Is Transubstantiation Another Gospel?
A Biblical Consideration of Transubstantiation & the Eucharistic Sacrifice
It is imperative to understand the central beliefs and traditions of Catholic Church doctrine regarding the transformation the bread and wine are reported to undergo during the Mass. This transformation is called transubstantiation and it is central to the Eucharist, otherwise known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper.
What is transubstantiation?
Transubstantiation, as stated by the Catholic Church, is the supernatural changing of the Eucharistic elements (the bread and wine) into Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity.
“In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.’”1
By virtue of the transformation which is avowed to occur during transubstantiation, Jesus in His entirety (both divinely and physically) is declared and believed to be truly present in the elements of the Eucharist. This is referred to as the “Real Presence”. The Eucharistic elements are proclaimed to be divine and holy, to have become Christ Himself. This is the official stance of the Catholic Church.
Numerous other teachings and traditions are associated with and result from the belief that Jesus is truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Among them are the adoration and veneration given to the elements once they are considered transformed into the true body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. Another belief is that through the Eucharist Jesus’ sacrifice for sin is offered. It is not possible to include the details of all associated practices in this article, but they can easily be researched and studied from official Catholic sources, such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The most critical question to consider concerning transubstantiation is the following.
Is Transubstantiation supported in Scripture?
The concept of transubstantiation, as upheld by the Catholic Church, comes from a literal interpretation of John 6:54–56. Jesus states:
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
If these verses are taken in isolation and interpreted in a literal sense, it is easy to see how one could conclude that Jesus meant believers would need to eat his actual flesh and drink his actual blood. However, like all verses in Scripture, these verses must be understood in context.
When considering the entire chapter of John 6, as well as other Scriptures, it should be understood that a literal translation does not fit here. One must also keep in mind the numerous additional analogies, metaphors and imagery Jesus uses when speaking of Himself in order to clarify Who He is. Interestingly, most Christians don’t seem to take other such references literally, yet many will get confused by what Jesus really meant in John 6. For example:
Jesus refers to Himself as “the light of the world.” (John 8:12)
Jesus refers to Himself as the gate/door for the sheep. (John 10:7)
Jesus refers to Himself as “the good shepherd.” (John 10:11)
Jesus refers to Himself as the “true vine”. (John 15:1)
In Scripture, Jesus is also referred to as a lion and a lamb.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35–36)
But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5)
Revelation 5 also refers to Jesus as a Lamb multiple times.
Everyone seems to agree that these analogies are not literal. Jesus is not literally a lion, lamb, shepherd, vine or door. The use of these metaphors communicates something specific about the nature of God and how Jesus fulfills the prophecies and promises of God given throughout Scripture.
Why then do so many people choose to take the verses in John 6 literally, rather than understanding the depth of meaning and truth being conveyed through the imagery Jesus uses in these verses? After all, Jesus also refers to Himself as bread in the same chapter. (John 6:32–35) He is quite obviously not saying He is a piece of bread; Jesus is making a comparison here in order to demonstrate how Scripture ultimately points to Him as the one who gives eternal life.
When reading all of John 6, one can see that Jesus references the manna given by God to the Israelites in the desert to clarify that the manna was a provision that fundamentally points to Him and the everlasting life He alone provides. Jesus is the “true bread” because the manna from heaven could not eternally sustain those who ate it. The crowd Jesus was speaking to was there because He had fed them the day before and they were seeking to be fed again. The physical, natural bread He had given them did not last and they had become hungry once more.
Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John 6:26–27) [emphasis mine]
Reading on, one can see that Jesus equates eating with believing/having faith in “the bread of life” which is Jesus Himself. This “bread” is a different kind of food. It provides sustenance that is supernatural and eternal, rather than sustenance that is physical and temporary.
Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:28–40) [emphasis mine]
It was after Jesus spoke these words that we see His listeners questioning and doubting His claims. He goes on to compare eating His flesh and drinking His blood with having faith in His coming sacrifice, through which all who believe will be saved and have eternal life.
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:47–58) [emphasis mine]
When reading these words in the broader context of Scripture, we understand that Jesus is not speaking of literally eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He is speaking of the sacrifice He will make, and which now has been made, on the cross. The cross is where He offered His body and blood for the salvation of the world. We partake in that sacrifice when we believe in Christ for salvation.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:14–17) [emphasis mine]
Salvation is not obtained by engaging in cannibalism, which is abhorrent to God, and Jesus would never have suggested that. Salvation is gained by having faith in Christ and believing His words about Who He is and what He has accomplished to take away the sins of the world. Jesus states this clearly earlier in John chapter 6 when He clarifies that “the will of the Father” is to believe in the Son, Who is the “bread of life.”
The Jews understood that cannibalism is reprehensible before God, that is why when they took Jesus’ words literally, they were offended, and many turned away.
Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:60–69) [emphasis mine]
These verses are all about faith. “Eating” and “drinking” are illustrations of believing in Jesus Christ, Who He is and the sufficiency of His sacrifice for sin on the cross. His physical body, His flesh and blood were offered on the cross as the only sacrifice that can save us. This is the Gospel.
That is why it is crucial that we discern and understand Jesus’ words correctly. As will be discussed in more detail later, it is most definitely another gospel when the Catholic Church claims that a priest can transform bread and wine into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ to be offered upon an altar as a sacrifice for sin.
The true sacrifice of Christ happened once, on the cross, and it is finished.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:28–30) [emphasis mine]
No one is saved because they eat and drink Eucharistic elements that are purported to have been transformed into Jesus Christ Himself. The Catholic Church teaches that those elements are truly God and that the priest can offer the same sacrifice of Christ again and again. The Bible says otherwise.
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another — He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:24–28) [emphasis mine]
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:11–14)
It is a false claim that Jesus is offered repeatedly on church altars around the world. He is not. Scripture is clear on this point. Jesus is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father, and He will return one day just as He left. Members of the clergy (Catholic or otherwise) do not have the power to bring Jesus down from heaven to offer His sacrifice over and over again. It is unbiblical to suggest that they do. Jesus Himself said not to believe anyone who claims that He has returned because when He does the whole world will see and know.
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.
“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24:23–27) [emphasis mine]
No one should believe the pronouncements of any priest, or anyone else, who states bread and wine contain or become the very, body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. We know from Scripture that Jesus is in heaven and that He will remain there until the appointed time for His return.
This brings us back to the question in the title of this article.
Is transubstantiation another Gospel?
Transubstantiation is another Gospel, and the Bible warns us not to be deceived by such assertions.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6–9) [emphasis mine]
Those are pretty strong words for good reason. A false Gospel cannot save. A false sacrifice cannot save. A false Jesus cannot save.
The Catholic Church, is, according to the Bible, offering a Sacrifice other than the one, true sacrifice Christ offered on the cross. This is despite what the Catechism of the Catholic Church asserts.
“The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: ‘The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.’ ‘In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner.’”2
The fundamental reason transubstantiation must be understood as another gospel is because it calls into question the very nature of the one-time and all-sufficient sacrifice offered by Christ. It is clear from Scripture that only the true sacrifice of Christ can cleanse us from sin and save us. Therefore, partaking in any other sacrifice cannot save.
When the Catholic Church claims in its official writings that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the same sacrifice offered repeatedly on Catholic altars, it refutes the clear teaching of the Bible. The Scriptures clearly state that Christ’s sacrifice was offered once, for all, on Calvary. Furthermore, Christ’s true sacrifice was indeed bloody, for without blood there is no remission of sin.
For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. (Hebrews 9:16–22) [emphasis mine]
The claim that the same sacrifice is now offered continually in an “unbloody manner” makes it a different sacrifice that cannot remit sins and bring salvation. The Bible simply does not allow for such claims to be made about the very nature of Christ’s sacrifice, as profound and meaningful as it may sound to asseverate that in some mystical way Catholic clergy have the authority to make Christ’s one-time sacrifice present on Catholic altars around the world as often as they conduct Mass. Such an “unbloody” sacrifice can never be salvific because it lacks the blood of Christ by which our sins are cleansed. Nor can the “merits” of such a sacrifice be applied to us in such an “unbloody” way. We know from Scripture that only the actual, physical death of Christ, during which His true blood was shed, is meritorious and fully sufficient. Nothing more is required. Nothing less is acceptable.
Additionally, the belief that a “ministry of priests” is needed to offer Christ’s sacrifice to God is unbiblical. We know that Christ is our Great High Priest and has offered Himself for the sins of the world. We have no other mediator, yet the Catholic Church presents many mediators, such as priests, bishops, the pope, saints and Mary.
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14–16)
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus… (1 Timothy 2:5)
The teachings of transubstantiation and the “Real Presence” also contradict many clear verses in the Bible which state that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, from where He will return at the appointed time as righteous Judge.
It is also of no little significance that Catholic doctrine claims that Jesus is a “victim”. According to Scripture, Jesus laid down His life willingly and rose victoriously. He is never referred to as a victim in the inspired word of God. In contrast to incontrovertible Biblical truth, the Catholic Church presents Jesus as a “victim” Who is continuously offered as a sacrifice for sin. The Bible is adamant that Christ’s sacrifice is not ongoing; it is forever complete and has been finished since that day on Calvary.
There are myriad reasons Catholic doctrines and traditions surrounding transubstantiation, the Eucharist and the Real Presence create another Gospel. Simply put, faithful Catholics ultimately put their trust in partaking of bread and wine, which they believe to be Christ Himself, in order to obtain grace and forgiveness of sins. They are taught and believe that salvation is found, at least in part, in this ritual. The truth, according to the Bible, is that salvation is found in Christ alone and in what He alone has done. If people could be saved by a bloodless sacrifice and by eating bread and drinking wine, then their salvation would involve their own effort. The Bible conclusively states that Jesus’ obedience is what makes us righteous. We know that our righteous deeds are filthy rags, according to Scripture.
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18–19) [emphasis mine]
In summary, there is no Biblical defence that can be given for the doctrine of transubstantiation; rather, it comes from a dangerous misinterpretation of Scripture and decades of Catholic tradition. When taken together, along with so many other Catholic doctrines and practices, a false Gospel results through another Jesus and another sacrifice, offered repeatedly, for sin. Salvation can never be found in such a sacrifice. Look to Jesus Christ and the true Gospel found in the inspired word of God.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)
…let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10–12) [emphasis mine]
___________________________________________________________________
References
1 Catholic Church. (2003). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
2 Ibid.
