Just one of several weird Catholic doctrines easy to biblically refute:
When I was a young teen I remember some younger friends of my sister’s whose families lived in our neighborhood and were Catholic, some of Irish and some of Italian backgrounds. While very decent people morally they were steeped in the culture of Catholicism both in practice and in mythology. One of the myths that made quite an impression upon us was their belief in “transubstantiation;” which is the belief that in the Catholic communion the bread and fruit of the vine are miraculously changed into the flesh and blood of Christ.
In hushed and reverent tones they told my sister and me that during Catholic Eucharist (or the communion mass) the priest blesses the host (bread wafer) and the wine they use in this ceremony and it is then that these elements miraculously turn into actual flesh and blood. In fact one girl swore that once she did not swallow the wafer but secreted it in her handkerchief until she got home. She then took a straight pin and pierced the piece of now flesh-like wafer and it bled real blood! Ghoulishly and delightfully told, but firmly believed.
Of course, this is nonsense. The New Testament does not teach this at all. What the Catholics have done, for once, is made a literal interpretation of a passage when they should have easily seen that it was figurative only; i.e. Matthew 26:26 and 28. Jesus said about the bread, “This is my body” and about the cup, “This is my blood.” The main problem with interpreting it that way is that Jesus was actually there, in physical presence, in flesh and blood when He said these things. We only have to remember that Jesus used lots of easily understood figurative likenesses to thoroughly make His points; He was “bread” (John 6:48), “light” (John 8:12), a “door” (John 10:7), even a “vine” (John 15:1). If you took any of them literally, none of Jesus’ teachings could be understandable.
To make such absurd claims as this shows rank ignorance of what the Lord’s Supper must be. 1Corinthians 10:16 reads, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”It does not matter what anyone may suppose, the bread and fruit of the vine do not become the literal body and blood of Jesus according to scripture.
And by the way, it is not incorrect to call the Lord’s Supper (it is so called in 1Corinthians 10:16) communion because it is to be observed communally (see also Acts 2:42; 20:7). Also please note 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 where we see weekly giving of means is also to be done on the first day of each week by the assembled who were there anyway, for the Lord’s Supper as commanded in Hebrews 10:23-25 of assembling together; therefore: communion.
The further complete misunderstanding of John 6:53-58 has caused many to believe in transubstantiation. In this passage there is no intent at all to include or to mean the Lord’s Supper. We can easily see the figurative nature intended by reading, John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” In fact, if eating His flesh means taking the Lord’s supper, then anyone who eats it immediately receives eternal life!
To be thorough let me list passages that are appropriate to this subject as entirely as I can: 1Corinthians 11:23; Acts 20:7; Luke 22:16-20; Luke 26:36-46; Luke 23:33-46; John 19:16-37; Psalms 22:12-19; Isaiah 53. These are very worthy passages to read prior to partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
