75 圣道与圣礼——真教会的标记Sacraments- Christ instituted two seals of God's covenant
《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to
Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
https://yibaniba.blogspot.com/2020/01/blog-post_98.html5 圣道与圣礼——真教会的标记
Sacraments - Christ instituted two seals of God's covenant
你要写信给以弗所教会……给士每拿教会……给别迦摩教会……给推雅推喇教会……给撒狄教会……给非拉铁非教会…….给老底嘉教会……（启2:1,8,12,18；3:1,7,14）
每一个地方教会都是宇宙性教会的表露；她要能彰显后者的本质，叫人看出她是父神所重生的家庭，是基督所服事的身体，是靠圣灵所维持的团契。这世上有不少自封为教会的团体，它们的背景值得怀疑（如，统一教和摩门教，两者都否认三位一体）。甚至，有些以往曾毫不含糊地持守真道的会众，却堕落到一个程度，叫人难以知道如今还能不能算是教会。辨识因此是必须的。当改教家们反对教皇制，并与罗马天主教分道扬镳时，他们需要决定什么是真教会的标记。他们从圣经里找到了答案，这标记有两个标准：
第一：肯忠实地传讲神道：其意为，受质疑的团体必须肯根据圣经，教导基督教福音的基要之道。举例来说，举凡否认三位一体、基督的神性、背负人罪的救赎和因信称义等教义的教会，就属现代信仰偏差的团体，相当于古代与正统教会有别的幻影派——因后者亦否认主的道成肉身和赎罪的道理（约一4:1-3），两者均属约翰所说的那种人：[他们……不是属我们的。]（约一2:19）
第二，能正确使用圣礼：其意为，人可从洗礼和主的晚餐这两种圣礼中看出并了解到，教会持行这些圣礼是为陈述福音，期能唤起、肯定并坚固信徒在基督里的信心。将圣礼变为魔术般的礼仪、以至窒息会众信心的迷信行为，是令人忍无可忍的。这种迷信就像任何其他会阻拦信徒在基督里之信心的事物一样，会给教会的身份带来致命的一击。蒙接纳进入可见的教会，是受洗意义的一部分；而籍着让一个人有份于主的晚餐来肯定此人在教会中的地位，则是主的晚餐之意义的一部分。正确的使用圣礼还包括执行教会纪律，籍此纪律，信徒对信仰的认信得以试验，公开的行为得以受到审核。
理想上来说，一个属基督的团体除了至少要有这两个标记外，还需要展现教会的其他标记。路德指出，它包括执行纪律的权柄（太16:19），带权柄的服事（徒14:23；20:28）、公众的崇拜（来10:25），以及背十架受苦（徒14:22；20:29）。改革宗教会则指出，教会应具有执行纪律功能的系统，而且认为纪律是可见之教会的第三个标准或标记（多1:13；2:15；3:10）。今日灵恩派和其他的团体则指出，每一位成员都积极参与服事，是真教会的另一个标记（弗4:7-16）。
不过，这些其他的记号的重要性， 与以上所提两个最起码者的重要性不可等价齐观。教会少了其他那些标记，必定是有所缺憾；但要说少了那些标记的教会就完全不是个教会，也是不对的。
SACRAMENTS
CHRIST
INSTITUTED TWO SEALS OF GOD’S COVENANT
[Abraham]...
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by
faith while he was still uncircumcised. ROMANS 4:11
Christ
instituted two rites that his followers were to observe: baptism, a
once-for-all rite of initiation (Matt. 28:19; Gal. 3:27), and the Lord’s
Supper, a regular rite of remembrance (1 Cor. 11:23-26). These are called
“sacraments” in the Western church, “mysteries” in the Eastern Orthodox church,
and “ordinances” by some Protestants who see the other two words as tainted
with unhelpful associations. Scripture has no category-word for these two rites
and their Old Testament counterparts, namely circumcision of males as a rite of
initiation (Gen. 17:9-14, 23-27) and the annual Passover as a rite of
remembrance (Exod. 12:1-27). Biblical teaching, however, warrants classifying
them all together as signs and seals of a covenant relationship with God.
Sacrament
is from the Latin word sacramentum, meaning a holy rite in general and in
particular a soldier’s sacred oath of allegiance. Study of the rites themselves
yields the concept of a sacrament as a ritual action instituted by Christ in
which signs perceived through the senses set forth to us the grace of God in
Christ and the blessings of his covenant. They communicate, seal, and confirm
possession of those blessings to believers, who by responsively receiving the
sacraments give expression to their faith and allegiance to God. The effect of
receiving the sacraments is “to put a visible difference between those that
belong unto the church and the rest of the world, and solemnly to engage them
to the service of God in Christ, according to his word” (Westminster Confession
XXVII.1).
It
was a medieval mistake to classify as sacraments five more rites (confirmation,
penance, marriage, ordination, and extreme unction). In addition to their not
being seals of a covenant relationship with God, they “have not like nature of
sacraments with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any
visible sign or ceremony ordained of God” (Thirty-Nine Articles XXV).
The
sacraments are rightly viewed as means of grace, for God makes them means to
faith, using them to strengthen faith’s confidence in his promises and to call
forth acts of faith for receiving the good gifts signified. The efficacy of the
sacraments to this end resides not in the faith or virtue of the minister but
in the faithfulness of God, who, having given the signs, is now pleased to use
them. Knowing this, Christ and the apostles not only speak of the sign as if it
were the thing signified but speak too as if receiving the former is the same
as receiving the latter (e.g., Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 10:15-21; 1 Pet.
3:21-22). As the preaching of the Word makes the gospel audible, so the
sacraments make it visible, and God stirs up faith by both means.
Sacraments
strengthen faith by correlating Christian beliefs with the testimony of our
senses. The Heidelberg Catechism illustrates this in its answer to Question 75.
The key words are as sure as.
Christ
has commanded me... to eat of this broken bread and to drink of this cup in
memory of him, and therewith has given assurance: first, that his body was...
broken on the cross for me, and his blood shed for me, as sure as I see with my
eyes the bread... broken for me and the cup communicated to me; and, further,
that with his crucified body and shed blood he himself feeds and nourishes my
soul to eternal life, as sure as I take and taste the bread and cup... which
are given me as sure tokens of the body and blood of Christ.
Sacraments
function as means of grace on the principle that, literally, seeing is (i.e.,
leads to) believing.
