The Lord's Supper in the Theology of Martin Chemnitz Bjarne - Logia

| The Lord’s Supper
Wittenberg theologians. In 1525 Luther wrote in exasperation against
Carlstadt’s contempt for the consecration:
He [Carlstadt] reviles us with many scornful and jeering words,
asking how we get Christ into the bread and wine, whether He must
strike up the tune we demand, and many similar words of shameful
blasphemy. We can plainly see that they are the words of a thoughtless
spirit or devil, which serve to excite the profligate mob and charm those
who are not much worried about faith and conscience (LW 40, 176).
Tell me when we whisper or breathe upon the bread? Ah, show me!
And where have we ever taught that our whispering and breathing have
improved the bread? Ah. Now, why don’t you answer? All right, I will
take an oath . . . . My reason for it is that Dr. Carlstadt knows that we do
not breathe or whisper over the bread but do speak the divine, almighty,
heavenly, and holy words which Christ Himself spoke at the Supper
with His holy lips and commanded us to speak (LW 40, 211 f; emphasis
added).
182 Chemnitz, Kirchner, and Selneccer, confessing with Luther that
the sacramental presence of the body and blood of Christ is achieved
through the speaking of the powerful words of consecration, record
that in the same year that the Great Confession appeared, Bugenhagen
(Dr. Pomeranus) published his Confession of the Sacrament of the
Body and Blood and Its Institution (HS 125). They write that in the
Preface Bugenhagen said that he wanted to announce what he held
with respect to the consecration, as it is called, that is, how it comes
about and happens that the bread of the Lord is His body and the cup
His blood (HS 125 f.). Since the authors of the Histori are convinced
that Bugenhagen in this book has correctly and clearly explained the
church’s doctrine of the consecration, they simply want to present in
Bugenhagen’s own words the essence of this doctrine for the benefit
of young students (HS 126). 47
183 In Bugenhagen’s words:
Christ says: Do this. Because of this word, we confidently do what
Christ has instituted. We do not trust in our own consecrations and
breathing as they [the Sacramentarians] insultingly hurl at us, but
because of the word of Christ, Do this, that is, we put our trust in the
institution and command of Christ.
Christ did not say, “Take and eat bread, Take and drink wine, but,
Do this, that is, take and eat my body; thus I institute it; thus I wish
it; thus I command. I do not say or command that you make bread my
body, but that you eat that which is now my body. I institute and desire
that in remembrance of my death you eat my body, etc.” (HS 126). 48