Difference between revisions of "Debate:Is Holy Communion the True Body and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ"

Revision as of 08:42, August 5, 2020

This page is to debate the question (Q) Is Holy Communion the True Body and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ? The possible answers are (1) Yes, Holy Communion or the Holy Eucharistic (Greek for Thanksgiving) Sacrifice is indeed a Memorial Offering and is truly Communion with the Holy Body and Real Blood of Jesus Christ Our Lord and God, our King and Savior. And (2) No, Holy Communion is only a symbolic reminder, or the Last Supper is only symbolic.

Yes, Holy Communion is the True Body and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ

User:Nishant Xavier

Jn 6:48-58 Our Lord is the Living Bread. His Flesh is True Food. His Blood is True Drink.

Our Lord Jesus plainly enough declares that (1) He is the Living Bread Who came down from Heaven (2) That He will give His Flesh to eat as the Life of the World (3) That unless we eat His Flesh and drink His Blood we have no life in us (4) That whoever eats His Flesh will have everlasting Life.

Jn 6:48: I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the Bread that I will give is My Flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His Flesh to eat?

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

1 Cor 10:16-18 The Bread and Chalice which is Blessed is Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ

St. Paul the Apostle plainly teaches that the Bread that is blessed is the Communion of the Body of Christ. In like manner, the Chalice of Blessing that is blessing is the Communion of the Blood of Christ. St. Paul the Apostle makes the comparison, do not they who eat of the Sacrifices partake of the Altar in Israel? For they eat the flesh of the lambs and thereby partake of the sacrifice. We eat the Flesh of Christ, the Lamb of God, and thereby partake of His Paschal Sacrifice. There is no Supper without Sacrifice. We partake of His Body and His Blood because He sacrificed It for us.

1 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? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

1 Cor 11:23-30 To partake unworthily is to become guilty of the Blood of Christ. Impossible if symbolic

St. Paul the Apostle once more reiterates that (1) Holy Communion is the True Body and Blood of Christ, as proved by the Words of Institution. Our Lord did not say "This is a bare and empty symbol of my body", but rather "This is My Body" and "This is the Chalice of My Blood". (2) St. Paul says those who drink unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (literally: of slaying Jesus and being responsible for His Blood). This is simply impossible if Holy Communion is only a symbol, and proves infallibly that it is literally the real Body and real Blood of Jesus Christ Our Lord. (3) St. Paul says a man must examine his conscience before eating and drinking. That is why Catholics have Confession before Communion. (4) St. Paul says whoever eats without discerning the Lord's Body eats unworthily. This proves that eating without faith in the Real Presence is unworthy. We must discern the Lord's Body literally means we must recognize the Lord's True Body is set before us, and not recognizing it is a grave sin (5) St. Paul mentions that several of the Corinthians are sick and have been subject to chastisement by the Lord because they did not observe all this rightly.

1 Cor 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

No, Holy Communion is only a symbolic reminder

User:RobSmith

To receive communion in the Roman Catholic church, one must be in a "state of grace". Here the sin, confession, absolution, communion, wash, rinse, repeat cycle is doctrine. Grace is meted out in short measure. The scripture says however,

• Romans 5:17 - For if by one man's offence [Adam] death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

When we pass from death to life - born again^[1] - we have received an abundance of grace. We don't need to be "refueled", so to speak.

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