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”.