Sacrament

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term seongnye (聖禮) means "holy rite." It translates the Latin sacramentum and is also called seongnyejeon. The term refers to rites believed to have been instituted directly by Christ that signify God's grace through visible signs such as water, bread, and wine. Protestants generally recognize only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. The Catholic Church, which calls them seongsa, recognizes seven.

Denominations understand the meaning of the sacraments differently. Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, and Anglican churches, among others, regard the sacraments, together with the Word, as channels through which grace is conveyed; that is, as "means of grace." Some churches, including Baptists, prefer the term "ordinances" (commanded rites). They understand these rites as acts of obedience by which saved believers confess their faith and commemorate the death of Christ.

Biblical and Historical Background

Baptism is grounded in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize. The Lord's Supper is grounded in Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, which recount the Last Supper.

The medieval Western Church established seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders, and matrimony. During the sixteenth-century Reformation, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others regarded as sacraments only those rites that Christ had directly commanded and to which He had attached a promise. As a result, they reduced the sacraments to two: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Even among the Reformers, however, views differed on how Christ is present in the Lord's Supper (see Eucharistic controversy).

Practice in the Korean Church

Most denominations permit only ordained pastors to administer the sacraments. In Presbyterian churches, the pastor often presides while elders assist in distributing the bread and the cup. In the Anglican Church of Korea, a priest presides.

The mode and recipients of baptism vary by denomination. Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, and Anglican churches, among others, baptize by pouring or sprinkling water on the head and also practice infant baptism. Those baptized as infants later undergo confirmation, in which they personally profess their faith. Baptists and others administer baptism by immersion, in which the whole body is submerged in water, only to those who have professed faith (see Baptism and immersion). Many churches require a catechumenate before baptism and admit baptized members to the Lord's Supper.

The frequency of the Lord's Supper also varies. Anglican churches celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday. Many Protestant churches observe the Lord's Supper several times a year, chiefly on occasions such as Easter and Christmas. The Salvation Army is known not to observe baptism and the Lord's Supper as rites. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several denominations debated whether online communion is permissible.