Apology (Parts 18-26): Commentary

Apology (Part 18): Article XIII (VII), Of the Number and Use of the Sacraments

How many sacraments are there? What constitutes a sacrament? What blessings does a sacrament give?

Melanchthon and the Lutheran reformers needed to confront this issue. Rome had seven sacraments: baptism, Lord's supper, confession and absolution, confirmation, marriage, ordination, and last rites. However, as is evident, very few people could benefit from all seven "sacraments." Priests couldn't marry and only priests could be ordained.

Melanchthon points out that even the ancients (i.e., the Church Fathers) had different enumerations. Thus, one needs to define what a sacrament is, then decide which rites are sacraments.

Lutherans set out as sacraments those items that were ordained by God and conferred grace and forgiveness and builds and strengthens faith. Marriage, while commanded and ordained by God, does not grant forgiveness. Melanchthon points out that Rome had given the priesthood the definition as it applied to the Old Testament Levitical offices, and forsook the "priesthood of all believers." Thus, because only one who is ordained in the Roman church can dispense grace, Rome believes ordination must be a sacrament. Melanchthon also points out that confirmation and extreme unction (last rites) were not commanded by God, thus do not qualify to be called sacraments. That leaves three that the Lutherans at Augsburg accepted as sacraments: baptism, Lord's supper, and confession and absolution. Soon absolution and confession would be "iffy." You see, the definition soon included the rites using an earthly element, which confession and absolution obviously do not use. When Luther writes the Catechism, baptism and Lord's Supper are sacraments; confession and absolution are part of the ministry of keys and confession-the "priesthood of all believers" section of the catechism.

The practical application is this. If a marriage fails, there is still grace. God's grace is not voided by the disjointed union. If the priest has abused his vows or those in his care, the grace dispensed through him is not invalidated. If a believer strays from confirmation vows, one does not need to repeat them upon returning to the congregation. Such fears are real if marriage and ordination and confirmation are sacraments.

Apology (Part 19): Article XIV, Of Ecclesiastical Order

The Lutherans here see the abuses in the church, specifically among the clergy. In this day and age of revelations about pedophilic priests, it would seem things never change. And things really don't change. The "old boy network" that existed in Luther's day exists even today.

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