Contents
1). Priests as Father
2). The Eucharist
3). Original Sin
2). The Eucharist
3). Original Sin
Priests as "Father"
Call no man Father?
"And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9).
Many are quick to point out this verse, but few even address the following verse:
Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ." (Matthew 23:10). So then, if we cannot have "father's", then neither may we have Sunday school "teachers"; no one has an issue with acknowledging "teachers" in the church, though.
However, the New Testament speaks of church leaders as paternal and the members of the body as "children" much more than it speaks of those in the church being "students" of their Christian teachers.
· Paul explicitly says that he is the "father" of the Corinthian Church:
"Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel" (1 Corinthians 4:15).
"Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children" (2 Corinthians 12:14).
· Paul also points out that he has a paternal relationship with the Thessalonians:
"For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children," (1 Thessalonians 2:11).
· Paul also points out that he is the "father" of Timothy, and he calls Timothy his "son" 6 times:
"For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church" (1 Corinthians 4:17).
"But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." (Philippians 2:22).
"To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (1 Timothy 1:2).
"Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight," (1 Timothy 1:18).
"To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers." (2 Timothy 1:2-3).
"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1).
· Paul points out that he is the "father" of Titus, calling Titus his "son":
"To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." (Titus 1:4).
· Paul points out that he is the "father" of Onesimus, calling Onesimus his "son":
"I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains." (Philemon 10).
· Peter presents himself as a "father" in the faith as well, and he points out that he is the "father" of Mark, calling Mark his "son":
"She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark." (1 Peter 5:13).
· John also regards himself as a spiritual "father", calling the believers his "children"; he also regards the leaders of the churches as "fathers":
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1).
"I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (1 John 2:13-14).
"Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18).
"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28).
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21).
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 4).
"And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9).
Many are quick to point out this verse, but few even address the following verse:
Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ." (Matthew 23:10). So then, if we cannot have "father's", then neither may we have Sunday school "teachers"; no one has an issue with acknowledging "teachers" in the church, though.
However, the New Testament speaks of church leaders as paternal and the members of the body as "children" much more than it speaks of those in the church being "students" of their Christian teachers.
· Paul explicitly says that he is the "father" of the Corinthian Church:
"Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel" (1 Corinthians 4:15).
"Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children" (2 Corinthians 12:14).
· Paul also points out that he has a paternal relationship with the Thessalonians:
"For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children," (1 Thessalonians 2:11).
· Paul also points out that he is the "father" of Timothy, and he calls Timothy his "son" 6 times:
"For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church" (1 Corinthians 4:17).
"But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." (Philippians 2:22).
"To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (1 Timothy 1:2).
"Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight," (1 Timothy 1:18).
"To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers." (2 Timothy 1:2-3).
"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1).
· Paul points out that he is the "father" of Titus, calling Titus his "son":
"To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." (Titus 1:4).
· Paul points out that he is the "father" of Onesimus, calling Onesimus his "son":
"I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains." (Philemon 10).
· Peter presents himself as a "father" in the faith as well, and he points out that he is the "father" of Mark, calling Mark his "son":
"She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark." (1 Peter 5:13).
· John also regards himself as a spiritual "father", calling the believers his "children"; he also regards the leaders of the churches as "fathers":
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1).
"I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (1 John 2:13-14).
"Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18).
"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28).
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21).
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 4).
The Eucharist - The Real Presence
The True Body and Blood of Jesus Christ
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is the ongoing Sacrament that marks the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is the event in which we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and seek our most intimate fellowship with him. This event is referred to as the Lord’s Supper in scripture (1 Cor. 11:20). It is also commonly called Communion, from the Greek word koinonia, which can be translated as “fellowship,” “communion,” or “sharing” (Verbrugge, V.D., 2000, p. 310-311). In the Roman Catholic Church it is typically called the Eucharist, which comes from the Greek eucharisteō – meaning blessing, or thanksgiving (esp. in reference to before a meal) – as in the “cup of thanksgiving” (1 Cor. 10:16) (Verbrugge, V.D., 2000, p. 220-221).
The Foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper
Gen 14:18-20
"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything" (Genesis 14:18-20).
Exodus 12:1-8
"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast" (Exodus 12:1-8).
Leviticus 24:5-9
“Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the Lord. Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the Lord by fire. This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of their regular share of the offerings made to the Lord by fire" (Leviticus 24:5-9).
The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:26-29
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29).
Mark 14:22-24
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them" (Mark 14:22-24).
Luke 22:19-20
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20).
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
The Observance of the Lord’s Supper
Observed in the Early Church…
Luke 24:30-35
"When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread." (Luke 24:30-35).
Acts 2:42
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42).
Acts 2:46
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts," (Acts 2:46).
Acts 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight." (Acts 20:7).
Acts 20:11
"Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left" (Acts 20:11).
Acts 27:35
"After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat" (Acts 27:35).
Observed as Spiritually important…
1 Corinthians 10:19-22
"Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" (1 Corinthians 10:19-22).
1 Corinthians 11:27-28
"Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:27-28).
The Lord’s Supper as a Holy Meal / Spiritual Food
Is Eating and Drinking a Spiritual Act?
Genesis 2:16-17
"And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).
Genesis 14:18-20
"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High..." (Genesis 14:18-20).
Numbers 18:10
Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy." (Numbers 18:10).
Leviticus 24:8
"This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant" (Leviticus 24:8).
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Supernatural Food
1 Corinthians 10:2-4
"They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:2-4).
Paul speaks in 1 Cor. 10:2 of the Israelites being baptized into Moses; he then, in verses 3-4, connects this with communion, saying that the Israelites ate “spiritual food” and drank “spiritual drink.” The word translated “spiritual” is pnĕumatikŏs, which can literally mean “supernatural.” After speaking of supernatural food and drink Paul says, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16). Clearly he viewed the cup of thanksgiving, or eucharist, as supernatural.
The Lord's Supper as a Revelation of Christ
"...he took bread, gave thanks, broke it...their eyes were opened and they recognized him" (Luke 24:30-31). On the day of the Resurrection of Christ, it was in the breaking of bread that he revealed himself to his disciples. While their "hearts were burning within" (Luke 24:32) as he spoke the word to them, it was in the breaking of the bread that he was revealed. For "they were kept from recognizing him" (Luke 24:16), but "Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread" (Luke 24:35). It was when Jesus "gave thanks", from which we get the term eucharist, the Greek for thanksgiving, that he was made known to them. In the same way, our hearts burn within us when we hear the Gospel message, but it is in the eucharist that Christ is revelaed fully to us.
The Lord’s Supper as Christ’s Body and Blood
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
Matthew 26:26-29
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29).
Mark 14:22-24
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them" (Mark 14:22-24).
Luke 22:19-20
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20).
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
John 6:35-58
"Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever" (John 6:35-58).
The Lord’s Supper as Imparting Life
John 6:50-51
"But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:50-51).
So, in order to “live forever” we must eat “this bread”, which Christ himself calls his flesh – the very same flesh that was given “for the life of the world” on the cross. It is this “living bread” that a “man may eat and not die.” How can we disconnect this statement from Christ then taking bread and declaring, “This is my body”?
The Word tells us that baptism saves us (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21, etc.). In the same way the gospel says that those who want to live forever will feed on the bread that is the flesh of Christ.
John 6:53-55
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink." (John 6:53-55).
Jesus very clearly declares eating his flesh and drinking his blood as essential to eternal life. So, just as scripture speaks of baptism as essential to new life (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4-6; Col. 2:11-12; Titus 3:5, etc.) it also speaks here of eating Christ’s flesh and drinking His blood as essential to new life.
The Lord’s Supper as Communion into Christ
John 6:56-57
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me." (John 6:56-57).
Christ here equates eating his flesh and drinking his blood with remaining in him. So, he commands this feeding on him and says “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
So, just as in baptism we are baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27, etc.), in the Eucharist we remain in Christ. This is not to separate faith from remaining in Christ and to diminish remaining in him to a physical act, but rather to uphold the view that remaining in him results in certain things – baptism, communion, spiritual fruit.
The Lord’s Supper as Communion into the Church
The Lord’s Supper, like baptism, has been observed since the foundation of the Church. Christ gave it, the early church celebrated it, and the Apostles instructed us on it. Therefore, it should be observed in every church that claims Christ as Lord.
The Didache (A book of instruction on the faith, A.D. 80-140): “But every Lord’s Day, gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, so that your sacrifice may be pure (Bercot, 1998, p. 405).”
Taking part in the Lord’s Supper is spoken of as being identified with the Body of Christ:
1 Cor. 10:17
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Just as “we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13), we also are in Communion with one body.
Sinning Against the Body
1 Cor. 11:27
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:27).
I find it interesting that Paul would refer to taking the Lord’s Supper unworthily as actually sinning against the body and blood of the Lord if in fact the bread and wine are not actually the body and blood of the Lord.
Recognizing the Body
1 Cor. 11:29
"For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Corinthians 11:29).
It can, and will, be argued easily enough that in this statement Paul is simply referring back to examining ones self (which surely is part of his point), but I think this issue goes deeper – to the actual recognition of the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist. In light of this view it is fascinating to see Ignatius of Antioch referring in A.D. 107 to those who do not take communion because they do not recognize the Eucharist to be the flesh of Jesus Christ.
The Teachers of the Church
The Fathers Speak…
Ignatius of Antioch, A.D. 107
“Be careful, therefore, to employ one eucharist, for there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup for unity with his blood” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 91)
“[The Docetists] avoid the eucharist and prayer because they do not confess the eucahrist to be the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 103)
“breaking the one bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote in order that we should not die but live forever in Jesus Christ” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 103)
Justin Martyr, c. A.D. 160
“In the same manner as our Savior Jesus Christ was made flesh through the word of God and had flesh and blood for our salvation, even so we are taught that the food for which thanks has been given through the prayer of the word that is from him and from which our flesh and blood are nourished according to the bodily processes is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” Justin Martyr (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 103-104)
Irenaeus, c. A.D. 180
“[The wine and bread] having received the Word of God, become the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ” (Bercot, 1998, pg. 252)
“How can they be consistent with themselves when they say the bread for which they give thanks is the body of the Lord and the cup his blood, if they do not say he is the Son of the Creator of the world?...How can they say that the flesh that is nourished from the body of the Lord and from his flesh comes to corruption and does not partake of life? Let them either change their views or avoid offering bread and wine. But our view is in harmony with the eucharist, and the eucharist confirms our view. We offer to God his own things, proclaiming rightly the communion and unity of flesh and spirit. For as bread from the earth when it receives the invocation of God is no longer common bread but the eucharist, consisting of two things – one earthly and one heavenly – so also our bodies when they partake of the eucharist are no longer corruptible but have the hope of the resurrection to eternity.” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 104)
“But if [the flesh] indeed does not obtain salvation, then neither did the Lord redeem us with his blood, nor is the cup of the Eucharist the communion of his blood, nor the bread which we break the communion of his body (Bercot, 1998, pg. 252)
Clement of Alexandria, c. A.D. 195
To drink the blood of Jesus is to become partaker of the Lord’s immortality (Bercot, 1998, pg. 252)
“and they who by faith partake of it are sanctified both body and soul” (Bennett, 2002, pg. 322).
Tertullian of Carthage, c. A.D. 204
“We feel pained, should any bread or wine, though our own, be cast upon the ground” – Ca. A.D. 204 (Bennett, 2002, pg. 322).
“The flesh feeds on the body and blood of Christ, that the soul likewise may fatten on its God” (Willis, 2002, p. 303)
“Jesus declared plainly enough what he meant by the bread when he called the bread his own body. He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the new testament to be sealed ‘in his blood’, affirms the reality of his body” (Armstong & Engle, 2007, pg. 192)
Cyril of Jerusalem, c. A.D. 350
“The bread and wine of the eucharist before the holy invocation of the worshipful Trinity was simple bread and wine, but when the invocation is done, the bread becomes the body of Christ and wine the blood of Christ… For in the type of the bread is given to you the body, and in the type of the wine there is given to you the blood, in order that you may become by partaking of the body and blood of Christ the same body and blood with him. For even so we become bearers of Christ since his body and blood are distributed in our members… We beseech the loving God to send forth the Holy Spirit upon what is offered in order that he may make the bread the body of Christ and the wine the blood of Christ. For whatever the Holy Spirit touches he sanctifies and changes. (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 105)
Gregory of Nyssa, c. A.D. 381
“He disseminates himself through that flesh whose substance comes from bread and wine in everyone who believes in the economy of grace, blending Himself with the bodies of believes, as if by this union with what is immortal, a human being may too become a partaker in incorruption. He gives these things by the power of the benediction through which he transelements the natural quality of these visible things to that immortal thing (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 105).
Athanasius of Alexandria, c. 293-373
So long as the prayers of supplications and entreaties have not been made, there is only bread and wine. But after the great and wonderful prayers have been completed, then the bread is become the body, and the wine the blood, of our Lord Jesus Christ [Athanasius, Sermon to the Newly Baptized] [Shea, M.P. (1996). By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition. Hunington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor]
Augustine of Hippo, c. A.D. 400
“How was Christ carried in his own hands? Because when he commended his own Body and Blood, He took into his hands that which the faithful know; and in a manner carried himself, when he said, ‘This is My Body’” (Willis, 2002, p. 411).
"I promised you [new Christians], who have now been baptized, a sermon in which I would explain the sacrament of the Lord’s Table. . . . That bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the body of Christ. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ" (Sermons 227 [A.D. 411]) –obtained from www.catholic.com
The Reformers Speak…
Luther
“It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself for us Christians to eat and drink”… “In this sacrament Christ gives us his own true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins”… “God’s word clearly teaches that those who misuse the sacrament sin not against bread and wine but against Christ’s body and blood”…”By the power of his word, Christ gives his body and blood in, with, and under the consecrated bread and wine.” (Armstrong, 2007, pg. 162-163)
Calvin
“We confess that the Lord’s Supper, which is the second sacrament, is a witness of the union which we have with Christ, inasmuch as he not only died and rose again for us once, but also feeds and nourishes us truly with his flesh and blood, so that we may be one in him, and that our life may be in common.” The French Confession of Faith (Armstrong, 2007, pg. 166)...“Those who receive this promise by faith are actually made partakers of his flesh and blood” (Armstrong, 2007, pg. 185)
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is the ongoing Sacrament that marks the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is the event in which we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and seek our most intimate fellowship with him. This event is referred to as the Lord’s Supper in scripture (1 Cor. 11:20). It is also commonly called Communion, from the Greek word koinonia, which can be translated as “fellowship,” “communion,” or “sharing” (Verbrugge, V.D., 2000, p. 310-311). In the Roman Catholic Church it is typically called the Eucharist, which comes from the Greek eucharisteō – meaning blessing, or thanksgiving (esp. in reference to before a meal) – as in the “cup of thanksgiving” (1 Cor. 10:16) (Verbrugge, V.D., 2000, p. 220-221).
The Foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper
Gen 14:18-20
"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything" (Genesis 14:18-20).
Exodus 12:1-8
"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast" (Exodus 12:1-8).
Leviticus 24:5-9
“Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the Lord. Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the Lord by fire. This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of their regular share of the offerings made to the Lord by fire" (Leviticus 24:5-9).
The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:26-29
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29).
Mark 14:22-24
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them" (Mark 14:22-24).
Luke 22:19-20
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20).
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
The Observance of the Lord’s Supper
Observed in the Early Church…
Luke 24:30-35
"When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread." (Luke 24:30-35).
Acts 2:42
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42).
Acts 2:46
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts," (Acts 2:46).
Acts 20:7
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight." (Acts 20:7).
Acts 20:11
"Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left" (Acts 20:11).
Acts 27:35
"After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat" (Acts 27:35).
Observed as Spiritually important…
1 Corinthians 10:19-22
"Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" (1 Corinthians 10:19-22).
1 Corinthians 11:27-28
"Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:27-28).
The Lord’s Supper as a Holy Meal / Spiritual Food
Is Eating and Drinking a Spiritual Act?
Genesis 2:16-17
"And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).
Genesis 14:18-20
"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High..." (Genesis 14:18-20).
Numbers 18:10
Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy." (Numbers 18:10).
Leviticus 24:8
"This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant" (Leviticus 24:8).
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Supernatural Food
1 Corinthians 10:2-4
"They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:2-4).
Paul speaks in 1 Cor. 10:2 of the Israelites being baptized into Moses; he then, in verses 3-4, connects this with communion, saying that the Israelites ate “spiritual food” and drank “spiritual drink.” The word translated “spiritual” is pnĕumatikŏs, which can literally mean “supernatural.” After speaking of supernatural food and drink Paul says, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16). Clearly he viewed the cup of thanksgiving, or eucharist, as supernatural.
The Lord's Supper as a Revelation of Christ
"...he took bread, gave thanks, broke it...their eyes were opened and they recognized him" (Luke 24:30-31). On the day of the Resurrection of Christ, it was in the breaking of bread that he revealed himself to his disciples. While their "hearts were burning within" (Luke 24:32) as he spoke the word to them, it was in the breaking of the bread that he was revealed. For "they were kept from recognizing him" (Luke 24:16), but "Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread" (Luke 24:35). It was when Jesus "gave thanks", from which we get the term eucharist, the Greek for thanksgiving, that he was made known to them. In the same way, our hearts burn within us when we hear the Gospel message, but it is in the eucharist that Christ is revelaed fully to us.
The Lord’s Supper as Christ’s Body and Blood
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
Matthew 26:26-29
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29).
Mark 14:22-24
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them" (Mark 14:22-24).
Luke 22:19-20
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20).
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
John 6:35-58
"Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever" (John 6:35-58).
The Lord’s Supper as Imparting Life
John 6:50-51
"But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:50-51).
So, in order to “live forever” we must eat “this bread”, which Christ himself calls his flesh – the very same flesh that was given “for the life of the world” on the cross. It is this “living bread” that a “man may eat and not die.” How can we disconnect this statement from Christ then taking bread and declaring, “This is my body”?
The Word tells us that baptism saves us (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21, etc.). In the same way the gospel says that those who want to live forever will feed on the bread that is the flesh of Christ.
John 6:53-55
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink." (John 6:53-55).
Jesus very clearly declares eating his flesh and drinking his blood as essential to eternal life. So, just as scripture speaks of baptism as essential to new life (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4-6; Col. 2:11-12; Titus 3:5, etc.) it also speaks here of eating Christ’s flesh and drinking His blood as essential to new life.
The Lord’s Supper as Communion into Christ
John 6:56-57
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me." (John 6:56-57).
Christ here equates eating his flesh and drinking his blood with remaining in him. So, he commands this feeding on him and says “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
So, just as in baptism we are baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27, etc.), in the Eucharist we remain in Christ. This is not to separate faith from remaining in Christ and to diminish remaining in him to a physical act, but rather to uphold the view that remaining in him results in certain things – baptism, communion, spiritual fruit.
The Lord’s Supper as Communion into the Church
The Lord’s Supper, like baptism, has been observed since the foundation of the Church. Christ gave it, the early church celebrated it, and the Apostles instructed us on it. Therefore, it should be observed in every church that claims Christ as Lord.
The Didache (A book of instruction on the faith, A.D. 80-140): “But every Lord’s Day, gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, so that your sacrifice may be pure (Bercot, 1998, p. 405).”
Taking part in the Lord’s Supper is spoken of as being identified with the Body of Christ:
1 Cor. 10:17
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Just as “we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13), we also are in Communion with one body.
Sinning Against the Body
1 Cor. 11:27
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 11:27).
I find it interesting that Paul would refer to taking the Lord’s Supper unworthily as actually sinning against the body and blood of the Lord if in fact the bread and wine are not actually the body and blood of the Lord.
Recognizing the Body
1 Cor. 11:29
"For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Corinthians 11:29).
It can, and will, be argued easily enough that in this statement Paul is simply referring back to examining ones self (which surely is part of his point), but I think this issue goes deeper – to the actual recognition of the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist. In light of this view it is fascinating to see Ignatius of Antioch referring in A.D. 107 to those who do not take communion because they do not recognize the Eucharist to be the flesh of Jesus Christ.
The Teachers of the Church
The Fathers Speak…
Ignatius of Antioch, A.D. 107
“Be careful, therefore, to employ one eucharist, for there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup for unity with his blood” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 91)
“[The Docetists] avoid the eucharist and prayer because they do not confess the eucahrist to be the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 103)
“breaking the one bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote in order that we should not die but live forever in Jesus Christ” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 103)
Justin Martyr, c. A.D. 160
“In the same manner as our Savior Jesus Christ was made flesh through the word of God and had flesh and blood for our salvation, even so we are taught that the food for which thanks has been given through the prayer of the word that is from him and from which our flesh and blood are nourished according to the bodily processes is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” Justin Martyr (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 103-104)
Irenaeus, c. A.D. 180
“[The wine and bread] having received the Word of God, become the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ” (Bercot, 1998, pg. 252)
“How can they be consistent with themselves when they say the bread for which they give thanks is the body of the Lord and the cup his blood, if they do not say he is the Son of the Creator of the world?...How can they say that the flesh that is nourished from the body of the Lord and from his flesh comes to corruption and does not partake of life? Let them either change their views or avoid offering bread and wine. But our view is in harmony with the eucharist, and the eucharist confirms our view. We offer to God his own things, proclaiming rightly the communion and unity of flesh and spirit. For as bread from the earth when it receives the invocation of God is no longer common bread but the eucharist, consisting of two things – one earthly and one heavenly – so also our bodies when they partake of the eucharist are no longer corruptible but have the hope of the resurrection to eternity.” (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 104)
“But if [the flesh] indeed does not obtain salvation, then neither did the Lord redeem us with his blood, nor is the cup of the Eucharist the communion of his blood, nor the bread which we break the communion of his body (Bercot, 1998, pg. 252)
Clement of Alexandria, c. A.D. 195
To drink the blood of Jesus is to become partaker of the Lord’s immortality (Bercot, 1998, pg. 252)
“and they who by faith partake of it are sanctified both body and soul” (Bennett, 2002, pg. 322).
Tertullian of Carthage, c. A.D. 204
“We feel pained, should any bread or wine, though our own, be cast upon the ground” – Ca. A.D. 204 (Bennett, 2002, pg. 322).
“The flesh feeds on the body and blood of Christ, that the soul likewise may fatten on its God” (Willis, 2002, p. 303)
“Jesus declared plainly enough what he meant by the bread when he called the bread his own body. He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the new testament to be sealed ‘in his blood’, affirms the reality of his body” (Armstong & Engle, 2007, pg. 192)
Cyril of Jerusalem, c. A.D. 350
“The bread and wine of the eucharist before the holy invocation of the worshipful Trinity was simple bread and wine, but when the invocation is done, the bread becomes the body of Christ and wine the blood of Christ… For in the type of the bread is given to you the body, and in the type of the wine there is given to you the blood, in order that you may become by partaking of the body and blood of Christ the same body and blood with him. For even so we become bearers of Christ since his body and blood are distributed in our members… We beseech the loving God to send forth the Holy Spirit upon what is offered in order that he may make the bread the body of Christ and the wine the blood of Christ. For whatever the Holy Spirit touches he sanctifies and changes. (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 105)
Gregory of Nyssa, c. A.D. 381
“He disseminates himself through that flesh whose substance comes from bread and wine in everyone who believes in the economy of grace, blending Himself with the bodies of believes, as if by this union with what is immortal, a human being may too become a partaker in incorruption. He gives these things by the power of the benediction through which he transelements the natural quality of these visible things to that immortal thing (Ferguson, 1999, pg. 105).
Athanasius of Alexandria, c. 293-373
So long as the prayers of supplications and entreaties have not been made, there is only bread and wine. But after the great and wonderful prayers have been completed, then the bread is become the body, and the wine the blood, of our Lord Jesus Christ [Athanasius, Sermon to the Newly Baptized] [Shea, M.P. (1996). By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition. Hunington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor]
Augustine of Hippo, c. A.D. 400
“How was Christ carried in his own hands? Because when he commended his own Body and Blood, He took into his hands that which the faithful know; and in a manner carried himself, when he said, ‘This is My Body’” (Willis, 2002, p. 411).
"I promised you [new Christians], who have now been baptized, a sermon in which I would explain the sacrament of the Lord’s Table. . . . That bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the body of Christ. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ" (Sermons 227 [A.D. 411]) –obtained from www.catholic.com
The Reformers Speak…
Luther
“It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself for us Christians to eat and drink”… “In this sacrament Christ gives us his own true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins”… “God’s word clearly teaches that those who misuse the sacrament sin not against bread and wine but against Christ’s body and blood”…”By the power of his word, Christ gives his body and blood in, with, and under the consecrated bread and wine.” (Armstrong, 2007, pg. 162-163)
Calvin
“We confess that the Lord’s Supper, which is the second sacrament, is a witness of the union which we have with Christ, inasmuch as he not only died and rose again for us once, but also feeds and nourishes us truly with his flesh and blood, so that we may be one in him, and that our life may be in common.” The French Confession of Faith (Armstrong, 2007, pg. 166)...“Those who receive this promise by faith are actually made partakers of his flesh and blood” (Armstrong, 2007, pg. 185)
Original Sin
Original Sin, Initial Death, Subjection of Creation
Genesis 3:17-19
"To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:17-19).
Romans 8:18-23
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:18-23).
Death Through Adam
Romans 5:12
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12).
Romans 5:15-19
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:15-19).
1 Corinthians 15:21-22
"For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
1 Corinthians 15:45
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45).
1 Corinthians 15:49
"And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven" (1 Corinthians 15:49).
Prisoners of Sin
Romans 5:14
"Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come" (Romans 5:14).
Galatians 3:22
"But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe" (Galatians 3:22).
Objects of Wrath
Psalm 51:5
"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:5).
Job 15:14
“What is man, that he could be pure, or one born of woman, that he could be righteous?" (Job 15:14).
Ephesians 2:3
"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3).
Original Sin, Original Doctrine: The Church Fathers on Original Sin
Irenaeus, c. AD 180
"And not by the aforesaid things alone has the Lord manifested Himself, but [He has done this] also by means of His passion. For doing away with [the effects of] that disobedience of man which had taken place at the beginning by the occasion of a tree, "He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross;" rectifying that disobedience which had occurred by reason of a tree, through that obedience which was [wrought out] upon the tree [of the cross]. Now He would not have come to do away, by means of that same [image]...But inasmuch as it was by these things that we disobeyed God, and did not give credit to His word, so was it also by these same that He brought in obedience and consent as respects His Word; by which things He clearly shows forth God Himself, whom indeed we had offended in the first Adam, when he did not perform His commandment. In the second Adam, however, we are reconciled, being made obedient even unto death. For we were debtors to none other but to Him whose commandment we had transgressed at the beginning." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, V:16:3( A.D. 180).
Tertullian of Carthage, c. AD 204
"Every soul, then, by reason of its birth, has its nature in Adam until it is born again in Christ; moreover, it is unclean all the while that it remains without this regeneration; and because unclean, it is actively sinful, and suffuses even the flesh (by reason of their conjunction) with its own shame." Tertullian, On the Soul, 40 (A.D. 208).
Origen, c. AD 250
"Everyone in the world falls prostrate under sin. And it is the Lord who sets up those who are cast down and who sustains all who are falling. In Adam all die, and thus the world prostrate and requires to be set up again, so that Christ all may be made to live." Origen, Homilies on Jeremias, 8:1 (post A.D. 244).
Cyprian, c. AD 240
"If, in the case of the worst sinners and of those who formerly sinned much against God, when afterwards they believe, the remission of their sins is granted and no one is held back from Baptism and grace, how much more, then, should an infant not be held back, who, having but recently been born, has done no sin, except that, born of the flesh according to Adam. He has contracted the contagion of that old death from his first being born. For this very reason does he approach more easily to receive the remission of sins: because the sins forgiven him are not his own but those of another [from Adam]." Cyprian, Epistle to Fidus, 68[64]:5 (c. A.D. 250).
Methodius, c. AD 300
"But if any one were to think that the earthy image is the flesh itself, but the heavenly image some other spiritual body besides the flesh; let him first consider that Christ, the heavenly man, when He appeared, bore the same form of limbs and the same image of flesh as ours, through which also He, who was not man, became man, that "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.' For if He bore flesh for any other reason than that of setting the flesh free, and raising it up, why did He bear flesh superfluously, as He purposed neither to save it, nor to raise it up? But the Son of God does nothing superfluously. He did not then take the form of a servant uselessly, but to raise it up and save it. For He truly was made man, and died, and not in mere appearance, but that He might truly be shown to be the first begotten from the dead, changing the earthy into the heavenly, and the mortal into the immortal." Methodius, On the Resurrection, 13 (A.D. 300).
"That Lord, I say, who in His simple and immaterial Deity, entered our nature, and of the virgin's womb became ineffably incarnate; that Lord, who was partaker of nothing else save the lump of Adam, who was by the serpent tripped up." Methodius, Oration concerning Simeon and Anna, 13 (ante A.D. 300).
Aphraates, c. AD 340
"Moreover, among the sons of Adam there is none besides Him who might enter the race without being wounded or swallowed up. For sin has ruled from the time Adam transgressed the command. By one among the many was it swallowed up; many did it wound, and many did it kill; but none among the many killed it until our Savior came, who took it on Himself and fixed it to His cross." Aphraates the Persian Sage, Treatises, 7:1 (ante A.D. 345).
Ephraem, AD 350
"Adam sinned and earned all sorrows;--likewise the world after His example, all guilt.--And instead of considering how it should be restored,--considered how its fall should be pleasant for it.--Glory to Him Who came and restored it!" Ephraem, Hymns on the Epiphany, 10:1 (A.D. 350).
Cyril of Jerusalem, AD 350
"Through him our forefather Adam was cast out for disobedience, and exchanged a Paradise bringing forth wondrous fruits of its own accord for the ground which bringeth forth thorns. What then? Some one will say. We have been beguiled and are lost. Is there then no salvation left? We have fallen: Is it not possible to rise again? We have been blinded: May we not recover our sight? We have become crippled: Can we never walk upright? In a word, we are dead: May we not rise again? He that woke Lazarus who was four days dead and already stank, shall He not, O man, much more easily raise thee who art alive? He who shed His precious blood for us, shall Himself deliver us from sin." Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 2:4-5 (A.D. 350).
Athanasius of Alexandria, c. 350
"And this thought commends itself strongly to the right-minded. For since the first man Adam altered, and through sin death came into the world, therefore it became the second Adam to be unalterable; that, should the Serpent again assault, even the Serpent's deceit might be baffled, and, the Lord being unalterable and unchangeable, the Serpent might become powerless in his assault against all. For as when Adam had transgressed, his sin reached unto all men, so, when the Lord had become man and had overthrown the Serpent, that so great strength of His is to extend through all men, so that each of us may say, 'For we are not ignorant of his devices' Good reason then that the Lord, who ever is in nature unalterable, loving righteousness and hating iniquity, should be anointed and Himself' sent, that, He, being and remaining the same, by taking this alterable flesh, 'might condemn sin in it,' and might secure its freedom, and its ability s henceforth 'to fulfil the righteousness of the law' in itself, so as to be able to say, 'But we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in us.'" Athanasius, Against the Arians, I:51 (A.D. 358).
Basil, c. AD 370
"Little given, much gotten; by the donation of food the original sin is discharged. Just as Adam transmitted the sin by his wicked eating, we destroy that treacherous food when we cure the need and hunger." Basil, Eulogies & Sermons, Famine & Drought 8:7 (ante 379).
Gregory of Nazianzen, c. AD 381
"And further, above this, we have in common reason, the Law, the Prophets, the very Sufferings of Christ, by which we were all without exception created anew, who partake of the same Adam, and were led astray by the serpent and slain by sin, and are saved by the heavenly Adam and brought back by the tree of shame to the tree of life from whence we had fallen." Gregory of Nazianzen, Against the Arians, 33:9 (A.D. 380).
Ambrose, c. AD 390
"For death is alike to all, without difference for the poor, without exception for the rich. And so although through the sin of one alone, yet it passed upon all; that we may not refuse to acknowledge Him to be also the Author of death, Whom we do not refuse to acknowledge as the Author of our race; and that, as through one death is ours, so should be also the resurrection; and that we should not refuse the misery, that we may attain to the gift. For, as we read, Christ 'is come to save that which was lost,' and 'to be Lord both of the dead and living.' In Adam I fell, in Adam I was cast out of Paradise, in Adam I died; how shall the Lord call me back, except He find me in Adam; guilty as I was in him, so now justified in Christ. If, then, death be the debt of all, we must be able to endure the payment. But this topic must be reserved for later treatment." Ambrose, On the Death of his brother Satyrus, II:6 (A.D. 380).
Ambrosiaster, AD 384
"In whom" -- that is, in Adam -- 'all have sinned'. And he said 'in whom,' using the masculine form, when he was speaking of a woman, because the reference was not to a specific individual but to the race. It is clear, therefore, that all have sinned in Adam,en masse as it were; for when he himself was corrupted by sin, all whom he begot were born under sin. On his account, then, all are sinners, because we are all from him. He lost God's favor when he strayed." Ambrosiaster, Commentaries on thirteen Pauline Epistles, Rom 5:12 (A.D. 384).
John Chrysostom, AD 391
"How then did death come in and prevail? "Through the sin of one." But what means, "for that all have sinned?" This; he having once fallen, even they that had not eaten of the tree did from him, all of them, become mortal…From whence it is clear, that it was not this sin, the transgression, that is, of the Law, but that of Adam's disobedience, which marred all things. Now what is the proof of this? The fact that even before the Law all died: for 'death reigned' he says, 'from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned.' How did it reign? 'After the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come.' Now this is why Adam is a type of Christ …[W]hen the Jew says to thee, How came it, that by the well-doing of this one Person, Christ, the world was saved? thou mightest be able to say to him, How by the disobedience of this one person, Adam, came it to be condemned?" John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans, 10 (A.D. 391).
Gregory of Nyssa, AD 394
"Evil was mixed with our nature from the beginning…through those who by their disobedience introduced the disease. Just as in the natural propagation of the species each animal engenders its like, so man is born from man, a being subject to passions from a being subject to passions, a sinner from a sinner. Thus sin takes its rise in us as we are born; it grows with us and keeps us company till life's term." Gregory of Nyssa, The Beatitudes, 6 (ante A.D. 394).
Augustine of Hippo, c. A.D. 400
"This grace, however, of Christ, without which neither infants nor adults can be saved, is not rendered for any merits, but is given gratis, on account of which it is also called grace. 'Being justified,' says the apostle, 'freely through His blood.' Whence they, who are not liberated through grace, either because they are not yet able to hear, or because they are unwilling to obey; or again because they did not receive, at the time when they were unable on account of youth to hear, that bath of regeneration, which they might have received and through which they might have been saved, are indeed justly condemned; because they are not without sin, either that which they have derived from their birth, or that which they have added from their own misconduct. 'For all have sinned'--whether in Adam or in themselves--"and come short of the glory of God.'" Augustine, On Nature and Grace, 4 (A.D. 415).
"[T]his concupiscence, I say, which is cleansed only by the sacrament of regeneration, does undoubtedly, by means of natural birth, pass on the bond of sin to a man's posterity, unless they are themselves loosed from it by regeneration." Augustine, On Marriage and Concupiscence, 1:23 (A.D. 420).
The Council of Orange, AD 530
"Canon 1. If anyone says that by the offense of Adam's transgression not the whole man, that is, according to body and soul, was changed for the worse, but believes that while the liberty of the soul endures without harm, the body only is exposed to corruption, he is deceived by the error of Pelagius and resists the Scriptures…Canon 2. If anyone asserts that Adam's transgression injured him alone and not his descendents, or declares that certainly death of the body only, which is the punishment of sin, but not sin also, which is death of the soul, passed through one man into the whole human race, he will do an injustice to God, contradicting the Apostle." Council of Orange, Canons 1-2 (A.D. 530).