I as a Roman Catholic would be happy to give you direct quotes and web liniks quoting from Justin Martyr writing around AD 155 on an understanding of the Eucharist as well as from Ignatius of Antioch, who died in AD 110 and a disciple of Peter and Paul on the subject. As this is an LDS site, and I am a minority here-my purpose is not to defend the "Catholic" faith. I respect the guidelines of this site and that it's members are largely of the LDS faith tradition.
I am here to learn about the LDS church-but my point is that an understanding on the Eucharist/Lord's Supper is one of a difference of how one views The Lord's Supper and what is and what is not a "sacrament" and the term "sacrament." defined. Different religious traditions define them differently based on their religious faith traditions.
-Carol
Quote:
Originally Posted by Islander
Well, I was referring to the first 200 years or so of Christianity. We have the apostolic epistles and just a few other text from the first and second century. The Sacrament as we know it today did not seem to exist. Still by 301 AD, even when Christianity was not a "religio licita" or legally recognized/authorized religion at the seat of the empire, it appears that the sacrament was symbolic rather than literal as it appears to be taken sometime later.
I suggest that for the uninitiated, without any religious training and free from the theological interpretations of late, the commandment to "eat and drink" is taken as a symbolic gesture of the covenant and in remembrance of the Savior.
The above is simply an observation based on the sources and also to illustrate that over time given the evolution of Christianity it has come to mean different things to different people.
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