Tag Archives: Sacraments

Is Baptism a Sacrament?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Is Baptism a Sacrament? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 7:54am QUESTION: Is baptism a sacrament? ANSWER: The short answer is NO, because there is no such thing as a sacrament. From a Biblical perspective, the category of “sacraments” does not exist. From an historical perspective, though, quite early in Christian history the Latin term “sacramentum” was used to translate the Biblical (Greek) word “mysterion,” or “mystery.” Since in the NT a “mysterion” refers to divine truths hidden to man, the word began to be used for sacred things in general, especially those with mysterious and … Continue reading →

Martin Luther on Immersion

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Martin Luther on Immersion by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 8:43am A RECENT QUESTION: Was Martin Luther himself immersed? The question came up at church yesterday in a discussion about Martin Luther’s high view of baptism. MY REPLY: I do not know the answer to your question. I do know that Luther strongly defended the practice of immersion. E.g., in his treatise, “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church,” printed in “Three Treatises” (Fortress 1960), he says, “The second part of baptism is the sign, or sacrament, which is that immersion in water from which it derives … Continue reading →