History and Theology of the Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian Church, a branch of Reformed Christianity, traces its theological roots to the Reformation, particularly the teachings of John Calvin [11]. A core tenet of Presbyterianism is its understanding of the church as the body of Christ, emphasizing the spiritual union between Christ and believers. This union is not merely metaphorical but involves a real participation in Christ's life, death, and resurrection [6]. John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, explains that the efficacy of Christ's work—his nativity, death, and resurrection—is eternal and is extended to believers through faith, making them partakers of his flesh and blood [4]. He clarifies that this participation means "to abide in Christ, that Christ may abide in him," distinguishing it from a merely sacramental eating of Christ's body [5].
Presbyterian theology, as articulated in the Westminster Confession of Faith, emphasizes that the Holy Spirit indwells believers, not only collectively as the Church but also individually [8, 11]. This indwelling Spirit enables believers to walk according to God's will and resist the desires of the flesh [8]. The Church, being "of His flesh and of His bones," is nourished and cherished by Christ [2]. This imagery draws from Genesis 2:23-24, where Eve is formed from Adam's side, symbolizing the Church's birth from Christ's death [2].
Regarding the sacraments, particularly the Lord's Supper, Presbyterian theology differs from other traditions. While acknowledging a real reception of Christ's body and blood, it rejects a "corporal or carnal manner" of presence [9]. Charles Hodge, a prominent Old Princeton theologian, notes that Lutherans, for instance, believe the bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ, though Luther himself distinguished this from a literal, physical presence [1, 10]. In contrast, Presbyterian theology understands the body and blood of Christ in the Supper not as the material elements themselves, nor as Christ's glorified body in heaven, but as a spiritual reality received by faith [9]. Augustine, an early Church Father, also distinguished between the sacrament itself and the "thing itself, of which it is the sacrament," noting that while the sacrament can be taken to destruction, the spiritual reality it signifies is always for life [7].
Presbyterian churches also maintain a specific view on church governance and discipline. They believe that the church has the power to withhold the sacrament of the Lord's Supper from those who are "ignorant or scandalous," until they receive instruction and demonstrate reformation [3]. This authority is seen as Christ's provision for the church to maintain its purity [3].
Sources
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 71: taken and broken; and therefore it was the bread which He affirmed was, either literally or figuratively, his body. Lutherans themselves cannot avoid saying and admitting that the bread in the Lord’s Supper is the body of Christ. Thus Luther ( Larger Catechism , v. 12, 13; Hase, Libri Symbolici , p. 554) tells his catechumen to say, “Though infinite myriads of devils and all fanatics should impudently demand, How bread and wine can be the body and blood of Christ? I know that all spirits and all learned men put together have not as much i”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:30: For--Greek, "Because" (Co1 6:15). Christ nourisheth and cherisheth the Church as being of one flesh with Him. Translate, "Because we are members of His body (His literal body), being OF His flesh and of His bones" [ALFORD] (Gen 2:23-24). The Greek expresses, "Being formed out of" or "of the substance of His flesh." Adam's deep sleep, wherein Eve was formed from out of his opened side, is an emblem of Christ's death, which was the birth of the Spouse, the Church. Joh 12:24; Joh 19:34-35, to which Eph 5:25-27 allude, as implying atonement by His blood”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 64: answered, “Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s Supper, may and ought to be kept from that sacrament by the power which Christ hath left in his Church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.” This, according to Presbyterians, is the extent of the power of the Church, in the matter of shutting the doors of the kingdom of God. 579 Those, therefore, who, having been themselves baptized, and still professing their faith in the t”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 99: the efficacy and fruit of his nativity, death, and resurrection, eternal. All this Christ has elegantly expressed in these words, “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” ( John 6:51 ); doubtless intimating, that his body will be as bread in regard to the spiritual life of the soul, because it was to be delivered to death for our salvation, and that he extends it to us for food when he makes us partakers of it by faith. Wherefore he once gave himself that he might become bread, when he g”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 99: For, not to mention other reasons, they cannot be at the same time the members of Christ and the members of a harlot. In fine, when Christ himself says, ‘He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him’ ( John 6:56 ), he shows what it is to eat the body of Christ, not sacramentally, but in reality. It is to abide in Christ, that Christ may abide in him. For it is just as if he had said, Let not him who abides not in me, and in whom I abide not, say or think that he eats my body or drinks my blood.” Let ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 99: rich and inexhaustible fountain, which transfuses into us the life flowing forth from the Godhead into itself. Now, who sees not that the communion of the flesh and blood of Christ is necessary to all who aspire to the heavenly life? Hence those passages of the apostle: The Church is the “body” of Christ; his “fulness.” He is “the head,” “from whence the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,” “maketh increase of the body” ( Eph. 1:23 ; 4:15,16). Our bodies are the “members of Christ” (”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER VI. 41-59. (part 13): Lord's table it is taken, by some to life, by some to destruction: but the thing itself, of which it is the sacrament, is for every man to life, for no man to destruction, whosoever shall have been a partaker thereof. 16. But lest they should suppose that eternal life was promised in this meat and drink in such manner that they who should take it should not even now die in the body, He condescended to meet this thought; for when He had said, "He that eateth my flesh, anti drinketh my blood, hath eternal life," He forthwi”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 31: Galatians v. 16-26 . Another passage of like import is Galatians v. 16-26 , “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not full the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,” etc., etc. The Scriptures teach that the Spirit of God dwells in his people, not only collectively as the Church, but individually in every believer, so that of every Christian it may be said, he is a temple of the Holy Ghost. God is”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 69: receive the body and blood of Christ, although not “after a corporal or carnal manner.” In answer to the question, What is here meant by the body and blood of Christ? the almost uniform answer is, (1.) That it is not the matter of his body and blood. (2.) That it is not his body and blood as such. (3.) That it is not his glorified body now in heaven. His body and blood were received by the disciples before his death, and consequently before his ascension and glorification, and it is not disputed that believers since the apostolic age rece”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 69: we actually and essentially or really (wirklich und wesentlich) receive the present person of Jesus Christ or the Logos, and hence this bread and this wine are the body and blood of Christ, wherein He now communicates the bread which is from heaven to believers, as formerly when He came in literal flesh and blood He gave Himself to them. But Luther erred when he asserted that with, in, and under the bread and wine, the real body which suffered for us, and the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for us, are communicated, because according”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), Confession of Faith: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church: Confession of Faith: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church The Orthodox Presbyterian Church What We Believe About the OPC Gospel Tracts Worldwide Outreach Worldwide Outreach Christian Education Foreign Missions Home Missions Ministries Chaplains and Military Personnel Ministerial Care Diaconal Ministries Planned Giving Historian Short-Term Missions Disaster Response Inter-Church Relations Standards Searchable Bible Confessions and Catechisms Book of Church Order Resources Church Directory Daily ”