The original apostolic Church held and practiced seven sacraments or mysteries. Four are redemptive and necessary for salvation the other three are not necessary, that is not all people need to undergo them personally for salvation.
The Four Redemptive Sacraments
1.Baptism
2.Confirmation
3.Confession and Repentance
4.communion
The Three Non-Redemptive Sacraments
5.Unction of the sick
6.Marraige
7.Priesthood
Baptism
Instituted by the Lord Jesus by His Baptism in the River Jordan and by His words to Nicodemus saying:
“Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3)
and by saying to our fathers the Apostles,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)
Here are some more facts and scriptural support of the effectiveness of baptism.
Fact 1.Salvation is through baptism and Faith, not Faith alone:
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16)
Fact 2.Through baptism we receive the second birth which is of water and the spirit:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he can not enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5)
Fact 3.Baptism washes away sins:
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptised, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16)
Fact 4.In baptism there is forgiveness of sins:
“Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:37,38)
Fact 5.Baptism is dying with the Lord Jesus Christ and rising with Him:
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3,4)
“Now if we died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with Him” (Romans 6: 8)
Fact 6.Another result of baptism is newness of life
“therefore we were buried with Him through baptism in to 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” (Rom 6:4)
Fact 7.In baptism we put on Christ:
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3;27)
Fact 8.Baptism is what saves you:
”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 Peter 3:21)
Fact 9.Baptism is becoming a member of the church and the church is the body of Christ.there is no salvation apart from the body of Christ:
“I now rejoice in my suffering for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the affliction of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” (colossians 1:24)
Confirmation
Instituted by Lord Jesus when He said:
“If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39)
About the Sacrament of Confirmation, in the Book of Acts it is mentioned :
“Now when the Apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17)
The Holy Spirit was received by the laying of hands, but when the number of believers increased, the Apostles were unable to keep track of each individual to lay upon them their hands in order to receive the Holy Spirit.
So they made the Myron out of certain oils mixed with spices; the same spices which were brought to the tomb to embalm the shrouded Christ. It was approved for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, and allowed the priests to anoint the newly baptized by the Myron to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, to dwell in them, in order to become temples of the Holy Spirit.
Confession and repentance
Instituted by the Lord Jesus when He said to His pure disciples:
“Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew: 18:18)
and after Resurrection He said,
“As the Father has sent me, I also send you and when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20: 21-22)
also,
”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Communion
Also known as The Eucharist Instituted by the Lord Jesus in the upper room in Zion, on the night of His passion when He took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying,
“Take eat, this is My Body. Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it and He said to them “This is My Blood of the new covenant which is shed for many” (Mark 14: 22-24)
and also
”This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” ( John 6:50-58)
Unction of the sick
Instituted by the Lord Jesus when He said to His disciples,
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers” (Matthew 10:8)
and,
“Whatever city you enter … heal the sick who are there” (Luke 10:8)
The Apostles then put the Lord’s words into practice:
“They anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them” (Mark 6:13)
St. James the Apostle advised believers to practice it, by saying,
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15)
Marraige
Instituted by the Lord Jesus who blessed the Sacrament of Marraige by attending the wedding of Cana of Galilee, where,
“He manifested His glory and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2: 1-11)
Also, St. Paul says,
“This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Churches” (Ephesians 5:32)
This means that the physical union between a man and his wife is a sign and symbol of a greater spiritual matter, that is, of the unity of heart and soul, resembling the unity of Christ and the Church.
Priesthood
Instituted by the Lord Jesus when He chose His twelve disciples among many of His followers, and called them Apostles. The selection was accomplished after a whole night of prayer, when the Lord Jesus went out to the mountain to pray (Luke 6: 12-13), and then sent them to preach saying,
“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7)
The Lord said to them,
“I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16)
He gave them the authority saying,
“Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18)
After the resurrection, the Lord,
“Breathed on them and said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 2:23)
and to them only, He said,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew: 28:19-20)
He gave the mystery of His Holy Body and Blood only to them saying,
“Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19)
Definition of a Church Sacrament
The Church Sacrament is an invisible grace we receive by practicing a visible rite, and a visible sign or substance performed by a priest.
1- In the Baptism the substance is water by which we receive the second birth from Water and Spirit.
2- In the Confirmation the substance is the oil of Myron, by which the Holy Spirit dwells in us.
3- The sign of the Sacrament of Confession is the confessing person, who accepts the prayer of absolution at the end of Confession to gain forgiveness of sins committed after baptism.
4- The substance of the Sacrament of Communion is the bread and wine, by which we eat the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Emmanuel our God.
5- The substance of the Sacrament of Unction of sick is oil, by which we receive physical and psychological remedy.
6- The sign of the Sacrament of Matrimony is the bride and groom who receive the prayers, so the Holy Spirit dwells upon them and unites them in body and spirit.
7- The sign of the Sacrament of Priesthood is the ordained person, who accepts the prayers of the Sacrament of Priesthood and the laying of hands for a certain priestly rank, to gain the grace for starting church services - whether Sacraments or authority for various church matters and management
Certain Church Sacraments are performed with an imperishable feature, so must not be repeated again at any time.
By Baptism we are made children of God our Father, and this is imperishable.
By Chrism we are made soldiers of our great King, and this is imperishable.
By Priesthood we are made servants and priests of the great High Priest, and this is imperishable.
But the rest of the Sacraments are performed repeatedly as needed.
Conditions To Accomplish The Seven Sacraments
For every Sacrament of the seven, there are three essential and necessary conditions in order to administer them:
Unity of faith.
An adequate substance for the Sacrament, such as water for Baptism, bread and wine for the Sacrament of Communion, oil (Myron) for the Unction of the Sick, and so on.
An ordained priest by the laying on of the apostolic hand.
Invocation of the Holy Spirit by the priest, by praying certain prayers for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit and sanctification of the Sacrament.
That is why the Sacraments must be administered in a correct official way according to the order given by God, as our Good Savior instituted and organized them, placing the adequate substance and specific prayers for every Sacrament, placed by the fathers guided by the Holy Spirit.
The Sacrament is not true and effective for the believers unless it is administered correctly according to God’s will, as first delivered through the Words of Jesus Christ and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through the Lord’s anointed and appointed authorities, being the Apostles and those whom they anointed to follow after them, to maintain the original faith.
