What is ordination? Does ordination transfer power to do certain things such as consecrate the elements in the sacrament? And what does consecration do? What is consecration since someone has to be ordained in order to be able to consecrate?
Dictionary.com defines "ordain" as 1. to invest with ministerial or sacerdotal functions; confer holy orders upon; 2. to enact or establish by law, edict, etc.: to ordain a new type of government; 3. to decree; give orders for: He ordained that the restrictions were to be lifted; 4.(of god, fate, etc.) to destine or predestine: Fate had ordained the meeting; verb (used without object) 5. to order or command: Thus do the gods ordain; 6. to select for or appoint to an office; 7. to invest someone with sacerdotal functions.
So, do we in the LCMS believe that we invest someone with sacerdotal functions? Do we order or command? Do we destine or predestine? No, I don't believe we think that way? Do we confer holy orders upon someone in ordination? Do we enact or establish something or someone by law or edict? Do we give orders or decrees by ordination? I don't believe we think that way, that we describe ordination that way.
Then what do we mean by ordination? Why is it that we seem to think that only someone who has been ordained can consecrate the elements in the sacrament?
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