Christians.....?

Question

When you do the whole drink the blood of Christ and eat his flesh thing in mass, do you truly believe that the wine and the bread is the body and blood of Christ or is it merely a metaphor of sorts for it?

Answer 1

Catholics believe in transubstantian - that the wine and bread actually turn into the blood and flesh of Christ.

Protestants do it as an act of remembrance

Answer 2

I think it is something Christians can disagree about... however I lean toward it being a memorial with Jesus spiritually pressent

after all when Jesus said it at the last supper... he was speaking prophetically ... and the bread was the passover bread which stood for the sufferings in egypt with the stipes and all.. and the bitter drink... Jesus now gave it a new meaning
and after all his body was in fron t of them... I think he spoke prohetically about a memorial..

do this in memory of me... and the passover bread would represent a new exodus where God would throw all their sins into the depth of the sea and give a new freedom

however having said that.. the language fits either metophor or literal so I think people should be generous towards eachother who disagree and Christiians often may have differing explainations of things and it is significant issue but something we may disagree about

some point out the council of Chalcedon says Jesus is fully man and fully God and the human nature and the divine nature retain their own attributes aand the communion around the world being Jesus flesh would give Jesus flesh almost an omnipressence a traint form the divine nature not the human nature of Jesus in violation of Chalcedon...so some have objected on the grounds of the 4rth church council of Chalcedon which Catholics, Lutherans and Protestants agree on as far as I know

Lutherns and Catholics who believe in ocnsubstantiation and transubstantiation claim... to agree with the council of Chalcedon and claim Jesus body being obiquitous and some feel that may be a difference without a disctinction... in any case it is an area where we want to honor Jesus for what He did accepting people who have slightly difering exlainations as none of us 'arrived' in heaven yet but we will thanks to what Jesus did
even if we understand it not so perfectly

Answer 3

It is real...and this is why.....

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 6 we see the Bread of Life discourse and if read properly we see the real meaning.

Chapter 6 starts with the story of multiplying the fishes and loaves. We see Jesus has the Apostles distribute this food to the crowd. He also instructs them to collect all the food that was not eaten. Interestingly enough, when they did collect back up what was left they filled Twelve (12) baskets (John 6:13). This distributing of bread and then collecting the unused is also done in the Catholic Mass with the host. Whatever is not used is taken and stored in the tabernacle. So what we see here is an early Mass and Eucharist being conducted by Jesus Christ himself.

After this in John 6:22 we see the beginning of the Bread of Life Discourse. At verse 26 Jesus basically tells everyone they continue to follow and seek him because they ate of the loaves of bread, and were filled. A little later at verse 32 Jesus tells them that "My Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. (Jn 6:33) For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Jesus was telling them, and us, He is the bread from heaven that brings us all life.

John 6:48 "I am the Bread of Life." John 6:51 " I am the living bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

John 6:53 shows us Jesus saying to the disciples, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." and then at verse 55 He says plainly, "For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink."

Now when the other disciples and followers grumbled and complained saying this was a hard thing to follow and started to disperse and leave, Jesus did not stop them, but simply turned to the 12 and asked them if they would also leave.

Almost all of Jesus' teachings had been in Parables. And each time He told a Parable he had to follow up with explaining in clear and plain language what it meant. When He told of His body and blood being true food and true drink, he did not stop the followers from leaving and explain it had only been symbolic...only a Parable that really meant something else. He let them go because what He had said is real...not symbolic.

In the Mass when a Priest consecrates the hosts of bread and wine, Jesus becomes literally present in the Eucharist with his body and blood. The hosts maintain the properties, as we can physically observe, of wine and bread, but through transubstantiation have taken on the divine properties of Christ's body and blood. It still looks and tastes like wine and bread, but it is now truly and substantially the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It has to be, because Jesus said what he meant, and he meant what he said.

And finally, take a look at 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 where Paul is warning the followers to discern the body and blood of the Lord or they eat and drink condemnation and judgement on themselves.

1 Corinthians 11:23-32
23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. 28Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. 30For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

I sincerely hope this clears up some questions and gives answers to at least someone. God Bless.

Answer 4

That is a metaphor, for the bread is the body of the church, and the blood the souls in it.
It is done in remembrance of Christ that died for the saved!

Answer 5

When I was a person of faith and attending an Episcopal church, I took communion in the spirit of "Do this in Remembrance of me," celebrating the life of Jesus and the continuity of Christians who have taken communion throughout history. I never literally believed that the wine became the blood and bread and body of Jesus.

Answer 6

Luke 22:19 beginning.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20-Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Acts 20:7 beginning.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

Answer 7

According to the Bible, the saints came together on the first day of the week to partake of the Lord's Supper. Christians are to partake of this Lord's Supper every Sunday in remembrance of Jesus until he returns. The Lord's Supper consists of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."
Matthew 26:27-29 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

Answer 8

i believe that like the spirt and stuff is in it, but i know that the bread and wine it isnt really the 'blood' or 'body' of Christ

Answer 9

Wow! People want to eat flesh and drink blood? Weird! Sometimes I think this planet is an open-air insane asylum.

Answer 10

While mass is for Catholics not for myself.... I do believe it is merely a metaphor. Though a serious one.