Matthew 26:26

Matthew 26:26

 

" . . . this is my body."

 

Problem:

 

Roman Catholics understand this passage to teach that when the appropriate words are uttered by the priest, the Wafer is changed into the real body of Christ. This is the doctrine of Transubstantiation.

Solution:

1. At the time these words were uttered Jesus was there present with the disciples; he had not yet died.
   
2. There is an abundance of passages, similar to this one, where the verb "is" is used for "to mean, to symbolize"; e.g.,
   1. "I am the door." (John 10:7).
   2. "I am the true vine." (John 15:1).
   3. "That Rock was Christ." (1 Cor. 10:4).
   4. "The seven heads are seven mountains." (Rev. 17:9).
      
3. If the Romanist insists that "This is my blood" means literally that the wine is transformed into Christ's very blood; then "this cup is the new testament" (covenant) must mean that the literal cup becomes a literal covenant (1 Cor. 11:25).
   
4. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of a sacrifice, not a repetition of it.
   
5. When it is realized that the doctrine of transubstantiation means that the wafer is changed into the whole Being of Christ, which is then offered as a propitiatory sacrifice, it is important to point out that Christ has been offered "once for all". (Heb. 10:10; cf 7:27). The sacrifice needs no repetition.