Marbaniang, Domenic

"Last Supper" by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1750) Yes, it is. Water baptism identifies one with the redemption work of Jesus Christ, with His death, burial, and resurrection. It is anticipated of visible identification with Christ and His Church. Every person has the personal responsibility to examine him/herself before deciding to partake in the Lord's Table. The Bible makes it clear that those who chose not to be baptized were rejecting the counsel of God (Lk.7:30). In a mixed congregation, it is not possible to always know who is worthy to partake of the Table; however, the minister must encourage only those who have been baptized for remission of sins (not just as a ritual but by faith in Jesus Christ) to partake of the Table. Before Jesus sat down to dip bread in the cup, He washed His disciples' feet. He makes the statement that they are already "washed" and only need feet to be washed. Of course, this may not explicitly/only refer to their baptism, fo...

1 COR 11:23-30 We are called to 1. PARTAKE 2. PROCLAIM The Table Is 1. COMMEMORATION of His Death 2. CELEBRATION of His Life 3. CONFESSION of His Glory 1. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TABLE      A. COVENANT IN HIS BLOOD      B. COMMUNION OF HIS BODY     C. CONSOLATION THRU HIS PROMISE 2. SERIOUSNESS OF THE TABLE      A. UNITY OF THE SACRAMENT - "THIS" BREAD... CUP.      B. SANCTITY OF THE SACRAMENT - BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST     C. GRAVITY OF THE SACRAMENT - DISCERNMENT IS EXPECTED, UNWORTHILY PARTICIPATING MEANS DAMNATION

Transubstantiation is a Catholic doctrine that states that the whole substances of the bread and the wine, during the Eucharist, convert into the body and the blood of Jesus. The metaphysical explanation of the doctrine borrows from Aristotle's doctrine of substances and accidents. Substance, according to Aristotle, is the defining essence of a thing, what it is in essence. Accidents are properties like color, weight, length, etc that are not essential to the definition of the substance. For instance, skin color, height, weight, size, etc are not essential properties of the definition of "man"; they are only accidental properties. Aristotelian doctrine of substance and accidents was employed by Thomas Aquinas to explain the doctrine of transubstantiation. According to Aquinas, in the conversion of the bread into the flesh of Jesus, the substance of bread is changed into the flesh of Jesus but the accidents (like the smell, taste, color, quantity) of the bread remain the s...