are presented for the listeners to ‘assign meaning’. ‘Assigning meaning’ does not mean something fully ad libitum: ‘meaning’ is formed within the guidelines of the text from which a sermon stems. Visual works of art could also be based on Biblical texts or stories, analysed and interpreted by the artist. The artist could mould the encounter with the Biblical text into various forms of art, proclaiming the gospel in ways similar to that of a spoken sermon: a work of art could present possibilities for assigning meaning related to faith. In this article the new stained glass windows, symbolically depicting the Liturgical Year, in a Dutch Reformed church in Pretoria, are discussed with a view to the possibilities they present to form part of experience-based religious education in ‘bringing home’ stories from the Bible and aspects of the Liturgical Year. Also asked is how they could function as visual ‘sermons’, speaking and communicating the ‘Word of God’ to the people inside the church, as well as to people on the outside.

Kerklike tug: Pastoraal-kerkregtelik van aard en daarom billik en regverdig? NG Kerkorde, artikel 60.3 ’n geesteskind van die Dordtse Kerkorde?

10.4102/ids.v52i2.2336 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Piet J. Strauss

Keyword(s):

Dutch Reformed ◽

Word Of God ◽

Church Discipline ◽

Reformed Church ◽

The Church ◽

Church discipline: A fair and just pastoral-ecclesiatical act? Is article 60.3 of the Church Order of the Dutch Reformed Church a spiritual offspring of the Church Order of Dordt? Departing from the viewpoint that church discipline is spiritual in nature, article 60.3 of the Church Order of the Dutch Reformed Church states that it should be exercised in a fair and just pastoral-ecclesiatical way. In doing so, this Order should be obedient to the Word of God, the confessions of faith of this church, its church order and the normative character of the church as an institution of society. This requirement, in terms of the formulation of article 60.3, is investigated. In addition, article 60.3 is compared with the Church Order of Dordt to determine whether the former may be regarded as a spiritual offspring of the latter. It is concluded that article 60.3 is indeed scriptural, according to the confessions and determined by the character of the church. It is therefore also an offspring of the Church Order of Dordt.

Tugwaardige sondes in drie gereformeerde kerkordes

10.4102/ids.v52i1.2388 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Piet J. Strauss

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Dutch Reformed ◽

Word Of God ◽

Church Discipline ◽

Christian Reformed ◽

Reformed Church ◽

Spiritual Nature ◽

Christian Reformed Church ◽

Reformed Churches ◽

Sin which should be disciplined according to three church orders. The orders of three reformed churches, namely those of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Reformed Churches in South Africa have consensus about the need for an officially punishable sin to be of a public and offensive nature. The reason is that a sin must be openly against the Word of God and the confessions of the church. The approach of the church as an institution of faith carrying the love and righteousness of God, should be to maintain the spiritual nature of church discipline and to aim for the spiritual purpose of its discipline. Church discipline should be aimed at convincing the sinner and assuring church members of its desire to keep the demands of the Word and justice in tact.

Die “kerklike gesag” van kerkvergaderings soos in die kerkorde van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk

10.4102/ids.v42i2.266 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

P. J. Strauss

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Dutch Reformed ◽

Word Of God ◽

Reformed Church ◽

Ecclesiastical Authority ◽

Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk ◽

Reformed Churches ◽

The Church ◽

The ecclesiastical authority of the assemblies in church as in the church order of the Dutch Reformed Church The point in discussion in this article is Article 20.1 of the church order of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). In accept- ing the first version of this church order, the first general synod of the DRC in 1962 used the church order of 1959 of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (RCN) as an example. The exact wording of Article 20.1 happened to be part of the latter. Article 20.1 gives an indication of the authority of assemblies because this is nowhere else attended to in the church order of the DRC. It explains that the authority of church governing bodies like assemblies comes from Christ. He as the actual Head of the church lends authority to these assemblies, without abdicating his position as the Head of his church. He remains the Source and Owner of ecclesiastical authority. This means that ecclesiastical authority is founded and based on the Word of God by which it sumultaneously is limited. In exercising it’s authority, an assembly is also bound to do it in accordance with the character of the church. To speak of authority in the church is not in conflict with the character of the church as a community of believers connected by love.

’n Kerkorde in gereformeerde kerke toegepas op die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerkorde van 2013

10.4102/ids.v51i1.2215 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Piet J. Strauss

Keyword(s):

Free Flow ◽

Dutch Reformed ◽

Word Of God ◽

1 Corinthians ◽

Reformed Church ◽

Reformed Churches ◽

Ofthe Word ◽

The Church ◽

Church order in reformed churches applied to the church order of Dutch Reformed Church of 2013. 1 Corinthians 14:40 with its call for the affairs of the church to be transacted ‘decently and in order’ as well as a general need in churches for stipulations in this regard, form the backbone of the need for church orders. Proper, acceptable church orders are, therefore, focused on the practices of the church: the offices, assemblies, church services, discipline,relations, and other affairs of the church.In order to be channels for the free flow of, and obedience to the authority and content ofthe Word of God in church, implementing the church order should not be an aim in itself.The order of a church cannot be a strict law that should be literally applied in church affairs. A church order should serve the church in its calling to be a church of the Word of God.

Economic and social ethics in the work of John Calvin

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies ◽

10.4102/hts.v65i1.286 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Matthias Freudenberg

Keyword(s):

Social Ethics ◽

John Calvin ◽

Current Debate ◽

Word Of God ◽

Human Beings ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Life And Death ◽

Reformed Church ◽

The Rich ◽

John Calvin and Reformed Protestantism interlinked questions of life and death with questions of faith. Not only faith and the church, but life in general call for constant renewal through the word of God. These processes of renewal incorporate society and the economy. In contrast to the popular assertion that Calvin and Calvinism are responsible for capitalism and its aberrations, Calvin in particular shows a deep sensibility for human beings trapped in economic deprivation. In his sermons Calvin exhorts the rich to consider the poor as ‘their’ poor and to thank God by practicing generosity. This appreciation of social questions within an ecumenical context is demonstrated in the Reformed church in a whole array of charitable services. It will be crucial for the current debate on economic ethics to assess economic processes in relation to how they serve life. For it is liberty, justice and fellowship – as gifts of God – that serve as an orientation and an obligation to be aware of human beings suffering from the negative consequences of globalisation.

Kerkorde en erediens

STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal ◽

10.17570/stj.2021.v7n1.a20 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Piet Strauss

Keyword(s):

Dutch Reformed ◽

The Core ◽

Reformed Church ◽

Triune God ◽

Church Service ◽

The Relationship ◽

Point Of Departure ◽

The Church ◽

A church order and church service – Article 48 of the Church Order of the Dutch Reformed Church investigatedFor the church order of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), article 48, the core of a church service is the fact that the Triune God is meeting his church and that this meeting should be determined by the core truths or lines of the relationship between God and his church or believers. This point of departure for a church service has been maintained in article 48 since 1962. It is accepted by many churches and creates the understanding that a church service is initiated by God who speaks and his church or the believers who answer. The rhythm of God who speaks and the church who answers should be the basic movements in each service.The content and changes of church order article 48 of the DRC from 1962–2017 are investigated. Some of the changes reveal some thought or beliefs in the DRC on these issues at that time.