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Eucharist: sacrifice

In short
  • S05.1 True sacrifice (Mal 1:11); propitiatory precision is later (low–medium)
  • S05.2 The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise (Didache 14; Heb 13:15): accepted by all who address it (high)

From the study it came from: Agree on real presence; diverge in emphasis on sacrifice, where Hebrews' 'once for all' sits alongside the fathers' sacrificial language.

Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 2 questions each rests on). This doctrine is second-order (tier weight 2). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation

Closeness to Scripture

1 Orthodox 92% 2/2 q
2 Lutheran 92% 2/2 q
3 Anglican 92% 2/2 q
4 Presbyterian 92% 2/2 q
5 Reformed Baptist 92% 2/2 q
6 Catholic 83% 2/2 q
7 Oriental Orthodox 83% 2/2 q
8 General Baptist 75% 1/2 q
9 Anabaptist 75% 1/2 q

Closeness to the fathers

1 Orthodox 100% 2/2 q
2 Oriental Orthodox 100% 2/2 q
3 Catholic 88% 2/2 q
4 Anglican 83% 2/2 q
5 Presbyterian 83% 2/2 q
6 Lutheran 77% 2/2 q
7 Reformed Baptist 77% 2/2 q
8 General Baptist 25% 1/2 q
9 Anabaptist 25% 1/2 q
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
Closeness to the fathers, by question (0–4). Hatched = not assessed in the category file. Click a question for its verdict.
01234Catholic · S05.1: 2/4 — Listed under both 'closest' (S05.1) and 'departs or sharpens' (S05.1 propitiatory precision)2Orthodox · S05.1: 4/4 — Listed under 'closest to the fathers on': S05.14Oriental Orthodox · S05.1: 4/4 — Armenian Badarak: 'Son of God, Who art sacrificed to the Father for reconciliation'; Nerses Shnorhali calls it 'the Holy Sacrifice' (verified)4Lutheran · S05.1: 0/4 — Listed under 'departs or sharpens on': S05.1 rejected0Anglican · S05.1: 1/4 — Art. XXXI: 'the sacrifices of Masses ... were blasphemous fables'1Presbyterian · S05.1: 1/4 — Listed under 'departs or sharpens on': S05.11Reformed Baptist · S05.1: 0/4 — 1689 30.2: 'nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin', 'only a memorial'0General Baptist · S05.1: 1/4 — No sacrifice language (SC 1660 art. 13)1Anabaptist · S05.1: 1/4 — Dordrecht X: remembrance only1S05.1conf. low–mediumCatholic · S05.2: 4/4 — Trent XXII ch. 1 (Mal 1:11)4Orthodox · S05.2: 4/4 — Liturgy: 'reasonable and bloodless worship'4Oriental Orthodox · S05.2: 4/4 — Anaphora: 'this reasonable and bloodless sacrifice'4Lutheran · S05.2: 4/4 — Apology XXIV: 'the eucharistic sacrifice ... that we may give thanks' (verified)4Anglican · S05.2: 4/4 — 1662 BCP post-communion: 'this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving'4Presbyterian · S05.2: 4/4 — WCF XXIX.2: 'a spiritual oblation of all possible praise' (verified)4Reformed Baptist · S05.2: 4/4 — 1689 30.2: same wording (verified)4General Baptist · S05.2: not assessedAnabaptist · S05.2: not assessedS05.2conf. high
CatholicOrthodoxOriental OrthodoxLutheranAnglicanPresbyterianReformed BaptistGeneral BaptistAnabaptistnot assessed
When the cited witnesses spoke (approximate dates) and where later traditions fixed their positions. Filled dot = consensus question; hollow orange = a question on which the fathers varied. Each item links to its source note or post-750 note.
1002003004005006007001000125015001700post-750 (compressed)Didache (c. 100) · S05.1Didachec. 100 · S05.1Didache (c. 100) · S05.2Didachec. 100 · S05.2Irenaeus (c. 180) · S05.1Irenaeusc. 180 · S05.1Cyprian (c. 252) · S05.1Cyprianc. 252 · S05.1Augsburg Confession (1530) · LutheranAugsburg Confession1530 · LutheranTrent XIII (1551) · CatholicTrent XIII1551 · CatholicTrent XXII (1562) · CatholicTrent XXII1562 · CatholicWestminster Confession (1646) · PresbyterianWestminster Confession1646 · PresbyterianConfession of Dositheus (1672) · OrthodoxConfession of Dositheus1672 · Orthodox
  1. c. 100 Didache S05.1
  2. c. 100 Didache S05.2
  3. c. 180 Irenaeus S05.1
  4. c. 252 Cyprian S05.1
  5. 1530 Augsburg Confession Lutheran
  6. 1551 Trent XIII Catholic
  7. 1562 Trent XXII Catholic
  8. 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
  9. 1672 Confession of Dositheus Orthodox

S5 · Eucharist: sacrifice

Is the Mass or Liturgy a sacrifice?

Tier: Second-order (scoring weight 2). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Site structure: structure.

Questions

  • S05.1 Sacrifice (was eucharist/E2)
  • S05.2 Is the Eucharist a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise offered by the church?

Verdicts and trace

S05.1 · Sacrifice

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
S05.1True sacrifice (Mal 1:11); propitiatory precision is laterHigh / med–lowS05.1.1 · S05.1.3 weighingdidache-euc-s1 · irenaeus-euc-s1 · cyprian-euc-s1S05.1.4: medium

S05.2 · Is the Eucharist a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise offered by the church?

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
S05.2The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise (Didache 14; Heb 13:15): accepted by all who address itHighS05.2.1 · S05.2.3 weighingdidache-s05x-s1S05.2.4: high

Post-750 development

Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes.

TraditionClosest to the fathers onDeparts or sharpens on
CatholicS05.1S05.1 propitiatory precision
OrthodoxS05.1—
Oriental OrthodoxS05.1—
Lutheran—S05.1 rejected
Anglican—S05.1
Presbyterian—S05.1
Reformed Baptist—S05.1 rejected
General Baptist—S05.1
Anabaptist—S05.1

Origin

Plan, overall verdict and verification status of the former eucharist category (shared with the other doctrines that came from it)

Eucharist

Method and conventions: docs/conventions.md. Reasoning: eucharist reasoning.

1. Plan

Questions: E1 real presence; E2 sacrifice; E3 manner of change. Sources: Didache 14; Ignatius, Smyrn. 7; Justin, 1 Apol. 66; Irenaeus AH IV.17–18 and V.2; Tertullian, Marc. IV.40; Cyprian Ep. 62; Cyril of Jerusalem, Myst. 4; Ambrose, Myst. 9; Augustine, Tract. Jo. 26 and Ep. 98; Theodoret, Eranistes 2; John of Damascus IV.13. Planned but not yet read: Chrysostom, On the Priesthood III.4; Gregory of Nyssa, Catechism 37; Augustine, Sermon 272; Gelasius, De duabus naturis. Scripture: Synoptic institution narratives; 1 Cor 10–11; John 6; Mal 1:11; Heb 7–10, 13:10.

2. Verdicts and trace

Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father tiers T1–T4. Verdict changes are listed in docs/proximity-changes.md.

3. Post-750 development

4. Overall verdict

Orthodox closest (John of Damascus is in effect the Orthodox position). Catholic is very close, adding a scholastic definition of the mode and the propitiatory precision. Lutheran matches on presence but not sacrifice. Presbyterian is furthest. Confidence: high.

5. Verification status

  • Verified: all patristic entries, plus Trent XIII ch. 4, XXII ch. 2, Dositheus 17, AC X, WCF XXIX.2 and 7.
  • To verify: Greek of Justin 66 (μεταβολή); authorship of the Mystagogical Lectures; Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine Sermon 272, Gelasius; AC XXIV; Lateran IV (1215); the wider Orthodox view of mode; LSB English.