THE TRIUNE GO D ACTS IN THE MEANS OF GRAC E PrinL ipl c
i
Jesus Christ is the living and abiding Word of God . By the power of th e
Spirit, this very Word of God, which is Jesus Christ, is read in the Scriptures , proclaimed in preaching, announced in the forgiveness of sins, eaten an d drunk in the Holy Communion, and encountered in the bodily presence o f the Christian community. By the power of the Spirit active in Hol y Baptism, this Word washes a people to be Christ 's own Body in the world . We have called this gift of Word and Sacrament by the name " the means o f grace ." The living heart of all these means is the presence of Jesus Christ through the power of the Spirit as the gift of the Father .
Background IA " We believe we have the duty not to neglect any of th e rites and ceremonies instituted in Scripture, whatever their number . We do not think it makes much difference if, for purposes of teaching, the enumeration varies, provided what is handed down in Scripture is preserved . For that matter, the Fathers did not always use the same enumeration ." ' Background IB In Christ 's flesh, in his death and resurrection, all people are invited to behold and to receive the fullness of God 's grace and truth :-
' Apology of the Augsburg Confession,Article xiu . Note : all citations of confessional material are from the Book of Concord, translated and edited by Theodore G . Tapper t (Philadelphia : Fortress Press, 1 959) . ' John
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THE TRIUNE GOD
1 :14-16 .