Sacraments

The new JAC (Journal of Aggressive Christianity) has just come out. Make sure you have a read! In it is a great article on the Sacraments by Captain Steve Court. Heres a bit of it...

He argues that water baptism and Lords supper are scriptural but not biblical! Meaning its in the Bible but that we dont have to do them...

He shows that water baptism was for (is for?) a public show of association with the Christians. It also has some nice symbolism.

He also reminds us that Paul says there is one baptism. (Ephesians 4:5) and thats gotta be Holy Spirit baptism...

Then communion, he reckons whenever we're celebrating the passover we break the bread etc in remembrance of Jesus. He rightly points out we don't celebrate the passover very often so don't worry about it too much. Not to mention that in Johns gospel the command is more on washing feet than anything else.

Then he drives the article home by showing that The Salvation Army has a prophetic (not priestly) calling. We are prophetically saying

"that the sacraments are helps at best, and that, in and of themselves, they don't necessarily convey any blessing that is not available without them... For a Salvationist to compromise by indulging in them necessarily waters down the corporate testimony and prophetic integrity of The Salvation Army, while, at the same time, letting down every non-Salvo believer in the whole world, to whom we are to be a prophetic testimony."

Thats only a quick review but take a look for yourself!