LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 344

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344

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

househoid and its blood sprinkled upon the doorpost. When the angel
saw the blood, he wouid “pass over.”

This blood of the lamb redeemed the |ife of the firstborn even as it
was a part of that action by which God led the children of Israel to
freedom This great deliverance of the past was to point Israei to that
future deliverance which would be won by the Lamb of God—the Mes-
sian ils 53.1 Cor. 5.7)

Jesus’ selection of the Passover. therefore. clothes the institution of
the Lord's Supper with israel’s history In fact. as Crrist now cistributes
His own body and blood. God's redemptive purpose in Israel achieves Its
fulfillment and goal. The blood of the New Testament (Matt. 26:28. Jer
31:31: 1 Cor. 11 25) now replaces that of the Old (Ex. 24:8). Christ's
sacrifice on Goigotha for the sins of all people is the final and complete
sacrifice (Heb 8—10) Through His death for sin. ali people may now be
free from sin’s curse and may live for God (Rom. 2—3)*

C. The Testimony of Holy Scripture
|. The Reai Presence

The clear claim of Christ in Holy Scripture is that His true body and
blood are truly present and distributed to those wno eat * Atl four Scrip-
tural accounts {Matt 26:26-29: Mark 14:22-25: Luke 2215-20: 1 Cor.

Ex 122-13 Tne Lutheran fatners were confident trat tne Sacraments were
present in pretigured form in tne Ole Testament Martin Cnemnitz writes ‘God ir all ages
of tme world by giving a certain Wore reveaied His wil: concerning the mystery of
redemption to the "uman race concerning Ine gratuitous "econciliation and acceptance
9! pelievers to ite eternal tnrough tath because of the sacrifice of His Son as Mediator
he a:$0 added to tre Word by His own divine institution. certain external signs. Dy which
10 seal and confirm more ciearly the promise of righteousness Dy faith The institution and
use of Sacraments ac not therefore first begin in tne time of tne New Testament Dut the
tatners in tne time of t"e Old Testamert even betore tne duplication of the Law Nad their
certain signs or Sacraments divinely instituted for this use which were the seals of the
ngnteousness cf fats Rom 4 But thougn *t 1s the same God the same Meciator the
same grace. righteousness promise faitn satvation. etc yet those external signs or seals
are sometimes changed for others, sudstitutec in tnerr place Dy Giv.ne institution so that
the mode of reveia":on was Constantly rendered more clear which at first was like a :amp
shining 9 a dark place atterwaras tne Morning star succeeded until at length the night
be.ng gas! tne Sun of righteousness arose 9 Examination of tre Counci of Trent Yor
frst Topic Sector || par 1 quoted nm Schmia Tre Doctnai Theology of the
Evange-cai Lutheran Church (Minneapolis Augsburg Pubiish:ng House. 1961" p 536 cf
Craries P Krautrs Tne Passover Is a Type of tne Supper in The Conservative
Reformanon and ‘ts Theciogy |Minneape’s Augsburg Pup'sning House ‘963; pp
§92—97

* Even those scrolars of critica: persuasion fing overwrelming evidence ‘or this
Passover setting Forexampie Joact»m Jeremias wriies The ‘oureen opservahons that
rave beer made above concerr not only the framework Of the narrative Dut also its
substance It cannot pe saic therefore tnat only later embei.isnment nas mace the Last
Supper a passover mea! It is much more tne case that the passover cnaracter of tne last
mea of Jesus '$ sa" MOus-y suDPOMeEC The Eucnar sic Words of Jesus ‘Lcrcor
SCM Press *964° pp 6'—62:

Tre aoctrne of re Rea! Presence -s succinctly confessed in Arce X of tne
ALgsp.'g Contess.or

In the words of institution Jesus openly asserts that His blood is
being “poured out” (Matt. 26:28. Mark 14:24: Luke 22:20) and that His
body 1s being “given” (Luke 22:19). Both terms underscore the sacrificial
nature of His death Further. the words of institution contain the impor-
tant reference ‘for many” (Matt 26:28: Mark 14:24) or “for you” [Luke
22 19) Jesus now presents His body and blood in bread and wine as the
means of divine grace “for the forgiveness of sins’ (Matt. 26:28). With His
body and blood in the Sacrament. He thereby bestows all the blessings
and benefits of the Atonement (Heb. 9 14-16)

3. The Lord's Second Coming

Jesus clearly states the significance of the Lord’s Supper for His
return in glory !n Matthew we read: “I tell you | shall not drink again of
this fruit of the vine until that day when ! drink it new with you In my
Father's kingdom’ ‘Matt. 26:29: cf Mark 14:25) St. Paul also links the
institution of the Lord's Supper with the second coming of Christ: “For as
often as you eat this bread and drink the cup. you proclaim the Lord's
death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). Thus the communicant confesses
or “proclaims” confident faith in the Lord's promised return when he
partakes of the Lord's Supper

4. The Church

The Lord's Supper 's a corporate meal. Jesus used plural verbs and
pronouns as He spoke to the disciples in the upper room (Matt. 2626-29
and parallels). St Pau! wrote to the whole church at Corinth when he
learned of abuses in the celebration of the Lord's Supper * Thus there is
both a vertical and a horizontal dimension to proper preparation for the
Lord's Supper. Each communicant must examine himself before God (1
Cor. 11:28) and must also conduct himself in a Christian manner over
against his fellow Christians (1 Cor. 11:17 ff}. To partake of tne Lord's
Supper with malice toward a fellow communicant is sinful (Matt 5 23-
24). To commune without faith tn Christ's promise is to eat and drink
judgment upon oneself (1 Cor. 11:29).*

The Lutheran Confessions underscore the corporate nature of Holy
Communion when they address the question of private self-communion

- * Cor 1* 27-34 The public nature of the Sacrament ana also the impications of
doctrinal contession are stressed by the Lutheran Contessions exegesis of Cor 11 2610
Ap IV 210 and Ap XXIV 35

+ Martin Fraszmann in comment.ng on in an unworthy manner’ it Cor 1127)
aptiy comosnes tnese two dimensions when he writes As 29 makes plain tne unworthy
ness les In NOt d scerning the Dody in its sanctity and significance for man eating and
aching as if the present Lord were not present but nad failed to keep His promise asif His
redemptive death did not signify. as if His Drink of it all of you did not bind all His
ascipies together “Concordia Gibie with Notes {St Louis Concordia Pubnshing House
1971) o 310!

11:23-26) assert: “This is my body.” “This ts my blood of the covenant
{Matthew and Mark). “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” {Luke
and Paul) *

Scriptural passages other than the words of institution fortnightly
teach the Rea! Presence. St.Paul writes in | Cor. 10:16. “The cup of
blessing which we biess. 1s it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break. !s it not a participation in the body of Christ?”
Or. again. in * Cor. 11:27: “Whoever, therefore. eats the bread or drinks
the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the
body and blood of the Lord.

A Biblical view of the Real Presence rejects two aberrations. On the
one hand. it 1s wrong to reject Christ's clear words simply because our
fallen human reason cannot fully understand how it comes to pass. Any
effort to make the “This is” something less than a clear word. as Re-
formed theology does by denying the rea! presence of the body and
blood of Christ on earth, is a departure from Christ's words. On the other
hand. it is also fruitless to engage in theories about how the body and
biood are present in, with, and under the bread and wine. A dogma such
as transubstantiation, as generally taught by Roman Catholicism. 1s not
set forth by Scripture

2. The Atonement

The institution of the Lord's Supper is based on Cnrist’s atonement
By His work of atonement the Lord sacrificed Himself for the sins of all
peopie. This action was completed in its entirety when our Lord uttered
the words “It is finished’

* One stucy stands out in tne seconaary literature. namely Hermann Sasse s This to
My Body “Minneapolis Augsburg Publishing House 1959! passim Commenting or
Lutners confession of the Real Presence, Sasse writes Mis belief in the Reai Presence
rests solely on the words of Christ It was Not stubbornness that moved Luther to retain
the words This is my body in their literal sense It was simply reverence for Him who
spoke these words and ne‘trer gave nor commancec to give another expianation +p
107) Otner studies which convincingly demonstrate Lutneranism’s reliance upon tne
verba of Cnnst nctude Martin Cnemnitz Examination of the Counc of Trent—Part i!
trans frec Kramer iSt Louis Concordia Publishing House. 1978: ap 217-548 Martin
Chemnitz The Lords Supper trans J A O Preus 'St Lous Concordia Publishing
House 1979: passim Werner Elert The Lords Supper Today. trans M Bertram ano A
Norden Stlous Concordia Pupishing House 1973 pp S5—43 Werner Elert The
Structure of Lutneranism trans Walter A Hanser St Lous Concordia Publishing
House 1963) pp 300—21 Holster Fagerberg A New 00k a! the Lutneran Confessions
trans Gene J Lund (St Louis Concordia Pupiishing House 1972, pp *84--205 Charles
P Krautn The Conservative Reformation and its Theciogy Minneapors Augsburg
Publishing House. 1963) pp 585—830
Jonn 1930 The Greek grammars appropriately stress tne perfect tense of rete/es-
ta. Cf. forexampie.C 0 F Mouie. An idiom Boox 0’ New Testamect Greek 2nd ec
«Cambnage University Press. 1968: p *6 ang Nige Turner A Grammar of New Testa-
ment Greek. Voiume lil-Syntax James Hope Moulton ed ‘Edinburgh T & T Clark
1963) pp 81—89 for a tnorough ciscussion of tne perfect anc ts ‘orce in the New
Testamert perioc

Somebody may seek to justify himself by saying that ne wishes to
communicate himself tor the sake of his own devotion This is not
honest for if he really desires to commune ne can do so most fittingly
and properly in the sacrament administered according to Christ's insti-
tution To commune by himself is uncerta.n and unnecessary and he
does not know what ne 1s doing because ne foliows a false human
opinion and imagination without the sanction of Gods Word Norisit
right seven if everything else is in order) for anyone to use the sacra-
ment. which 1s the common possession of the church, to meet ns Own
private need and thus trifle with it according to his Own pleasure apart
from the feliowship of the church (SA Ii, 8-9)

5. The Scriptures

Christ's Word is authoritative for His church (Eph. 219-20). The
Lord's instruction to celebrate Holy Communion. as well as the Words of
tnstitution, are communicated to us in Holy Scripture. Indeed. our Lord
chooses to speak to us concerning Himself, the Holy Supper, and the
whole counse! of God not directly but through His select prophets and
apostles: “These things | have spoken to you. while | am stil with you
But the Counselor. the Holy Spirit, wnom the Father will send in my
name. he wiil teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
that | have said to you” (John 14:25-26. cf. 1 Peter 1:10-12)

The church articulates its view of the Lord's Supper “upon the foun-
dation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cor-
nerstone™ (Eph. 2:20)

The Sola Scriptura principle means that there 1s no authority in the
church which is to be heeded with equal reverence. The voice of Christ
through His inspired spokesmen is the final word on every question No
ecciesiastical tradition—whether of the early church or the Reformation
church—ments a place beside Holy Scripture. Nor do reason, science. Or
philosophy possess an authority which ts equal to Scripture

Thus. in gladly obeying Christ's guidance on the nature and
meaning of Holy Communion. the church also confesses the authority
and truthfulness of every word of Christ mediated to us in the Holy
Scriptures. Our fathers eloquently confessed

On tne contrary. in accord with the simple words of Christ's testa-
ment we hold and betieve in a true. though supernatural. eating of
Christ s body and drinking of his blood which we cannot comprenend

The confessors direct tnese words to the case of private seif-Commurion They
would not preclude pudic self-Communion where the pastor has no assistant Martin
Scharlemann underscores this corporate aspect of tne Sacrament by focusing on the
word koinonia “When reference is made to the Lords Supper. it is spoken of as having
both a vertical and horizontal dimension. as 1s evident from the use of the word komoma at
1 Cor 10 6 for this term signiftes a sharing in something with otners in this Case In tne
body and blood of the Lord” ;Some Remarks Regara:ng the Celedraron ct the Lords
Supper Faculty Forum Paper March 2 1976)