“The Lord’s Supper,” A Closer Look By Andy Braams

This week’s primary message was on Solus Christus – in Christ alone. Even if one agrees with in Christ alone (over in Christ), the application for that understanding may differ. For centuries, the Catholic Church celebrated the Eucharist (Lord’s Supper) with a primary understanding that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ. At the time of the Reformation, three new ideas were put forth. The following information provides a brief insight into these four distinct understandings.

Catholic (Transubstantiation)
Bread and wine “really and substantially” become the body and blood (cf John 6.53-55)

• The church and the priests had the power to make this happen
• The church had the power to give grace to the people

Luther (Consubstantiation)

• Presence of Jesus is at Lord’s Table in a virtual sense, but not a literal sense
• Luther objected to the idea of mass being offered by the priests as a sacrifice to God (a part of the idea of sacerdotalism)

Zwingli (Remembrance)

• Do this in remembrance of me – THIS points the person to Christ, it is not Christ
• Jesus is present spiritually, not physically.
• The Lord’s Supper is a testimony of faith in Christ, not a way to receive Him

Calvin (Promise)

• Jesus is indeed in the elements by the operation of the Holy Spirit – connecting us in a mysterious way.
• God is the agent, not the elements!

While these four understandings are presented here briefly, I encourage you to research each further. Ultimately, what matters is your understanding of what Christ did on the cross, not how the Lord’s Supper should be understood. However, theology and application are important, so how we apply our beliefs does matter. Therefore, it is important to consider what we truly believe.