Different denominations have different views of communion. It is important to know what you believe and find the denomination that lines up with your understanding. Some denominations don't care what your views are and others do.

Typically, Catholics and some of the Lutheran denominations want their community to have the same understanding of communion. While non-denominational churches have no such requirements.

We have found that most Christians don't know what they believe about communion. Here is a brief overview

Here are the three ways Christians view communion. The views are broken down by denomination and are: 1. Baptist and non-denomination churches, 2. Catholic and 3. LCMS Lutheran churches.

The different views come down to how they view the elements of communion- bread and wine and whether or not the body and blood of Jesus are also present in communion.

1. Baptist and Non Denom: 100% bread/wine and 0% body/blood of Christ.

2. Catholic: 0% bread/blood and 100% body of Christ.

3. LCMS Lutheran: 100% bread/wine and 100% body/blood.

For a better visual you can click the link below.

For Baptist/ non-denom: There is just bread in communion- 100% bread. The body of Jesus is not in the communion bread at all. The same with the wine and blood of Jesus.

Catholics believe there is just the body and blood of Jesus. 100% body and blood of Jesus. There is no bread or wine present in communion. Looks like bread/wine, tastes like bread/wine, feels like bread/wine but is not bread or wine at all.

LCMS Lutherans believe there is BOTH bread AND body of Jesus and BOTH Wine AND blood of Jesus.

This discussion has been going on since the days of Martin Luther. Luther summed it up by saying, "IS IS IS". Grammatically speaking, the word "is" is an equal sign. IS = IS. When we read the scriptural accounts of communion we read the words of Jesus. Look at these passages and we see that Jesus takes bread and says it IS His body and with the wine, it IS His blood.

Mark 14:22-24: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them.

Luke 22:17-20: After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 

Scripture is ESV and emphasis is added

We trust the words of Jesus. Jesus said it, and we accept His Word.

How can it be two things at once? We have no idea. There are some things of God we can't know. There is a reason He is God and we are not. This isn't the only scriptural teaching of one thing being two things at once. Jesus is fully God and fully human. We don't know how this is possible but we trust it because scripture tells us this is the way it is. We have faith in the word of Jesus and even though we don't know how it works, we trust it because our Savior told us.

The real miracle in communion isn't believing that the bread is BOTH the bread AND body of Jesus. The real miracle is believing the wafer is bread at all.

Yes- it is a bad joke but we couldn't resist :)