S
snarflemike
Guest
I ask because Jesus is fully man as well as fully God, and has a body. Is Jesus present, including his body, at your worship services?
- Status
D
DavidFilmer
Guest
I think the OP was asking those protestants who do not believe that. Most Lutherans (and especially LCMS) believe in a sacramental and physical real presence (as do Catholics). This is not the case for the majority of protestant faiths.
R
Roy5
Guest
Matt. 28:20. Lo, I am with your always…
And at many other places in the Bible we are promised that God is with us. See various Psalms, among them Ps. 23.
And at many other places in the Bible we are promised that God is with us. See various Psalms, among them Ps. 23.
The notion that God is in the Eucharist but somehow absent from the rest of a church strikes me as contrary to scripture. It is in the general area of the Eucharist that Christians must tred very carefully, as they can easily fall under influences from Greco-Roman paganism.
S
snarflemike
Guest
So do you believe Jesus is bodily present at your worship?
S
snarflemike
Guest
Right. JonNC answered exactly as I would have expected a Lutheran to answer. While it’s true that I’m particularly interested in the explanations of “symbolic only” communion believers, I think it’s also very useful to remember that not all Protestants have this belief.
S
Sandalwood
Guest
D
DavidFilmer
Guest
Jesus is spiritually present everywhere. Catholics (and some protestants) believe that, in the Eucharist, Jesus is physically present as well.
There was obviously a time when Jesus was BOTH spiritually and physically present to those who followed him. I believe the OP would like to know if you believe that Jesus is present in BOTH contexts in your own worship services - both spiritually and physically.
D
dsully
Guest
At my evangelical non-denominational bible church, we do speak of God being present, but usually only in the sense of His Spirit dwelling in His people, and, perhaps, in His Word (read Scripture) being preached.
I have been in a Catholic adoration chapel before and, I admit, there did seem to be a discernible presence. It was a powerful healing presence, and seemed good. It definitely drew me in and made me want to stay there and/or go back later.
I don’t know if I have ever experienced the same thing at a Protestant worship service. There have been times when I felt electrified and if God was speaking, but nothing that was quite the same as what I felt at adoration.
Just my two cents…
Dan
I have been in a Catholic adoration chapel before and, I admit, there did seem to be a discernible presence. It was a powerful healing presence, and seemed good. It definitely drew me in and made me want to stay there and/or go back later.
I don’t know if I have ever experienced the same thing at a Protestant worship service. There have been times when I felt electrified and if God was speaking, but nothing that was quite the same as what I felt at adoration.
Just my two cents…
Dan
G
Godith
Guest
No, we wouldn’t claim that in our church. Jesus’ physical presence on Earth was a feature of His earthly ministry. He ascended to Heaven, and physically, He is now sat at the right hand of the Father.
Mine is a charismatic church, so the Holy Spirit is powerfully with us. Healings, prophecy and the like are a normal part of church life for us.
I do find the idea of the Real Presence in the Eucharist attractive and beautiful. I’ m just not sure it’s true. I am careful to be very respectful in Catholic churches, though, just in case.
N
Nicea325
Guest
And what strikes me odd the notion God is not present in the Eucharist and present in His Church? You are merely isolating Matt 28:20 from the rest of scripture.
N
Nicea325
Guest
Oh but it is true.Why can’t God be present in the Eucharist? You are aware God has no limits-right?
N
Nicea325
Guest
L
ladylove
Guest
Are you saying that Christ can’t be spiritually present without being physically present (in the Eucharist)?
Does Matthew 18:20 only apply to the Disciples?
C
CMatt25
Guest
I thought Roy’s and Godith’s posts each made a couple of good points based on Scripture as to Jesus spiritually being everywhere and His body seateth at the righthand of the Father.
But at the same time of course God has no limits. He’s the only one among us with none. The rest of us all have human finite minds. God though is infinite. So in that sense it’s possible His body could be present in the Eucharist if He was not speaking figuratively as He sometimes did and if He was already giving up His literal body to the Apostles at the Last Supper for them to remember Him by before He had actually been crucified on the cross which didn’t occur until the next day as I recall.
In Jn 6 I know He also spoke about eating and how He turns no one away and some doubted and then He spoke of spirit and life. And some still walked. But they could have walked either because they were not accepting eating in a literal sense. Or because they were still thinking Jesus meant eating in a literal sense when He might have been speaking figuratively with “eating” meaning consuming and knawing on the belief in Him and in His upcoming sacrifice for all of us on the cross to save us from our sins.
Bottom line is this as with so much about religion is a matter of faith.
Peace to all who walk in faith not by sight.
R
racing59
Guest
To answer the OP question as a non Catholic Christian, Jesus Christ is The Word of God( Sacred Scripture), he dwells in our inner man(our spirit through the Holy Spiirit).Jesus is always with us, because our spirit dwells with him.to answer question, yes he is present in our worship anywhere.
Peace
Peace
I have heard of this, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone write that the Word of God, as St. John refers to Christ in John 1:1, is the same as Holy Scripture, the word of God.
Is that what you are saying?
Jon
A
ahs
Guest
They walked away because they took Him literally. He states it not once, but several times adn the words John gives us get more graphic to the point…from the Greek “to eat” and then “to chew/gnaw”. Chrsit, after statign they must consume His flesh does not go on to clarify what HE “really” meant to say as a figure of speach, but instead gets more graphic. When He then speaks of spirit and flesh, He is rebuking them for trying to understand how they can eat Him through their own human understanding. They try to comprehend with their own thinking…the finite understanding of man…in the flesh. Christ says “the flesh…” profits nothing…not “My flesh…”. “The flesh” can be properly understood in the proper context of John 6 and where “the flesh” is mentioned elsewhere in the NT (see the other Gospels and Romans).
Anyway, back to the OP…do non-Catholics believe that Christ is not able to manifest Himslef physically in the worship service?
R
racing59
Guest
Hi Jon NC, yes, I’m quoting John 1:1-3,14 Jesus Christ is God’s Word
( Sacred Sripture). The whole Bible is the Word of God and even in the OT Jesus was manifested there. This reality changed my life. Even though there are charecters in OT, you really see, Jesus Christ manefested. Jesus, is God’s Word which is the Bible and the Holy Spirit, he left us, to give Divine Revelation, not interpratation.
Peace
If you believe this, then I assume you have no problem with the belief that Christ’s true body and blood are recieved at His supper under the bread and wine. Yes?
I, however, personally see a big difference between Christ, and His testament.
Jon
- Status