The Mass and Transubstantiation

 

THE MASS AND TRANSUBSTANTIATION:

R[V1] oman Catholics teach that eating the bread at mass is literally eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus Christ. This infusion of grace (sacrament) is essential for salvation. The mystery of the mass requires that Jesus be crucified again every time mass is said. See John 6:35-71.

1. Most Protestants very strongly disagree and call this cannibalism.

2. In John 3:5-16, salvation was by being “born again” of the Spirit.”

3. In John 4:14, salvation was by drinking of the water symbolizing faith in Jesus.

4. In John 5:24, salvation was by personal faith in Jesus.

5. In John 6:35, 40 and 47 salvation is by coming to Jesus and believing on Him.

6. When Jesus said in John 6:48 “I am that bread of life,” He was not speaking of literal bread, but of God’s only channel of salvation. In the same Gospel of John, Jesus also says “I am” a lamb (John 1:29), door (Jn 10:9), shepherd (Jn 10:11), road (John 14:6) and vine (Jn 15:1). John the Baptist called Him the “lamb of God” (Jn 1:29) and John calls him “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5). Yet Roman Catholics only insist on literally interpreting Jesus’ reference to Himself as literal bread” to be literally eaten.  Neither do Roman Catholics literally interpret Matthew 16:23 and teach that Jesus taught that the Apostle Peter was literally Satan.

6. In John 6:50-56 “eating Jesus” means to accept His vicarious death for all sin and accept Him as one’s personal Lord and Savior.

7. In John 6:57 Jesus compares His own “living by the Father” to believers’ “eating me.” Just as Jesus lived by obeying the will of the Father, even so believers are to live by believing in Him.

8. In John 6:58 Jesus contrasts eating His spiritual words with eating physical bread under Moses. It is clear that He was not speaking of literal physical eating, but of spiritual obedience.

9. In John 6:63 Jesus sums up his dialog with “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

10. In John 6:70, 71 Jesus again spoke figuratively when He said that Judas Iscariot “was a devil.” 

11. Matthew 26:26-29and First Corinthians 11:24-30 are the two best references to communion in the Bible. In Matthew 26:26 , Jesus summed up the meaning by saying “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” And, in First Corinthians 11: 24-26 He says And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, 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 oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”

In neither reference does Jesus link communion with a essential part of salvation. “Do this in remembrance of me” focuses on His return, not salvation.

12. The Bible says that Jesus was sacrificed once for all time and for all sin (past, present, future). God’s Word does not justify repeating Christ’s sacrifice.

Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many …

Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

13. All believers, with the same order of Aaron as high priests, now enter into the very presence of God without the necessity of any other mediator. There is no biblical example or biblical command for believers to confess their sins to a mediator.

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