By Rev. Dr. Curian Kaniyamparambil
St. Paul says in (1 Cori. 11: 27-29): "For he who eats and drinks unworthy eats and drinks to his condemnation; for he does not discern the Lord's body." It is therefore obvious that St. Paul believed that the bread and wine are NOT like any other wine and bread but the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is also the apostolic teaching.
Again let us look into what some Christian communities, who do not accept apostolic traditions, believe about this subject.
1) "Discerning the body"- has been variously understood as having reference to Christ's body present in some sense in the bread and wine (Interpreters Vol. 1.)
2) "He makes no distinction between an ordinary meal and this heavenly meal, and this heavenly meal, he doesn't realize the true body and true blood of his Savior are here present and that a thoughtless use of the sacrament is blasphemy and results in the final righteous punishment of God." (P.144) Until he comes, until He returns in glory, the sacrament of his body and blood is to be the means of communication from Him to us? (Popular Comm. (U.S.A) -P143)
3) Dummalow: For not discerning the body that is if he does not realize that it is not mere bread but Lord's body?
Let me also comment that there is nothing like churches by the name Episcopal churches. There is one church established by Jesus Christ, and in it there is Episcopacy.
Again the Church believes so because, this is what the apostles taught, practiced, and preached from their time. The belief during the 1st century was the apostolic faith, the knowledge received directly from the apostles. The new arguments are creations and interpretations coming from our human intelligence during the 20th century.
Christ means Emanuel - meaning God be with us. Christ is God, omnipresent. St. Paul has taught us how we are in Christ, and how Christ is in us.
If Christ can be in millions of people at the same time, is it impossible for Him to be in the Holy Eucharist? In my view this is just a worthless argument. It is like asking since millions of people pray in different languages how does Christ know each of them? That trivial!
TOC Section 1 (Q 1-26) | Section 2 (Q 27-56) | Section 3 (Q 57-81) | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
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