The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments – Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders. These sacraments are rituals that Catholics believe provide God’s grace to those who receive them. But are these seven sacraments actually found in the Bible? Here is a detailed look at what the Bible says about each of the seven sacraments:
Baptism
Baptism is clearly a biblical sacrament. Jesus himself was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17), and before his ascension he commanded his disciples to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Throughout the book of Acts, new believers were immediately baptized after coming to faith in Jesus (Acts 2:38-41, 8:12, 8:36-38, 9:18, 10:47-48, 16:15, 16:33, 18:8, 19:5, 22:16). Baptism symbolizes the cleansing of sins through the blood of Christ and identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The apostle Paul calls baptism a “washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Baptism is an outward sign and seal of the inward regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
Confirmation
In the Catholic tradition, confirmation is a sacrament in which the Holy Spirit descends upon a baptized person. Is there biblical evidence for such an experience distinct from baptism? In Acts 8, Samaritans came to faith and were baptized, but it was only after apostles prayed and laid hands on them that they received the Holy Spirit (verses 14-17). This seems to indicate a two-step process – first water baptism, then receiving the Spirit through the laying on of hands. However, other passages like Acts 10:44-48 show the Holy Spirit falling on people before they are baptized. So the Bible does not present a completely uniform pattern, but there is definitely evidence of baptism of the Spirit as a separate experience from water baptism.
Eucharist (Communion)
The celebration of the Lord’s Supper has its origins in the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion. Jesus took bread and wine and said, “This is my body” and “This is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-20). He told them to “Do this in remembrance of me.” In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul refers to this ceremony as “the bread that we break” and “the cup of blessing.” He indicates that it is a participation in the body and blood of Christ. The early church devoted themselves to the breaking of bread – likely referring to the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42). While the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation (the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Jesus) is not explicitly taught in Scripture, the Bible certainly establishes Communion as a central practice for believers.
Reconciliation (Confession)
The concept of confessing sins to a priest is not explicitly biblical, but the Bible does contain examples of confession. In James 5:16, Christians are instructed to “confess your sins to each other.” In 1 John 1:9, we are told, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” Jesus declares to his disciples, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:23). This could be interpreted as giving the church authority to forgive sins. Catholics view the priest as acting in the person of Christ at confession, whereas Protestants emphasize confession being made to God directly. There is biblical support for confessing sins to others, but the Catholic sacrament of reconciliation is not precisely described.
Anointing of the Sick
The book of James includes instructions to pray and anoint the sick: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15). So there is a biblical basis for anointing the sick accompanied by prayer for healing and forgiveness. However, the Catholic practice of “last rites” – anointing those on their deathbeds – is not clearly supported in Scripture. The biblical focus seems to be praying for healing, not preparing for death.
Marriage
The Bible begins with a marriage between Adam and Eve in Genesis 2. Jesus affirmed the Genesis account saying “at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'” (Matthew 19:4-5). Marriage is upheld throughout Scripture (Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7, Ephesians 5:21-33). The wedding at Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle (John 2:1-11) indicates he approved of marriage. So marriage between a man and woman is clearly a biblical institution established by God from creation.
Holy Orders
The Catholic Church has a priesthood consisting of deacons, priests, and bishops. Is there Old Testament evidence for these distinct offices? In the book of Leviticus, God establishes Aaron and his sons as the priests of Israel (Leviticus 8-9). Numbers 18 refers to the descendants of Aaron as having a permanent priesthood. Deacons are not mentioned in the Old Testament, but by the time of the early church there was an office of servant ministry referred to as deacons (Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:8-13). Elders, bishops, and overseers are used somewhat interchangeably in the New Testament to refer to local church leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4). Yet Scripture does not clearly spell out distinctions between bishops, priests, and deacons. The biblical emphasis is focused more on the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5, Revelation 1:6).
Conclusion
While the seven sacraments practiced by the Catholic Church have varying degrees of direct scriptural support, biblical teaching on these points is not uniform or definitive. Core elements like Baptism and Communion are well established in the Bible, while other sacraments reflect later church traditions and interpretations. There are hints and roots of Catholic practices in the New Testament, but the full theology and rituals of the sacraments emerged over time through the teachings of church fathers and church councils. The sacraments reflect how the church has sought to build upon and find deeper meaning in the biblical text over the centuries. But ultimately, Christians acknowledge that Scripture alone is the final authority in matters of faith and practice.