TSW ~ E.W. King: The Body and Blood

The Body and Blood

By Eric William King

I start this article with a point blank statement; This ministry (“The Shepherds Way”) is not in any way Sacramentarian. I (Eric William King) and this ministry accept the fact that the actual body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is present in the elements of Holy Communion. Amen

Now, why do I believe this……

So now let us understand this most Holy Sacrament according to the Word of God. Most all Protestant churches to day do not believe that the Lord’s Table contains His actual presence but instead call it only a “symbol”. Thus they make themselves out to be what Christ’s true church condemns, Modern Sacramentarians.

We are to pray for those who are willingly ignorant. The Lord’s Supper is a serious issue; it brings forgiveness, healing, and life. It is given to strengthen the Christian and his or her faith. It is given to us to remember the life, death and resurrection of our Lord. It points to the fact that we are sealed under the blood of the New Covenant, poured out for the FORGIVNESS OF SINS. (Matthew 26:26-29)

To take the Lord’s Supper wrongly is to sin against the “body and blood” of Christ. (1^st Corinthians 11:27) There is no idiomatic explanation of this verse; there is no reference any place in the Bible that would explain this verse in a symbolic manner. Thus, when we use the 2^nd Law of hermeneutics (of the Seven Ancient Antiochene Rules of Interpretation) we are forced to take this verse literally. The Bible is to be taken literally when the context (both “near” and “far”) demands it.

Also, Jesus Christ is forever connected to His humanity. Christ’s human nature after the resurrection has been exalted above every other created person or thing and he did not get rid of His human nature but keeps it into eternity. He has two natures but only Himself, one person existing within the two. This means when He says; “Take eat this IS my body.” He is sharing the fact that He became one of us. He shares in our humanity at the Lord’s Table.

Like St. Theophilus of Antioch we deny that we are eating “actual human flesh “of a mere man but we are eating the actual body and blood of the God-man, Jesus Christ. There is an actual presence that should be discerned. Apostle Paul states this:

1 Corinthians 11:29 New International Version (NIV)

^“For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

There are physical aspects to this mystery that we cannot fully comprehend or understand. Yes, the actual body and blood of our dear Lord is present in the Holy Sacrament.

We read this explanation found in “The Formula of Concord” (VIII. The Person of Christ: 17) ;

"…this presence of Christ in the Holy Supper is not physical or earthy, nor Capernaitic; yet it is true and substantial, as the words of His testament read, “This is, is, is My Body,” and so on.”

Actual Body & Blood

Notice what Jesus said;

“I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. THIS BREAD IS MY FLESH, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6: 50-51)

We notice that Jesus did not say that “this bread ‘represents’ my flesh” no, He says “this IS my flesh.” We hear many ministers today say that Jesus said: “This represents my body (flesh)” and by saying this they are changing the Word of God. We are not to add or subtract anything from the Word of God even when and if we do not fully comprehend it with human reason and logic.

We note that the Jewish people who heard Jesus say this understood completely what he meant. Notice their response;

“Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52)

Pauline theology accepts things by “faith alone” and never strictly by human reason and logic. Mans overuse of human reason and logic lead to all sorts of “reforms” following the Luther Reformation. John Calvin stated that he would not accept anything that “was not reasonable”. That statement alone is not Biblical. Apostle Paul states:

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1^st Corinthians 2:14)

And what did Jesus say to His disciples after explaining that they had to partake of His body and blood?

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit AND THEY ARE LIFE. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” (John 6:63)

When Jesus here said; “the flesh counts for nothing” did He mean that His death meant nothing? No. He means that flesh WITHOUT SPIRIT AND LIFE is nothing. He ends His statement with the fact that He speaks words of Spirit and Life into the body… (the bread & wine) yet some will not believe. Jesus never said that the bread and wine merely “represent” His spirit and life…THEY ARE HIS SPIRIT AND LIFE.

The over use of human reason and logic minus faith has caused Jesus’ words to be taught by mere philosophy of men. Apostle Paul warns us;

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition (symbolism) and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

The Word truly “became flesh”. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” (John 1:10) He comes to us a special way every communion yet still, many do not recognize Him.

Not Transubstantiation

As true Christians we reject the Roman Cult doctrine of transubstantiation. This doctrine teaches that the “Priest” changes the bread and wine into the body and blood and that the entire host – all the bread and wine prayed over – literally becomes the flesh and blood.

No, instead we teach exactly what the Word of God says regarding this issue. Only that which touches the mouth after the Word has been spoken over it becomes the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

“As we said of Baptism that it is not mere water, so we say here that the sacrament is bread and wine, but not mere bread or wine such as is served at the table. It is bread and wine comprehended in God’s word and connected with it.” – St Martin Luther (Large Catechism -4)

“The Word I say, is what makes this sacrament and so distinguishes it that it is not mere bread and wine but is and is called Christ’s body and blood. You can strengthen your conscience from the Word of God and declare, ‘Let a hundred thousand devils and all the enthusiasts come along and ask, How can bread and wine be the body and blood of Christ?’ I know that all the enthusiasts and scholars put together have less wisdom than the divine Majesty has in his little finger. Here we have Christ’s word, “Take eat, this is my body. Drink of it, all of you, this is the new covenant in my blood,’ etc. We shall abide by these words and look anyone in the eye who thinks that he can correct Christ and change what he has spoken.” – St Martin Luther (Formula of Concord, Article VII, 21,22)

So once the Word of God is spoken at the Lord’s Table even a non-believer is partaking of the Lord’s Supper, thus it can be taken of unworthily. Saint Paul states;

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving [Eucharist] for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1^st Corinthians 10:16)

“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” (1^st Corinthians 11:17-18)

“Our conclusion is that even though a rascal receives or gives the sacrament, it is the true sacrament (that is, Christ’s body and blood) just as much as when one does so in the most worthy manner, for the sacrament is not based on the holiness of men but on the Word of God.” – St. Martin Luther (Formula of Concord, Article VII, 24)

True Christians Partake

New International Version
Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

New Living Translation
So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.

St Luther stated that a true Christian will be drawn to the Table of the Lord. These are thoughts for all who read this to think about. I pray that you all stay in close communion with our Lord, Jesus the Christ.

Resting in the finished work of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Eric William King (April 15^th 2020)

Also read: "The Shepherds Way and the Eucharist"