The Eucharistic Remembrance of Christ's Sacrifice and Atonement
The Eucharist, also known as the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion, is a sacrament in which Christians commemorate Christ's sacrifice and atonement. The nature of this commemoration is contested among Christian traditions.
The disagreement centers on how Christ's sacrifice is represented in the Eucharist. The Catholic tradition, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, understands the Eucharist as a sacrificial offering that re-presents Christ's sacrifice on the cross [7]. According to this view, the bread and wine used in the Eucharist are transformed into the literal body and blood of Christ through transubstantiation.
In contrast, Reformed traditions, such as those represented by John Calvin and Charles Hodge, reject the doctrine of transubstantiation and understand the Eucharist as a symbolic commemoration of Christ's sacrifice [2, 4, 5]. Calvin argues that Christ is spiritually present in the Eucharist, but not physically present in the elements [2]. Hodge emphasizes that the Eucharist is a means of grace, through which believers receive the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection [5, 8].
The Anglican tradition, as represented by the Thirty-Nine Articles, also rejects transubstantiation, stating that it "cannot be proved by holy Writ" and is "repugnant to the plain words of Scripture" [6, 9]. The Articles affirm that the Eucharist is a sacrament that commemorates Christ's sacrifice, but do not specify the nature of Christ's presence in the elements.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition, represented by John of Damascus, understands the Eucharist as a mystical participation in Christ's body and blood, which is made possible through the Holy Spirit [3]. This view emphasizes the mysterious and sacramental nature of the Eucharist, rather than attempting to explain the precise nature of Christ's presence.
Despite these differences, all traditions agree that the Eucharist is a means of remembering and participating in Christ's sacrifice and atonement. The scriptural basis for this understanding is found in the accounts of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) [1].
The hermeneutical commitments and prior doctrinal premises that drive these differences are complex and multifaceted. The Catholic tradition's emphasis on the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist is rooted in its understanding of the priesthood and the sacramental system. The Reformed tradition's rejection of transubstantiation is based on its commitment to the authority of Scripture and the principle of sola fide. The Eastern Orthodox tradition's emphasis on the mystical nature of the Eucharist reflects its focus on the mystery and wonder of God's presence in the sacraments.
The Eucharist remains a central aspect of Christian worship and practice, with different traditions understanding its significance and nature in distinct ways. The ongoing debate and discussion among Christian traditions reflects the complexity and richness of the Eucharist as a sacrament and a means of grace.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Lord's Supper — (1 Cor. 11:20), called also "the Lord's table" (10:21), "communion," "cup of blessing" (10:16), and "breaking of bread" (Acts 2:42). In the early Church it was called also "eucharist," or giving of thanks (comp. Matt. 26:27), and generally by the Latin Church "mass," a name derived from the formula of dismission, Ite, missa est, i.e., "Go, it is discharged." The account of the institution of this ordinance is given in Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19, 20, and 1 Cor. 11:24-26. It is not mentioned by John. It was designed, (1.) To commemorate t”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: 2:19 2:21 2:24 4:3 4:6 4:8 4:11-12 4:14 5:12 5:12 5:13 5:14 5:15 5:16 5:16 5:16 5:17-18 1 Peter 1:2 1:2 1:2 1:3 1:5 1:5 1:9 1:11 1:12 1:12 1:15 1:16 1:18-19 1:18-19 1:19 1:19-20 1:20 1:21 1:21 1:21 1:21 1:22 1:23 1:23 1:23 2:5 2:9 2:9 2:9 2:13 2:17 2:17 2:18 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:25 2:25 3:18 3:19 3:21 3:21 3:21 3:21 3:21 3:21 4:3 4:3 4:8 4:8 4:11 4:11 4:14 4:17 5:1 5:2 5:2 5:3 5:5 5:6 5:7 5:8 5:8 5:9 2 Peter 1:4 1:4 1:4 1:5 1:13-14 1:14 1:14 1:19 2:1 2:4 2:4 3:4 3:8 3:9 3:16 11:9 1 John 1:1 1:7 1:7 1:7 1:9 1:9 1:10 2:1 2:1 2”
- CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 105: 45:12 45:14 48:12 53:4-5 53:8 53:8 53:8 53:9 61:1 61:1 64:4 65:1-2 65:2 65:13-16 65:16 65:16 66:1 66:1-2 66:1-2 66:7 Jeremiah 1:6 17:9 23:22 23:24 Ezekiel 27:23 37:7 44:2 Daniel 1:8-16 2:15 2:22 3:20 3:23 6:16 10:2 11:37 12:1-3 Hosea 1:6-7 13:4 13:4 Amos 3:6 Micah 1:3 Zechariah 9:9 Malachi 1:11 3:6 3:6 3:6 3:6 4:2 4:2 4:6 Matthew 1:21 1:21 1:23 1:23 1:25 2:20 3:11 3:15 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 3:17 4:2 4:4 5:3 5:5 5:8 5:17 5:17 5:17 6:25 6:26 6:33 7:6 7:18 7:23 8:3 8:3 8:30 9:2 9:4 10:6 10:15 10:16 10:22 10:28 ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:2 1:26 1:27 1:31 2:7 2:7 2:17 2:18 2:23 2:23 3:7 3:9 3:12 3:15 3:15 3:15 3:22 4:4 4:7 4:10 4:13 6:3 6:5 6:6 6:18 7:21 8:21 9:6 12:12 12:17 14:18 14:18 15:1 15:1 15:5 15:17 16:9 17:7 17:7 17:10 17:10 17:13 17:15 17:27 18:2 18:23 20:3 20:7 21:1 21:12 21:24 22:1 22:8 22:16-18 23:4 23:19 24:7 24:10 26:27 27:28 27:38-39 28:12 28:20 29 30:2 31:19 31:20 31:40-41 32 32:10 32:13 32:29-30 33 34 36:22 37:18 37:28 37:33 38:18 42 43 43:14 45:5 47:9 47:9 47:29-30 48:14 48:16 49:5-6 49:18 Exodus 2:12 3:2 3”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 98: 16:16 16:17 16:19 16:19 16:27 17:11 18:3 18:17 18:18 18:19 18:25 19:1-30 19:3-9 19:3-9 19:4-9 19:5 19:9 19:10 19:10 19:11 19:11 19:28 20:28 22:37 22:38 23:39 24:1-25:46 24:3 24:6 24:6 24:14 24:14 24:14 24:24 24:29-35 24:30 24:30 24:31 24:31 24:34 24:34 24:36 25:31 25:31 25:31-46 25:31-46 25:31-46 25:31-46 25:32 25:32 25:41 25:46 26:26 26:26-28 26:27 26:63 26:64 27:24 27:43 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:20 28:20 28:20 28:24 Mark 1:8 1:15 3:4 6:18 6:48 7:4 7:4 7:4 7:28 9:42-48 10:2-12 10:4-9 10:7 10:8 10:11 10:12 10:13 12:26 13:7 1”
- Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), A Mid-Morning Eucharist on Easter Day: A Mid-Morning Eucharist on Easter Day Thanksgiving for the Resurrection The Easter Anthems The Stations of the Resurrection Holy Communion Order One”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, Art. 4: Article: Whether this sacrament is suitably called by various names? I answer that, This sacrament has a threefold significance. one with regard to the past, inasmuch as it is commemorative of our Lord's Passion, which was a true sacrifice, as stated above (Question [48], Article [3]), and in this respect it is called a "Sacrifice." With regard to the present it has another meaning, namely, that of Ecclesiastical unity, in which men are aggregated through this Sacrament; and in this respect it is ca”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 68: the eats of men; and the communication of the benefits of that death to his people, necessarily assumes that it is to be observed so long as Christ, in the visible manifestation of his person, is absent from his Church. (3.) That the Apostles so understood the command of Christ is plain from their continuing to observe this ordinance to which such frequent reference is made in their writings, under the designations, “breaking of bread,” “the Lord’s Supper,” and “The Lord’s table.” (4.) The uniform practice of the Church on this subject ad”
- Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), Section 272: Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions.”