The Seven Holy Sacraments 1 Baptism 2 Confirmation

The Seven Holy Sacraments 1. Baptism 2. Confirmation (Myron) 3. Repentance & Confession 4. Communion 5. Unction 6. Matrimony 7. Holy Orders (Priesthood) “Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars” Proverbs 9: 1 Prepare to Serve Class 2012 -2013

Review - The first 4 of 7 Sacrament “Wisdom (CHRIST) has built her house (CHURCH), She has hewn out her seven pillars (SACRAMENTS)”- Proverbs 9: 1 Four Sacraments are for EVERY Believer 1. God chose us to be His Children. The earthly person dies with Him thru Baptism and a new spiritual person is born out of water and Spirit. 2. He gave us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us as temples in Chrismation/Myron. 3. Whenever we sin, we can return back to His bosom thru Repentance and Confession. 4. We abide in Him thru the Eucharist when we receive His Holy Body and Precious Blood so we may live in Him and by Him 7 - Priesthood

Review - The last 3 of 7 Sacrament Three for Some! 5. Unction of the sick heals our physical sickness and troubled souls. 6. A man and woman couple are united in Matrimony in a spiritual and honourable bond to become one flesh. 7. All the sacraments are done through the work of the Holy Spirit. However, God entrusted only the clergy to administer them. Christ selected the Apostles, thus instituting the Sacrament of the Holy Orders. 7 - Priesthood

The Sacrament of the Holy Orders (Priesthood) the Sacrament through which the clergy are ordained to celebrate the various church services. “He (Christ) Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” - EPH 4: 11 7 - Priesthood

Priesthood is a Great Honour It is a calling No one takes this honour upon himself, this honour is granted and given by God, just as He granted the honour to Aaron”(Hebrews 5: 4 -6) Christ selected the apostles back then and still selects the clergy. It is not a job but a service. Christ honours his servants “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. ” John 12: 26 7 - Priesthood

Ordination Ritual “whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. ” ACT 6: 6 1. 2. The laying on of hands. The prayers of consecration. 7 - Priesthood

Priesthood is a Consecration “And for their sake I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17: 19). Christ consecrated Himself for the ministry and our redemption. All the ranks of the priesthood are consecrated for ministry, according to the example of Christ, the High Priest. “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (John 10: 11). 7 - Priesthood

Responsibility Stewards of the Mysteries of God “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one is found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4: 1, 2) Ruler over His household “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (Luke 12: 42, 43) 7 - Priesthood

Institution Jesus appointed the twelve Apostles and also the seventy. Before His ascension, He told the Apostles. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. " Amen. (Matt. 28: 19, 20). 7 - Priesthood

Ordination 1. A bishop is consecrated by the laying on of the hands of the Patriarch accompanied by two bishops. 2. A priest or a deacon is ordained by the laying on of hands of only one bishop. 3. Ordination can never be repeated for the same degree if the bishop, priest or deacon was previously ordained in a legal way. 7 - Priesthood

Grace The ordained minister is given a divine gift appropriate to the service to which he is called. “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership” (1 Tim. 4: 14). “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ” (2 Tim. 1: 6). 7 - Priesthood

Holy Orders Ranks – 1. Bishop = Episcopos (Greek) means supervision or looker from above Highest Rank in church: i. Administering ALL Sacraments including ordination of the Priests and Deacons. ii. Consecration of the altar and the holy vessels in the case of building a new church, or using new vessels. iii. Management of the general affairs of the church and the clergy. 7 - Priesthood

Patriarch vs Metropolitan Both roles are within the rank of bishop: The Pope (Patriarch) Five recognized Apostolic Sees Jerusalem, Alexandria (Coptic), Rome, Constantinople, Antioch. l the successor of the Apostles l Has right to ordain bishops (accompanied by 2 bishops) l Prepares the Myron and looks after the church as whole. Metropolitan is the bishop of large city and surroundings 7 - Priesthood

Ranks – 2. Priest ‘Priest’ or ‘presbyter’, is of the Greek word ‘Epresvateros’ meaning ‘elder’. l Administer six of the seven Sacraments (all except ordination, Holy Orders) l Teaches and looks after the congregation “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2: 7). l Hegomen (Greek word meaning ‘provider’ or ‘presenter’) is senior priest of a church with multiple priests. 7 - Priesthood

Ranks – 3. Deacon ‘Deacon’s in Syrian, or ‘Diakon’ in Greek and Coptic, mean ‘servant’. They only help the priest/bishop in officiating Sacraments (no authority to officiate) l Epsaltos (hymnist) - learning and singing the hymns and praises of the church l Ognostis (reader)- all of the above plus reading the daily readings in church l Epideacon (subdeacon) – all of the above plus Keeping good order in the Church and preventing heretics from entry. 7 - Priesthood

Ranks – 3. Deacon l Deacon (full deacon) - teaching, preaching, and performing any service which the bishop or the priest may ask him to do including carrying the chalice and giving the congregation the Precious Blood. Consecrated. Cannot marry or remarry after ordination. l Archdeacon (leader of deacons) – leads the deacons, assists the bishops and serves orphans and widows. Consecrated. Cannot marry or re-marry after ordination. Since early church Deaconess also existed to serve women in the Church (Phoebe the deaconess. . See Romans 16: 1) 7 - Priesthood

Protestant Church Objection to Priesthood Some Protestants claim that Christ did not distinguish anyone in His Church, and that all the members are the same and that there is no need for setting apart special persons as ministers. This is untrue, because of the following reasons: 1. Christ set apart special persons as Apostles "He called unto Him His disciples; and of them He chose twelve whom also He named Apostles. " (Luke 6: 12, 13). 2. He gave them special privileges “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ” (Matt. 18: 18). 7 - Priesthood

Response to Protestant Church Objection – cont’d 3. When Judas dropped out of the number of the Apostles, they chose another to fill this vacancy-Acts 1: 15 -26. Had it not been necessary that there should be certain persons set apart for God's service, they would not have taken the trouble of appointing another one instead of Judas. 4. The Bible, especially the "Acts" shows that the categories of clergy had their own duties. For instance when Philip preached in Samaria, he, being a deacon, had not the right to lay on his hands for granting the gift of the Holy Spirit. For this reason the Church of Jerusalem sent unto them Peter and John, who laid they the hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8: 5 -17). 7 - Priesthood

Response to Protestant Church Objection – cont’d 5. The Bible appointed certain conditions which should be observed when choosing the bishops, and other conditions when choosing the deacons. (1 Tim. 3; Tit. 1). 6. And the Bible also appointed certain procedures for the ordination of the clergy, e. g. , the laying on of hands. (1 Tim. 4: 14). 7. All historians agree that there have been certain ministers in the church since the first century. All the churches that were instituted at the first century keep lists of their bishops since their beginning. 7 - Priesthood

Review Questions – Connect Baptism Myron Receiving gifts of the Holy Spirit Clergy are ordained Confession Spiritual Rebirth Communion Unites a man and a woman with a spiritual bond Unction Matrimony Priesthood Forgiveness of sins Healing of Soul and body Abide in Christ 7 - Priesthood