Back to Protestant Movements Overview Sacraments & Ordinances

Two sacraments, many interpretations.

Protestants reduced the seven sacraments to baptism and the Lord's Supper, then disagreed about what those two mean and do. Lutherans, Reformed, Anglicans, and Anabaptists all have distinct answers. This page maps the shared reduction and the continuing divisions.

Protestant ClaimChrist instituted two sacraments or ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, as visible signs connected to his promise.

Main ReceiptsSmall Catechism, Augsburg Confession, Geneva Catechism, Thirty-Nine Articles, Westminster Confession.

Live DisputeCatholics count seven; Lutherans emphasize Christ's bodily presence; Reformed stress spiritual presence; Anabaptists stress believers' baptism.

Component Map

Six pieces that have to be kept distinct.

Word and SignProtestants insist sacraments are not bare signs but are joined to the Word of promise and require faith.

BaptismLutherans, Reformed, and Anglicans baptize infants and believers; Anabaptists baptize only professing believers.

Lord's SupperProtestants reject transubstantiation and sacrifice-of-the-Mass, but divide over Christ's presence and the mode.

Number of SacramentsConfessions defend two sacraments because only baptism and the Supper were commanded by Christ with a visible sign.

Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Marriage, AnointingProtestants treat these as church rites or states of life, not sacraments of the gospel.

Sacraments as Means of GraceWord and sacrament together are the ordinary means through which God's promise is offered and received.

Receipt Trail

Start here before drawing conclusions.

Small CatechismLuther's brief instruction on Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar.

Thirty-Nine ArticlesAnglican articles on the two sacraments and the rejection of private masses and transubstantiation.

Westminster ConfessionReformed definitions of baptism and the Lord's Supper as means of grace.