Transubstantiation

15.  TRANSUBSTANTIATION

QUESTION?  Does the Bread and Wine become the actual body and blood of Christ?

The Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine actually becomes the body and blood of Christ. 

The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation (CCC, 1376).

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What does the Bible say...

First, the idea of this violates Levitical law. 

"For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off," (Lev. 17:14).

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Second, the Lord's supper was instituted before the crucifixion.  how can this be since Jesus instituted the Supper before He was crucified?  Are we to conclude that at the Last Supper, when they were all at the table, that when Jesus broke the bread, it actually became His sacrificial body--even though the sacrifice had not yet happened?  Likewise are we to conclude that when Jesus gave the wine, that it became His actual sacrificial blood - even though the sacrifice had not yet happened?  That would make no sense at all.

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Third, any time Jesus did a miracle, there was evidence that the miracle actually took place.  For example; when Jesus turned Water to wine, it actually became wine.  When Jesus healed the sick, they actually got healed.  If a miracle actually takes place, then the bread and wine would actually become the body and blood of Christ. 

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Forth, Jesus used many figures of speech.  He said, I am the vine, you are the branches.  This didn't mean we are the literal branches. 

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Fifth, God didn't give any specific group the ability to handle the bread and wine. 

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What's important to know, is that the rules of communion for Catholics have changed repeatedly since becoming official doctrine in 1215 AD.