WCF 29.1

Westminster Confession of Faith

29.1. Of the Lord’s Supper

Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto Him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His mystical body.

Proof texts

For discussion

  1. The Assembly cited 1 Cor. 11:23, 24, 25, 26 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
  2. 3 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
  3. WSC Q96 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
  4. WLC Q168 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q96 · WLC Q168 · WLC Q170 · WLC Q149 · WSC Q88 · BC 8.1 · BC 8.2 · BC 8.3 · HC Q65 · 1689 28.1 · SD 28.1 · IAR 7.1 · SC60 6.1 · SC60 6.2 · SC60 6.3 · SC60 6.4 · SC60 6.5 · SHC 6.1 · SHC 6.2 · IAR 8.1 · SC60 7.1 · SC60 7.2 · SC60 7.3 · SHC 7.1 · SHC 7.2 · SHC 7.3

Leader's notes

A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): This Section teaches us — (a.) Of the time in which, and the person by whom, the Lord's Sapper was instituted. (6.) Of its perpetual obligation, (c.) Of its design and effect. 1st. Of the fact that it was instituted by our Lord in person on the night in which he was betrayed there can be no doubt. The fact is explicitly declared by three of the evangelists (Matt. xxvi. 26, 29; Mark xiv. 22-25; Luke xxii. 19, 20) and by Paul (1 Cor. xi. 23, 25), and it remains to this day a monument of the truth of the gospel history with which it is associated. 2d. That it was designed to be observed perpetually to the end of…

An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): In these sections certain dangerous errors and superstitious practices of the Church of Home are condemned ; and we have placed all these sections together, that we may include the leading error, called transubstantiation, which has given rise to the absurd doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass, and the various other tenets and practices here rejected. I. The Church of Rome holds that the words, " This is my body," and, " This is my blood," are to be understood in their most literal sense; and that the priest, by pronouncing these words, with a good intention, changes the substance of the bread and wine into the real body and blood of Jesus Christ; which change is known by…