Fridays with the Heidelberg

Lord’s Day 30

80. Q. HOW DOES THE LORD’S SUPPER DIFFER FROM THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS?
A. The Lord’s Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which He Himself finished on the cross once for all. It also declares to us that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ, who with His very body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father where He wants us to worship Him. But the Mass teaches that the living and the dead do not have their sins forgiven through the suffering of Christ unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests. It also teaches that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine where Christ is therefore to be worshiped. Thus the Mass is basically nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and a condemnable idolatry.

81. Q. WHO ARE TO COME TO THE LORD’ TABLE?
A. Those who are displeased with themselves because of their sins, but who nevertheless trust that their sins are pardoned and that their continuing weakness is covered by the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and to lead a better life. Hypocrites and those who are unrepentant, however, eat and drink judgment on themselves.

82. Q. ARE THOSE TO BE ADMITTED TO THE LORD’S SUPPER WHO SHOW BY WHAT THEY SAY AND DO THAT THEY ARE UNBELIEVING AND UNGODLY?
A. No, that would dishonor God’s covenant and bring down God’s anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and His apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives.


Last week we discussed the doctrine of transubstantiation. The HC was helpful in pointing out how this view is filled with error. This week, we are reminded that this error is dangerous on two levels. It is;

1) “A denial of the one sacrifice”
2) “A condemnable idolatry”

The aggressive nature of the language in the answer to Q. 80 has received much criticism. But does it say too much? Does the mass communicate a denial of Christ’s one sacrifice? Are participants in the mass forced to commit idolatry? Let’s briefly examine;

The Scriptures are quite clear about the “once for all” nature of Christ’s atoning sacrifice (Heb. 9:25-26, 10:10). Christ’s last cry from the cross was “It is finished.” It is therefore an offense against the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning sacrifice to think that his sacrifice can be repeated.

It is idolatry in that the bread and wine, which are mistakenly understood to be the actual body and blood of Christ, are worshiped. Let me quote a Roman Catholic, Peter Kreeft, to make this point, “If the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist were not true, this adoration would be the most momentous idolatry: bowing to bread and worshipping wine! And if it is true, then to refuse to adore is equally monstrous.” (Catholic Christianity, 329) This is an important statement in that it articulates that one view is right, the other wrong, and the result of the error is “monstrous”.

Fridays with the Heidelberg

“Heretic”…”Venomous Serpent”

These were two of the labels ungraciously bestowed on John Wycliffe by his opponents. One of the primary issues said opponents took with Wycliffe can be summed up by his belief that “the bread is bread.” Regarding the Lord’s Supper, Wycliffe was an outspoken opponent of the Roman Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation.

Transubstantiation refers to the belief that during the mass, at the moment that the priest says, “this is my body,” the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ. In that Christ is being offered up as a sacrifice every time that the mass is celebrated, the sufficiency of Christ is undermined by this dangerous belief.

We are told in Heb. 9:25-28,
Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

This is no trivial issue. In that the work of Christ is at stake, the gospel is at stake. Today’s reading in the Catechism helps explain away transubstantiation by appealing to the symbolic nature of communion.

Enjoy.

Lord’s Day 29

Q. 78 – ARE THE BREAD AND WINE CHANGED INTO THE REAL BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST?
A. No. Just as the water of baptism is not changed into Christ’s blood and does not itself wash away sins but is simply God’s sign and assurance, so too the bread of the Lord’s Supper is not changed into the actual body of Christ even though it is called the body of Christ in keeping with the nature and language of sacraments.

Q. 79. – WHY THEN DOES CHRIST CALL THE BREAD HIS BODY AND THE CUP HIS BLOOD, OR THE NEW COVENANT IN HIS BLOOD? (PAUL USES THE WORDS, A PARTICIPATION IN CHRIST’S BODY AND BLOOD.)
A. Christ has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that as bread and wine nourish our temporal life, so too His crucified body and poured out blood truly nourish our souls for eternal life. But more important, He wants to assure us, by this visible sign and pledge, that we, through the Holy Spirit’s work, share in His true body and blood as surely as our mouths receive these holy signs in His remembrance, and that all of His suffering and obedience are as definitely ours as if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins.

Fridays with the Heidelberg

1 Cor. 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

1 Cor. 10:16-17

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.


Beginning with Lord's Day 28, the Heidelberg spends three weeks discussing the importance of the Lord's Supper. Today we read of how communion reminds and assures us of what Christ has accomplished for our good and His glory in His sacrificial death.

The ordinances, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are the two divine instituted “visual aids” to the gospel. They help us to “understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and put His seal on that promise. (A.66)” Communion particularly helps remind and assure us of our identity in Christ.

When we as believers partake of communion, just as surely as we know that there is broken bread and a cup in front of us, we are equally assured of God’s gospel provision in our lives.

Lord’s Day 28

75. Q. HOW DOES THE LORD’S SUPPER REMIND YOU AND ASSURE YOU THAT YOU SHARE IN CHRIST’S ONE SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS AND IN ALL HIS GIFTS?

A. In this way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat this broken bread and to drink this cup. With this command He gave this promise: First, as surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup given to me, so surely His body was offered and broken for me and His blood poured out for me on the cross. Second, as surely as I receive from the hand of the one who serves, and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, given me as sure signs of Christ’s body and blood, so surely He nourishes and refreshes my soul for eternal life with His crucified body and poured-out blood.

76. Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO EAT THE CRUCIFIED BODY OF CHRIST AND TO DRINK HIS POURED-OUT BLOOD?

A. It means to accept with a believing heart the entire suffering and death of Christ and by believing to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. But it means more. Through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us, we are united more and more to Christ’s blessed body. And so, although He is in heaven and we are on earth, we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. And we forever live on and are governed by one Spirit, as members of our body are by one soul.

77. Q. WHERE DOES CHRIST PROMISE TO NOURISH AND REFRESH BELIEVERS WITH HIS BODY AND BLOOD AS SURELY AS THEY EAT THIS BROKEN BREAD AND DRINK THIS CUP?

A. [The Catechism quotes from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 and 1 Corinthians 10:16-17.]

A D3 highlight

I am so grateful that our youth group was able to attend the D3 Youth Conference again this summer. The organizers are serious about everything they do! Whether it is the time in the Word, the music, the activities, the games, they take it seriously.

A variety of thoughts remain in my mind from the trip, but I thought that I might provide a general outline of the final message that our group heard. It was delivered by Dr. Albert Mohler, the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and it was rich. He dealt with The Will of God and began by exposing two of the popular misguided ideas that we as Christians often have regarding this subject.
1 – God’s Will as Mystery
2 – God’s Will as Inconvenient
Mystery in that we are prone to viewing God’s will as a treasure that is hidden from us and we are on a quest to find it. Inconvenient in that many fear that if we know God’s will, we will not like it.

He brought clarity to the issue by bringing us to Rom. 12:1-2 and suggesting that we find the will of God by doing it. Doing the will of God by not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewal of our minds.

Then to wrap the subject matter up, he provided 15 points! 15 statements regarding God’s will. It is God’s will;

1 – for your life that you were born
2 – that you will die
3 – that you will grow
4 – that you are made male and female
5 – that you believe in Christ
6 – that you follow Jesus Christ as your Savior
7 – that you trust and obey His Word
8 – that you obey all authorities
9 – that you be married
10 – that married couples ought to have children
11 – that you develop and exercise God’s gifts to serve in the church
12 – that you are highly invested and actively involved in the Local Church
13 – that you lead
14 – that you share the gospel
15 – that you do everything for the glory of God

The best comments occurred during points 9 and 10. He dealt with the gift of singleness, called for the elimination of “guys” from our vocabulary, and encouraged all towards maturity in Christ.

Peaked your interest? Ask your kids about this session.

Fridays with the Heidelberg

Lord’s Day 27

72. Q. DOES THIS OUTWARD WASHING WITH WATER ITSELF WASH AWAY SINS?

A. No, only Jesus Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins.

73. Q. WHY THEN DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT CALL BAPTISM THE WASHING OF REBIRTH AND THE WASHING AWAY OF SINS?

A. God has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ wash away sins just as water washes away dirt from our bodies. But more important, He wants to assure us, by this divine pledge and sign, that the washing away of our sins spiritually is as real as physical washing with water.

74. Q. SHOULD INFANTS, TOO, BE BAPTIZED?

A. Yes. Infants as well as adults are in God’s covenant and are His people. They, no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Therefore, by baptism, the mark of covenant, infants should be received into the Christian church and should be distinguished from the children of unbelievers. This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, which was replaced in the New Testament by baptism.

Ben was kind enough to cover for me these past few weeks while I was away. His comments regarding the importance of both communion and baptism will be fundamentally helpful this week as we consider a controversial issue.

The writers of the Heidelberg affirmed “infant baptism.” The answer to Q. 74 can be summarized in three points; 1) infants should be baptized, 2)that through such “baptism” these infants should be received into the church, and 3)that circumcision in the Old Testament was replaced by baptism in the New Testament.

I disagree with all three of these points. First, nowhere in Scripture do you find any instruction or reference to infant baptism. Scripture communicates that baptism is for those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. While adherents of infant baptism, Paedobaptists, acknowledge that there is no reference to infant baptism in Scripture, they point out that nowhere in Scripture is it forbidden. I once heard John MacArthur point out how dangerous this type of interpretation is, for you would be able to bring in all sorts of errors.

Secondly, the New Testament identifies the church as the called out ones, the body of Christ, saints, believers, etc. The Heidelberg already described the church as “a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith.” Paedobaptists confuse this greatly by receiving infants into the church.

Thirdly, does baptism represent in the N.T. what circumcision did in the O.T.? Acts 15:1-29 will help us arrive at an answer. In this text, you have Paul and Barnabas debating some false teachers who are adding works to the gospel. They were saying that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Through various speeches and a letter from the apostles, they address the issue of circumcision, and nothing is mentioned of baptism. Matt Waymeyer, in his book A Biblical Critique of Infant Baptism points out that this would be a great place to communicate to the church how baptism replaces circumcision, but like everywhere else in the New Testament, nothing is said in regards to such a replacement.

There are other arguments for and against infant baptism, but my goal has been to keep these posts rather brief. So I will close with what Ben previously reminded us, with one additional word in light of this week’s discussion. Believers “baptism is important! The waters of baptism remind the believer, and testify to the non-believer, that salvation is by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.”