The Reformers divided

There was a great division in the ranks of the Reformers over an issue of spirituality.

It concerned one of the means of grace, namely the Lord’s Supper. While all of the Reformers clearly rejected the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation and the superstitions that had arisen with it, they were deeply divided over the answer to the question, ‘How is Christ present at the Table?’

Views of Luther and Zwingli

In the view of Martin Luther, Christ’s body and blood are present ‘in, with and under’ the bread and the wine. Just as when an iron poker is placed within the flaming fire of a forge, it becomes red-hot if left in the fire long enough, so do the bread and the wine actually contain Christ’s body after the prayer of consecration. Contrary to the Roman dogma of transubstantiation, the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine. But they now contain the body and blood of Christ.