The Lord's Supper/De Coena Domini

Rating:
Summary: The True Bodily Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper
Review: Martin Chemnitz's entire work on the Lord's Supper is centered on one pivotal issue: the True Bodily Presence of Jesus Christ in the Lord's Supper. Despite the singular topic, the book is remarkably multifaceted, as Chemnitz relentlessly attacks and defends the issue from a multitude of angles. Though he certainly couldn't forestall every argument that might be raised against the real bodily presence, he doesn't claim or aim to. He rather deals with the arguments that seem to be most persuasive.

Chemnitz further establishes that in regard to this most important matter of Christ's presence or absence from the Supper, we must squarely face the most relevant texts in Scripture. Those most important texts are the words of Institution, recorded four times by the evangelists. The part of the book where Chemnitz excels most of all is in the sections in the first half where he gives an exegetical treatment of each of the four institution accounts. He also lays important groundwork for the discussion on methods and procedures of Scriptural interpretation.

He lays considerable emphasis on the seriousness and urgency with which Christ spoke these words on His last night with His disciples--being under great duress. Chemnitz shows at length how it is inconceivable that Jesus could have been speaking in a figurative way when He was establishing His last will and testament to His church. Above all things, Chemnitz urges the reader to stick to the simple, plain and natural sense of the words of Christ and that if we were to believe otherwise, Christ would have made this clear in the Scriptures.

The book is excellent for its thorough organization and its excellent table of contents, which make it an excellent reference book. I think the only real criticism I could make of the book is that it becomes unneccessarily repetitive at the end. In the interest of driving home his central point, Chemnitz reiterates his argument so many times that it becomes tedious (especially if you already accept his premise). The other thing that I found somewhat disappointing was that the book didn't cover any other points of interest on the Lord's Supper, such as its significance for fellowship and confession, etc. But understandably that wasn't his purpose.

All in all the book is one to have for your library and to refer back to. One of the quotes that I think sums up the book well is this, "Why therefore do we humans oppose as an impossibility what the words of His testament state concerning the body of Christ and its presence in the Supper, as if He cannot be where He wills with His body, or as if the will of Christ revealed in the Word wills something which is not proper for His body unless we help ourselves with the aid of a figure of speech?"

Rating:
Summary: Powerful demonstration of the Real Presence
Review: When Jesus said, "Take it, this is my body," and "this is my blood of the covenant" did he really mean it? Do those who receive the bread and wine really receive Christ's true body and blood, the same body that died on the cross and the same blood that was shed for our salvation? Martin Chemnitz, a Lutheran theologian of the late sixteenth century, answers these questions with a ringing "Yes indeed!"

This book is addressed primarily to those who like modern evangelicals either denied or "spiritualize" the presence of Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. People with those views had formed a party within Lutheran churches, somewhat misleadingly called the "Sacramentarians," and Chemnitz was part of the opposing group which successfully stood by Luther's vigorous assertion of the Real Presence. Chemnitz demonstrates that no secure reasoning can dispute the literal meaning of what he emphasizes is Christ's last will and testament.

In a calm and charitable tone, he asserts that the Lutheran belief in the Real Presence is the only one that can be based on the plain words of Holy Scripture. It is also backed up by the various church fathers from the earliest writings of Justin Martyr and Irenaeus of the second century on. He emphasizes strongly, however, that Scripture indeed speaks for itself on this as on every other article of faith.

Chemnitz's methodology is very illuminating. He emphasizes that every Christian doctrine must have a "sedes doctrina" or a seat of the doctrine, or place in Scripture where the doctrine is taught in clear and non-figurative language. He argues convincingly that the "seat of the doctrine" of the Lord's Supper lies in the words of institution recorded in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and 1 Corinthians.

Chemnitz's arguments against the "Sacramentarians" will prove of great interest to evangelicals who still follow various views that question the Real Presence. He does not in this book directly address the issue of transubstantiation or any other other doctrines of "how" Christ's body and blood can be given in the Lord's Supper. His point is that we are not to philosophize but to belive. Yet his citations of the church fathers who seem in repeatedly speak of the bread and the body as being coexistent realities in the Eucharist might give adherents of transubstantiation pause--but that's another story . . .

Chemnitz's language is remarkably accessible considering the potentially forbidding complexities of the topic. Perhaps his approach is so readable because his methodology is so Biblical. As he explains it, the Real Presence of Christ's body in, with, and under the bread is a vital truth that brings comfort and reassurance to all believers--in the Lord's Supper, we can touch Christ and receive salvation and healing by faith, just as the crowds of sick, possessed, and crippled did 2,000 years ago.

All in all a thoroughly convincing defense of one of one of the most important Biblical doctrines of the New Testament.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful demonstration of the Real Presence
Review: When Jesus said, "Take it, this is my body," and "this is my blood of the covenant" did he really mean it? Do those who receive the bread and wine really receive Christ's true body and blood, the same body that died on the cross and the same blood that was shed for our salvation? Martin Chemnitz, a Lutheran theologian of the late sixteenth century, answers these questions with a ringing "Yes indeed!"

This book is addressed primarily to those who like modern evangelicals either denied or "spiritualize" the presence of Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar. People with those views had formed a party within Lutheran churches, somewhat misleadingly called the "Sacramentarians," and Chemnitz was part of the opposing group which successfully stood by Luther's vigorous assertion of the Real Presence. Chemnitz demonstrates that no secure reasoning can dispute the literal meaning of what he emphasizes is Christ's last will and testament.

In a calm and charitable tone, he asserts that the Lutheran belief in the Real Presence is the only one that can be based on the plain words of Holy Scripture. It is also backed up by the various church fathers from the earliest writings of Justin Martyr and Irenaeus of the second century on. He emphasizes strongly, however, that Scripture indeed speaks for itself on this as on every other article of faith.

Chemnitz's methodology is very illuminating. He emphasizes that every Christian doctrine must have a "sedes doctrina" or a seat of the doctrine, or place in Scripture where the doctrine is taught in clear and non-figurative language. He argues convincingly that the "seat of the doctrine" of the Lord's Supper lies in the words of institution recorded in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, and 1 Corinthians.

Chemnitz's arguments against the "Sacramentarians" will prove of great interest to evangelicals who still follow various views that question the Real Presence. He does not in this book directly address the issue of transubstantiation or any other other doctrines of "how" Christ's body and blood can be given in the Lord's Supper. His point is that we are not to philosophize but to belive. Yet his citations of the church fathers who seem in repeatedly speak of the bread and the body as being coexistent realities in the Eucharist might give adherents of transubstantiation pause--but that's another story . . .

Chemnitz's language is remarkably accessible considering the potentially forbidding complexities of the topic. Perhaps his approach is so readable because his methodology is so Biblical. As he explains it, the Real Presence of Christ's body in, with, and under the bread is a vital truth that brings comfort and reassurance to all believers--in the Lord's Supper, we can touch Christ and receive salvation and healing by faith, just as the crowds of sick, possessed, and crippled did 2,000 years ago.

All in all a thoroughly convincing defense of one of one of the most important Biblical doctrines of the New Testament.