The Real Presence as taught by all the Apostolic churches

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a belief not limited to the Roman Catholic Church. It is a fact of history that every church founded by one apostle or another believes in the Real Presence, even if they’re not in union with Rome.

In addition to Roman Catholicism (founded by Peter and Paul), the following Apostolic churches hold that Christ is really present in the Eucharist:

– The church in Iberia (Spain), founded by James the Greater.
– The church in Jerusalem, whose first bishop was James the Lesser.
– The Coptic Church in Egypt, founded by St. Mark
– The Assyrian Church of the East (predecessor to the Chaldean Church), founded by St. Thomas
– The Greek Orthodox Church, founded by Paul
– The Antiochian Orthodox Church, founded by Peter
– The Syrian, Georgian & Byzantine Churches, founded by St. Andrew
– The Armenian Orthodox Church, founded by Jude and Bartholomew
– The Syro-Malabar Church in India, founded by St. Thomas

That’s 9 different Apostolic churches founded by different Apostles, spread out over thousands of miles, and they all believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, a highly ritual form of worship centered on Christ’s sacrifice re-presented, and an ordained priesthood. There’s no record of any of these churches teaching that the Eucharist is just a symbol. There’s no record of the Real Presence spreading from one community to another. There’s no dissension or disagreement among these Churches on the Real Presence. There’s no record of any council called to debate the Real Presence.

Isn’t this as close to proof as you can get that the Apostles taught the doctrine of the Real Presence to the first Christian communities they established? After all, if the Apostles taught that the Eucharist is just a symbol, then all these Apostolic churches managed to plan and execute the most perfectly conceived change of doctrine in the history (or future) of all mankind! They managed to get every Apostolic church to believe the opposite of what the Apostles taught, and they all adopted that “heresy” immediately and concurrently, without so much as a whiff of someone crying foul!

 

[Autumn_Smoke]

Very interesting and worth remembering.

Thanks for posting!

 

[Memaw]

The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a belief not limited to the Roman Catholic Church. It is a fact of history that every church founded by one apostle or another believes in the Real Presence, even if they’re not in union with Rome.

In addition to Roman Catholicism (founded by Peter and Paul), the following Apostolic churches hold that Christ is really present in the Eucharist:

– The church in Iberia (Spain), founded by James the Greater.
– The church in Jerusalem, whose first bishop was James the Lesser.
– The Coptic Church in Egypt, founded by St. Mark
– The Assyrian Church of the East (predecessor to the Chaldean Church), founded by St. Thomas
– The Greek Orthodox Church, founded by Paul
– The Antiochian Orthodox Church, founded by Peter
– The Syrian, Georgian & Byzantine Churches, founded by St. Andrew
– The Armenian Orthodox Church, founded by Jude and Bartholomew
– The Syro-Malabar Church in India, founded by St. Thomas

That’s 9 different Apostolic churches founded by different Apostles, spread out over thousands of miles, and they all believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, a highly ritual form of worship centered on Christ’s sacrifice re-presented, and an ordained priesthood. There’s no record of any of these churches teaching that the Eucharist is just a symbol. There’s no record of the Real Presence spreading from one community to another. There’s no dissension or disagreement among these Churches on the Real Presence. There’s no record of any council called to debate the Real Presence.

Isn’t this as close to proof as you can get that the Apostles taught the doctrine of the Real Presence to the first Christian communities they established? After all, if the Apostles taught that the Eucharist is just a symbol, then all these Apostolic churches managed to plan and execute the most perfectly conceived change of doctrine in the history (or future) of all mankind! They managed to get every Apostolic church to believe the opposite of what the Apostles taught, and they all adopted that “heresy” immediately and concurrently, without so much as a whiff of someone crying foul!

Every Apostolic Church founded by the Apostles was in fact part of the Catholic Church. Each Apostle went out into different parts of the known world to preach the Gospel as Jesus said and bring HIS Church to all Nations. Later others broke off and went their own way, taught what they wanted and that has continued down to our very day. But the Catholic Church has remained the TRUE Church for over 2,000 years. One, Holy, Catholic and APOSTOLIC. One could read up on the Eucharistic Miracles in the Catholic Church!, God Bless, Memaw

 

[PluniaZ]

Whenever I hear Protestants claim that Rome made up a doctrine in the Middle Ages (e.g., Real Presence, marriage as a sacrament, the Mass as a sacrifice, etc.) I simply look up whether the Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox also hold the doctrine. Because there is no way these groups (which split apart as early as the Fifth Century in the case of the Coptics) got together in the Middle Ages to make up new doctrines that weren’t passed down from the Apostles.

It turns out Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Coptics agree on pretty much all the things that Protestants like to criticize Catholics for.

 

[mattp0625]

You can also look to the first or early second century letters of Ignatius of Antioch.

Acts 11 indicates the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch

 

[Lenten_ashes]

And I know we consider Anglicans invalid because of lack of Holy Orders, but they consider themselves Apostolic and also are big believers in real presence.

As a protestant, you start reading the Church Fathers and you see talk of Altars and sacrifice of the Mass and Eucharistic adoration and it really creates a dilemma for you. Be honest with yourself and convert or just lie to yourself and remain where you are. Seriously, I don’t want to shake people’s faith so I almost think it’s better they remain “invincibly ignorant” sometimes. Because of you are a fundamentalist and you find out the Catholic Church you have been body slamming all your life is true, you tend to get shook up over it.

 

[GKC]

And I know we consider Anglicans invalid because of lack of Holy Orders, but they consider themselves Apostolic and also are big believers in real presence.

As a protestant, you start reading the Church Fathers and you see talk of Altars and sacrifice of the Mass and Eucharistic adoration and it really creates a dilemma for you. Be honest with yourself and convert or just lie to yourself and remain where you are. Seriously, I don’t want to shake people’s faith so I almost think it’s better they remain “invincibly ignorant” sometimes. Because of you are a fundamentalist and you find out the Catholic Church you have been body slamming all your life is true, you tend to get shook up over it.

As to your first para, yep. Mostly.