Sacramental power

Do sacraments have power “in themselves”?

The question is often posed in a confusing fashion. One confusion is the assumption that non -sacramental things do have power to accomplish things “in themselves.” Created things have powers only because of God’s continuous gift, so in an absolute sense nothing created has power to accomplish anything “in itself” – if “in itself” means apart from all primary divine work.

A second and more common confusion has to do with the definition of sacrament. The implied question is, Does water have power in itself to cleanse sin? Do bread and wine have power in themselves to give us a koinonia in Christ? The obvious answer to those questions is, No.

But that is not the same question as, Do sacraments have power in themselves? Sacraments are not just material elements but authorized actions performed by authorized persons.

So, we may ask: Does saying the words of the Presidential oath in itself have power to make a President? Obviously not; I could say those words at my desk and I’d remain entirely unPresidential. But saying the words of the Presidential oath is different event, a different action, from taking the oath of office – which does make a President with power that it has “in itself.”

So we should say: The rite of baptism in itself has the power to do what baptism does because baptism is the rite authorized by Jesus to do what baptism does – to join the baptized to Christ’s body by the Spirit. The rite of the Supper it itself has power to do what the Supper does because the Supper is the ritual meal authorized by Jesus do do what the Supper does – to give us a share in the body and blood of the Incarnate Son.