Martin Luther's Table Talks on the Lord's Supper

Martin Luther was a much-needed voice in the Reformation. His personality was sincere, and yet, abrasive. He dealt with a Catholic Church that had departed from the Scriptures alone for hundreds of years. After having been converted, he desired to reform the Catholic Church; whenever its leaders refused, demanding he recant, he rebelled for his conscience was held captive to the Word of God. God used this man in a mighty way; and many of us writing today are in his debt.

Luther was definitely unashamed of God's Word and His Gospel. In his book Table Talks, he examines various biblical truths and how the papistry had departed from them. Today, we're examining his article "Of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper".

Luther begins his article by coming against the blindness of the Catholic priests. They basically argued that the church formed the canon, instead of the fact that the canon formed the church. Due to their belief in the authority of themselves above the Scriptures, the Catholic Church could indeed "alter and do what she pleases." In this instance of exercising their perceived autonomy, they were withholding the partaking of the Lord's Table from the laity of the church. In other words, only the priests were able to partake, because they received it after having fasted. Luther, arguing from the premise of the Scripture's authority over the church, purported that fasting doesn't make an individual more or less worthy to partake in the Lord's Supper because fasting wasn't commanded by the Scriptures. Luther, however, recommended fasting beforehand out of reverence and honor; but, wouldn't refuse the laity participation as if he had authority to do so over something he, not the Scriptures, commanded.

Luther continued his argument attacking the so-called authority of the Catholic Church to alter the Scriptural commands concerning the Lord's Supper. The Catholic Church believed themselves to carry apostolic authority. Luther referred to them as only Bishops, selected by men, not ordained with the authority of New Testament Apostles by Christ Himself. Furthermore, the Apostles were all equal, and there was no higher authority; and miracles validated their authority. Luther finished this argument by saying that the positions of authority in the church must be defined by Scripture, and their biblical definitions cannot be added to or taken away.

Luther continued his argument by accusing the Catholic Church of idolatry. They had exalted the Lord's Supper to such a point that they believed the bread and wine, though keeping their form, smell, and taste, actually lost their substance and tangibly became the blood and body of Christ. This was known as transubstantiation. Luther then used a little humor referring to his earlier days as a priest when he had difficulty making the common crossings with his fingers as he administered the Lord's Supper. He called this tradition an "apish toy", which was only one of many that the Catholic Church had adopted by adding to the Scriptures.

Luther finishes his article by clearly explaining the purpose of the Lord's Supper as ordained by Christ and His Word. The substance is bread and wine, not the tangible blood and body of Jesus; but this bread and wine does prefigure His blood and body. The sacrament should be received by faith; and observing it serves the same purpose today as it did to the Apostles; namely, that it strengthens the faith of Christians, and reminds them and shows all that they're ever-dependant upon the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. He then argues that there was some form of grace given the Apostles as they observed the Lord's Supper, and this grace is still administered to believers who partake of the Lord's Supper today. Those who reject the biblical drama of the Lord's Supper have no Lord's Supper; and he finally argued that the Catholic Church erred greatly in believing that partaking of the Lord's Supper justifies.

In conclusion, Luther's article is scathing; however, it took a man with his type of personality to come against an unapologetic and often unmerciful Catholic Church which ruled and judged entire nations. His final remark is no exception to his anger, for he says if Christ's words, "Drink ye all of it" are to His Apostles in the New Testament, then it's also to the "apostles" or priests of the Catholic Church; furthermore, if this is to them, then so is Christ's words, "Ye are clean, but not all." This last sentence in this article questioned the salvation of all the priests of the Catholic Church; and thus, of the Pope himself! Luther feared Christ more than death. Christians today would do well to adopt Luther's zeal, theological rigor, and passion for the glory of God through properly teaching, preaching, and carrying out God's Holy Word.