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Why Do We Have An Alter?

Jun 19, 2012
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Excuse me, I will try to be respectful of the fact that this is a Reformed subforum and I'm the total opposite of Reformed here.

With that said, I'm not trying to proselytize or be antagonistic but I will give the reasons that I believe the altar goes back to the very cradle of Christianity!

Early Christian documents attest to them, as well as the idea of Communion as a sacrifice.

"Assemble on the Lord’s day, and break bread and offer the Eucharist; but first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one. Anyone who has a difference with his fellow is not to take part with you until he has been reconciled, so as to avoid any profanation of your sacrifice [Matt. 5:23–24]. For this is the offering of which the Lord has said, ‘Everywhere and always bring me a sacrifice that is undefiled, for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is the wonder of nations’ [Mal. 1:11, 14]" (Didache 14 [A.D. 70]).

"Our sin will not be small if we eject from the episcopate those who blamelessly and holily have offered its sacrifices. Blessed are those presbyters who have already finished their course, and who have obtained a fruitful and perfect release" (Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians 44:4–5 [A.D. 80]).

"Make certain, therefore, that you all observe one common Eucharist; for there is but one Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and but one cup of union with his Blood, and one single altar of sacrifice—even as there is also but one bishop, with his clergy and my own fellow servitors, the deacons. This will ensure that all your doings are in full accord with the will of God" (Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Philadelphians 4 [A.D. 110]).

"God speaks by the mouth of Malachi, one of the twelve [minor prophets], as I said before, about the sacrifices at that time presented by you: ‘I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord, and I will not accept your sacrifices at your hands; for from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name is great among the Gentiles . . . [Mal. 1:10–11]. He then speaks of those Gentiles, namely us [Christians] who in every place offer sacrifices to him, that is, the bread of the Eucharist and also the cup of the Eucharist" (Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 41 [A.D. 155]).

I could go on, even to St. Augustine himself, but I think I've made my point.

I think your analysis about why some reformed churches have them is good, as many do trace their lineage back to the Church of England, and of course Calvinists are 1st-2nd (i think 2nd but I'm not sure) generation protestants, and thus have Rome as their Mother Church, so the fact that some have made Lord's Supper tables that looks like altars would make sense.

Once again, I'm not here to debate. I used to be Reformed Baptist and I love my old tradition; which is why I was browsing this forum. I just had to comment on that because I didn't think it to be historically accurate. Sorry if I've overstepped my bounds!

Buh-bye now, and God bless!
John
 
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mothcorrupteth

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I note the conspicuous lack, however, of any language among the Fathers suggesting that what is being sacrificed is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, as if he needed to (or could) be sacrificed again. Heck, I'll assent to the Eucharist being a sacrifice, but not in any literal sense. As Calvin explained in the Institutes (4.18.10),


But in any case, all I said is that your church pointed to the language of altars to justify the idea that it is an unbloody re-sacrifice of Christ. Which is not an inaccurate statement. You yourself are doing the same thing right now, but with the word sacrifice.
 
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cajunhillbilly

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I think that the problem is not seeing the Eucharist sacramentally and covenantally. Rome uses language that suggests they think Jesus is being resacrificed, but I think that is a misunderstanding. I see the Eucharist as a sacrament that unites us to Christ in His sacrifice on the Cross. That sacrifice was once for all time offered to the Father. But in the Eucharist we sacrementally join with Jesus is His one offering of Himself and so sacrementally it is a sacrifice of praaise and thanksgiving for that once for all sacrifice on the Cross. Jesus is NOT rescrificed, but we join with Him in offering praise and thanksgiving for the one sacrifice on Calvary. Does that make sense? I think both Luther and Calvin said similar things
 
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