THE LORD’S SUPPER IN AUGUSTINE AND CHEMNITZ A Comparison of Two Fathers of the Church BY GAYLIN R. SCHMELING Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Nashotah House in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SACRED THEOLOGY April 1993 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS CHAPTER Page I. Augustine and the Lord’s Supper.........................................................................................................................1 A. The Life of Augustine of Hippo (354-430) ...........................................................................................1 1. Augustine’s Early Life and Conversion..................................................................................1 2. Augustine’s Struggle Against Manichaeism..........................................................................1 3. Augustine’s Struggle Against Donatism ................................................................................2 4. Augustine’s Struggle Against Pelagianism............................................................................2 5. Augustine the Bishop and Pastor ............................................................................................3 B. The Background and Foundation for the Lord’s Supper ...................................................................3 1. The Old Testament and the Sacraments .................................................................................3 2. The Biblical Basis for the Sacrament........................................................................................4 3. The Form of the Eucharistic Liturgy .......................................................................................5 C. The Essence of the Lord’s Supper ........................................................................................................6 1. Augustine’s Figurative Concept of the Sacrament................................................................6 2. Augustine’s Realistic Concept of the Sacrament ...................................................................8 D. The Effectual Cause of the Lord’s Supper ...........................................................................................9 1. The Eucharistic Prayer and the Sacrament.............................................................................9 2. The Consecration and the Sacrament......................................................................................9 E. The Adoration of the Lord’s Supper ...................................................................................................10 F. The Sacrifice and the Lord’s Supper....................................................................................................11 1. The Commemoration of the Sacrifice of the Cross..............................................................11 2. The Ecclesial Concept of Eucharistic Sacrifice .....................................................................13 3. The Sacrifice and Those Who Died in the Lord ...................................................................15 G.The Proper Preparation for the Lord’s Supper...................................................................................15 H. The Blessings of the Lord’s Supper ....................................................................................................16 1. The Sacrament as the Forgiveness of Sins ............................................................................16 2. The Sacrament as Life-Giving Nourishment and Salvation...............................................18 3. The Sacrament as the Bond of Unity .....................................................................................19 II. Chemnitz and the Lord’s Supper.......................................................................................................................22 A. The Life of Martin Chemnitz (1522–1586), the Superintendent of Braunschweig .......................22 1. Chemnitz’ Early Life................................................................................................................22 2. Chemnitz the Librarian at Koenigsberg................................................................................22 3. Chemnitz the Superintendent ................................................................................................23 4. Chemnitz the Theologian and Concordist............................................................................23 B. The Biblical Foundation of the Lord’s Supper...................................................................................24 1. The Words of Institution are the Proper Foundation for the Supper ...............................24 2. The Words of Institution are Christ’s Last Will and Testament........................................26 3. Other Scriptural Testimony ....................................................................................................26 C. The Essence of the Lord’s Supper .......................................................................................................28 1. The Earthly and Heavenly Elements in the Sacrament ......................................................28 2. The Connection Between the Earthly and Heavenly Elements in the Sacrament...........29 D. The Effectual Cause of the Lord’s Supper .........................................................................................31 1. The Consecration and the Sacrament....................................................................................31 2. The Sacramental Action Must Remain a Unit......................................................................32 3. The Moment of the Presence in the Sacrament....................................................................33 4. The Reservation of the Sacrament and the Reliquiae..........................................................34 E. The Adoration of the Lord’s Supper ...................................................................................................35 1. The Spiritual Adoration of the Sacrament............................................................................35 2. Outward Forms of Adoration ................................................................................................36 F. The Sacrifice and the Lord’s Supper....................................................................................................36 1. The Forms of Eucharistic Sacrifice Acceptable to Chemnitz..............................................36 2. The Forms of Eucharistic Sacrifice Unacceptable to Chemnitz .........................................37 G. The Proper Preparation for the Lord’s Supper..................................................................................39 H. The Blessings of the Lord’s Supper ....................................................................................................39 1. The Sacrament and the Forgiveness of Sins .........................................................................39 2. The Sacrament and the Faith-life ...........................................................................................40 3. The Sacrament and Salvation .................................................................................................42 III. A Comparison of These Two Fathers ..............................................................................................................44 A. The Essence of the Lord’s Supper ......................................................................................................44 1. The Connection Between Sign and Reality...........................................................................44 2. The Real Presence of Christ’s Body and Blood ....................................................................46 B. The Effectual Cause of the Lord’s Supper ..........................................................................................47 1. The Eucharistic Prayer and the Sacrament...........................................................................47 2. The Consecration and the Sacrament....................................................................................48 3. The Moment of the Presence in the Sacrament....................................................................50 C. The Adoration and Reservation of the Lord’s Supper .....................................................................51 D. The Sacrifice and the Lord’s Supper...................................................................................................52 1. The Commemoration of the Sacrifice of the Cross..............................................................52 2. The Ecclesial Concept of Eucharistic Sacrifice .....................................................................56 3. The Sacrifice and Those Who Died in the Lord ...................................................................58 E. Proper Preparation for the Lord’s Supper..........................................................................................58 1. Worthy Participation and the Sacrament..............................................................................58 2. Altar Fellowship and the Sacrament .....................................................................................59 F. The Blessings of the Lord’s Supper .....................................................................................................59 1. The Sacrament as the Forgiveness of Sins ............................................................................60