Why We Do Not Believe in Transubstantiation

The reasons we do not believe in transubstantiation are simple, but take some time to explain. First of all we look to our Hebraic roots for full understanding of the scriptures. We begin with Jesus’ words in Matt 5.17: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

This is our Lord himself speaking. He is the living word (logos) and he is the living Torah. He has come to fulfill all. Now we look at the law or Torah:

Lev 7.26-27: Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

Deut 12.23: Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

Keeping this in mind our next rule is to allow the Bible to interpret itself. This is the way the apostles taught. Let the scriptures explain the symbols therein. Try to let God speak and not determine for yourself, but rather let the word explain itself.

Now if one takes the time to read through Leviticus and Deuteronomy we see many, many other explanations of the blood and blood sacrifices--these all point to what Jesus death on the cross for our sin meant. These two O.T. books are shadows of Jesus’ life and sacrifice for our sins--He is our sacrifice. Having said that, it would be impossible for Jesus (Yeshua) to violate the Torah if he himself said he has come to fulfill it, not destroy it.

A quick sample of how the Jews thought in Jesus’ day is in the story of Nicodemus in John 3: The text refers to Nicodemus as being a Pharisee. The Pharisees had fundamental beliefs that were different from other groups in Judaism, just as a Baptist and a Lutheran would have in our day. The Pharisee’s believed if you were born a Jew you had an automatic right to enter the Kingdom of God when the Messiah came. A Gentile, in their belief, did not have these rights. In fact, Jesus was going to show them that their fundamental belief in automatic acceptance into the kingdom was false. This is key.

A Gentile had two options to believe in Judaism. 1. Obey the seven laws of the Covenant of Noah and be partially accepted or 2. Accept Mosaic law (includes circumcision) and become a total convert. A Jew only had to be born a Jew and, in the Pharisee’s belief, become eligible for the kingdom. A Rabbinic belief of the time had Abraham sitting at the gate of hell waiting for any Jew who slipped through to hell by accident, he would snatch them from doom.

Now, to be born or converted to Judaism, required baptism by total immersion. This was being “born by water” in the Jewish faith. Jesus told Nicodemus that a man must be born again to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus understood the term born again as it relates to Judaism--and did not understand how he could be born again as an old man. He had already achieved “born again” status in the faith--he was confused.


SIX WAYS TO BE BORN AGAIN AS A JEW

1. Gentile conversion to Judaism--Nicodemus was already a Jew.

2. To be crowned as a king. Only Davidic kings qualified. There were no kings at this time.

3. Bar Mitzvah--not a term in those days but rather become “A son of the Commandment”. The boy would take on the responsibility of the Mosaic law. There had to be ten adults present at ceremony. Boy became an adult afterwards.

4. To marry--Declared born again at the marriage ceremony under the canopy. Nicodemus was married. He was a Master of Israel, a teacher at a school of the Sanhedrin, so he would have been married.

5. To be ordained as a Rabbi (took place at the age of 30).

6. To become a Rosh Yeshiva--head of a Rabbinic school, which Nicodemus was.

These were all the ways to be “born again” in that day. There were no other ways. “How can I be born again as an old man?”--I can’t qualify any other way. Jesus tells him a man must be born of both water and the spirit to see, and then enter the kingdom. Jesus was telling him he didn’t qualify on the basis of being a Jew (baptized) only, but that there was more.

Merely being born a Jew, Jesus was saying, did not qualify one for the kingdom. One must be born again both physically and spiritually. To be born of the flesh, verse 6, is not enough. Flesh and blood does not inherit the kingdom of God--there must be spiritual regeneration--this is what Nicodemus lacked. How is one born spiritually? In verse 14 we see. The first step God does--the atonement for sin. The second step man must do--accept, believe, and receive what God has provided by and through His Son. This is the two parts of John 3.16.

Until Nicodemus accepts Jesus as the Messiah King he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. This was opposite of his Pharisee fundamentalism. He had to wrestle with this until he understood. This is a giant struggle for all Jews today.

Now prior to Jesus discussion in John 6.30-71 we see Jesus feeding 5,000 with loaves and fishes. Then the next day he has the discussion about eating his flesh and drinking his blood after he tells them they are seeking miracles and signs. In John 6.26-27 he tells them to labor for the meat which endures unto everlasting life, not the meat that perishes (which the 5000 just ate). Now the people want another sign, they are refusing to believe on him. So Yeshua is now going to chastise them for their unbelief. (They are constantly seeking signs, not believing, now he is going to really challenge them.)

This is when he tells them they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. The same crowd that had eaten the loaves and fishes and been healed, leave in disgust on learning that Jesus is the Bread of Life and not a political Messiah. Jesus now offers them a new form of life--in parabolic terms so they do not understand. He offers them four things: 1. Eternal life. 2. A heavenly life. 3. A satisfying life. 4. Resurrection life.

The people ask what they have to do to work the works of God? What signs does Jesus have for them? They had the bread from heaven as a sign. They had this bread in the wilderness from Moses. Jesus tells them the manna came from God the Father--not Moses. “I am the bread of life,” He tells them. They don’t understand how they can eat Jesus’ flesh. They did not understand the spiritual aspect of this because He was speaking to them in parables. Jesus is not talking about communion here--but that they must believe in Him to sustain life--He is not talking about the unleavened bread of Passover. The work of God is believing in Him--faith in Jesus--and exercising that faith.

Jesus now tells them to eat His flesh and drink His blood. They are to appropriate Him unto themselves--this is eternal life. The physical act goes against the Torah that forbids the drinking of blood. They do not understand--many disciples now turn away from following Him. The apostles, however, now reaffirm their faith in Jesus--except for Judas. For Judas, this is where his apostasy is beginning. His road to betrayal is now beginning with this message of the Bread of Life. Jesus cannot violate Torah, but this discourse has severely challenged those who understand Torah--they walk away. This is a test. Jesus purposely does not explain--He does this all the time. He lets us go home and wrestle with truth that is difficult to understand--He doesn't explain it right away.

Now we again look to the Bible to interpret: Matt 13.10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (6.9), which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive…” We see that this is Yeshua’s style of speaking. He is not going to explain this to his disciple’s until the Passover covenant meal (the last supper).

The Bible continues to interpret itself in Matt 26.26-29: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. and he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Jesus has explained in simple language that this is all about covenant, his blood shed for remission of sin, and walking it out in our lives through and with him. It was symbolic. At the end he says he is not going to drink of this fruit of the vine until he drinks it with them in the Kingdom. It is done in remembrance.

In Luke 22.15-20 Jesus says the same thing. We will just look at vv 19-20: And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Jesus has come to fulfill the Torah (law) so he would not have us drinking blood out of a cup of what was a pagan ritual to Jews. Jesus himself has come to fulfill--in his own words. This last supper is a covenant meal in which Jesus is explaining what his death means and now they will have a way to remember this for all eternity. In Hebraic thought there is no mystery here. It is a symbolic gesture done to bring us to remembrance. Don't complicate a simple truth, please!

As the Bible continues to interpret itself look at 1 Corinthians 10:14-21: Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

Paul is discussing the pagan ritual of drinking blood. This is violation of Torah as we have shown above. The communion he is speaking about is the body of Christ or the believers in Christ. We are many but are one body--the body of Christ. He is not speaking about transubstantiation, but the believers as the body of Christ and that they are not to eat at pagan tables or the tables of demons. Carry forward Acts 15.1-31 focus on v 29: That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

As for the commentary in 1 Corinthians 12.18-34 Paul is speaking about how some come in drunk and drink too much of the cup and are shaming the Lord in this behavior. In vv 23-34 he is speaking to their poor behavior and that we should examine ourselves and our relationships with our brothers before partaking of the bread and wine. In vv 26-28 this is summed up: For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew(remember) the Lord's death till he come.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

When we look at all these verses and the ones above in the Hebraic perspective we begin to see their true, yet simple meaning. The early church was started by a Torah observant orthodox Jew, Jesus Christ. All of the early leaders and writers of the New Testament were Jewish except perhaps Luke. The New Testament is commentary on the Old and is explained to new believers in Christ so that they understand the foundation of their faith in Christ. As time passed the gentiles began to take over the church as Jews refused to believe and the church drifted from her Hebraic roots. That in itself is another long discussion based on true history.

We do not believe in transubstantiation and many other things in the mainstream church, both Protestant and Catholic. It is essential to understand the Hebraic roots of our faith to begin understanding what Jesus meant.