Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 10:15-17
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1 Corinthians 10:15-17
From the Confessions: The Defense of the Augsburg Confession
Concerning the Holy Supper
The Tenth Article has been approved, in which we confess that we believe, that the body and blood of Christ are truly and substantially present in the Lord’s Supper, and are truly offered to those who receive the Sacrament with those things that are seen: bread and wine. We constantly defend this belief, having carefully examined and considered the subject. Since Paul says that the bread is “a participation in the body of Christ” (1 Cor. 10:16), it would follow, if the Lord’s body was not truly present, that the bread is not a participation in the body but only in the spirit of Christ.
Pulling It Together
This participation, as the Revised and English Standard versions translate the word, is a fellowship or, as the King James Version phrases it, a communion. The Holy Supper is a communion in the body and the blood of Christ. So, we have come to understand that he shares with us the gift and the grace of his real presence. Christ Jesus does not offer us a metaphor; he gives us his true body and blood. We are not sharing something merely spiritual in Holy Communion. Because the Lord is truly present in his supper, we receive him—not a memory, not a figure of speech, but Christ himself.
Prayer: Thank you, God my High Priest, for offering yourself as sacrifice for my sin. Amen.
We Still Believe is a Bible study resource reflecting on key themes in biblical Lutheran doctrine that are at risk in the Church today. It is offered in the hope that it will inspire individuals and congregations to examine the core beliefs of traditional Lutheranism and how these beliefs apply to our own present context. Written in a question and discussion style by Pastor Steven King, the participant's book includes an introduction to and copy of the faith statement known as the Common Confession.
Author
Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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