S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Consubstantiation is the view that the bread and wine of Communion / the Lord's Supper are spiritually the flesh and blood of Jesus, yet the bread and wine are still actually only bread and wine. I...

Login or Sign Up to view the rest of this answer.

July 01 2013 • 7 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Sanders Licensed Counselor

It occurred to me recently that the blood of Christ at the last supper had not reach its redeeming state. What I mean is that our Lord's blood had not been shed for us. Therefore, Jesus had to be speaking symbolically. At any time Jesus could have back out but out of love he did not. The shed blood on the cross is the cleansing we receive not His blood before the cross. Regarding communion, just obey the command of observance is what counts.

April 03 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Vincent Mercado Supporter Skeptic turned believer, Catholic, father of 3

We need to understand two words that best explains what we are dealing here - Substance and Accidents. 

Substance is what makes an object what it is. What makes a chair, a chair. What makes an apple an apple.

Accidents are perceivable experiences of that object. The color of the chair, the hardness of the chair. The smoothness, the smell and the taste of an apple.

The Catholic and Orthodox belief is that during the Last Supper, when Christ said "This is my body", the substance of the bread and wine "changed completely" (Latin, "trans") into his body and blood, however, by some miracle, the accidents of bread and wine remain. This is called transubstantiation.

The Lutheran belief is that the substance of bread and wine are "present with" (Latin, "con") the substance of Christ's body and blood. This is called consubstantiation.

March 20 2014 • 6 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report