Section 19.  The nature of the true presence of Christ in the Supper. The true and substantial communion of the body and blood of the Lord. This orthodox view assailed by turbulent spirits.

The presence of Christ in the Supper we must hold to be such as neither affixes him to the element of bread, nor encloses him in bread, nor circumscribes him in any way (this would obviously detract from his celestial glory); and it must, moreover, be such as neither divests him of his just dimensions, nor dissevers him by differences of place, nor assigns to him a body of boundless dimensions, diffused through heaven and earth. All these things are clearly repugnant to his true human nature. Let us never allow ourselves to lose sight of the two restrictions. Q19First, Let there be nothing derogatory to the heavenly glory of Christ. This happens whenever he is brought under the corruptible elements of this world, or is affixed to any earthly creatures. Secondly, Let no property be assigned to his body inconsistent with his human nature. This is done when it is either said to be infinite, or made to occupy a variety of places at the same time. But when these absurdities are discarded,

(Q19 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.  (John 17:4-5) And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption, (1 Cor. 15:49-50)  See also rebuttal Q26 to refute this notion of the finite nature of the risen Christ.)

Q19a I willingly admit anything which helps to express the true and substantial communication of the body and blood of the Lord, as exhibited to believers under the sacred symbols of the Supper, understanding that they are received not by the imagination or intellect merely, but are enjoyed in reality as the food of eternal life. For the odium with which this view is regarded by the world, and the unjust prejudice incurred by its defense, there is no cause, unless it be in the fearful fascinations of Satan. What we teach on the subject is in perfect accordance with Scripture, contains nothing absurd, obscure, or ambiguous, is not unfavorable to true piety and solid edification; in short, has nothing in it to offend, save that, for some ages, while the ignorance and barbarism of sophists reigned in the Church, the clear light and open truth were unbecomingly suppressed. And yet as Satan, by means of turbulent spirits, is still, in the present day, exerting himself to the utmost to bring dishonor on this doctrine by all kinds of calumny and reproach, Q19b it is right to assert and defend it with the greatest care.

(I agree, for within portions of Calvin's treatise on Communion, he has apparently spoken beneath its dignity.  In the above quotation from section 7, there is a humility of words, but in the full lengthy expository, humility is lost in his arrogant indignation mainly directed at the Roman Churches Communion Dogma and its exclusivity. In many parts of his treatise, I do not see the necessary grace and patience being extolled with in Calvin's reformation work, but mainly a vitriolic repudiation of Catholic dogma, even that which is associated with Luther.  While I can certainly agree with a great many of the abuses and issues that the reformer Calvin presents, and I do understand the enormous difficulty in changing minds that oppose themselves, nevertheless, this early presentation on Holy Communion has a spirit of combative anger that is not becoming to the subject of our combined fellowship and unity within the Lord. (please see 2 Timothy 2:23-25) Now unfortunately, his real message in Holy Communion is lost within the mix of his zealous protestation of the abuses of Roman Catholicism, and has left many Protestant teachers entrenched only in his initial symbolic presentation concerning the bread and wine.  The error is repeated over and over again, so that symbolism of the memorial is understood as if it is something that is 'clearly' spoken of by the WORD of GOD, Jesus Christ.  Symbolism is not 'clearly' spoken of by the Lord  nor is it intended to be received as such, for how can the natural intellect of man interpret with full comprehension the Lord's Holy intentions and the creative dynamics of the spoken Word of His Father.  Indeed the consecrated gifts of God's Love can only be discerned and received by grateful spiritual hearts of faith seeking to know better the heart of HOLY, HOLY, HOLY GOD ALMIGHTY.

Now, a great many of today's Protestant fundamentalist students of the Word, having been entombed in the repeated error, have not searched out the heart of God in this holy matter, and took only from Calvin and other reformers of that which seemed plausible to the natural senses, and now, along with Zwingli, have established this estranged symbolic doctrine concerning our Communion with our Savior. Now, the real food of the Lord's flesh and the real drink of His Blood are left as unsavory to the pallets of the unenlightened. This is a doctrine that John Calvin did not ascribe to within his writings, for symbolism is far to narrow and has limited the possibilities of rising higher through the faith of which Calvin implied was possible.  Today, the vast majority of the evangelical and estranged churches have dwelt on the benign word of 'symbol' in a segment of Calvin's teaching doctrine, leaving the 'sacred mystery of the supper' just as benign, thus limiting the power of the WORD of GOD that is able to change the circumstances of time, matter and life.  God and His Word are extra-dimensional beyond the confines of conventional thinking and logic. With all of his rhetoric to reform the abuses in Holy Communion, Calvin solves nothing for the glory of God and perhaps would have done just as well to have left Communion as a mystery within the  feeble capacity of his mind's comprehension.  Calvin was not nor are any of us in the position to define the I AM that I AM or the dimensions of His Word. Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. As the reader continues in young John Calvin's treatise, of us against them, you will find along the way other Calvin disclaimers, and Calvin again feigning meekness.)

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Click 20. for the next Section: This view vindicated from their calumnies.
The words of the institution explained in opposition to the glosses of transubstantiators and consubstantiators.
Their subterfuges and absurd blasphemies.

Communion