Catholic
Roman Catholic
Christ instituted seven sacraments — efficacious signs through which He dispenses divine life.
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Seven Sacraments
Seven sacraments, two ordinances — compare how six traditions count and define the Church’s sacred rites.
Key versesMatthew 28:19Luke 22:19-20John 20:22-23Acts 2:38Acts 8:14-17James 5:14-15Ephesians 5:31-321 Timothy 4:14Matthew 19:6
Review status: initial-release
Catholics and Orthodox count seven sacraments (or holy mysteries); Lutherans, Reformed, and Methodists count two; Baptists count two ordinances, generally preferring the word “ordinance” to “sacrament.” The disagreement is not only about the number but about what these rites are: channels of grace, signs and seals of it, or acts of obedience. Each tradition’s count follows from its definition of what a sacrament is.
Content review notice: Initial release — under theological review. Positions summarize official denominational sources; named reviewers from each tradition are being onboarded.
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In 30 seconds
Christians agree that baptism and communion are special — Jesus commanded both. But how special, and are there more? Catholics and Orthodox list seven sacred rites (adding confirmation, confession, marriage, ordination, and anointing the sick), believing God truly gives grace through them. Most Protestants say only baptism and communion were instituted by Christ as sacraments, and Baptists go further, calling them "ordinances" — acts of obedience that symbolize faith rather than deliver grace. The number each church lands on comes straight from its definition of the word.
At a glance
Six traditions, one line each
Tap a tradition to jump to its full column below. Traditions aren't ranked — shown in historical order, with your tradition first if you've picked one.
| Tradition | In one line |
|---|---|
| Catholic | Christ instituted seven sacraments — efficacious signs through which He dispenses divine life. |
| Orthodox | The Church celebrates the holy mysteries through which the Holy Spirit unites believers to God; seven is the received number, not a closed definition. |
| Lutheran | Two sacraments — Baptism and the Lord’s Supper — with Holy Absolution alongside them: God’s Word joined to a visible element. |
| Reformed | Christ ordained only two sacraments — Baptism and the Lord’s Supper — as signs and seals of the covenant of grace. |
| Baptist | Two ordinances — believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper — commanded by Christ as acts of testimony and obedience, received by faith rather than working ex opere operato. |
| Methodist | Two sacraments ordained by Christ — Baptism and Holy Communion — as effectual signs of grace. |
Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox
The Church celebrates the holy mysteries through which the Holy Spirit unites believers to God; seven is the received number, not a closed definition.
Lutheran
Lutheran
Two sacraments — Baptism and the Lord’s Supper — with Holy Absolution alongside them: God’s Word joined to a visible element.
Reformed
Reformed
Christ ordained only two sacraments — Baptism and the Lord’s Supper — as signs and seals of the covenant of grace.
Baptist
Baptist
Two ordinances — believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper — commanded by Christ as acts of testimony and obedience, received by faith rather than working ex opere operato.
Methodist
United Methodist
Two sacraments ordained by Christ — Baptism and Holy Communion — as effectual signs of grace.
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How we got here
The story of this doctrine across the centuries — how the early church practiced it, where the traditions diverged, and why.
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What the early church said
Quotes from the early church on this topic — its writers, councils, and creeds: what Christians believed before the traditions split, with full source citations.
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Common objections, answered
The pushback each view tends to hear — and how that tradition answers it, steelmanned fairly with sources.
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Verse breakdowns
The key passages behind this topic, verse by verse — tap any verse to see how each of the six traditions reads it.
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Word studies
The Greek and Hebrew terms where the meaning shapes the debate — what each word actually says, and why traditions read it differently.
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Go deeper
Keep exploring
Related topics where this conversation continues.
Baptism →
Baptism is the one rite every tradition counts — but they disagree sharply on what it does, who should receive it, and how. Compare the full spectrum of views.
Communion (The Lord's Supper) →
The Lord’s Supper is the second rite every tradition counts — and the most disputed: memorial, spiritual presence, or the Body and Blood? See how each tradition reads the institution.
Sacramental Confession →
Confession of sins is a sacrament to Catholics and Orthodox, a sacramental rite to Lutherans, and a pastoral practice to the rest — one of the clearest examples of the counting disagreement.
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