WCF 27.4

Westminster Confession of Faith

27.4. Of the Sacraments

There are only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord: neither of which may be dispensed by any but by a minister of the Word lawfully ordained.

Proof texts

Matt. 28:19 — [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
1 Cor. 11:20, 23, 1 Cor. 4:1 — [20] When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. [23] For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
Heb. 5:4 — [4] And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

For discussion

The Assembly cited Matt. 28:19 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
3 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
WSC Q93 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
WLC Q163 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q93 · WLC Q163 · WLC Q149 · WSC Q88 · BC 8.1 · BC 8.2 · BC 8.3 · HC Q65 · 1689 28.1 · SD 28.1 · IAR 7.1 · SC60 6.1 · SC60 6.2 · SC60 6.3 · SC60 6.4 · SC60 6.5 · SHC 6.1 · SHC 6.2 · IAR 8.1 · SC60 7.1 · SC60 7.2 · SC60 7.3 · SHC 7.1 · SHC 7.2 · SHC 7.3

Leader's notes

A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): this Section teach in opposition to this ? 33. What do the Romanists teach are the conditions on the part of the administrator upon which the efficacy of the sacraments depends ? 34. How dees the efficacy of the sacrament depend upon its divine appointment ? 35. How does it depend upon the sovereign will and power of the Holy Ghost? 36. What was taught in the early Church as to the number of the sacraments? 37. When was the number seven authoritatively established? 38. What are the seven sacraments acknowledged by the Romanists ? 39. How can it be proved that baptism and the Lord's Supper form a class by themselves? 40. Show that the definition of a sacrament…

An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): "We acknowledge only two sacraments instituted by Christ in the gospel, and these are baptism and the Lord's supper; the former being the sign and seal of our spiritual birth, and the latter of our spiritual nourishment. The Church of Rome has added five spurious sacraments — ordination, marriage, confirmation, penance, and extreme unction. None of these have any divine appointment as sacraments; and the three last, as used by Papists, have no warrant at all from Scripture. None of them are seals of the covenant of grace, and, therefore, they are no sacraments, but are to be considered as gross corruptions of the purity and simplicity of the Christian ritual. In opposition, also, to the Church of Rome, which…