33. Amen
The word “Amen” in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, and also in the New Testament, where it is produced untranslated in Greek, has the basic meaning of standing immovable, be certain. Its use during the order of the religious service in both testaments was twofold.
On the one side it was the conclusion of a commitment by a preacher or leader to another or to others. It is then indicated: What is announced, committed, promised, is sure; it is valid, it can not be made undone or be recalled.
Nowhere in our ecclesiastical life is the meaning of the word more clear and and more literally as in the serving of the sacrament of Baptism, where it is prescribed in the formula: “XYZ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
Of this all the “amen” at the end on the lips of the leader then on behalf of the church, as procurator of Christ himself for this duty says: it is sure, it is valid into eternity for this christened, it can never be made undone.
The “amen” is an underlining of what was emphasized already by the repeated “seal”: it bears the seal of Him who reigns over all that exist, it is an irrevocable commitment on the most high Authority there is.
The “Amen” is not only the confirmation of what is committed from the highest authority from God’s side to humankind. It is perhaps on still more places in the Bible the faithful confirmation from the side of the praying, the petitioner, the thanksgiving, the confessing, the praising, the receiver of the commitment of promise; with precisely the same meaning: it is sure, it is valid, it is irrevocably certain, it is not again to be made undone.
-o0o-
The word “Amen” in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, and also in the New Testament, where it is produced untranslated in Greek, has the basic meaning of standing immovable, be certain. Its use during the order of the religious service in both testaments was twofold.
On the one side it was the conclusion of a commitment by a preacher or leader to another or to others. It is then indicated: What is announced, committed, promised, is sure; it is valid, it can not be made undone or be recalled.
Nowhere in our ecclesiastical life is the meaning of the word more clear and and more literally as in the serving of the sacrament of Baptism, where it is prescribed in the formula: “XYZ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
Of this all the “amen” at the end on the lips of the leader then on behalf of the church, as procurator of Christ himself for this duty says: it is sure, it is valid into eternity for this christened, it can never be made undone.
The “amen” is an underlining of what was emphasized already by the repeated “seal”: it bears the seal of Him who reigns over all that exist, it is an irrevocable commitment on the most high Authority there is.
The “Amen” is not only the confirmation of what is committed from the highest authority from God’s side to humankind. It is perhaps on still more places in the Bible the faithful confirmation from the side of the praying, the petitioner, the thanksgiving, the confessing, the praising, the receiver of the commitment of promise; with precisely the same meaning: it is sure, it is valid, it is irrevocably certain, it is not again to be made undone.
-o0o-
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