Roman Catholicism has within her ranks cardinals, bishops and priests, some of which are scholars in both the ancient Greek and Hebrew languages. Many of these men are highly intelligent, not easily fooled, one would think, but many tend to forget the awesome deceiving power of Satan the devil. They also fail to consider that Satan’s intelligence is super-human. Albert Einstein was no match for him. The same could be said for Carl Sagan or Stephen Hawking. And the same could be said for any Roman Catholic cardinal, bishop or priest.
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke 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 you all of it, for this is my blood of the new testament (covenant), which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (See Matthew 26:26-28).
Roman Catholicism bases its’ whole religious system on a misinterpretation of those three verses of scripture! They adamantly teach that in those verses Jesus pronounces the first priestly blessing that mysteriously changes the bread and wine into His body and blood. The absolute folly of such a conclusion is proved by this one simple observation: Jesus was literally still standing there before them before, during and after they had partaken of the bread and the wine. He was not changed into some liquid and bread. His flesh was still on His bones and His blood was still in His veins. He had not vanished away to reappear miraculously in the form of a piece of bread or a cup of wine!
Jesus was not the first in the Bible to claim figuratively that a glass of liquid was “blood.” There was an instance when King David’s friends heard him express a strong desire for water from the well of Bethlehem. In spite of extreme danger, these men broke through the enemy lines of the Philistines and brought the water to him. When David found out these men had risked their lives in this way he refused to drink the water, exclaiming, “Is not this the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” (See 2 Samuel 23:17).
Throughout the gospel accounts we find similar metaphorical language. Jesus refers to Himself as “the Door,” “the Light,” “the Root,” “the Rock,” etc., as well as “the Bread.” The passage in Matthew 26 is written with such common language that it is plain to any observant reader that the Lord’s Supper was intended primarily as a memorial only and, in no sense, a sacrifice. “Do this IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME,” Jesus said. (See Luke 22:19).
The epistle to the Hebrews speaks of the “once for all” sacrifice of Christ on the cross, NOT a daily sacrifice on a Roman Catholic church altar. The Bible repeatedly affirms in the clearest and most positive terms that Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary was complete in that one offering. And that it was never to be repeated is set forth explicitly in Hebrews chapters 7, 9 and 10.
“(Jesus) needs not daily, as those (Jewish) high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people’s, for this he did ONCE, when He offered up Himself” (See Hebrews 7:27). Yet Roman Catholicism says the celebration of the mass IS a daily sacrifice for sins!!! “By His own blood He entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (See Hebrews 9:12). “Nor yet that He should offer Himself often…but now ONCE in the end of the world has He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself….so Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many” (See Hebrews 9:26-28). “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL….but this man, after He had offered ONE SACRIFICE for the sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God….for by ONE OFFERING He has perfected forever them that are sanctified” (See Hebrews 10:10-14).
Notice that throughout these verses occurs the statement “once for all” which shows how perfect, complete and FINAL Jesus’ sacrifice was! His work on the cross constituted one historic event which need never be repeated and which, in fact, cannot be repeated. As Paul says, “Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more” (See Romans 6:9). Any pretense of a continuous daily offering for sins, i.e., the mass, is worse than vain. It is blasphemy and true fulfillment of the scripture, “seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame” (See Hebrews 6:6).
Yet daily, around the world, millions of professing Christians take part in this blasphemous ritual thinking that what they do is pleasing to God! Folks, Satan’s deceiving power is formidable. It isn’t just the Sabbath he has tainted and attempted to nullify. He has done the same with Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary. You are no match for him. Without a total and continual submission to Jesus Christ, I assure you Satan will deceive you big time. Doubt me on that and do so at your own risk and peril.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley