基督徒

Sacraments
There are different concepts of what is sacrament between Christians. I will try to explain the concept from the orthodox point of view.
 We can not give a definition of what is the church as we cannot define what is life , as we cannot define what is the body of Jesus Christ.
But we can describe her. Church exists before the creation, is uncreated, (hebr 12,22-23) since the head of the church , the Son of god existed always. The Logos which is the Son created the world in order to take flesh, and to be everything . KJG 1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father,, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ,, by whom are all things, and we by him. KJV Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
 KJV Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
 KJV Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
church is all the creation. God creates because of the church, so all the universe will be the place of the unity, the temple of the church.
church evolves, as
 Church of angels
 The church in paradise
 Church of the Israel,
 Incarnation and the Pentecost
 The second coming and eternal life.
Church is the BODY OF THE SON OF GOD, CONSTITUTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. Everybody has a special mission, every one functions, does a special job or to same more accurate, offers, participates in the sacrament of the UNION WITH GOD…
KJG 1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
KJV 1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
KJG 1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing,, helps,, governments, diversities of tongues.
So the basic sacrament of the church is the Eucharist. Is to offer everything and our lives, and become and live as body of the Son of God.
This body is holy because the head of the body is Jesus Christ. Because the blood of this body is not my blood , but the blood of the son of god.

the orthodox theology distinguished between the uncreated (god) and the created. The created universe exists because the uncreated energy of god which keeps the things in existence, blesses and give life to the world , increasingly till the kingdom of heavens to come. The orthodox do not see 2 separate realities, supernatural and natural.
So the sacraments are not magic ceremonies.
The sacraments the unity of the visible and invisible things which are INSIDE THE uncreated energies of god, and guide and lead the universe to god.(maximos PG 90,744B) (Gregory Nyssa to the song of songs PG 44,885D). the acts of the priest and the believers must be understood in this unity of created and uncreated, the visible and the invisible, and as having reference point the ultimate Reason, which is God .(maximus pros thalasion PG 90, 744B) WITHOUT THIS HARMONY, UNITY, BOND OF VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE (which is a result of the creation from nothing ) WE CANNOT HAVE SACRAMENTS

 The relationship between god and world is not moralistic, but through the uncreated energy (grace) of god, which spreads to the universe to different degrees, as the creatures can receive and accept.(John Damascus ,orthodox faith 1,8 PG 94,821) in this relationship are the sacraments established.
 The sacraments are prefigured in the old testament and integrated in the new testament (John Damaskous, dialexis )
 The sacraments have eschatological meaning. They grant God’s life in a world which suffers from corruption and death. The holy communion is medicine of immortality . Eschatology means that we fight against the evil powers as we see in revelation , and by the grace of god, conquer not only the biological death, but finally to become living temples of god, which is our destiny.
This is why all the sacraments start with the sentence ‘blessed is the kingdom of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ the kingdom already started but is not completed yet, but in the sacraments IS HERE, IS PRESENT, THE FUTURE IS HERE. The presence of the resurrected Jesus in his kingdom (not only of the Jesus 2000 years ago) but of the future, of the coming Jesus in his glory , is the ‘memory’ as it is in 1cor 11, 25-26 KJV 1 Corinthians 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
司鐸：所以，記得救主的這個誡命，和基督為我們所行的各種事蹟：十字架、墳墓、第三日的復活、升天，立王位在聖父的右邊，和第二次光榮的再來(liturgy text)
KJV 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
 Sacraments is not only the rites by which the grace of god is granted, but is the continuation of the life and the increase of the body of the Son of god, which is the church and the whole creation. The sacraments enrich the creation, and by them the creation participates to the grace and life of god.
Sacraments are DOORS AND WINDOWS BY WHICH THE LIGHT OF GOD, THE GRACE OF GOD COMES TO US.
THEY ARE LIKE THE BRANCES OF A TREE, OR THE GRAPES OF THE VINEGRAD.(KABASILA leitourgy explanation PG 150, 425 ,the church is manifested in the sacraments, which are not as symbols, but as are the members of the body to the heart, as the branches of the tree, as the Lord said. So it is not only an analogy or a symbolic name but reality and identity of the blood and flesh of Jesus christ )
The sacraments cannot be isolated from the totality of the body of the church, and of the nature and history, from this world reality , cannot be like a magic action. This is why in every sacrament we have THINGS, parts of this world that are transformed and sanctified.(for example in the baptism we have the water, or oil, or bread and wine for the holy communion etc)
And they are activated also by the body of the church. (which means that it is the particular local church, in the particular time acting the sacraments, the priests, the believers etc…
For the sacraments are necessary
 The local church, the body of Jesus Christ, as continuation and unity in the church of Pentecost by the apostolic succession, and the same faith
 The reality in this space and time (water, oil, crowns, etc…)
 The free will of the people to accept the sacrament.
The church cannot isolate the sacraments. They are related parts of each other. The numbering as 7 (a sacred number) started in scholastic period , specially by Thomas di Aquino, and the roman catholic council of Trend((1545-1563)( 13th century some monk Job )

From the biological birth we enter to the life of god but we try to transfigure the life which is centered only to this world.
 So when a baby is born, the priest will do to the hospital to bless the new baby and the mother.
 After 8 days he will go again to bless and give a name, as Jesus took a name after 8 days. It is not only an imitation. The parents understand the mystery of the new life, understand that the baby is not their property, but something very holy, is potentially an image of Jesus Christ, and MUST be a real image of Jesus.
 After 40days the baby will enter officially to the church. And the priest will bless the mother, and he will take the baby as Symeon did for the baby_Jesus, and he will present it in front of the altar to God, and he will repeat the same words that Symeon said:
KJG Luke 2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: KJG Luke 2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, KJG Luke 2:31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; KJG Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel..

The baby again is a living icon of Christ, and must be a small Christ as all of us by the sacraments.
Theology of childhood
1 Baptism: man becomes member of Jesus body, the church. By the grace of the holy spirit, and entering to the water, He participates to the death and resurrection of Christ, KJG Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism,, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. He changes the way that exists. Now his real parents are not the biological ones but god the Father. KJG John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. KJV 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

2 Chrismation or confirmation. The personal Pentecost for the new member of the church. The gift and the grace of the Holy spirit , is given to the new Christian. Without this is impossible to fulfill the Christian life. It is the seal of sonship, KJG 2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. to activate the personal priesthood and membership of the kingdom of heavens of the believer.
3 Eucharist: the source of life. Of the real life which is not the biological life, which is under the corruption, death, and mainly individualization. We do not live because our individual heart is beating. We live BECAUSE of a relationship, that we become continually and dynamically members of the son of god (participate in the life of god) and by Him, members of each other. By the grace of the holy spirit, the most simple food, the bread and wine, becomes the body of the incarnated God, they exist with a new way, and we participate to this new way, living as pictures of the holy trinity, one body, the body of the Son of God, many persons, not individuals.
This is also our offering and sacrifice to God. The member of the church, does not offers his individualistic achievements or his money, but his existence. What makes him to be alive is not his good health, but the relationship with the son of god and the others. life becomes a gift, becomes grace of god. This sacrifice is accepted not as the sacrifice of an individual, but because is connected to the one proper and holy sacrifice that the Son of god offered on his cross.
KJV Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

The Christian receiving the holy communion, even every day, activates what Chinese and specially Buddhists point out. The 無我
The new life is the medicine of immortality, and pure life, is the participation and kingdom of heavens from now on. The difference is that in the future there is no need to participate to the life of the Son of god by visible things as the bread and wine but directly (John of Damascus, exact orthodox faith, 4,13, PG94, 1152C-1153C)
4 Priesthood. Man’s purpose of life is to be a priest of creation. To offer everything to god, and himself also, to unite everything in the body of the Son. Every member of the church must activate his personal priesthood, specially in the liturgy.
KJG 1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing,, helps,, governments, diversities of tongues. One and unique priest , the Son of God, grand the gift of priesthood in different degrees and orders to serve the divine liturgy and make all the universe part of the liturgy . bishop, priest, deacon, laity, everyone in his own call, according to the apostolic succession. But they must serve together. The priest cannot alone serve any sacrament ------- Nobody is higher or lower, all just SERVE this divine endless liturgy. (John Chrisostom , to 2corinth 18PG 61,527)
5 Repentance and confession. The life of church is not a magic life. Is a fight KJG 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, ....this fight has falls, weakness mistakes, wounds. The sinner is not offender of god, is sick, wounded. The cure is the repentance, the forgiveness that the church grants by the power of the holy spirit. The priest is the witness of the repentance of the member, (the confession in the first church was in public , in the body of the church but today for practical reasons in front of the priest only) and grants not only the forgiveness but also the spiritual advice and guidance for the cure which is not easy or magical.
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4 Holy unction for the sick. The church sees the health as total, body and soul influence each other. The health is a gift of god, and the sickness also has meaning, to curry our cross, to participate to the pain of the universe. So according to KJV James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:KJV James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
7 Marriage is the first sacrament , before the fall. The perfect union of the man and wife is impossible by the human ways even by the human love. The grace of the holy spirit makes the 2 one flesh. Giving also the ecclesiastical dimensions , that the marriage is not only an event which concerns 2 people. KJV Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
And as a fruit of love the humanity surpass the death, the love creates new life, new kids. To be married is a special gift of god , a way to go to paradise together with somebody else.
The following because of the scholastic influence even they are not numbered in the 7 sacraments , they are sacraments indeed.
monastic ordination . but there is another gift of god. To dedicate to him all the life, to refuse to follow the blessed life in a society, and make your only job to pray for all your life for all the universe. To be separated from everybody and united with everybody in prayer. To become a monk is also a sacrament, a death before the death for god.
Consecration of a church, where a certain place becomes a gate of heavens. A proper place for the gathering of the body of the church, till finally to become the whole universe. We point out that the altar is built on the holy relics, of martyrs to remind that the human body is the proper temple of god.
 Great Blessing of the water. Spread the grace of the Holy spirit, by the water, to every object we use, our job, our house our office, KJV Colossians 3:11 …. but Christ is all, and in all. And defeat the power and the attempts of the devil to influence the world.
 Burial and memorial service. The death after Jesus resurrection is called sleep. The body of the member of the church, which is so much consecrated by the sacraments, this vessel of the holy spirit, (KJV 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels..) we honor by prayers, we bury by blessings so to dissolve, be intermixed by all the creation, waiting the resurrection which is our hope. But the identity of the member of the church as member of jesus Christ still exists, nothing can break this bond. (KJG Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,…….., nor things to come, KJG Romans 8:39 …… shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) the church commemorates the member as he has alive, because for church there is no death, so still commemorates in the liturgy. KJG Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
 After 40 days of the death we pray for him, for peace and rest, remembering that 40 days Jesus walked in the earth after the resurrection offering also a boiled wheat seeds as symbol of resurrection.
 Every year, the date of death, we pray for him also.
Every Saturday is dedicated to the dead.