UNDERSTAND THE SACRAMENT OF “CONFIRMATION”

UNDERSTAND THE SACRAMENT OF “CONFIRMATION”
(Filipino: Kumpil) , (Spanish: Confirmación)

EXPLAINS WHY DO CATHOLICS PRACTICE CONFIRMATION AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO US, WILL EXPLAIN IN BIBLICAL BASIS.

NON-CATHOLICS OR SHOULD WE SAY NEWLY FOUND PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS DOESN’T HAVE THIS SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION, BECAUSE THEY REJECTS CATHOLIC PRACTICE AS IT INFACT WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE ON ITS EVENTS, AUTHORITY, & TRADITION.

ALSO THEY BELIEVED THAT RECEIVING BAPTISM IS ENOUGH WHILE THE CONFIRMATION IS ANOTHER INVENTION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THEY THUS DON’T NEED IT IN THEIR MAN MADE RELIGION.

THIS ARTICLE WILL ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CHURCH PRACTICE OF CONFIRMATION BIBLICALLY.

CFD Manila President Michael Vincent Suico receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at Quiapo Church with Fr. Abe as Godfather [Sponsor].

[[ Question for the Catholics or those who that are familiar with, WHAT is Confirmation? ]]

ANSWER:

CONFIRMATION IS CHRISTIAN INITIATION BY RECEIVING HOLY SPIRIT AS A GIFT. THIS INITIATION IS NORMALLY CARRIED OUT BY LAYING ON OF HANDS OF THE PRIEST TO THOSE BAPTIZED MEMBER OF THE CHURCH. IN THIS SACRAMENT ONE SEALED WITH THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE STRENGTHENED IN THEIR CHRISTIAN LIFE.

► QUESTION # 2:
[[ Is it Biblical? Where do you read in the Bible “Confirmation” ]]

ANSWER:

DON’T FIND IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURE THE LITERAL TERM FOR “CONFIRMATION”, BUT WE SUPPOSE TO LOOK FOR ITS EVENT THAT ALREADY BEEN PRACTICE AND BELIEVED BY THE APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST, WHEREIN THE APOSTLES THEMSELVES LAID THEIR HANDS ON THE HEAD OF BAPTIZED PEOPLE. WE CAN READ IT FROM:

ACTS 8:14-17 (New American Standard Bible) [14] Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, [15] who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. [16] For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they HAD SIMPLY BEEN BAPTIZED in the name of the Lord Jesus. [17] Then THEY BEGAN LAYING THEIR HANDS ON THEM, AND THEY WERE RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

IT IS CLEAR THAT HOLY SPIRIT HAS NOT YET COME UPON ANY OF THESE PEOPLE OF SAMARIA, EVEN THESE PEOPLE ALREADY BEEN BAPTIZED,

THE ONLY WAY TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST PLACED THEIR HANDS ON THE BAPTIZED PEOPLE,

HERE IS ANOTHER ONE, EVEN SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE DID IT.

Acts 19:5-6 (New International Version) [5] On hearing this, THEY WERE BAPTIZED into the name of the Lord Jesus.[6] WHEN PAUL PLACED HIS HANDS ON THEM, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THEM, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

SEE? SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT BY LAYING HANDS AFTER BAPTISM, AND THIS IS POSSIBLE THROUGH CONFIRMATION.

► QUESTION # 3:
[[ why is the Confirmation is important to us ? ]]

ANSWER:

SINCE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IMPORTANT IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE THUS IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION,

ON THE OTHER HAND, SINCE SOME NEWLY FOUND CHRISTIAN RELIGION TODAYS DOES NOT PRACTICE CONFIRMATION IN THEIR CHURCH, BECAUSE THEY REJECTS IT SINCE FOR THEM BAPTISM IS ENOUGH TO RECEIVE HOLY SPIRIT, THEN THEIR MEMBER FROM THEIR MAN MADE CHURCH WITHOUT THIS HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH CONFIRMATION DOES NOT BELONG TO CHRIST. THE BIBLE SAYS:

Romans 8:9 (New American Standard Bible) “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But IF ANYONE DOES NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE DOES NOT BELONG TO HIM. “

PASSAGE IS CLEAR, IT SAYS THAT THE PERSON WHO DOES’T HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT IN CHRIST BUT THEY AGAINST CHRIST.

NOW, THE SCENARIO IS THIS:

> HOW WILL WE BE GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IF WE DO NOT RECEIVED THE SPIRIT?

> HOW WILL WE ACCEPT THE SPIRIT IF IT HAS NOT COME DOWN ON US?

> HOW WILL THE SPIRIT GO DOWN IF WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION?

> HOW WILL A PERSON RECEIVE THE SACRAMENT IF YOUR CHURCH WHEREIN YOU BELONG DOES’T HAVE THE CONFIRMATION?

THEREFORE:
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF CHRIST IS NOT WITH THE MEMBER OF THESE NEWLY FOUND PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS.

► QUESTION: # 4
[[ The apostles done it already during their times, BUT why these Catholic priest and Bishops carried out this practice to their parishioners / church member ?
.
Does apostles instructs to Catholic priest to initiate this sacrament ????]]

ANSWER:

LET US UNDERSTAND FIRST THE EVENT SEQUENCE OF THE FOLLOWING VERSES WHEREIN INITIATED BY APOSTLES, PERFORMED ALSO BY ANOTHER APOSTLE, AND HE INSTRUCTS IT TO PEOPLE, AND TAUGHT TO HOLD THIS PRACTICE THROUGH GENERATION COMES AS TRADITION:

NOW THE SEQUENCE IS THIS….

1ST:

FROM APOSTLES OF JESUS, THEY ARE SAINT JOHN AND SAINT PETER INITIATED IT FIRST BY LAYING THEIR HANDS ON THE PEOPLE TO SEAL THEM WITH HOLY SPIRIT

ACTS 8:14-17 (New American Standard Bible) [14] Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, [15] who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. [16] For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they HAD SIMPLY BEEN BAPTIZED in the name of the Lord Jesus. [17] Then THEY BEGAN LAYING THEIR HANDS ON THEM, AND THEY WERE RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

2ND:

SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE ALSO PERFORMS WHAT SAINT PETER AND JOHN DID TO THE PEOPLE.

Acts 19:5-6 (New International Version) [5] On hearing this, THEY WERE BAPTIZED into the name of the Lord Jesus.[6] WHEN PAUL PLACED HIS HANDS ON THEM, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THEM, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

3RD :

NOW, SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE GAVE AN INSTRUCTION ABOUT THE LAYING ON OF HANDS, IN WHICH IS CONFIRMATION, (NOT ORDINATION).

Fr. Abe with his newly confirmed Godson Michael Vincent Suico, the CFD Manila President, in front of the Quaipo Church

► QUESTION: # 5
[[ and why the Priest / Bishops who authorized to carried out this confirmation for their parishioners / church member ? ]

ANSWER :

SINCE SAINT PAUL PERFORMS THE CONFIRMATION, INSTRUCTS TO PEOPLE, AND TAUGHT IT TO HANDED DOWN THROUGH GENERATION COMES AS TRADITION. SO WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHO IS SAINT PAUL IS?

THE QUESTION IS THAT, IS HE JUST AN ORDINARY APOSTLE OF CHRIST?

NO ! WHAT BIBLE SAYS IN THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL FOR THE ROMANS IS THIS…

Romans 15:16 (New American Standard Bible) “to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering AS A PRIEST the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

THAT’S WHY, ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE BEING A PRIEST IS DOING HIS WORKS, AS CATHOLIC PRIEST DOING THEIR TASK FOR INITIATING CONFIRMATION FOR THE BAPTIZED YOUNG PEOPLE.

► QUESTION # 6:
[[ why is that only Catholics does practice this confirmation?]]

ANSWER:

AS A MATTER OF FACT, NOT JUST THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PRACTICE THIS CONFIRMATION, BUT ALSO ORTHODOX , ANGLICAN AND EARLY PROTESTANTS PRACTICING IT.

THE “ORTHODOX CHURCH”, THEY PRACTICE IT, AND THEY CALLED IT AS “CHRISTMATION”, AND NOT CONFIRMATION.

ALSO THE “ANGLICAN CHURCH” PRACTICE THIS AS WELL.

SOME PROTESTANTS PRACTICING IT, MOSTLY THEY ARE IN EARLY PROTESTANT CHURCHES (16th, 17th, 18th, and early 19th) WHICH FOLLOWS THIS SACRAMENTS FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

BUT THEY CALL CONFIRMATION A RITE, AND NOT A SACRAMENT, AND SEE IT AS MERELY SYMBOLIC. THESE SECTS ARE AS FOLLOWS…

– LUTHERAN CHURCH
– METHODIST CHURCH
– EPISCOPAL CHURCH
– PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
– MORMONS

– CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST LATER DAY SAINTS

WHILE THE NEWLY FOUND CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION NOWADAYS (late 18th’, whole 19th’ & 20th’), MOSTLY EVANGELICALS LIKE BORN AGAIN, BAPTIST, DATING DAAN, PENTECOSTALS & MANY OTHERS, AND RESTORATIONIST RELIGION LIKE IGLESIA NI CRISTO, SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST, JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, RESTORED CHURCH OF GOD, AND SUCH OTHERS, WHO REJECTS THIS PRACTICE AS THEY CLAIM IT IS ANOTHER CATHOLIC INVENTION, IN WHICH INFACT WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE ON ITS EVENTS, AUTHORITY, & TRADITIONS, AS ANSWERED IN (QUESTION # 4)

CFD Quezon City member receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at Quiapo Church with Fr. Abe as Godfather [Sponsor].

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
THE CONSTANT FAITH OF THE CHURCH ATTESTS TO THE EXISTENCE IN THE EARLY CHRISTIANS AND PRACTICE OF THE CONFERRING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BELIEVERS.

Fr. Abe with his newly confirmed Godson Simon Jake Beringuela of CFD Quezon City in front of the Quaipo Church

– Pope Clement of Rome (92 – 101) in his Letter to the Corinthians listed among the graces given to the people of Corinth “the fullness of the Holy Spirit.”

– Tertullian (Rome, 160 – 220) spoke of confirmation at least seven times and most often listed confirmation between baptism and the eucharist.

– Cyprian (Carthage, 200 – 258) wrote of the necessity of the sacrament and distinguished it from baptism and spoke of it as a complement to baptism.

– A local church Council (at Illiberitanum, 300) stated the rite of administration of confirmation.

– Pope Innocent I (401 – 417) taught the same rite of confirmation.

– Jerome (Stridon, 345 – 419) asserted the custom of the Church that priests and deacons baptize; that bishops confer the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Abe with two of his Godsons: Michael Vincent Suico [sitting] and Simon Jake Beringuela [standing]. May the Holy Spirit protect you always Mico and Simon.