An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 34

Eph. 4:24. And that ye put on the new man, which after G.o.d is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Phil. 3:12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

READING.--The Lame Man of Bethesda, John 5:1-14.

PART V.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR.

I. _What is the Sacrament of the Altar?_

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, given unto us Christians to eat and to drink, as it was inst.i.tuted by Christ Himself.

_Where is it so written?_

The holy evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, together with St. Paul, write thus: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to His disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup when He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it: this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you, for the remission of sins: this do, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me."

ITS NAMES. This sacrament is called: 1. The Sacrament of the Altar, because it is administered at the altar. 2. The Lord's Supper, because it was inst.i.tuted by the _Lord_ while the disciples were eating the Pa.s.sover _Supper_. 3. The Table of the Lord, because the Lord here gives food and drink to our souls. 4. The Communion, because it is a communion of bread and wine with the body and blood of Christ, a communion of believers with Christ, and a communion of believers with one another. 5.

The Eucharist--a name derived from a Greek word meaning to give thanks--because the administration of the Lord's Supper is attended with thanksgiving.

WHAT THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR IS.

The Lord's Supper was inst.i.tuted by OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THE SAME NIGHT IN WHICH HE WAS BETRAYED, while He and the disciples were eating the Pa.s.sover Supper. [I Cor. 11:23-25, Matt. 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20] What the Lord's Supper is, we learn from the words of Christ Himself as given by the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and by St.

Paul.

THE EARTHLY ELEMENTS. The Lord TOOK BREAD, AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS, HE BROKE IT AND GAVE IT TO HIS DISCIPLES. AFTER THE SAME MANNER ALSO HE TOOK THE CUP containing the wine, WHEN HE HAD SUPPED, GAVE THANKS, AND GAVE IT TO THEM. The earthly elements used in this sacrament are, therefore, bread and wine. The wafers which are generally used in Lutheran Churches are unleavened bread--the kind which Christ used--because at the time of the Pa.s.sover no other but unleavened bread dared be used by the Jews. The wine which Christ used was real wine, not unfermented grape juice. We are not permitted to subst.i.tute anything else in place of the earthly elements used by Christ in inst.i.tuting this sacrament.

THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. When Christ gave His disciples the bread, HE SAID, TAKE, EAT; THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH IS GIVEN FOR YOU. When He gave them the wine, HE SAID, DRINK YE ALL OF IT; THIS CUP IS THE NEW TESTAMENT IN MY BLOOD, WHICH IS SHED FOR YOU FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.

Consequently, when we receive the bread in this sacrament, we receive also the body of Christ; and when we receive the wine, we receive also the blood of Christ. And we say of the Sacrament of the Altar, that

IT IS THE TRUE BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR LORD CHRIST, UNDER (along with) THE BREAD AND WINE, GIVES UNTO US CHRISTIANS TO EAT TO AS IT WAS INSt.i.tUTED BY HIMSELF. The bread and wine _do not simply represent_ the body and blood of Christ (Zwingli's view). The bread and wine are _not changed into_ the body and blood of Christ (the Roman Catholic view, or transubstantiation). The bread and wine are not united with the body and blood of Christ into a third substance different from both (consubstantiation). The bread and wine remain real bread and wine throughout the administration of the Lord's Supper. [I Cor. 11:28] But there is a communion of the bread and wine with the body and blood of Christ, [I Cor. 10:16+] so that when the communicant receives the bread he receives also the body of Christ, and when he receives the wine, he receives also the blood of Christ. The bread and wine are the earthly vehicles through which the heavenly gift of Christ's body and blood, which were given, and shed for us for the remission of sins, are communicated to us. [I Cor. 10:28, 29]

DOCTRINES COMPARED. The Reformed, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic doctrines of the Lord's Supper may be compared and ill.u.s.trated thus:--

Reformed. Lutheran. Roman Catholic.

Bread. Bread-Body. Body.

Wine. Wine-Blood. Blood.

According to the Reformed view, only bread and wine are present; according to the Roman Catholic[14] view, only the body and blood of Christ are present; according to the Lutheran and Scriptural doctrine, both the bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ are present in the Holy Supper, and are received by every communicant.

[Footnote 14: Because of its false doctrine concerning the Lord's Supper, the Roman Catholic Church has fallen into these additional errors: 1.

The Sacrifice of the Ma.s.s, in which the priest, by blessing the bread and wine, is supposed to turn them into the body and blood of Christ, and thus to offer an unb.l.o.o.d.y sacrifice of Christ which is as effective as Christ's death on the cross. 2. The Withholding of the cup from the laity, lest a single drop of Christ's blood should be spilled. 3. The Elevation of the Host, in which the wafer or host is adored as the body of Christ.]

A GREAT MYSTERY. The Lord's Supper is a great mystery; but also a great comfort. We cannot understand how Christ can give us His body and blood in this sacrament. But it is the part of faith to take the Saviour at His word. This the Lutheran Church does in her doctrine.

QUESTIONS.--1. By what different names is this sacrament known and why?

2. From what do we learn what the Lord's Supper is? 3. What is to be said about the earthly elements? 4. When Christ gave His disciples the bread and the wine, what did He say? 5. What do we receive, therefore, in the Lord's Supper? 6. What is to be said about Zwingli's view? 7.

What is to be said about the Roman Catholic view, and what is it called?

8. What other false doctrine besides these two is to be rejected? 9. How may the Reformed, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic doctrines of the Lord's Supper be compared? 10. Is the true doctrine to be rejected because we do not understand it?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--I Cor. 10:16. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

READING.--The Inst.i.tution of the Lord's Supper, Matt. 26:17-30.

II. _What benefits are derived from such eating and drinking?_

They are pointed out in these words: "given and shed for you, for the remission of sins"; namely, through these words, the remission of sins, life and salvation are granted unto us in the sacrament. For where there is remission of sins, there are also life and salvation.

THE BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE LORD'S SUPPER.

The benefits offered in this sacrament and bestowed upon all who receive it In faith ARE POINTED OUT IN THESE WORDS of the inst.i.tution: "GIVEN AND SHED FOR YOU, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS." Accordingly, the benefits are: "REMISSION OF SINS, LIFE AND SALVATION." For while only the remission (forgiveness) of sins is mentioned in the inst.i.tution, yet WHERE THERE IS REMISSION OF SINS, THERE ARE ALSO LIFE AND SALVATION.

[Rom. 6:22] The Lord's Supper confers all the benefits which Christ secured by His sufferings and death. [Eph. 1:7] Each communicant is a.s.sured by the words of Christ Himself that the body which he receives along with the bread was given for _him_, and that the blood which he receives along with the wine was shed for _him_, for the remission of _his_ sins. The promise of grace and forgiveness held out to all in the Gospel is thus brought home to each individual in the Lord's Supper.

Each believing communicant is individually a.s.sured that Christ is _his_ Saviour, and that _he_ has the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation through Christ's death.

III. _How can the bodily eating and drinking produce such great effects?_

The eating and the drinking, indeed, do not produce them; but the words which stand here, namely, "given and shed for you for the remission of sins." These words are, besides the bodily eating and drinking, the chief things in the sacrament; and he who believes these words has that which they declare and set forth; namely, the remission of sins.

WHY THE LORD'S SUPPER HAS POWER TO CONFER SUCH BENEFITS.

THE EATING AND THE DRINKING, INDEED, DO NOT PRODUCE SUCH GREAT EFFECTS.

For bread and wine have no power in themselves to bestow spiritual blessings.

BUT THE WORDS WHICH STAND HERE, "GIVEN AND SHED FOR YOU, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS." It is the Word of G.o.d which gives the sacrament its power. [John 6:63] For Christ has commanded us to use the bread and wine in this way, and has connected the promise of forgiveness with their use. Without the Word, there would be nothing but bread and wine. But Christ fulfils the promise which He has bound up with the BODILY EATING AND DRINKING, and gives us, with the bread and the wine, His body and blood which were given and shed for us for the remission of sins.

AND HE WHO BELIEVES THESE WORDS HAS THAT WHICH THEY DECLARE, [Matt.

8:13] NAMELY, THE REMISSION OF SINS. Forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are offered to all who partake of this sacrament, but they are accepted and possessed only by those who believe. The impenitent and unbelieving, if they come to the Lord's Table, receive the body and blood of Christ also, but they receive it to their condemnation, because they do not receive it with a penitent and believing heart. [I Cor 11:29+]

IV. _Who is it that receives this sacrament worthily?_