Of The Holy
Supper Of Our Lord Jesus Christ
28. Lord's
Day
Q: 75. How are you admonished and assured in the Lord's Supper, that you are a partaker
of that one sacrifice of Christ, accomplished on the cross, and of all his
benefits?
A: Thus: That Christ has commanded me and all believers, to eat of this
broken bread, and to drink of this cup, in remembrance of him, adding these
promises: first, that his body was
offered and broken on the cross for me, and his blood shed for me, as certainly
as I see with my eyes, the bread of the Lord broken for me, and the cup
communicated to me; and further, that he feeds and nourishes my soul to
everlasting life, with his crucified body and shed blood, as assuredly as I
receive from the hands of the minister, and taste with my mouth the bread and
cup of the Lord, as certain signs of the body and blood of Christ.
Q: 76. What is it then to eat the crucified body, and drink the shed blood of
Christ?
A: It is not only to embrace with believing heart all the sufferings and
death of Christ and thereby to obtain the pardon of sin, and life eternal; but also, besides that, to become more and
more united to his sacred body, by the
Holy Spirit, who dwells both in Christ and in us; so that we, though Christ is
in heaven and we on earth, are
notwithstanding "flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone" and that we live, and are governed forever by
one spirit, as members of the same body
are by one soul.
Q: 77. Where has Christ promised that he will as certainly feed and nourish
believers with his body and bleed, as they eat of this broken bread, and drink
of this cup?
A: In the institution of the supper, which is thus expressed: "The Lord Jesus, the same night in which
he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and:
said: eat, this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of
me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying:
this cup is the new testament in my blood; this do ye, as often as ye drink it,
in remembrance of me. For, as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,
ye do show the Lord's death till he come.". This promise is repeated by
the holy apostle Paul, where he says "The cup of blessing which we bless,
is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it
not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and
one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread."
29. Lord's
Day
Q: 78. Do then the bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ?
A: Not at all: but as the water in baptism is not changed into the blood of
Christ, neither is the washing away of sin itself, being only the sign and
confirmation thereof appointed of God; so the bread in the Lord's supper is not
changed into the very body of Christ; though agreeably to the nature and
properties of sacraments, it is called the body of Christ Jesus.
Q: 79. Why then does Christ call the bread "his body", and the cup
"his blood", or "the new covenant in his blood"; and Paul
the "communion of body and blood of Christ"?
A: Christ speaks thus, not without great reason, namely, not only thereby to
teach us, that as bread and wine support this temporal life, so his crucified
body and shed blood are the true meat and drink, whereby our souls are fed to
eternal life; but more especially by these
visible signs and pledges to assure us, that we are as really partakers of his
true body and blood by the operation of the Holy Spirit as we receive by the
mouths of our bodies these holy signs in remembrance of him; and that all his sufferings and obedience are
as certainly ours, as if we had in our own persons suffered and made
satisfaction for our sins to God.
30. Lord's
Day
Q: 80. What difference is there between the Lord's supper and the popish mass?
A: The Lord's supper testifies to us, that we have a full pardon of all sin
by the only sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which he himself has once accomplished
on the cross; and, that we by the Holy Spirit are grafted into Christ, who, according to his human nature is now not
on earth, but in heaven, at the right hand of God his Father, and will there be worshipped by us. But the mass teaches, that the living and
dead have not the pardon of sins through the sufferings of Christ, unless
Christ is also daily offered for them by the priests; and further, that Christ
is bodily under the form of bread and wine, and therefore is to be worshipped
in them; so that the mass, at bottom, is nothing else than a denial of the one
sacrifice and sufferings of Jesus Christ, and an accursed idolatry.
Q: 81. For whom is the Lord's supper instituted?
A: For those who are truly sorrowful for their sins, and yet trust that these
are forgiven them for the sake of Christ; and that their remaining infirmities
are covered by his passion and death; and who also earnestly desire to have
their faith more and more strengthened, and their lives more holy; but
hypocrites, and such as turn not to God with sincere hearts, eat and drink
judgment to themselves.
Q: 82. Are they also to be admitted to this supper, who, by confession and life,
declare themselves unbelieving and ungodly?
A: No; for by this, the covenant of God would be profaned, and his wrath
kindled against the whole congregation;
therefore it is the duty of the Christian church, according to the
appointment of Christ and his apostles, to exclude such persons, by the keys of
the kingdom of heaven, till they show amendment of life.
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