EUCHARIST AS SACRIFICE: A STUDY INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EUCHARIST AS A SACRIFICE OF THE BELIEVER IN THE FIRST AND SECOND CENTURIES

Authors

David Williams, Andrews UniversityFollow

Abstract

The sacrifice of the believer at the Eucharist can nowhere be found in the Adventist understanding of the Lord’s Supper. However, Adventists may find value in reexamining the early church’s teachings on sacrifice. While the early church deviated from Scripture in its primary teachings on the Eucharist, they maintained the scriptural notion of the spiritual sacrifice of the worshiper— something Adventists would do well to practice. This article examines the liturgical orders and teachings of the apostolic fathers, apologists, and early liturgical orders of the first and second centuries. The author considers four major issues relating to the Eucharist as sacrifice: first, martyrdom as sacrifice in the first century; second, the transition from the Old Testament concept of sacrifice to the spiritual sacrifice of the believer; third, the Eucharist as a business transaction; and fourth, the priesthood at the Eucharist.

Recommended Citation

Williams, David (2020) "EUCHARIST AS SACRIFICE: A STUDY INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EUCHARIST AS A SACRIFICE OF THE BELIEVER IN THE FIRST AND SECOND CENTURIES," Andrews University Seminary Student Journal: Vol. 4: No. 1, Article 3.

Available at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/aussj/vol4/iss1/3