A Church History Series: Early Church Fathers - In Their Own Words: Eucharist

Eucharist: Real Presence, Covenant, and the Faith of the Ancient Church

From the earliest days of Christianity, the Eucharist has stood at the very center of Christian worship. Far from being merely symbolic, the historic Christian faith has consistently affirmed the Real Presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper—that Christ is truly and substantially present in, with, and under the bread and wine. This is not metaphor, not poetry, and not psychological symbolism. It is sacrament: God acting through created means to give His people sanctifying grace.

Only in the last few centuries did some groups begin treating the Eucharist as symbolic only.

Read The Early Church Fathers in Their Own Words:

***Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist***

Ignatius of Antioch (Taught by John and Paul. 2nd Bishop at Antioch (successor of Peter))

I have no taste for corruptible food, not for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God…which is the flesh of Jesus Christ…

(Letter to the Romans [A.D. 110])

Ignatius of Antioch (Taught by John and Paul. 2nd Bishop at Antioch (successor of Peter))

They [who are of a different opinion] abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ…It is fitting, therefore, that you should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved. But avoid all divisions, as the beginning of evils.

(Letter to the Smyrnaeans [A.D. 110])

Justin Martyr

As we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer [Christ’s words of institution] set down by him…is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.

(First Apology [A.D. 155])

Irenaeus (Taught by Polycarp, who was taught by John)

If the Lord were from other than the Father, how could he rightly take bread, which is of the same creation as our own, and confess it to be his body and affirm that the mixture in the cup is his blood?

(Against Heresies [A.D. 189])

Clement of Alexandria

‘Eat my flesh,’ [Jesus] says, ‘and drink my blood.’ The Lord supplies us with these intimate nutrients. He delivers over his flesh and pours out his blood, and nothing is lacking for the growth of his children.

(The Instructor [A.D. 202])

Origen of Alexandria

Formerly, in an obscure way, there was manna for food; now, however, in full view, there is the true food, the flesh of the Word of God, as he himself says: ‘My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink’.

(Homilies on Numbers [A.D. 248])

Cyril of Jerusalem

The bread and the wine of the Eucharist before the holy invocation of the adorable Trinity were simple bread and wine, but the invocation having been made, the bread becomes the body of Christ and the wine the blood of Christ.

(Catechetical Lectures [A.D. 350])

Augustine of Hippo

What you see is the bread and the chalice, that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that the bread is the body of Christ and the chalice is the blood of Christ.

(Sermons [A.D. 411])

Theodore of Mopsuestia

When [Christ] gave the bread he did not say, ‘This is the symbol of my body,’ but, ‘This is my body’.

(Catechetical Homilies [A.D. 405])

Cyprian of Carthage

He [Paul] threatens, moreover, the stubborn and forward, and denounces them, saying, ‘Whosoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord’ [1 Cor 11:27]…violence is done to his body and blood; and they sin now against their Lord more with their hand and mouth then when they denied their Lord.

(The Lapsed [A.D. 251])

Cyril of Jerusalem

Do not, therefore, regard the bread and wine as simply that; for they are, according to the Master’s declaration, the body and blood of Christ. Even though the senses suggest to you the other, let faith make you firm. Do not judge in this matter by taste, but be fully assured by the faith…

(Catechetical Lectures [A.D. 350])

Gregory of Nysa

The bread again is at first common bread, but when the sacramental action consecrates it, it is called, and becomes, the Body of Christ.

(On the Baptism of Christ [A.D. 395])

Hilary of Poitiers

As to the verity of the flesh and blood there is no room left for doubt. For now both from the declaration of the Lord Himself and our own faith, it is verily flesh and verily blood.

(On the Trinity [A.D. 359])

St Ambrose of Milan

Perhaps you may be saying, ‘I see something else; how can you assure me that I am receiving the body of Christ?’ It but remains for us to prove it. And how many are the examples we might use! . . . Christ is in that sacrament, because it is the body of Christ.

(The Mysteries [A.D. 390])

J.N.D Kelly

Eucharistic teaching…was in general unquestioningly realist…the consecrated bread and wine were taken to be, and were treated and designated as, the Saviour’s body and blood.

(Early Christian Doctrines [A.D. 1950])