Expert: Brenda Martin - 8/26/2006

Question
How can Protestant churches say they believe the Bible literally most of the time (Jesus walking on water, multiplication of loaves, healing people) and then when Jesus says in no uncertain terms "This is my body" it isn't considered literal any more?  The Catholics say it is His Body and they have been saying that
exact same thing for 2,000 years.

Answer
Hi there Randall, you stated--"JESUS SAYS IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS "THIS IS MY BODY"

Regarding the expressions “this is my body” and “this is my blood,” the following is noteworthy:--

Mo reads, “it means my body,” “this means my blood.”

LEF renders the expressions, “this represents my body,” “this represents my blood.”

These renderings agree with what is stated in the context, in verse 29, in various Catholic editions. Kx reads: “I shall not drink of this fruit of the vine again, until I drink it with you, new wine, in the kingdom of my Father.”

CC, NAB & Douay version also show Jesus referring to what was in the cup as being “this fruit of the vine,” and that was after Jesus had said, “This is my blood.”

Consider the expressions “this is my body” and “this is my blood” in the light of other vivid language used in the Scriptures. Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world,” “I am the gate of the sheepfold,” “I am the true vine.” (John 8:12; 10:7; 15:1, JB) None of these expressions implied a miraculous transformation, did they?

At 1 Corinthians 11:25 (JB), the apostle Paul wrote concerning the Last Supper and expressed the same ideas in slightly different words. Instead of quoting Jesus as saying regarding the cup, “Drink all of you from this . . . for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant,” he worded it in this way: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Surely that did not mean that the cup was somehow miraculously transformed into the new covenant. Is it not more reasonable to conclude that what was in the cup represented Jesus’ blood by means of which the new covenant was validated?

Sincere Catholics believe that the Mass is based on Scriptural teaching. As proof, they point to Jesus’ words during what is commonly called the Last Supper. As he distributed bread and wine to his apostles, Jesus said when referring to the bread: “This is my body.” When referring to the wine, he said: “This is my blood.” (Matthew 26:26-28) Catholics believe that when he uttered these words, Jesus actually transformed the bread and wine into his body and blood.

However, the New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967) cautions: “We should not rely too heavily on the literalness of the words ‘This is my body’ or ‘This is my blood.’ . . . For in phrases such as ‘the harvest is the end of the world’ (Mt 13.39) or ‘I am the true vine’ (Jn 15.1) the [verb “to be”] means only to signify or represent.” Thus, even this authoritative encyclopedia admits that the wording of Matthew 26:26-28 does not prove that the bread and the wine were changed into Jesus’ literal body and blood at the Last Supper.

All the best
Brenda