Is Jesus Truly in His Supper? Does Satan Know Us Like God Does?
by Pastor Walter Snyder

Q: I'm a Roman Catholic interested in the study of different religions. The Doctrine of
Transubstantiation is a vital part of the Catholic Church. From my reading, I assumed that
Lutherans don't believe that the host is actually the body and blood of Jesus Christ, but
only a symbol of the body and blood. Your web site, however, states the opposite: "We
highly regard the Lord's Supper, confessing that we do not receive only bread and wine to
remember Christ's sacrifice, but that miraculously we receive the very body and blood of
Christ." I also thought that Luther felt it was only necessary to commune a minimum of
four times per year, while Catholics claim it is necessary under many more circumstances.

A: Perhaps many of your readings were ~about~ Lutherans rather than ~by~ them. Luther never
denied Christ's presence in body and blood in the Sacrament. At a time when many were urging
him to put aside differences with other reformers in order to assemble a larger group in opposition
to the Emperor and to Rome, he refused to compromise this belief. Meeting with theologians such
as Zwingli and Oecolampadius, both of whom denied that Christ was present in any way other
than spiritual, Luther confessed Christ's words, "This is My body; this is My blood." This
meeting, the Marburg Colloquy, centered on fifteen doctrinal propositions. The Lutheran and
Zwinglian parties agreed on fourteen, but not on whether Christ was present in body and blood in
His Supper.

In our Lutheran Confessions, written by Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, and others, we confess this
"Real Presence" of Christ in the Sacrament time after time. The ~Augsburg Confession~ (1531)
states, "[T]he Body and Blood of Christ are truly present, and are distributed to those who eat the
Supper of the Lord; and [we] reject those that teach otherwise." The ~Small Catechism~ says, "It
is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ
Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink."

In the ~Smalcald Articles~, Luther summarized his position on the Real Presence while also
denying Catholic philosophical arguments involved in Transubstantiation. While Rome said bread
and wine change into body and blood and only appear to remain, Luther confessed that bread,
wine, body and blood are all really and truly present in the Sacrament. Some mistakenly call this
teaching "Consubstantiation," assuming that Lutherans teach that the elements of bread and wine
are somehow "mixed" with the body and blood. Standing on Scripture, Luther firmly states that
all four are present and that explaining it is useless. He also attacked the idea of communion in
only one kind (giving the host but not the cup). Thus, to respond to another of your comments,
we don't believe that the host is the body ~and the blood~; rather, that in eating, we receive the
body of Christ Jesus and in drinking, we receive His blood.

The ~Smalcald Articles~ continue, "[B]read and wine in the Supper are the true body and blood
of Christ.... And that not only one form is to be given. We do not need that high art which is to
teach us that under the one form there is as much as under both.... For even if it were true that
there is as much under one as under both, yet the one form only is not the entire ordinance and
institution ordained and commanded by Christ. And we especially condemn and in God's name
execrate those who not only omit both forms but also quite autocratically prohibit, condemn, and
blaspheme them as heresy, and so exalt themselves against and above Christ, our Lord and God....

He continued, "As regards Transubstantiation, we care nothing about the sophistical subtlety by
which they teach that bread and wine leave or lose their own natural substance, and that there
remain only the appearance and color of bread, and not true bread. For it is in perfect agreement
with Holy Scriptures that there is, and remains, bread, as Paul himself calls it, 1 Cor. 10:16, 'The
bread which we break.' And 1 Cor. 11:28, 'Let a person ... so eat of the bread.'"

Concerning frequency, Luther's remark about communing four times per year surfaces to justify
staying away from the Supper. He didn't intend this; rather, someone asked how often one should
attend and he said that if one didn't commune at least four times each year, he (Luther) would
have a difficult time considering that person a Christian. Luther urged frequent communion and
the early Lutherans said of the Supper, "Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass;
for the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence.... [W]e hold one
communion every holy day, and, if any desire the Sacrament, also on other days, when it is given
to such as ask for it. (~Augsburg Confession~)" We do not call it a sin to "skip" the Sacrament;
we do teach that penitent sinners benefit from receiving the Supper as often as possible.

Q: I know that God knows what we're thinking but does Satan?

A: The Scriptures don't give a definite answer but as we see how Satan and the fallen angels
(demons) operate, it appears that while they have a general knowledge of how all sinful humanity
thinks and acts, they are not capable of knowing the thoughts of all people at all times, as does
God. However, at least in times of possession or extreme satanic oppression, it may be that all the
thoughts of an individual may be knowable to the devil(s) who are attacking him.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from ~The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version~<TM>, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Ask the Pastor, © 2003 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality, including this
disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said republication and
redistribution. Translations into other languages should similarly note the United States
and any appropriate international copyrights, as well as God's Scriptural injunctions
concerning the property of others.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."