Prepared for the instruction and study by church members and all who love to learn

by Rev. G. O. Kwapong,
The District Minister.

PREFACE

This is the third issue of this publication. In November 2003, the Rev. C. B. Ahwireng, the Presbytery Chairperson, was in church when I gave a series of teachings on Christian Giving. After that he called me to his office and encouraged me strongly to prepare a handout on the topic for the congregation.

With the encouragement of the session and my wife, the handout was prepared and photocopied for the congregation on loose sheets

At the beginning of this year, through prayer, the decision was taken to teach on ‘The Tenets of Presbyterianism’. To make it easy for the teacher and the learners a small booklet dubbed ‘From the Pulpit Series’ was prepared and launched.

By the grace of the Almighty God, this is the third issue. In this particular one, we will be learning about what we, as Presbyterians accept as ‘Sacraments’. In the next issue, God willing, we shall take time to reflect on the Apostle’s creed.

I must express my sincerest appreciation to the wonderful session that I have in Akropong. I also thank all who have contributed in diverse ways to make this publication possible. especially a friend of mine at the Akrofi- Christaller Memorial Centre (who wants to remain anonymous), who spent time to read the text and offered valued inputs.

The most important of all, am grateful to the Lord for the protection, wisdom and direction to put the thoughts together.

Rev. G. O. Kwapong,
Christ Presbyterian Church,
Akropong Akuapem.
3rd August, 2004.

INTRODUCTION
The word Sacramentum is the Greek word for the theological term, Sacrament. It is not found in the Bible, but it came to be associated with the Early Church. It originally meant oath, pledge or solemn obligation. It later came to signify the belief of the church in relation to God's means of exercising His grace to His people.

A Sacrament could be defined as "a holy sign and seal of the covenant of grace". See Rom.4: 11 cf. Gen.17: 7. A Sacrament is a visible sign to us that God, whom we cannot see is gracious to us and saves us from our sins and by receiving them, we indicate openly, our faith in Him. Sacrament could be said to be an outward sign of an inward grace. In Twi, we call it 'Adomenade' (adom no ade), meaning, a means of grace.

WHAT ARE THE SACRAMENTS?
Different confessions have different of sacraments. The Roman Catholics and the Anglicans have seven and five respectively. The Reformed Tradition regarded only Baptism and the Supper of the Lord as the only true sacraments2.
We shall look at each of them separately in this material. That is, what we mean by baptism and also by the Lord’s Supper.

We shall begin with the Lord’s Supper and later by Baptism.

(1)THE SUPPER OF THE LORD
One of the most commonly practiced sacraments of our church is the Lord's Supper, which is a must for every professed member of the Presbyterian Church: Here I shall refer you to see page 107 of the 2000 PCG Constitution.
There are 4 accounts of the Lord's Supper in the New Testament (Matt.26: 26-30; Mk.14: 22-26; Lk.22: 14-20; and 1Cor.11: 23-26).

The Catechism gives us very interesting insight into what the Lord Supper is all about. Here too I want to encourage you refer to pages 82-84 of the Twi Catechism3 especially questions 43, 45, 46, & 53.

Apart from the Lord's Supper, there are other names we give to this means of grace. These are, the Holy Communion and Eucharist and each name has a significant meaning to it.

1. The Lord's Supper: As the name implies it is not a meal set by the officiating minister and his or her assistants. As a church, we believe that the Lord Himself sets it. He is the Host and we are rather His guests.
2. Holy Communion: Communion, which has its root in the Greek word, koinonia, means fellowship. During the communion service, it is believed that we have fellowship with the resurrected Christ who denied Himself of His position and came so low to take my position as a sinner.

At the same service, we see ourselves as one people with a common destiny, a common Saviour with a common means of grace. We have koinonia with our Lord and also with ourselves.
3. Eucharist: Eucharist means
thanksgiving. Much as we take
Communion as a means of participating at the Lord's Table and also as a means of having fellowship with the Lord and with one another, it is also a means of thanking God for what He has done for us through the Lord Jesus.

Before every communion service comes to an end, we either sing the Presbyterian Hymn 64 or recite part of Psalm 103 "Mekra hyira
Awurade, na me mu ade nyinaa nhyira ne din kronkron no …" See also Rev.5: 12-13.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
The significance of the Lord's Supper could be explained in three very significant ways, Retrospective, Present, and Futuristic or Eschatological.

*Retrospective: The Lord's Supper has a historical significance. That is to say, as I take the bread and the wine today, I believe that the Lord Jesus came to this world to die for me.

Not only did He die, but He also arose from the dead for my sake. In the Presbyterian hymn numbered 462, which can also be found in the old hymn, Twi 232, the hymnist writes:
Mm[bor[hunu Nyame gyaa me, na [de m’aka aky] me. Saa s]mpa kyekye me wer] ma me gyide ani gye. Me kra, da Onyame ase; n’deky] yi y] k]s]; n’ahumm[b[ na ayi me duam ne afiase.

M’aka no nhaw me bio, Yesu bedii m’gyinam. Me Yesu de ne mmogya abetua ne nyinaa. Me kaw a mede me Wura so bore mpempem ara; na s] w[b]dan me kaw a, anka mehu daapem yaw.

Afei mede meho foforo, na [t[n bi ntu me bo; na Onyame gye me bio; Yesu ne me patafo. Mede anigye miwu po a, gyidim na m]kamfo s]: Mm[b’r[hunu Nyame gyaa me, na me were akyekye.

*Present: The blood cleanses, heals and protects me (Ex.24: 6-8) even today. It also shows the unity and the togetherness of Christians. The communion binds us together. It reminds us that we are not only one with the Triune God, but with ourselves (See the Presby. Hymn 306)5

L.K. Buamah argues interestingly that, “the Lord’s Supper is not an empty ritual or a delayed funeral/ memorial service for a tragic hero (Jesus the Christ). It is basically a living theological drama which involves a vivid recollection, active participation and a joyful anticipation”6

*Futuristic or Eschatological: I believe that just as He rose from the dead, I shall also rise from the dead and be with the Lord forever.

Once again the Presbyterian Hymn offers an explanation:
Kristo mmogya ne ne trenee ne me ntama, mahyehy]de, na da a Nyame b]fr] me no mede benya n'anim mak[.7

The Communion is also a reminder to us believers that we anticipate the return of Christ.

IS IT ESSENTIAL FOR ME TO BE AT THE LORD’S TABLE?

I strongly think so. Let's see John 6: 48-51, 53-58. Please, I want to encourage you to read the passage now before we continue with the discussion.

In the passage under discussion the greatest teacher ever to live, raises very pertinent issues here. In the first place, He is the bread that came down from heaven. Secondly, anyone who eats of this bread will have eternal life.

Thirdly, anyone who does not eat of His flesh and also does not drink of His blood has no life in him or her self. Furthermore, He is going to raise all those who eat His body and drink His blood.

It should be stated here that, it does not mean by just the mere eating of the bread and the wine, then we are heaven bound. As stated earlier on in this discussion, participation in the Lord’s Supper affirms our belief in the incarnated Jesus, the Christ. It means, we believe that He is our only Saviour and in His life alone we also have life.

So the Apostle Paul 1Cor. 11: 27 – 30 informs us that we partake of the Lord’s table as a sign of remembrance of what the Lord did for us many years ago. In order not to water down of the efficacy of this sacrament and in order not to make it meaningless, Apostle in the verse 28 cautions us to examine ourselves well before partaking of it.

CONCLUSION
It is a point worth noting that the Lord’s Supper serves as a summary statement of our salvation history, affirms the real presence of the Lord with us here and we rejoice in it hoping that we’re going to sit with Him face to face one day.
It is expected of every believer to participate in the Lord’s Supper but there is the need to examine ourselves very well before participating. We should do so not because we want to be buried by the church when we die.

Some of us also shy away from it due to our ‘hidden agenda’, why don’t we turn to the Lord fully for Him to be the Lord of our lives? May God richly bless you, Amen.

(2)
BAPTISM
INTRODUCTION
Baptism is one doctrine, which has attracted so many disagreements among Christians. Its meaning, its mode, and even the subjects to be baptized are disputed by different confessions.

Whilst some confessions insist on baptism of adults alone, others think it matters not. Again whilst some think about only baptism by immersion, others think whether one is immersed or not does not really matter. Such groups of people usually adopt baptism by sprinkling.
Despite the diverse positions, one could say that Christian baptism is rooted in the ministry of Jesus Christ. In His great commission, He commanded all His disciples to go forth to preach the gospel to the entire world. All those who respond to the call of God must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit according to the Lord Jesus Christ in Math.28: 18 - 19. This command has been upheld by the New Testament churches ever since.

WHAT IS BAPTISM?
Baptism is the incorporation of a new convert into the new covenant between God and humanity. It is the sign of new life through Jesus Christ. It is defined by the Westminster Confession of Faith, as “a sacrament of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ8, not only for solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church;9 but also to be unto him (her) a sign and seal of the covenant of grace,10 of his (her) ingrafting into Christ,11 of regeneration,12 of remission of sins,13 and of his (her) up unto God through Jesus Christ, to walk newness of life.14”15

We can say that Baptism is the sign of the new life through Jesus Christ. It unites the one baptized with Christ and also with His people. It is God's gift to humanity and our human response to His gift.

SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM
Baptism is significant in seven ways. These are,
1. It is a participation in Christ's death and resurrection (Rom.6: 3-5; Col.2: 12).
2. It is a sign of the washing away of sins (1Cor.6: 11; Acts 2: 38; Heb.10: 22).
3. It is also a sign of a new birth that has taken place (Jn.3: 5).
4. It is also a symbol of a re-clothing in Christ (Gal.3: 27).
5. It is a symbol that the spirit of the candidate is renewed (Titus 3: 5; Acts 2: 38; 9: 17-18; 10: 47; 11: 16).
6. It is also a symbol that one has become one with Christ and confident that one will ultimately be one with Him in a resurrection like His (Col.2: 13; 3: 1; Eph.2: 5-6).
7. Finally, it is a symbol of liberation into a new humanity in which barriers of division whether of sex or race or social status are transcended (Gal. 3: 27-28; 1Cor. 12: 13).

INFANT BAPTISM
Many arguments have been raised over the years for and against infant baptism. Whilst some justify it, others contend against it. Here we present to you what both groups of people stand for.

A. Arguments Against Infant Baptism:
Those who contend against Infant Baptism usually argue around these six main points.

1. There is no clear biblical statement that children should be baptized.
2. Again, in the NT, baptism is based on personal confession of faith and not on behalf of the subject.
3. In the great commission, believers are to 'make disciples …' (Math.28: 19) before baptism. How then can they disciple infants before baptism?
4. If Jesus was baptized at age 30 why do we ‘force’ infants?
5. Infant baptism is the main cause of nominalism among Christians today.
6. The faith of parents cannot be a good substitute for that of the person him (her) self.

B. Arguments In Support Of Infant Baptism
However, the pro-paedo baptizers also base their arguments on the following reasons.

1. Just as the Bible does not say in clear terms that infants should be baptized, it does not also say they should not be baptized. This can be inferred from scripture as we can see later in this discussion.

There is no explicit scriptural injunction to baptize infants. However, we can compare the baptism of infants to the participation of women in the Holy Communion. We can see that it is written no where in the Bible that women should be admitted to the Lord’s table and there is no record in the NT that any of them did.

In that case, the church may be compelled to bar women from the Lord's Supper since we do not read that they were ever admitted to it in the days of the apostles. If not, then there is nothing wrong for the church to baptize infants. The fact that it is not written in black and white in the scripture does not mean it was never done.

2. Another reason for the practice of paedo-baptism15 is what is usually referred to as the 'Oikos' or Household formula. In the NT we have evidence of whole households being baptized (Acts16: 15; 16: 33; 18: 7-8; 1Cor. 1: 16) It can be inferred that this whole household would include children. A household included the entire family of the householder, slaves and their children.

3. In the Old Testament, circumcision was a means of admission into God's covenant (Gen. 17:10-13). In this Old Covenant, the sign of the covenant was applied to children as young as eight days old. It was so important that God nearly destroyed the sons of Moses, had it not been for the timely intervention of Zipporah, his wife (Num. 4:24-25). In the NT, baptism is described by Paul as the sign of the covenant that replaces circumcision (Col. 2:11-12). In that case, the reception of children into the community of the new Israel through baptism becomes natural.

4. Again, in the era of the early church, there was no evidence of a child of a Christian family being baptized on reaching adulthood. Does it not mean they were probably baptized as babes?

5. Furthermore, faith is the response of humanity to the grace of God. And if baptism is a response to God’s grace, it means, the initiative is His. This makes baptism an initiative of God. The idea of baptism as a means of grace, is amply epitomized in Infant Baptism.
6. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel A. Obeng16 makes a profound observation about infant baptism. He argues from the point of view of the ‘original sin’ in Gen.3. It is clear from Rom.5:12 that, it has effect on humanity. We know that one of the reasons for baptism is for the cleansing of sins, whether committed or otherwise.

To Obeng, if baptism is based on personal confession, there are enough evidence in the Bible where faith was expressed on behalf of others. We see this in the story of the paralytic man in Mk.2: 1-6; in the story of Centurion servant in Mt.8: 5-10,13 and the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman in Mt.15: 21-28. If by the faith of others, the sick in these episodes got healed, Obeng queries, “is the faith expressed by parents and the members of the congregation not enough to make the baptism of these infants effectual?”17
In that case, the argument of those who contend against infant baptism that faith of others on behalf of the kids are baseless do not hold water.

7. Lastly we want to agree perfectly with the Rev. E. Agyem-Frempong that Infant Baptism “promotes Christian parenthood”18. Probably we may add responsible Christian parenthood. The parents make a solemn commitment to be responsible for the upbringing of the child in the Lord so that at the age of discretion, the child will confirm that faith.

CONCLUSION
In my experience as a minister, it seems to me many of us parents either do not understand or do not mean the vows we make before God and the entire congregation when our wards are being baptized.

Example of questions that are asked from the Liturgy Book which the parents are supposed to answer sincerely are:
…so monam Onyankop[n boa so b]y]n mmofra yi w[ Asafo no as[re ne nkyer]kyer] mu ama w[ahu Kristo s] w[n Agyenkwa? S] ]te saa a, munnye so s]: Yiw y]de Onyankop[n boa b]y] sa.

So mode mo ankasa abrab[ b]y] nhw]so pa na moanto mmofra nkumaa yi hintidua anaa?S] ]te saa a, munnye so s]: Yiw, y]de Onyankop[n boa b]y] sa.

So mob]b[ w[n adafa daa ama w[afa denhy] so agye w[n afra kristofo asafo mu na Hohom Kronkron ama w[n ase atim gyidi mu na w[ak[ Adidi Kronkron no bi afi ak[ wiase ak[som Onyankop[n nokware mu w[ asafo no ay[nkofa mu.? S] ]te saa a, ]nde munnye so s]: Yiw, y]de Onyankop[n boa b]y] sa

But in all these, we the parents do not seem to mean it. We leave the children to do their own thing. We do not give them any guidance in the Lord. We ourselves are not so much committed and so it is difficult to guide them to the Lord as we vowed.

It could be inferred from the above arguments that although Infant Baptism is not explicitly found in the Bible, it symbolizes a kind of a Biblical truth of being part of Christian initiation and in itself is not a bad practice.

The other point we need to consider is, if in those days our ancestors committed not only their lives to the care of certain ‘powerful fetishes’ but rather households, what is wrong for a Christian parent to trust his/her household to the care of Jesus, the Christ?
It is my prayer that we as members of the Presbyterian Church and for that matter, parents would be a little more devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ. In that case, our daily walk with Him becomes more relevant.

I believe the baptism and the Lord’s Supper as sacraments are not fashionable but spiritual. May the Holy Spirit, the great teacher enlighten us all to have a fuller understanding of this all important topic, Amen.

Westminster Confession of Faith, Free Presbyterian Publications, 1994, p.111
2 Walter A. Elwell. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
(2nd Ed.) Paternoster Press, 2001.

3 This is otherwise known as Presbyteriafo Asuas]m.

4 The Presbyterian Hymn here refers to the New Hymn Book of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (the old hymn reference is Twi 4).
5 The reference to the old Hymn is Twi 138

6 “The Theological Moral and Spiritual Significance of the Lord’s Supper” in Trinity Journal of Church and Theology (Vol. 3, number 2, December,1993)
7 Presby. Hymn 468, the old is Twi 227.
8 Math.28: 19
9 1Cor.12: 13
10 Rom.4: 11 cf. Col.2: 11
11 Gal. 3: 27 cf. Rom.6: 5
12 Titus 3: 5
13 Mk. 1:4
14 Rom.6: 3
15 Free Presbyterian Publications, 1994, p.112-113
15 Another term for infant baptism
16 See his article on “An African Reflection on Infant Baptism” in Africa Theological Journal Vol.21, No.1, 1992

17 Ibid. 44
18 The Sacraments, Asempa Publishers, 1999