Reformed Commentary on Westminster Shorter Catechism Q61
Reformed Commentary on Westminster Shorter Catechism Q61
The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 61 asks, "What is the Lord's Supper?" The Reformed tradition, as represented in the Westminster Confession of Faith, understands the Lord's Supper as a sacrament in which Christ is spiritually present and nourishes believers through faith [2].
The Catechism's answer to Q61 states that the Lord's Supper is "a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ's appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace." This definition is rooted in the biblical account of the Last Supper and the apostolic writings, particularly 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 [3].
Reformed theologians, such as Charles Hodge, emphasize that the Lord's Supper is not merely a commemorative act but a means of spiritual nourishment for believers. According to Hodge, the sacrament is a "means of grace" whereby Christ is spiritually present and communicates his benefits to the faithful [1].
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 29, articulates the Reformed understanding of the Lord's Supper, stating that "the Lord's Supper is a sacrament of our nourishment and growth in Christ" and that "the worthy receivers are made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace" [4]. This confession highlights the sacrament's role in fostering spiritual growth and strengthening faith.
In contrast to the Roman Catholic understanding of the Eucharist, the Reformed tradition rejects the doctrine of transubstantiation, which holds that the bread and wine are transformed into the literal body and blood of Christ. Instead, Reformed theology affirms that Christ is spiritually present in the sacrament, and that the bread and wine remain unchanged in their substance [5].
The Heidelberg Catechism, another influential Reformed confession, also addresses the Lord's Supper, explaining that it is a sacrament in which believers "are made partakers of Christ's body and blood, and of all his benefits" (Lord's Day 28, Q&A 75) [5]. This catechism emphasizes the sacrament's role in nourishing faith and fostering unity among believers.
The Reformed understanding of the Lord's Supper is characterized by a strong emphasis on the spiritual presence of Christ and the sacrament's role in fostering spiritual growth and nourishment. This understanding is grounded in a careful reading of Scripture and a commitment to the theological principles articulated in the Reformed confessions [2, 3].
The sacrament is not merely a ritual or a symbolic act, but a means of grace whereby Christ communicates his benefits to believers. As the Westminster Confession notes, the Lord's Supper is a "sacrament of our nourishment and growth in Christ," and it is through faith that believers participate in the sacrament's benefits [4].
Sources
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 64: cold grave with them when they die; no, but that they might with all care, and with all the obligations and advantages to that care that may be, nurse up still successively another generation of subjects to our Lord, that may stand up in his kingdom when they are gone.” 579 579 Mather’s Magnalia, vol. ii. p. 309. 4. Experience proves that it is a great evil to make the Church consist only of communicants and to cast out into the world, without any of that watch and care which God intended for them, all those together with their children, ”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 1 (part 2): and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God. 5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby i”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 16 (part 1): CHAPTER 16 Of Good Works 1. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention. 2. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, wh”
- 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 ”
- Heidelberg Catechism (Reformed) “Heidelberg Catechism (Reformed, 1563), Part III: Gratitude: Part III: Gratitude Lord’s Day 32 Q & A 86”