Edible Words

This chapter consists of two principal parts,--I. Of sacraments in general. The sum of the doctrine stated, sec. 1-6. Two classes of opponents to be guarded against--viz. those who undervalue the power of the sacraments, sec. 7-13; and those who attribute too much to the sacraments, sec. 14-17. II. Of the sacraments in particular, both of the Old and the New Testament. Their scope and meaning. Refutation of those who have either too high or too low ideas of the sacraments.

Sections.

1. Of the sacraments in general. A sacrament defined.
2. Meaning of the word sacrament.
3. Definition explained. Why God seals his promises to us by sacraments.

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© Horton, M, Signs and Seals of the Covenant (chapter 9 abridged) from God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology, (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2006) Used by permission of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, copyright © 2006. All rights to this material are reserved. Materials are not to be distributed to other web locations for retrieval, published in other media, or mirrored at other sites without written permission from Baker Publishing Group. Buy this book on amazon.co.uk or on amazon.com.

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© 2005 Matthew Mason.
This article was originally published in Churchman 117/4 (2003).

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© The Word Became Flesh, David Peterson (ed), (Carlisle, Paternoster Press, 2003) The Incarnation and the Lord's Supper, Carl Trueman Published with the permission of Carl Trueman and Paternoster Press. Buy this book on amazon.co.uk or on amazon.com.

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© Marc Lloyd, January 2006

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The Reformation Theology of the Lord's Supper

Professor MacCulloch's authoritative account of the English Reformation suggests that the Lord's Suppe
in the Book of Common Prayer and the Articles of Religion1 is at the heart of its theology, not least because the Reformation can be seen as issuing from a crisis of assurance. The priestly sacrifice of the Mass had been a meritorious propitiatory work offered to God on which people depended without confidence to lessen the purgatorial pains of themselves and their dead loved-ones2. The authors of the BCP & AR came to see that justification is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The theology of the LS expresses this since it is as we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and feed on him in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving that we are assured that we are put right with God and will be welcomed as his friends to the King's Table at the Heavenly Feast.

1. 1. Hereafter, 'Lord's Supper'=LS; 'Book of Common Prayer' = BCP and '(39) Articles of Religion' = AR.
2. 2. For popular pre-Reformation and later views of the Mass see Duffy, Eamon, The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England 1400-1580 (Yale, Yale University Press, 1992), esp. chapter 3. For the official reassertion of Roman Catholic dogma against Reformed views see The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent.

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© Rosalind S Clarke, December 2006

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When Christians share the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper, they participate in a meal that has its origins in the command and example of the Lord Jesus himself. The bread that he broke, he identified with his body, and the wine that he gave the disciples to drink, he identified with his blood.1 When we, in obedience to his command, do likewise, we do so on the basis of a similar identification between the bread and wine we consume in the sacrament, and Jesus' own body and blood given for us. 2

1. 1. Here and elsewhere in this paper I use the term 'identify' merely to indicate the linguistic function of saying 'This is that.' The term is not intended to signify any particular understanding of the reality expressed by the statement of identification of the elements of the Supper with Christ's body and blood. The question of the precise nature of this identification has been the subject of great debate throughout the history of the church and remains far from set. It is not the purpose of this paper to further that debate and it is my hope that the substance of my argument will be persuasive to adherents of otherwise differing views on the nature of the sacrament.
2. 2. Of course different churches and denominations have different practices with respect to the celebration of the Supper. I do not intend to discuss these variations in detail but merely observe that, in addition to the sacramental acts of sharing bread and wine, it is common practice to include some kind of formal or informal liturgy, which usually depends largely on the scriptural words of institution. For example, my own denomination, the Church of England, currently has nine authorized eucharistic prayers, each of which includes a rehearsal of the narrative account of the institution of the Supper including the words of identification. (See http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/hc/hcwebcontents.html, accessed on 14/11/06.) Even in churches where a formal liturgy is not used, it is common practice to read one of New Testament accounts.

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© Peter Leithart, "Blessed Are The Hungry," (Canon Press, Moscow, 2000) Used with permission Buy this book on amazon.co.uk or on amazon.com.

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