Untitled Homily (2)

Early Christian Doctrines 2. Early Views of the Sacraments

The Church’s sacraments are those external rites, more precisely signs, which Christians believe convey, by Christ’s appointment, an unseen sanctifying grace

Early Christian Doctrines 2. Early Views of the Sacraments

the eucharist was regarded as the distinctively Christian sacrifice from the closing decade of the first century, if not earlier.

Eucharist regarded as Christian sacrifice from closing decade of 1st century (if not earlier)

Malachi’s prediction (1:10f.) that the Lord would reject the Jewish sacrifices and instead would have ‘a pure offering’ made to Him by the Gentiles in every place was early seized upon by Christians as a prophecy of the eucharist11 Kelly, J. N. D. (1977). Early Christian Doctrines (Fifth, Revised, p. 196). London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury.

Clement: the idea is presupposed by Clement in the parallel he discovers between the Church’s ministers and the Old Testament priests and levites, as in his description4 of the function of the former as the offering of gifts11 Kelly, J. N. D. (1977). Early Christian Doctrines (Fifth, Revised, p. 196). London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury.

Ignatius’s reference to ‘one altar, just as there is one bishop’, reveals that he too thought in sacrificial terms. Justin speaks6 of ‘all the sacrifices in this name which Jesus appointed to be performed, viz. in the eucharist of the bread and the cup, and which are celebrated in every place by Christians’. Not only here but elsewhere too, he identifies ‘the bread of the eucharist, and the cup likewise of the eucharist’, with the sacrifice foretold by Malachi.1

1 Kelly, J. N. D. (1977). Early Christian Doctrines (Fifth, Revised, p. 196). London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury.

For Irenaeus the eucharist is ‘the new oblation of the new covenant’, which the Church has received from the apostles and offers to God throughout the whole world.11 Kelly, J. N. D. (1977). Early Christian Doctrines (Fifth, Revised, p. 196). London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury.