Transcript

What about the Sacrament of Confirmation?

What is the Sacrament of Confirmation, and is it taught in Scripture?

Well, if you've been through the Sacrament of Confirmation, you understand then, that the Sacrament of Confirmation is the completion of our baptism.

It is a second anointing with the Holy Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit, that is made by the bishop, that seals us, it completes us.

It completes our baptism, and it gives us over to Christ for one particular purpose.

Do you know what that purpose is?

It's to be witnesses to the gospel.

To be witnesses to the gospel.

A lot of times, people aren't really clear about why we have confirmation, because they don't know what confirmation is.

It's not a second baptism, don't get me wrong.

And it's certainly not Catholic graduation day, okay?

Some people tend to think of confirmation as kind of a Catholic graduation day.

That's not what it is.

What confirmation is, is the confirming of your baptism.

Your anointing with the power of the Holy Spirit, and a special gift of the Holy Spirit being given to you, so that you can go out into the world, and not simply be a child of God, which you were made in baptism, but bear witness to God.

Bear witness to Christ, even in the face of rejection, persecution, and death.

That's that special power, and you need that power.

You need that grace, because it's a rough world out there.

Any of you ever tried to share your faith?

It's simple, right?

Your friends and family just line up and say, I want to be Catholic, as soon as you begin to explain the faith.

And you're never, ever, ever tempted to be quiet, are you?

Just not say anything.

That's what confirmation is for.

It's a special grace, a special what?

Power of the Holy Spirit.

It was given to the apostles at Pentecost.

Remember, before Pentecost, they were a bunch of yellow-bellied chickens, right?

Hiding out for fear of the Jews.

After Pentecost, they rejoice in being persecuted for the name of Christ.

OK, that's the grace of the sacrament of confirmation.

But where do we see confirmation in the Bible?

Remember, the ritual of confirmation, the essential element of the rite, is what?

The laying on of hands by the bishop, when he anoints you with oil and says, be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Well, do we ever see that sacramental ritual in the scripture?

Or did the Catholic Church just make it up?

Well, I would suggest to you that it's right here in the Bible, in two key places, in the book of Hebrews, chapter 6, and the book of Acts, chapter 8. So let's look at those passages.

Hebrews 6 says this.

Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works or faith toward God with instruction about baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

Hebrews 6, 1 through 2. There you see a very brief reference to this ritual of laying on of hands in the early church.

And notice what it's conjoined with.

It's conjoined with baptism.

So you see, baptism and confirmation, the sacrament of laying on of hands, have always gone together in the early church, all right?

But this is a very short reference, and it's very fleeting.

And a non-Catholic might justifiably say, well, could you give me a little more?

Could you give me any justification for the idea that confirmation and baptism are two separate sacraments?

In the scripture, two separate rituals in the scripture.

And indeed, we can.

If you look at the book of Acts, Acts chapter 8, your next quote, there's a very important story of the sacrament of confirmation.

And it takes place in an account of Philip, who was one of the first seven deacons ever ordained in the early church, which already gets us in the holy orders.

We'll come to that in a little bit, who was going about through the towns of Samaria and preaching the gospel.

And I want you to see what happens in this account.

Read this carefully with me.

This is what the scripture is saying.

Philip, the deacon, went down to a city of Samaria, and he proclaimed to them the Christ.

And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip.

I wish it was that easy today.

And when they heard him, they saw the signs which he did.

For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying out with a loud voice.

And many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.

So there was much joy in that city.

But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, they were what?

Baptized, both men and women.

All right, now pause there for just a second.

We see what's going on here.

Philip, the deacon, is going around preaching the gospel, performing miracles.

And as a result, people are coming to faith in Christ.

And what's the first thing he does?

He baptizes them.

Just as then, so now.

The deacon is a minister of baptism.

That's one of his tasks in the church.

Okay, but watch what happens now in the scriptures.

Because now we shift to something different.

It says this.

Now, when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For the Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they, meaning Peter and John, laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8, 5 through 17. Now, this is an interesting occasion here, because what happens?

Peter and John are sent down from Jerusalem to Samaria to go and lay hands on the people so that they can receive the Holy Spirit.

Now, you may say, well, I thought they had already received the Holy Spirit in baptism.

And that's true.

But what the scripture says is that the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon them.

And when does the Holy Spirit fall upon the apostles?

At Pentecost.

See, they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism, but they still were awaiting a special gift.

The descent of the Holy Spirit in confirmation.

The sacrament of confirmation.

Now, the question you have to ask yourself is, Philip just lay hands on them?

He was there.

They were already ready.

They had been baptized.

They believed in Jesus.

Why doesn't Philip lay hands on them so that they can receive the power of the Holy Spirit?

It's very simple.

Because Philip is only a deacon, and deacons cannot administer the sacrament of confirmation.

It has to be a bishop, or a priest who's been delegated by a bishop.

All right?

So what happens?

Peter and John have to come themselves to Samaria to give this special sacrament.

So we can see already in the scripture that the idea that baptism and confirmation are two separate, distinct sacraments is right there laid out in the scripture, if you have the eyes to see, and if you read the text in its context.