Theology of the Church, Mentor's Guide, MG03

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T H E O L O G Y O F T H E C H U R C H

people of God who were being rescued. The obedience in the Exodus story revealed that a person believed God and was committed to leaving with his people. While an extraordinary circumstance might prevent a person from being baptized (e.g. the thief on the cross) without placing that person’s intentions in question, all true believers who have the opportunity to be baptized will do so because they have accepted Christ’s lordship and want to obey his commands and be incorporated into his people.

If students need a resource for practical help on leading a communion service (or a baptism), Baker’s Worship Handbook , by Paul E. Engle (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1998) offers a number of sample services from a wide variety of Evangelical traditions including both “sacramental” and “ordinance” perspective.

15 Page 53 Outline Point IV

Another major difference between Catholic and Protestant theology about the Lord’s Supper is the Catholics believe that Christ is sacrificed for sin each time that the Lord’s Supper is reenacted. (Protestants refute this on the basis of Hebrews 7.27 and 9.25-26). Unlike Protestants, Catholics also teach that the communion elements (being the actual body and blood of Christ) are worthy of veneration. Catholics and Protestants have made progress in recent years at resolving these differences but differences still remain. It has been held that the substance of bread and wine remain in this sacrament after consecration. But this position cannot be maintained, for in the first place it destroys the reality of this sacrament, which demands that in the sacrament there should be the true body of Christ, which was not there before consecration. . . .And this is done in the sacrament by the power of God, for the whole substance of bread is converted into the whole substance of Christ’s body. Hence the conversion is properly called transubstantiation. It is obvious to our sense that after consecration all the accidents of bread and wine remain. And, by divine providence, there is good reason for this. First, because it is not normal for people to eat human flesh and to drink human

16 Page 55 Outline Point IV-D-1

17 Page 55 Outline Point IV-E-1