Final answer:
Pentecostals prefer the term 'ordinance' as it emphasizes the symbolic acts of obedience rather than the sacramental grace implied by the term 'sacrament,' aligning with their focus on a personal relationship with God.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pentecostals typically prefer to use the term ordinance over sacrament when referring to practices such as baptism and the Eucharist. This is because the term sacrament often implies a certain mystical or sacramental grace associated with the rite, a concept more aligned with Catholic and Orthodox theology, which includes the idea of transubstantiation and the elements of the Eucharist being transformed. Pentecostals, emphasizing a direct, personal relationship with God, tend to view these practices more as symbolic acts of obedience to Jesus' commands, rather than as channels of grace that confer salvation. Historically, Christians, after the conversion of Constantine, began using the term mysterion/mysterium which signified a deeper, often hidden spiritual reality. Over time, these practices became closely guarded as seen in the protective approach to the Mysteries by the Church Fathers, giving them a status similar to that of the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries.