Hi PRmerger,
You must be aware that Abel was a Witness of Jehovah and if you go back to read Hebrews 11 you can read about more of them throughout Bible history.
According to “Dictionary of Saints” by John J. Delaney, Justin Martyr was born about 100 and died about 165 (C.E.) which makes him a Christian ante-Nicene “Father” of the 2nd century, not the first century.
I do not think that Justin can be attributed with the idea of transubstantiation in the thanksgiving ceremony (Greek, eucharistia), if such attribution is being made, in the partaking of the bread and wine (mixed with water-Justin). A careful reading seems to show that Justin speaks of the cleansing value of the Christ’s flesh and blood and thus being the basis “for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration,…who…Christ has enjoined.”
He says outwardly “For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these,” meaning that they do not represent a common meal for the natural nourishment of a man’s fleshly organism, but that they represent what was given, “flesh and blood for our salvation.” It was this, “the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh,” that Justin points out was the thing “from which our blood and flesh by transmutation (assimilation-Philip Schaff; History of the Christian Church) are nourished.”
It was not a “transmutation” of the bread and wine to which Justin was referring, it was to the Christian’s transformation in a spiritual sense, as one taught, dedicated, and baptized. As an anointed, born-again member of Christ’s body, it was the Christian’s obligation to persist in his “transmutation” until he, in a spiritual sense, reached the stature of the Christ through the ‘nourishment’ of Jesus’ teachings.
The subject of the variances already seen in Jesus’ evening meal with his faithful eleven and what Justin discusses may be addressed for good. The Bible narrative did not place within the solemn account of the last meal water mixed with wine, whereas Justin says about the description of the “Administration of the Sacraments” (Apol. 1c. 65) “There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands.”
It is of interest that he also gives recognition of pagans doing “the same thing”. (Please see above, end of quote.) Right from the beginning there were attempts to “water down the truth.” The passage at 2 Thessalonians. 2:3-12 speaks about something that would creep in and would occur until it ruled unquestioned by the spiritually blinded.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits that “the Mass of today differs greatly from the very simple ceremony followed by Christ and His Apostles.” And by observing the Mass frequently, even daily, Christendom has veered from what Jesus intended and has made it a common event.
Christ established the Memorial, not Mass. When he said, “This is my body…this is my blood,” he did not mean it literally, but in the sense of “this represents my body…this represents my blood.”
What the Catholics call Mass is indeed a Roman Catholic invention.
This is absolutely not true, Nick.
Have you read from
St. Justin Martyr, a 1st century Catholic. (There were, incidentally, no Jehovah’s witnesses in the 1st century, and thus we have none of their writings).
And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, “This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;” and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, “This is My blood;” and gave it to them alone. Which the wicked devils have imitated in the mysteries of Mithras, commanding the same thing to be done. For, that bread and a cup of water are placed with certain incantations in the mystic rites of one who is being initiated, you either know or can learn.
Come again?
