Apologetics [explanations and historical understanding] on the Doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
| Transubstantiation–the term, first used in 1079 by Hildebert of Tours to describe what is happening to the bread and wine at Mass, was defined by the Council of Trent as a conversion of "the whole substance of bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into His blood." This had, however, been the belief of the Church from the beginning as it shown by any good study of the Early Church Fathers (e.g., The Hidden Manna by Fr. James O'Connor) | Six main passages in the N.T. provide the Biblical evidence: Mt. 26: 26-29; Mk 14: 22-25; Lk 22: 14-20; John 6: 25-71; 1 Cor 10: 14-22; 1 Cor 11: 17-34. They are written out at the end of this paper for your use and study. Remember also, that not all Bible translations are equal. Although the King James Version will suffice, it is not the best translation and we have used the Douay Rheims version, the only one certified by a Church Council (i.e., Council of Trent) as error free. |
| Pope Leo XIII wrote of this act of love given to us by Jesus in his encyclical Mirae Caritatis [On the Holy Eucharist, 1902]: "This miracle is the greatest of its kind . . . for here all the laws of nature are suspended; the whole substance of the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood; and the species of bread and wine are sustained by the power of God without the support of any underlying substance." | St. Paul notes, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Col 1: 17); and in Heb 11: 3, "By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear." *St. Thomas Aquinas adds, "Faith supplies what the senses fail to perceive." |
| Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans and Lutherans all believe in varying degrees, in the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist. Thus, roughly 2/3 of all Christians believe in the Real Presence. Grammatical evidence from Scripture: Robert Sungenis, in his book, Not by Bread Alone: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for the Eucharistic Sacrifice [of the Mass] notes: "The individual characteristics in each of the six passages provide the implicit proof that we must understand the Eucharist in the literal sense since five different narrators (including St. Paul) in different countries, at different times, to different audiences never once explicitly refer to the Eucharist as a symbol or figure of speech." | Gospel Accounts: All three synoptics use the phrase, "This is my body." In this case the figure (i.e., bread or cup) represents the very thing it signifies (it is a synecdoche), namely Body and Blood, respectively. Nicholas Cardinal Wiseman catalogued 40 Syriac expressions (in the Hebrew language Jesus spoke) conveying the meaning "to signify" but Jesus did not chose any of them in His Bread of life discourse in John 6: 25-71, despite the translations of some Protestant scholars (p. 145). Martin Luther’s comment is worth noting, "who but the devil hath granted such license of wresting the words of Holy Scripture? Who ever read in the Scriptures that my body is the same as a sign of my body?...It is only the devil, that imposeth upon us these fanatical men.... Not one of the Fathers, though so numerous, ever spoke [thus] they are all of them unanimous." |
| "The fruit of the vine" argument attempts to refute Catholic doctrine by claiming that Jesus reference to the fruit of the vine is a reference to wine only. This claim is made in regard to Matthew 26: 29 and Mark 14: 25, but St. Luke’s more detailed account places Jesus comment before the consecration of the wine. Thus, the eating and drinking of the Passover meal was separate from the eating and drinking of the consecrated Body and Blood of Jesus. This also is the case in the letter to the Corinthians, where St. Paul discusses the agape meal and the Eucharist, urging the two not be confounded, warning that sickness and death may result from a failure to discern the Body of Christ (1 Cor 11: 27-30). St. Paul makes the same distinction in his famous passage in 1 Cor 11, between the communal meal and the Eucharistic meal. This is why some were sick and some were dying (p.159). | The Blood poured out for many: Matthew 26: 28 and in the Mark 14: 24 it says, "for this is my blood of the covenant which is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" using the present participle "is being poured out" which denotes an action in progress or simultaneous with the action of the principal verb, is. In Greek grammar when the present participle is used with the present indicative it refers strictly to the present. Thus, Jesus is speaking of his Blood being poured out under the appearance of wine in the present. Luke’s version also has Jesus say, "this is my Body being given for you" which has the present indicative "is" followed by the present participle "being given." Thus, Jesus’ Body is being given to them after He speaks the words of consecration. In Catholic doctrine, the two fold consecration of the bread into Christ’s Body and the wine into His Blood represents the separation of the blood from the body, as occurred on the cross. This brings about physical death for Jesus but life for the world. |
| Eschatological Judgment: 1 Cor 10: 14-22 St. Paul’s displeasure with the Corinthians leads to his blunt comment that "you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons." He points to historical instances in the Old Testament where failure to separate that which was profane from that which was holy produced death (i.e., Ex. 32: golden calf; Israel's unfaithfulness with the gods of Moab in Num 25) In the Our Father we pray, "give us this day our daily bread..." which refers to both physical bread and heavenly bread or the Eucharist. We aim toward the marriage feast of the Lamb as our hope as discussed in the Book of Revelation.. | As Ludwig Ott notes, this argument presupposes that the food of which Paul speaks comes from Christ’s sacrifice. The "table" of which he speaks is an altar. A key point is Paul uses the word "sacrifice" three times, once in verse 18 and twice in verse 20. It appears ten times in the New Testament, always with the act of sacrifice. The Mass is a sacrifice and the Eucharist is "a type of Second Coming not merely because Christ comes to us but because He comes bringing salvation or judgment, respectively, depending upon the communicant’s spiritual disposition (see Heb 12: 22-29) At each Eucharist we are either pardoned or condemned. |
| John’s Emphasis on Life in John 6: This passage has been the source of much debate between Protestants & Catholics because John shifts between the symbolic and the literal. Is the Church guilty of missing this "dualistic symbolism" as Prot. James White charges? Sungenis reminds us that John 6 begins with the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes and is followed by the miracle of walking on the water, which together are a backdrop for what is to come. Jesus wants us to focus upon the food that gives us eternal life and belief is essential, yet unbelief is so predictable that Jesus comments upon it several times (John 6:37, 44, 65). They were blinded by their hardness of heart (Rom 11: 7-8). Jesus stresses the fact that noone can come to Him "unless the Father who sent me draws him..." (John 6: 44-45, 64-65). | Protestant apologist Robert Zins states "We believe the controlling verse of John 6 is verse 35" but Sungenis argues that this is precisely the problem with the Protestant hermeneutic (i.e., theological method)! Belief is important and God draws men by it to Him but John 6 contains a dramatic shift of emphasis in verse 52. Up to that point Jesus is using figurative language "I am the bread" (which gives rise to the Protestant "I am the door" argument), but then his language shifts to the literal with words like "eat," "drink," "flesh," "blood" and "real." In verses 54-58, His command to eat His flesh and drink His blood is given repeatedly, as they are in the synoptic gospels and in 1 Cor 10-11, whereas Jesus refers to himself figuratively as "the door" only once in John 10. |
| One of the indicators that Jesus literally wants us to eat His Body is John’s deliberate switch from the phago, the Greek word for eating to trogon, the Greek word for chewing or masticating. It is used four times in verses 54-58. This confirms the Jews suspicion that He is speaking literally, not figuratively. But even the use of phago was literal in verse 49 when Jesus is comparing the physical eating of the food which cannot give eternal life (the manna) with the food He is going to give them. Hence to argue it becomes symbolic after this verse, as Protestants do, is not logical. | The Catholic logic is supported by the interchange in the rest of the paragraph. Verse 53 states, "Unless you eat (phagete) of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood," & verse 58 states, "not as your fathers ate (ephagon) and died." Jesus use of phago in verse 53 is both preceded and followed by instances where phago refers exclusively to physical eating (verses 49 & 58). John 6 never uses phago in a symbolic sense and this explains why John switches to the more specific word for physical eating (trogon) in verses 54-58. Remember there are 40+ Syriac expressions for "to signify" but none are used. |
| Reasons for Unbelief in Real Presence: The bread of life discourse is followed by a mass exodus of the disciples who cannot accept His words. He turns to His apostles and says, "Does this offend you..." (John 6:60) which in the Greek idiom means, "Does this entrap you" or prove fatal to you? He goes on to state that these people who witnessed his many miracles, even if they see Him rising to the Father at His ascension, they would not believe. "What if you see the Son of Man ascend where He was before!" Miracles do not guarantee belief. | The Protestants apologist love to focus on verse 63, where Jesus says, "The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." They argue that the use of "Spirit" means "symbolical" and that the Catholic interpretation is of the useless fleshly sort that Jesus is condemning. This argument presumes that the Early Church Fathers and Councils got it all wrong! The New Testament never uses the word "Spirit" symbolically (not once) and Christ did not say, "my flesh is spirit" but rather, "my words are spirit and life." |
| The reason Jesus uses "spirit" in John 6:63 is that the Holy Spirit is the giver of life and "leads the individual to a life-changing, mind opening understanding of Jesus’ words (John 3: 6-8)." Throughout the discourse Jesus speaks about Life: "eternal life";. (verse 27), "giving life to the world" (verse 33), "everlasting life" (verse 47), "live forever" and "life of the world" (verse 51), "unless you eat...no life" (verse 53), "eternal life" (verse 54), "will live" (verse 57), "live forever" (verse 58). It is the Holy Spirit who gives life both now and in eternity. Hence the people cannot understand His words unless they are led by the Spirit and Jesus said, not all are–but they have a free will choice. | "The flesh counts for nothing." The obvious problem with claiming that this requires a symbolic interpretation of verses 54-58 is that Jesus is not discussing His flesh and blood, but rather the disbelief of the Jews introduced in verse 60. "In fact there is an interplay on the words. Jesus has mentioned His flesh throughout... (verses 51-56), which, by the power of the Spirit gives life. This truth He now contrasts with the ‘flesh’ of the Jews, which is spiritually dead because they refuse ..." the Spirit’s offer of life. Karl Keating in Catholicism and Fundamentalism notes Jimmy Swaggart’s misinterpretation of this passage asking, "Did Swaggart think that Christ, who just commanded his disciples to eat his flesh, now said their doing so would be pointless?" Lutheran scholar R.C. H. Lenski calls this an "old error" which would demolish all of Christ’s previous discourse if it were interpreted this way! |
| Sungensis shows there is a pattern in John’s gospel that we need God’s leading us, through the action of the Holy Spirit, to come to Him and to an understanding of the Christian mysteries, not least, the love implicit in His giving us Himself both on the Cross and in the Eucharist. Both the Cross and the Eucharist are stumbling blocks to many, as John 6 reveals, in the case of the Eucharist. | In John 3:6 Jesus contrast the flesh and Spirit, noting, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." Flesh gives birth to flesh and the Spirit to spirit. "Those who live in the flesh without the animation of the Spirit cannot possess or understand the things of the Spirit." Following the pattern in John 1: 13 and John 6: 37-65, Jesus explains in John 3:8 that the Spirit decides where and when He will bring someone into the kingdom .... (Sungenis, p. 193). |
| The Witness of the Fathers is the final section of the book which we do not have time to do justice too? Still I cannot refrain from a quote: | St. Ambrose of Milan (who baptized Augustine and lived 340-390) compares Moses changing water into blood (plagues of Egypt) and getting water to pour forth from a rock by the words of man to the words of Christ, noting, "Did not grace work, as a result, so that the rock poured forth water, which by nature it did not contain? ... We observe, then, that grace has more power than nature, and yet so far we have only spoken of a prophet’s blessing. But if the blessing of man had such power as to change nature, what are we to say of that divine consecration where the very words of the Lord and Savior operate? For that sacrament you receive is made what it is by the word of Christ." For more on what the Fathers of the Church wrote on the Eucharist and the Real Presence go to the page cited below: |
Matthew 26: 26-29
26 And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke and gave to his disciples and said: Take ye and eat. This is my body.
27And taking the chalice, he gave thanks and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this.
28For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.
29And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.
Mark 14: 22-25
22 And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke and gave to them and said: Take ye. This is my body.
23And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it.
24And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many.
25Amen I say to you that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Luke 22: 14-20
14And when the hour was come, he sat down: and the twelve apostles with him.
15And he said to them: With desire I have desired to eat this pasch with you, before I suffer.
16For I say to you that from this time I will not eat it, till it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17And having taken the chalice, he gave thanks and said: Take and divide it among you.
18For I say to you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, till the kingdom of God come.
19And taking bread, he gave thanks and brake and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me.
20In like manner, the chalice also, after he had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you.
John 6: 25-71
25 And when they had found him on that other side of the sea, they said to him: Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26Jesus answered them and said: Amen, amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled.
27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you. For him hath God, the Father, sealed.
28They said therefore unto him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?
29Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent.
30They said therefore to him: What sign therefore dost thou shew that we may see and may believe thee? What dost thou work?
31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you; Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world.
34They said therefore unto him: Lord, give us always this bread.
35And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.
36But I said unto you that you also have seen me, and you believe not.
37All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out.
38Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me.
39Now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day.
40And this is the will of my Father that sent me: that every one who seeth the Son and believeth in him may have life everlasting. And I will raise him up in the last day.
41The Jews therefore murmured at him, because he had said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
42And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then saith he: I came down from heaven?
43Jesus therefore answered and said to them: Murmur not among yourselves.
44No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day.
45It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard of the Father and hath learned cometh forth me.
46Not that any man hath seen the Father: but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47Amen, amen, I say unto you: He that believeth in me hath everlasting life.
48I am the bread of life.
49Your fathers did eat manna in the desert: and are dead.
50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven: that if any man eat of it, he may not die.
51I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
52If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.
53The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
54Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say unto you: except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
55He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
56For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.
57He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me: and I in him.
58As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.
59This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
60These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.
61Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard; and who can hear it?
62But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?
63If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
64It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
65But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who he was that would betray him.
66And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
67After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
68Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
69And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
70And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
71Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil.
1 Corinthians 10: 14-22
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, fly from the service of idols.
15I speak as to wise men: judge ye yourselves what I say.
16The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?
17For we, being many, are one bread, one body: all that partake of one bread.
18Behold Israel according to the flesh. Are not they that eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
19What then? Do I say that what is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? Or that the idol is any thing?
20But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils.
21You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the table of devils.
22Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? All things are lawful for me: but all things are not expedient.
1 Corinthians 11: 17-34
17 Now this I ordain: not praising you, that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse.
18For first of all I hear that when you come together in the church, there are schisms among you. And in part I believe it.
19For there must be also heresies: that they also, who are approved may be made manifest among you.
20When you come therefore together into one place, it is not now to eat the Lord's supper.
21For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry and another is drunk.
22What, have you no houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not.
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread,
24And giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me.
25In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.
26For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come.
27Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.
28But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice.
29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.
30Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many sleep.
31But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32But whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world.
33Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
34If any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that you come not together unto judgment. And the rest I will set in order, when I come.
26 And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke and gave to his disciples and said: Take ye and eat. This is my body.
27And taking the chalice, he gave thanks and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this.
28For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.
29And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.
Mark 14: 22-25
22 And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke and gave to them and said: Take ye. This is my body.
23And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it.
24And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many.
25Amen I say to you that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Luke 22: 14-20
14And when the hour was come, he sat down: and the twelve apostles with him.
15And he said to them: With desire I have desired to eat this pasch with you, before I suffer.
16For I say to you that from this time I will not eat it, till it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17And having taken the chalice, he gave thanks and said: Take and divide it among you.
18For I say to you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, till the kingdom of God come.
19And taking bread, he gave thanks and brake and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me.
20In like manner, the chalice also, after he had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you.
John 6: 25-71
25 And when they had found him on that other side of the sea, they said to him: Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26Jesus answered them and said: Amen, amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled.
27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you. For him hath God, the Father, sealed.
28They said therefore unto him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?
29Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent.
30They said therefore to him: What sign therefore dost thou shew that we may see and may believe thee? What dost thou work?
31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you; Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world.
34They said therefore unto him: Lord, give us always this bread.
35And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.
36But I said unto you that you also have seen me, and you believe not.
37All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out.
38Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me.
39Now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day.
40And this is the will of my Father that sent me: that every one who seeth the Son and believeth in him may have life everlasting. And I will raise him up in the last day.
41The Jews therefore murmured at him, because he had said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
42And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then saith he: I came down from heaven?
43Jesus therefore answered and said to them: Murmur not among yourselves.
44No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day.
45It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard of the Father and hath learned cometh forth me.
46Not that any man hath seen the Father: but he who is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47Amen, amen, I say unto you: He that believeth in me hath everlasting life.
48I am the bread of life.
49Your fathers did eat manna in the desert: and are dead.
50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven: that if any man eat of it, he may not die.
51I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
52If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.
53The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
54Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say unto you: except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
55He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
56For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.
57He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me: and I in him.
58As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.
59This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
60These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.
61Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard; and who can hear it?
62But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?
63If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
64It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
65But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who he was that would betray him.
66And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
67After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
68Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
69And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
70And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
71Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil.
1 Corinthians 10: 14-22
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, fly from the service of idols.
15I speak as to wise men: judge ye yourselves what I say.
16The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?
17For we, being many, are one bread, one body: all that partake of one bread.
18Behold Israel according to the flesh. Are not they that eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
19What then? Do I say that what is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? Or that the idol is any thing?
20But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils.
21You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the table of devils.
22Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? All things are lawful for me: but all things are not expedient.
1 Corinthians 11: 17-34
17 Now this I ordain: not praising you, that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse.
18For first of all I hear that when you come together in the church, there are schisms among you. And in part I believe it.
19For there must be also heresies: that they also, who are approved may be made manifest among you.
20When you come therefore together into one place, it is not now to eat the Lord's supper.
21For every one taketh before his own supper to eat. And one indeed is hungry and another is drunk.
22What, have you no houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not.
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread,
24And giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me.
25In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.
26For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come.
27Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.
28But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice.
29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.
30Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many sleep.
31But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32But whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world.
33Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
34If any man be hungry, let him eat at home; that you come not together unto judgment. And the rest I will set in order, when I come.
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