Westminster Larger Catechism (Q 160-161)

Dear Church Family,

This past Sunday, in our weekly Sunday school lessons in the Westminster Larger Catechism (WLC), we studied and discussed questions 160-161. Here is a brief review.

WLC 160  What is required of those that hear the word preached?
A. It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

If asked to name the elements of worship, many Christians might list things like reading Scripture, singing, preaching, prayer, and the administration of the sacraments; however, the few would probably identify what the Westminster divines called the “conscionable hearing of the Word” (WCF 21.5) as a part of worship. Unfortunately, we tend to view the preaching of the Word as something that the pastor does while the people sit idly by, passively listening to the sermon. WLC 160 is a helpful reminder, then, of how the conscionable (or conscientious) hearing of the Word preached is an active and deliberate element of worship.

There are at least five activities which are part of this active hearing of the preached Word. Those who hear the Word preached are to (1) attend upon the preaching with diligence, preparation, and prayer, Ephesians 6:18-20; (2) examine what they hear by the Scriptures, Acts 17:10-11; (3) receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the word of God, 1 Thessalonians 2:13; (4) meditate and confer (speak and converse) on what was preached, Deuteronomy 6:6-7; and (5) hide the preached Word in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives, James 1:25.

The next series of questions in the WLC (161-164) are an introductory overview of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper: their effectiveness as means of grace, as well as the definition, purpose, and parts of the sacraments. We begin with how the sacraments become effectual means of salvation.

WLC 161  How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
A. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not by any power in themselves, or any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered, but only by the working of the Holy Ghost, and the blessing of Christ, by whom they are instituted.

There are basically four views of the sacraments with respect to the efficacy of the grace conferred in them:

(1) Sacraments are salvific (Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox)
(2) Sacraments confer a different grace than the ministry of the Word (Lutheran)
(3) Sacraments are signs and seals of God’s grace (Reformed)
(4) Sacraments are mere memorials of God’s grace and a testimony of an individual’s faith (Baptist and others)

Because of this diversity of views, WLC 161 sets out to refute certain unbiblical notions regarding the effectiveness of the sacraments before giving a summary of the biblical understanding of the effectiveness of the sacraments. There are two false doctrines that must be refuted. First, the idea that there is inherent power in the sign itself, otherwise known as sacramentalism. Second, the idea there is inherent power in the person who administers the sign (sacerdotalism). The teaching of Scripture speaks directly against these two false doctrines (e.g., Romans 2:28-29; 1 Peter 3:21).

On the positive side, sacraments are effectual means of salvation according to divine appointment, specifically by the working of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; John 3:7-8) and the blessing of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). The following questions seek to bring more clarity and specificity as to the nature, meaning, and efficacy of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper; however, for now it is enough to note that while the sacraments have been given to the church to be administered by man, it is only according to the work of the Holy Spirit and the blessing of Christ by which they become means of God’s grace. That is to say, the church is responsible for the proper administration of the sacraments, but God is one who causes spiritual growth.

Conclusion

The ministry of the Word is unique in that it is the means of grace whereby the Spirit of Christ ordinarily works saving faith in men and women (Romans 10:12-17; 1 Timothy 4:16). And, through the continued ministry of the Word, along with the administration of the sacraments and prayer, that faith is increased and strengthened (Galatians 3:1-5; 1 Peter 2:2; Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32). It may be a bit of an awkward oversimplification, but I once heard it put this way: the ministry of the Word is justificational and the sacraments are sanctificational. Or to elaborate, we could say that God uses the ministry of the Word (together with the working of the Holy Spirit) as the ordinary means by which He brings about justification in His people; and, God uses the ministry of the Word, the sacraments, and prayer (together with the working of the Holy Spirit) as the ordinary means by which He brings about the sanctification, or growth in holiness, of His people (WCF 14.1).

In Gulliver’s Travels (published in 1726), Jonathan Swift was most likely mocking the debate between the Roman Catholic and Protestant understandings of the efficacy of the sacraments when he wrote about the fictional intra-Lilliputian quarrel over the practice of breaking eggs. The Little-Endians believed that boiled eggs ought to be broken on the little end, while the Big-Endians believed that boiled eggs ought to be broken on the big end. In the story, Swift seems to be mocking the debate between the Roman Catholic view of the efficacy of the sacraments and that of the Protestants. In the Roman Catholic view (the Big-Endians), grace is automatically conferred when the sacraments are administered by the priest. In the Protestant view (the Little-Endians), the sacraments are signs and seals of God’s grace which is conferred only by the work of the Holy Spirit and the blessing of Christ.

With Jonathan Swift, some may see these discussions and debates as absurdly pedantic; however, if we do not properly understand the relationship between the administration of the sacraments and the conferring of God’s grace then we can easily fall into superstition, legalism, and a false gospel.

I hope you will join us on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am in our continuing study of the Westminster Larger Catechism! Sunday school is cancelled for this coming Sunday, October 20^th, but we will resume on Sunday, October 27^th.

The Lord be with you!
Pastor Peter M. Dietsch