Expert: Dr Don Howe - 1/4/2009

Question
In recent years, the practice of, dunking the bread into the wine, for communion has become common place in community churches.  I have read that this practice may have been prevalent in the Catholic denomination.  

In reading bible scripture and in how Jesus gave instructions for this observance to be remembered, I believe this deviation in practice to be in error and implemented more out of customs and ritual brought in from other denominations.  

Your thoughts.

Answer
   JR, good question. The study of the different ways of giving the bread and wine is interesting one, and there are different religions and denominations that do it differently. We need to get an idea what the Lord’s Supper is, different ways of doing in it, and what dipping the bread into the wine really is.
   It is really called the Eucharist and it is a sacramental or memorial reenactment of the Last Supper. Sometimes it is called Holy Communion or  the Lord Supper.
   The New World Encyclopedia states “Christians generally recognize a special presence of Christ in this rite, though they differ about exactly how, where, and when Christ is present. Some believe that they partake of the literal body and blood of Jesus, which is transformed through the eucharistic prayer of the priest, while others believe in a "real" but not physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist, while still others take the act to be a symbolic reenactment of the Last Supper. The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek noun εὐχαριστία (transliterated, "Eucharistia"), meaning thanksgiving. It is also applied to the bread and wine consecrated in the course of the rite.
The majority of Christians classify the Eucharist as a sacrament. Some Protestants view it as an ordinance in which the ceremony is seen not as a specific channel of divine grace, but as an expression of faith and of obedience to Christ. Precursors to the Eucharist are found in a Jewish holy day and pagan rites.”
   
DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING IT:  The New World Encyclopedia continues:
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: The Roman Catholic Church, the Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments, but is also considered the "the source and summit of the Christian life" (Lumen Gentium 11). "The other sacraments...are bound up with the Eucharist and are orientated toward it" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1324). According to the Roman Catholic Church, when the bread and wine are consecrated in the Eucharist, they cease to be bread and wine, and become instead the body and blood of Christ. This view has come to be known as transubstantiation.

EASTERN CHRISTIANITY: Like Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East believe that Christ is really, fully, uniquely present in the Eucharistic elements, and that, in the Divine Liturgy, the one sacrifice of Christ is made present. The exact means by which the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ is a mystery. The Eastern tradition does not define any precise moment the change occurs. As in the Roman Catholic Church, any of the consecrated elements, or "holy gifts," that remain at the end of the Divine Liturgy are normally c onsumed by a priest or deacon.

ANGLICAN OR EPISCOPALIANS: is found in Thirty-Nine Articles of 1571 which state "the Bread which we break is a partaking of: the Anglican Communion is found in the the Body of Christ"; and likewise that "the Cup of Blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ." The Articles also state that adoration of the consecrated elements was not commanded by Christ and that those who receive unworthily do not actually receive Christ but rather their own condemnation.
Anglicans generally and officially believe in the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist, but the specifics of that belief range from transubstantiation to something akin to a belief in a "pneumatic" presence.

LUTHERANS: Lutherans believe that the Body and Blood of Christ are "truly and substantially present" in the consecrated bread and wine, so that communicants eat and drink both the elements themselves and the true Body and Blood of Christ (Augsburg Confession, Article 10). The Lutheran doctrine of the Real Presence is often referred to as "consubstantiation" by some, but this term is rejected by Lutheran Churches and theologians as it creates confusion with an earlier doctrine of the same name.

METHODIST: The Methodist Church believes in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, but generally rejects the notion that the bread and wine are literally transformed into Jesus' body and blood. Most Methodist Churches use grape juice for "the Cup," and either leavened yeast bread or unleavened bread. The juice may be distributed in small cups, but the use of a common cup and the practice of communion by dipping the bread into the common cup is becoming more common. Methodists typically kneel at the altar to receive communion, but based on individual need or preference, may stand or be served in the pew.
In 2004, the United Methodist Church reaffirmed its view of the sacrament and its belief in the Real Presence in an official document entitled This Holy Mystery.
Methodists believe that Holy Communion may be offered by laypersons as well as the clergy. According to Article XIX of the Articles of Religion in the Book of Discipline of the Methodist Church, "The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people; for... the Lord's Supper, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike.”

CALVINIST REFORMED: Many Reformed Christians hold that Christ's body and blood are not locally or literally present in the Eucharist, but to the faithful believer Christ is indeed present. "The flesh and blood of Christ are no less truly given to the unworthy than to God's elect believers," Calvin said; but those who partake by faith receive benefit from Christ, and the unbelieving are condemned by partaking. The faithful partaker beholds God incarnate in the Eucharist, and in the same sense touches him with hands, so that by eating and drinking of bread and wine Christ's actual presence penetrates to the heart of the believer more nearly than food swallowed with the mouth can enter in.

BAPTISTS AND ZWINGLIAN REFORMED: Some Protestant groups see the bread and wine as a symbolic meal, a memorial of the Last Supper and the Passion in which nothing miraculous occurs. This view is known as the Zwinglian view, after Huldrych Zwingli, a Church leader in Zurich, Switzerland during the Reformation. It is commonly associated with Baptists and the Disciples of Christ. As with the Reformed view, elements left over from the service may be discarded without any formal ceremony, or if feasible may be retained for use in future services.
Some of the Reformed hold that Calvin actually held this view, and not the Spiritual feeding idea more commonly attributed to him; or that the two views are really the same.

LATTER DAY SAINTS (MORMONS): Like some other Restorationist sects of Christianity, the Latter Day Saints do not believe in any kind of literal presence, but view the bread and wine as symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses water instead of wine, following the Doctrine and Covenants where a believed revelation from the Lord says "it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament..."
To Latter Day Saints (or Mormons), the Eucharist (in LDS theology it is "The Sacrament") is viewed as a renewal of the covenant made at baptism. As such, it is considered efficacious only for baptized members in good standing. However, the unbaptized are not forbidden from communion, and it is traditional for children not yet baptized (baptism occurs only after the age of eight) to participate in communion in anticipation of baptism. According to the Sacrament prayers, a person eats and drinks in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus, and promises always to remember him and keep his commandments. In return the prayer promises that the participant will always have the Spirit to be with them.

   JR, this may help to understand what different religions believe about Holy Communion and the each one’s practice of the way it is  carried out is different also. You stated “the practice of, dunking the bread into the wine, for communion has become common place in community churches.  I have read that this practice may have been prevalent in the Catholic denomination.”
   The dipping the bread into the wine (some religions call this the host) is referred to as INSTINCTION. Intinction is the Eucharistic practice of partly dipping the consecrated bread, into the consecrated wine (host) before distributing it to the communicant.
  In General Instruction of the Roman Missal article 245 and 246 will show one way of Instinction and it states “The Blood of the Lord may be received either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon.
If Communion is received by drinking directly from the chalice, one or other of two procedures may be followed:
a.   The principal celebrant, standing at the middle of the altar, takes the chalice and says quietly, Sanguis Christi custodiat me in vitam aeternam (May the Blood of Christ bring me to everlasting life). He consumes a little of the Blood of Christ and hands the chalice to the deacon or a concelebrant. He then distributes Communion to the faithful (cf. above, nos. 160-162).
The concelebrants approach the altar one after another or, if two chalices are used, two by two. They genuflect, partake of the Blood of Christ, wipe the rim of the chalice, and return to their seats.
b.   The principal celebrant normally consumes the Blood of the Lord standing at the middle of the altar.
The concelebrants may, however, partake of the Blood of the Lord while remaining in their places and drinking from the chalice presented to them by the deacon or by one of the concelebrants, or else passed from one to the other. The chalice is always wiped either by the one who drinks from it or by the one who presents it. After communicating, each returns to his seat.”
   So JR, during instinction the communicant drinks from the chalice that has the wine or grape juice (host) and the priest or minister places the bread in the chalice of wine and gives it to the communicant by placing it in his mouth or hand (but this not done very much). Sometimes the bread that is dipped in the chalice of wine (host) is distributed by a  spoon or straw, but it not done very much this way. But as noted in the Article 245 and 246, each communicant drinks from the SAME chalice.
   In  the Anglican Churches, which often give the communicant the choice of drinking from the chalice or receiving by intinction and the minister dips the bread in the chalice of wine.
   In many Lutheran and Methodist Churches the communicant, not the minister, dips the host in the chalice. This is the practice in some Baptist and Congregational Churches as well, using grape juice in place of wine.
    The Eastern Orthodox Church, leavened bread is employed for the Eucharist. Traditionally, the consecrated bread is placed in the chalice and is given together with the consecrated wine directly into the communicant's mouth with a small spoon. Some of the Byzantine-rite Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Church of Rome adopted intinction during the early twentieth century, dividing the bread into pieces long enough to be partially dipped in the consecrated wine and placed on the communicant's tongue. This is the practice at least of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church[3] and the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church.

  JR, keep in mind that, the idea of the communicant dips the bread in the wine (host) himself, or the bread is placed in the chalice beforehand and the priest places the bread on the tongue of the communicant or in the hand of the communicant using his hand or places it on the tongue of the communicant with a spoon, and everyone drinks of the same chalice of wine or grape juice if the priest or minister places the bread (that has not been dipped in the wine) on the tongue of the communicant.
  In the Baptist church the bread is given to each member separately, and the grape juice is given to each member separately, and everyone takes the Lord’s Supper together corporately.

  JR, I want you to get a good understanding on this Instinction and how it is given differently, as the Baptist way is the best way as far as not spreading infection. Drinking from the same Chalice of wine or grape juice, you are taking a chance of spreading infection as each communicant’s mouth touches that chalice, and shares his germs with others.
  But the worst part of spreading infection is when the bread is dipped (Instinction) into the chalice of wine or grape juice. Because your hands is the most germ-ridden part of you and best way of spreading disease. How do you know if the minister or priest has washed his hands before starting communion, he does not wash hands between each communicant, and he dips the bread in the wine which means his fingers comes in contact with the wine leaving his germs in the wine. Even worse, is that each communicant dips his own piece of bread into the wine causing his fingers to come in contact with the wine, and now you may have hundreds of different people getting their hands into the wine or host.
   At least placing the bread (that has not been dipped in the wine) in each communicant’s hand and each communicant drinks from the same chalice is not as bad. The alcohol in the wine in the chalice will kill many germs, but if the chalice is full of grape juice then the spread of infection is increased.
   A  Cardiologist by the name of  Dr David Gould, who lives in Canada, is author of a study entitled Eucharistic Practice and the Risk of Infection, has said that fingers which come into contact with the wine are a greater source of infection than lips which touch the common communion cup. This information comes from an article in Ecumenical News International  which was written by Ferdy Baglo.
  Baglo goes on to write “In many Anglican churches world-wide, communicants regularly receive the sacrament in two forms - bread and wine. The practice of dipping the host into the wine, rather than drinking directly from the cup, is common in Episcopalian (Anglican) parishes in the United States and is on the increase in Canada, partly because of fears of disease. However, according to the report, parishioners dipping their bread or host into the cup are coming into contact with the same bacteria as those who drink from it, and they often leave behind a good deal of their own bacteria from handling the bread before dipping.”
   So the Catholic religion does participate in Instinction.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

  JR, you stated “In reading bible scripture and in how Jesus gave instructions for this observance to be remembered, I believe this deviation in practice to be in error and implemented more out of customs and ritual brought in from other denominations.”
   Part of you question has been already answered as you can tell from above all different religions and denominations may have a different way of doing the Lord’s Supper.
     Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper first in Matthew 26:26 which states “While they were eating, Jesus took {some} bread, and after a blessing, He broke {it} and gave {it} to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and broke it. The word broke in Greek is klaō which means  to break, to break off pieces. So Jesus broke or  klaō off piece of it (the bread) and gave it (the bread) to the disciples. So Jesus broke off a piece of the bread for himself and gave the it (the rest of the bread) to the disciples, and each one broke a piece (klaō) for himself, so it indicates that they ate from the same bread. The bible does not say Jesus broke  pieces for each one of the disciples, but broke off a piece for himself and gave the rest of the bread (gave it) to the disciples. This is no different of the different religions mentioned above taking a literal piece of bread given by the priest or minister to each communicant. Some religions could use a real loaf of bread and each communicant could take his own piece from the same loaf, or the minister could give each communicant his own piece in their hand or on their tongue, still would apply to Matt. 26:26. The Baptist way of giving a wafer to each communicant would also apply.  
     Matt. 26:27-28 states “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Jesus took “the cup” which puts emphasis that it was the cup he had drank out of  personally, gave thanks, and gave it (his own cup) to them (the disciples) and they drank out of the same personal cup that Jesus gave them.
     The breaking of bread was one act and the drinking of the cup was still another separate act, there is no interaction of the bread and the cup of wine together. So instinction is not biblical according to the way Jesus did it in Matthew 26:26-28, or Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:19 tells us why we should do it the way Jesus did it so we will do it in “remembrance of Me.”
     JR you are correct. Instiction is based on the traditions of men and is not biblical evidence, and I also told you about the increase of transmission of infection because of instinction.

Blessings to you,

Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD.