Eucharist and remission of sin

[anon91549587]

Do non Catholics share the same belief that partaking in communion grants the remission of sins?
if yes , how is it possible when the “bread” is not consecrated? Or perhaps we wont know because of this verse.

John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

But if that is the case , there wont be a need for priesthood and the death of the martyrs would be in vain.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Do non Catholics share the same belief that partaking in communion grants the remission of sins?

Can’t speak for all “non-Catholics”, but I know the Presbyterians and Baptists and Evangelicals I’ve known didn’t associate communion, which they only had very infrequently, with remission of sins. If you committed a sin you were supposed to repent of it by talking to God directly and he’d forgive you if your repentance was sincere.

Communion to them was a symbolic sharing of bread and wine like at the Last Supper. It didn’t remit sin or give grace or do anything else.

 

[anon91549587]

i see. An ex-Anglican pastor here started a non denominational Pentacostal Charismatic church. He preaches that communion grants the remission of sins . Isn’t that bearing false witness because he doesn’t have the spiritual authority to consecrate the “bread”?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

He’s not a Catholic. He obviously believes whatever teaching contrary to Catholicism he is making is the correct one. We can’t tell him he’s “bearing false witness” by going against Catholic teaching when he was apparently never a Catholic to begin with.

As Catholics, we don’t agree with his position as a non-denominational, and we didn’t agree with his position as an Anglican either.

 

[JonNC]

Do non Catholics share the same belief that partaking in communion grants the remission of sins?

Lutheran here. Yes.

if yes , how is it possible when the “bread” is not consecrated?

It is, by the speaking of the words of institution by the pastor/priest, and the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine are the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Given and shed for the remission of sin.

 

[anon91549587]

thank you for this very insightful post JonNC.

 

[TULIPed]

Do non Catholics share the same belief that partaking in communion grants the remission of sins?

If I’m not mistaken, partaking in the Eucharist grants the remission of only venial sins, no?

Reformed Protestants believe that all sin separates us from God (I know Catholics believe this too). So, while we acknowledge that some sin is worse than others, all sin is - in a sense - “mortal”. Therefore, we are to confess our sins (either to a person and/or God) prior to communion. As a “catch-all” we always have a corporate confession prior to communion.

We do this to conform to St. Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 11:

“27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. “

 

[anon91549587]

yes yes only venial sins. To partake in the Eucharist with mortal sins is harmful to the partaker.
Are you from a Calvinist church?

 

[TULIPed]

Are you from a Calvinist church?

Maaaaaaaaayyyybe. (My name is not exactly “under cover” )

 

[ltwin]

Do non Catholics share the same belief that partaking in communion grants the remission of sins?

I wouldn’t say the act of eating itself grants remission of sins. But we are supposed to examine ourselves and repent of sins before we take communion.

Since communion signifies our participation in Christ’s death and the application of his atoning sacrifice to our lives, we make a mockery of the sacrament when we don’t take it seriously with true contrition for sin.

 

[JonNC]

anon91549587:

Do non Catholics share the same belief that partaking in communion grants the remission of sins?

I wouldn’t say the act of eating itself grants remission of sins. But we are supposed to examine ourselves and repent of sins before we take communion.

Since communion signifies our participation in Christ’s death and the application of his atoning sacrifice to our lives, we make a mockery of the sacrament when we don’t take it seriously with true contrition for sin.

I wouldn’t argue with this. The eating and drinking is His command, however: “take and eat…”

 

[Dovekin]

In the Eucharist, the Death and Resurrection of Jesus are made present to us. By that death all of our sins are forgiven, so there is a sense in which all sin is healed in the Eucharist.

On a personal level, mortal sins so alienate us from God that we are not able to accept that forgiveness offered to us by Jesus from the Cross. While the Eucharist is powerful enough to forgive all of our sins, we are not strong enough to accept it when we are in a state of mortal sin. If we cannot recognize the Lord present in our midst, we may even be harmed by receiving.

This is not a weakness in the Eucharist, as if it were only strong enough to heal venial sins. All sin is forgiven, but mortal sins keep us from accepting the great mercy being offered.

 

[charsan]

Do non Catholics share the same belief that partaking in communion grants the remission of sins?
if yes , how is it possible when the “bread” is not consecrated? Or perhaps we wont know because of this verse.

We do in my Church. We do believe the Body and Blood of our Lord is consecrated by our Priest. The Eucharist confers Grace and heals

 

[anon91549587]

I see. In a hypothetical situation , lets say a man is married and has an affair , he examines himself and repents insincerely in his heart and eats communion. God actually did not forgive him but the man assumes otherwise. How would someone actually know if they are forgiven?

Actually , this is a moot point on my part since we don’t know how God thinks…but actually no , if we think we know God doesn’t like us to be mindlessly killing people on the street , we can at least know a bit about his nature.

 

[ltwin]

In a hypothetical situation , lets say a man is married and has an affair , he examines himself and repents insincerely in his heart and eats communion. God actually did not forgive him but the man assumes otherwise. How would someone actually know if they are forgiven?

Well, surely the man knows his own heart. He knows if he’s sincere and if he truly repents. The Holy Spirit would surely convict him of his sin, but perhaps the man has hardened his heart. In any case, if the man refuses to repent and still takes communion then he is bringing judgment on himself, whether he believes it or not.

 

[anon91549587]

yeah the reality doesn’t change. I find your take on the Eucharist particularly interesting because of your attitude towards matter (as in physical substance) in this context of communion.

 

[ltwin]

yeah the reality doesn’t change. I find your take on the Eucharist particularly interesting because of your attitude towards matter (as in physical substance) in this context of communion.

Hmm. Could you clarify what you mean?

 

[anon91549587]

“Since communion signifies our participation in Christ’s death and the application of his atoning sacrifice to our lives, we make a mockery of the sacrament when we don’t take it seriously with true contrition for sin.”

in the sense that the participation in the object with a theological significance ,has an implication and consequence. I would have thought that you would think that it is superstition . My mind isn’t exactly very clear how to put these thoughts into words.

 

[ltwin]

I would have thought that you would think that it is superstition .

Why would something Jesus told us to do be superstition? And why would any Christian think it’s ok to treat a command of Christ with contempt or a lack of respect? We are remembering his death. That’s important and it does have implications and consequences. If you don’t cherish the symbol, how can you cherish the reality behind the symbol.

All the Protestant communion services I’ve been to have been respectful and reverent and they’ve all repeated Paul’s warning about unworthily partaking.

 

[anon91549587]

The immediate non catholic community around me has a Gnostic approach to matter. Even images of Jesus or his army is disallowed , in substitution , the house has to be filled with secular objects and secular images. So i find it surprising that the Eucharist can be seen with respect as a symbol when the symbol of Christ or the cross is considered idolatry. I am happy to hear that the services as well as yourself cherish the symbol though.