Posted on 06/01/2021 7:45:34 PM PDT by MurphsLaw
Jesus commanded the 12 Apostles at the Last Supper to "Do this in remembrance of me." The "this" is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass . . . i.e. the Catholic Mass, also called the Divine Liturgy for Eastern Rite Catholics.
When Christianity was new, misunderstood, and outlawed, St. Justin Martyr, a philosopher and Christian convert, took it upon himself to give a powerful defense of Christian doctrine and practice before the secular power, arguing that Christians should not be persecuted. Enshrined in his defense, or Apology, is one of the earliest descriptions of the Catholic Mass.
Today many non-Catholic Christians claim that the Mass is not biblical, and deny that it was the belief and practice of the early Church. But Justin Martyr explained the Mass in its essence—taught by Christ and handed down to his Apostles—in the mid-second century, which continues today just as it always has since the Last Supper. He also gave one of the earliest descriptions of how the bread and wine consecrated at Mass becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. For those who deny the Holy Eucharist, the account of St. Justin Martyr is undeniable proof that this has always been the belief of the Church.
St. Justin was a renown evangelist/philosopher/apologist who was famous for winning debates with pagan philosophers. He was eventually tortured and executed by the Roman authorities for his Catholic faith. From just a few short paragraphs of his account (which is consistent with the ‘unanimous consent’ of the other early Church fathers), it was apparent that these early Christians:
Believed that baptism had a regenerating effect and remitted sins All gathered regularly each Sunday to commemorating the day of Christ’s resurrection Celebrated a liturgy (organized public service) lead by a ‘president’ that included both the teaching of the
Scriptures and the sharing in what they called ‘the Eucharist’ every single week Did not treat the Eucharistic bread and wine like ordinary food and drink, since the bread and wine “becomes the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus by the power of his own words contained in the prayer of thanksgiving” (Eucharist means ‘thanksgiving’).
Practiced closed communion (only those who united in the same beliefs were welcome to partake)
Required one to live in accordance with the principles of Christ to receive communion (be in what we now call a ‘state of grace’)
Believed that Jesus Christ taught them that they were to worship in this manner through his apostles and eye-witness
disciples (these were no mere ‘traditions of men,’ but traditions of the ‘God-man’)
Don’t just take my word for it, read it:
JustinMartyrFrom the First Apology of St. Justin Martyr, c. 155 AD
" No one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with the principles given us by Christ.
We do not consume the eucharistic bread and wine as if it were ordinary food and drink, for we have been taught that as Jesus Christ our Savior became a man of flesh and blood by the power of the Word of God, so also the food that our flesh and blood assimilates for its nourishment becomes the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus by the power of his own words contained in the prayer of thanksgiving.
We apostles, in their recollections, which are called gospels, handed down to us what Jesus commanded them to do. They tell us that he took bread, gave thanks and said: Do this in memory of me. This is my body. In the same way he took the cup, he gave thanks and said: This is my blood. The Lord gave this command to them alone. Ever since then we have constantly reminded one another of these things. The rich among us help the poor and we are always united. For all that we receive we praise the Creator of the universe through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
On Sunday we have a common assembly of all our members, whether they live in the city or the outlying districts. The recollections of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as there is time. When the reader has finished, the president of the assembly speaks to us; he urges everyone to imitate the examples of virtue we have heard in the readings. Then we all stand up together and pray.
On the conclusion of our prayer, bread and wine and water are brought forward. The president offers prayers and gives thanks to the best of his ability, and the people give assent by saying, “Amen”. The eucharist is distributed, everyone present communicates, and the deacons take it to those who are absent.
The wealthy, if they wish, may make a contribution, and they themselves decide the amount. The collection is placed in the custody of the president, who uses it to help the orphans and widows and all who for any reason are in distress, whether because they are sick, in prison, or away from home. In a word, he takes care of all who are in need.
We hold our common assembly on Sunday because it is the first day of the week, the day on which God put darkness and chaos to flight and created the world, and because on that same day our savior Jesus Christ rose from the dead. For he was crucified on Friday and on Sunday he appeared to his apostles and disciples and taught them the things that we have passed on for your consideration.“
It is worth noting that he was describing the practice of the Church in Rome, which was regarded as the center of the civilized world, and was already holding a place of prominence in decision-making within the whole Church (as described in the writings of early Church fathers St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Clement of Rome). This Church was violently persecuted by the pagan Roman government of the time, and the reason wasn’t because they were stealing those pesky ‘pagan rituals’ ;-)
Thank you for that. very interesting.
.
“Today many non-Catholic Christians ...”
Nope. non Roman Catholic Christians.
Bookmark
What do you have before 100 ad?
While tha Apostles were alive on earth?
Didache
Lost my interest in the second sentence. Then I wrote this.
Unfortunately, a Jewish document that was altered as a Christian document of unknown dating - and unknown number of alterations.
The “this” is the post.
That’s that.
Translated into modern English by Catholic apologists who have an agenda. If Transubstantiation didn't get formally defined by the Roman Catholic religion until the thirteenth century, I doubt Justin Martyr would recognize what he is credited as documenting.
Chapter 14. Christian Assembly on the Lord’s Day. But every Lord’s day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: “In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.”
Chapter 9. The Eucharist. Now concerning the Eucharist, give thanks this way. First, concerning the cup:
We thank thee, our Father, for the holy vine of David Thy servant, which You madest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever..
And concerning the broken bread:
We thank Thee, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You madest known to us through Jesus Thy Servant; to Thee be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Thy kingdom; for Thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever..
But let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist, unless they have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, “Give not that which is holy to the dogs.”
The Didache dated to circa 55 AD
No.
“ Many English and American scholars once dated the text to the late 2nd century AD,[4] a view still held by some today,[14] but most scholars now assign the Didache to the first century.[15][16]
“The document is a composite work, and the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, with its Manual of Discipline, has provided evidence of development over a considerable period of time, beginning as a Jewish catechetical work which was then developed into a church manual.[17]
“Two uncial fragments containing Greek text of the Didache (verses 1:3c–4a; 2:7–3:2) were found among the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (no. 1782) and are now in the collection of the Sackler Library in Oxford.[18][19][20] Apart from these fragments, the Greek text of the Didache has only survived in a single manuscript, the Codex Hierosolymitanus. Dating the document is thus made difficult both by the lack of hard evidence and its composite character. The Didache may have been compiled in its present form as late as 150, although a date closer to the end of the first century seems more probable to many.[21]
Wiki
LOL, really? Here's the same passage, translated by Philip Schaff (a Swiss Protestant):
And this food is called among us Εὐχαριστία [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, “This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;” and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, “This is My blood;” and gave it to them alone.
What's his "agenda"?
Also read the book, Four Witnesses by Bennett.
Excellent section on Justin Martyr.
Why not address my actual statement? I said:
Even your unlinked quote from Schaff doesn't line up the same as the OP. So there have obviously been changes over time with the exact wording Justin Martyr used lost to history. My main point was that Roman Catholic apologists cherry pick early church fathers then they often try to shoehorn novel/modern Catholic dogmas back into their writings as if what they believed and taught two thousand years ago is identical to today.
Nowhere will you find Justin Martyr, for example, writing about the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper observance/Eucharist (thanksgiving) being an "expiatory" sacrifice. He says those who partake are believers in Christ and live in holiness out of obedience to God. Nothing about the bread and wine of the observance changing into the LITERAL flesh, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus while the "accidents" of the elements remain unchanged. Did the word "transubstantiation" make it into any of his writings?
I've said this over and over that the bread and wine used in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper are taken reverently - though they are not ever worshipped. They do indeed represent the body and blood of our Savior just as we believe He took on real human flesh and blood in order to be the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus told us that as often as we participate together in this sacrament, we "do so in remembrance of Him" and we "do show the Lord's death until He comes". It is a testimony of our faith that we participate in His death for our sins.
I know Catholicism places the Eucharist as the pinnacle of the entire liturgy - that it is the whole reason for the Mass. The early Christians didn't do that. It was certainly a part of their fellowship and worship times together but it was not the only nor even main reason for it. But you guys can believe whatever you want. Where I think you are off base is in asserting ONLY the way Catholics observe the Lord's Supper is correct and only Catholics are the one, true church because of it. Instead, what matters is faith in Jesus Christ that He died for our sins and was raised for our justification. Joining with fellow believers in a local congregation in worship, giving thanks, sharing of resources, evangelization and learning about the Lord through His sacred word is how we identify as members of His body. My beliefs compare very closely to those of the early Christians because they are based upon the word of God.
Dude - the “Roman Catholics” are Catholics in the city of Roma, Italy.
The Catholic Church is the worldwide community of Christ founded in 33 AD at the Pentecost.
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