Thursday, August 8, 2019

10 differences between Luther and Zwingli SERIES: 3

10 differences between Luther and Zwingli SERIES: 3
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many:
yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Daniel 11:33

3.- Hoc Est Corpus Meum
"How are we to interpret the words, “This is my body”?
Luther and Zwingli were not able to reach an agreement over the meaning of the sacramental words of Christ, “Hoc est corpus meum”. They met at the well-known Colloquy of Marburg in 1529 to discuss the issue.

The debate had been summoned by one of Protestantism’s leading political players, Felipe I of Hesse.

Luther was convinced that the words of Christ had to be interpreted literally, meaning that Christ was somehow physically present in the bread and the wine.

In other words, the German believed in the real presence of Christ in the Supper.

But as far as Zwingli concerned, Christ’s words were to be understood symbolically as the verb form “is” means that the bread and the wine “symbolize” or “represent

His body and blood. He did away with any notion of the real presence. The Table of the Lord was a purely commemorative event."

EvangelicalFocus