Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Who started transubstantiation? I think it was Simon the Magician, of Acts 8. He was a sorcerer, just the type of person to perform a magic trick. First-century documents put him in Rome, in front of Nero, performing magic tricks.
don't think anybody "invented" it. the word is a term describing (not explaining) the Catholic (also Eastern Orthodox and some Anglicans) belief that the bread and wine in the communion service are changed (transformed from one substance to another--hence "transubstantiation") by the power of God in to the real body and blood of Jesus (AKA the "real/objective presence"). this follows on the literal interpretation of John 6: 53-56:
"Let me solemnly assure you if you do not eat the body of the Son of Man and drink His blood you have no life in you.
"he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. for my flesh is true food and blood is true drink. he eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in Me and I abide in him." (FWIW, the "eat" is apparently rendered in the original texts as literally "chew").
Catholics (and Eastern Orthodox though they do not use the term) believe that Jesus meant this very literally and apparently his listeners also took him literally because they regarded it as a "hard saying" and many left him because they couldn't believe it---and he didn't try to bring them back
by saying that he meant something more subtle.
if Christians can believe in the virgin birth, or water changed into wine, Jesus walking on the water, the dead being raised, and a crucified man coming back to life---one more miracle should not be that much more to swallow.
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 03-14-2015 at 04:24 PM..
Reason: more info.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
