This Is My Body

[Albion]

This is not what the Orthodox Church teaches. I thought you were better informed than this.

I do know what the Orthodox church teaches. However, you seemed to be arguing that what is consumed is the literal body occupied by Christ at the Last Supper. I was showing you why this cannot be the case, NOT that it IS the case (which your answer seems to show is how you understood my post--backwards, in other words).

 

[prodromos]

I do know what the Orthodox church teaches.

That we each receive Christ's whole body in the eucharist.

 

[Albion]

Yes. That's the belief. But it doesn't explain in what way Christ is present or becomes present. Orthodox Christians normally consider it best not to try to explain a divine mystery like this one by going into a technical and almost scientific explanation of substance and accidents, etc. like the Roman Catholics do with their definition of Transubstantiation. In your earlier posts, I appeared that you were defending some of that overly technical approach to the issue that characterizes both the Catholic and Lutheran views.

 

[prodromos]

I'm sorry Albion, but your posts have left me with no clue as to what point you are trying to make. The feeding of the 5000 clearly demonstrates that Christ can multiply His body in the Eucharist and feed communicants century after century, on tens of thousands of altars around the world every day the liturgy is served.

 

[FireDragon76]

I do know what the Orthodox church teaches. However, you seemed to be arguing that what is consumed is the literal body occupied by Christ at the Last Supper. I was showing you why this cannot be the case, NOT that it IS the case (which your answer seems to show is how you understood my post--backwards, in other words).

Christ's body is eaten, but not consumed.

 

[FireDragon76]

@Tree of Life , I think this might be helpful for you to read, to help you to understand where we are coming from theologically:

The Calvinist case against Lutheranism

He makes a good point about the Heidelberg Catechism, and how it's closer to Lutheranism.

 

[Albion]

I'm sorry Albion, but your posts have left me with no clue as to what point you are trying to make.

I know. One of your more recent posts surprised me by addressing something that wasn't at all what I was trying to get across, so I do believe what you're saying now. I suppose that it's best for us just to let it go.

 

[Albion]

Christ's body is eaten, but not consumed.

OK, eaten. I didn't think that "consumed" was going to be interpreted as anything else.

 

[FireDragon76]

OK, eaten. I didn't think that "consumed" was going to be interpreted as anything else.

Some people accuse us of believing in cannibalism, so I just wanted to make that clear. We don't believe we are eating bits and pieces of Jesus in the sacrament, as the Formula of Concord makes clear:

"...we hereby utterly condemn the Capernaitic eating of the body of Christ, as though [we taught that] His flesh were rent with the teeth, and digested like other food, which the Sacramentarians, against the testimony of their conscience, after all our frequent protests, wilfully force upon us, and in this way make our doctrine odious to their hearers; and on the other hand, we maintain and believe, according to the simple words of the testament of Christ, the true, yet supernatural eating of the body of Christ, as also the drinking of His blood, which human senses and reason do not comprehend, but as in all other articles of faith our reason is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and this mystery is not apprehended otherwise than by faith alone, and revealed in the Word alone." [[Formula of Concord, Epitome, VII The Lord's Supper, Negative Theses]

"We believe, teach, and confess that the body and blood of Christ are received with the bread and wine, not only spiritually by faith, but also orally; yet not in a Capernaitic, but in a supernatural, heavenly mode, because of the sacramental union; as the words of Christ clearly show, when Christ gives direction to take, eat, and drink, as was also done by the apostles; for it is written Mark 14:23: And they all drank of it. St. Paul likewise says, 1 Cor. 10:16: The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? that is: He who eats this bread eats the body of Christ, which also the chief ancient teachers of the Church, Chrysostom, Cyprian, Leo I, Gregory, Ambrose, Augustine, unanimously testify." [Formula of Concord, Epitome, VII The Lord's Supper, Affirmative Theses]

 

[Root of Jesse]

Forget what it looks like. What does it taste like? The tongue is an amazing chemist.

Not as good as the Creator...