What Are the Sacraments?

What Are the Sacraments? offers a concise introduction to the nature, meaning, and practice of the sacraments, examining the rites that Christ instituted for His church and the theological questions that surround them.

Dr. R.C. Sproul begins by defining what a sacrament is, distinguishing between the narrow sense of the term—referring to specific rites observed in the church—and the broader sense in which God communicates His promises through visible signs and symbols. Drawing on examples from both the Old and New Testaments, Sproul traces how God has used ordinary elements to convey extraordinary meaning, from the rainbow after the flood to the Passover feast in Israel’s worship.

The book then turns to the two sacraments recognized in Protestant theology: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Sproul examines the baptism of John, the significance of Christian baptism as the covenant sign of the New Testament, and the longstanding debate between infant baptism and believer’s baptism, presenting the arguments on both sides. He also addresses the Lord’s Supper, exploring the historical controversy over Christ’s presence in the sacrament and offering a careful account of how believers commune with the whole Christ in this sacred meal.

Throughout, Sproul connects the sacraments to the broader themes of covenant theology, sacred signs, and the relationship between Word and sacrament in the life of the church.

Key Themes

• The definition of sacraments as outward signs of inward grace
• The Protestant case for recognizing two sacraments instituted by Christ
• The significance of baptism and the debate over its proper recipients
• Christ’s presence in the Lord’s Supper and its past, present, and future dimensions

Featured Quotes

“Every time we see a rainbow, we are involved in the sacramental life of the faith.”

“We look for the great banquet feast, and we have a down payment, a foretaste of that future glory, every time we assemble to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.”