Aristotle's Meditation

Apart from the three principals, the Eucharist sacrament was also elucidated by Luther with reference to consubstantiation. Consubstantiation refers to the assurance that Christ is indeed present in the Eucharist celebration. The belief is also similar to the transubstantiation doctrine. However, in the transubstantiation doctrine, it is believed that wine and bread factually change to the blood and body of Jesus Christ during the

Showing the change in Christianity is Aquinas’ argument in the 13th century C.E. He argues against being

One question brought up as a result of reading the narrative. Is Jesus relating the wine to his body in a literal sense? “Jesus identifies his blood with the cup. In the NT, αἷμα may refer to the red fluid within the body’s circulatory system; however, it more often has metaphorical connotations. It may denote “the death of a person, generally as the result of violence or execution…This metaphorical corollary is especially true when αἷμα is found with ἐκχύννω in 23:35 and 26:28. Thus, in his saying over the cup, Jesus also speaks of his violent death.” The reason this has to be clarified is that it could easily lead a person to say the cup is his blood in a literal sense.

Communion, or Eucharist, whereby Jesus is believed to award communion by way of himself *

There is far reaching agreement among researchers today over a wide religious spectrum that the resurrection of Jesus is the focal point of Christianity, asserted by conventional believers in light of New Testament passages like 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. However, it is also declared by secular analytical intellectuals also. One of the major confrontational arguments facing Christian theology or apologetics is the resurrection of Jesus being a significant part; therefore, if the

The bread and wine prepared for communion symbolically turn into the body and blood of Jesus Christ during the consecration rite of the Catholic mass. The consecration reminds believers of what Jesus Christ did to his disciples during 'The Last Supper.'

The resurrection of Jesus Christ can be seen as a highly argued topic. However, Perman’s article, “Historical Evidence for the Resurrection”, does a magnificent job detailing and explaining evidence of Jesus’ resurrection that will make you a believer. When looking at evidence of Jesus’ resurrection, no other theory of what happened to Jesus can compare, and it is overall seen as the best explanation. The historical grounds show solid truth that Jesus has risen from the dead.

In this paper, I will be discussing the views on Christianity’s Doctrine of Resurrection. I will use the methods of philosophy and theology for my discussion. To begin, an explanation of the doctrine itself will be presented. This will be followed by an objection to the doctrine as stated by Trenton Merricks. To contrast Merricks’ view, the ideas of Stephen T. Davis on this doctrine will be presented. From here, the views of Augustine and Aquinas will be discussed. To conclude, I will summarize my findings and present my assessment of the various views explored.

Despite his disciples’ protests, Jesus got down to his knees with a basin of water and towel and started to wash their feet. During their supper, Jesus warned his apostles about his crucifixion and the betrayal from one of them without naming. While they ate, Jesus broke bread and dispersed it amongst his disciples saying, “Take it: this is my body.” He then took a cup filled with wine, drank it then gave it to them which they all drank from. He told his disciples that the wine was His blood of the covenant,which was poured out for many. This was the first Eucharist which was established by

Another translation problem is the mention of the cup twice. As explained in the NIV Archaeological Study Bible, “The “cup” refers either to the first of the four cups shared during the regular observance of the Passover meal or to the third cup.” Stein explains the four cups in a Passover meal and suggests that “[i]t may have been the third of these cups that Jesus used in the Last Supper” while referencing Luke 22:20. Although these are explanations, they do not necessarily prove or disprove Jesus eating at a Passover meal.

Many Catholics see this passage as their proof text that Christ’s literal body is present in the Eucharist. It is arguable that this passage is not even talking about the Lord’s Supper. The first reason is that, The Lord’s Supper was not ordained by Christ until his last Passover meal. Second, Jesus did not clarify the meaning or practice to focus on the physical eating but instead showing the disciples understood by saying, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Jesus ate and explained his New Covenant and His fulfillment as the Passover lamb among his closest disciples. This was a personal time of instruction at their last Passover right before He fulfilled its meaning. Those intimate instructional times are found in Matthew 26, Mark 14 , and Luke 22. The context of John 6 is that many Jews rejected His deity, and thus did not want to follow him. This is clearly supported by Spurgeon’s commentary, “Do not any of you interpret this teaching of Christ as the Jews did…The Lord’s supper was not instituted at the time that our Saviour spoke these words, and he was speaking of quite another matter, the spiritual reception of Christ, the real and true feeding by faith with our spirit upon the Lord Jesus Christ.” In addition, the only time John mentions details of the Lord’s Supper in his narrative is to identify Christ’s betrayer in John 13:26-27 through the dipping of

Jesus told us that “This is My Body.” He didn’t tell us that it symbolized his body and blood, he said that it was. Theodore believes that Jesus wants us to look at the Eucharist as it sits, and as it is, not according to the nature of it. He says that if we sin, we can rely on the Body and Blood to strengthen us and help us to do good deeds. Also, when the offering is brought up to the altar, it is merely just bread, and water mixed with wine. It only turns into the real Body and Blood of Jesus when it is blessed by the

“Christian theology developed in the very act of responding to pagan objections” remarks Gonzalez (63). As the church grew the practice of theology resulted in many interpretations and threatened traditions held about the nature of God. Gnosticism made inroads claiming that Christ was a messenger who carried gnosis so that humanity could return to its spiritual origins (72). It viewed the physical world as evil so the form of Jesus’ body was open to interpretation consistent with the thought that it wasn’t physical like the bodies of other people and couldn’t die so it also could not rise again. Some held that life in the world should discipline our bodies while others held that the human spirit was inviolable and life in the body should be unrestrained. This duality of physical and spiritual also gave rise to Marcionism.

A sacrifice so gory and passionate can be wholly explained by two food items. For thousands of years Christians have been partaking in this holy ritual. Today’s modern church still follows this tradition faithfully and thoroughly believes in the symbolic powers it possesses. The word itself has grown more from just an action but to a way of life and belief. The Communion ritual is a pivotal part of Christianity and without it one cannot call themselves a true Christian.

Two practices important to Christian worship usually take place in churches. These practices are (1) baptism and (2) the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. The ceremony of baptism celebrates an individual's entrance into Christianity. The Eucharist represents the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with His disciples. Worshipers share bread and wine in the Eucharist as a sign of their unity with each other and with Jesus.