What's the Difference Between Christian Denominations? (Communion) Part 1 

Part 2 is now available: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DXOvGLAOws4.html

Since Josh opened the door to irreverent takes: some wag in my Catholic seminary once noted that the true test of faith is not the believing that the communion wafer is the Body and Blood, but the true test is believing that that flat dry wheaten disc is actually bread.

I’m only 7 minutes in but thank you so much for correctly explaining the Catholic teachings on these things!

One of the reasons I really enjoy this channel is because of how consistently and professionally he commits to being one hundred percent objective and informative. He’s never betrayed any biases in his delivery covering a wide variety of topics… …except for today. For the first time, at 13:10, you can hear the ever so slight eye twitch and teeth grind as the words “…cran grape juice cocktail…” pass his teeth. Bust out laughing and had to explain to my wife what I found so funny.

The raisins boiled in water got me good 😂 I commend your ability to say it with such a straight face.

Your coverage of the Catholic view on all of this is correct. Just one thing to add: the reason that the priest mixes a little bit of water with the wine is not to dilute the wine but because both Blood *and water* gushed forth from Jesus' side when He was stabbed with the soldier's lance on the Cross. Interestingly, my Nana has celiac disease but always receives regular Hosts at Communion - she doesn't need low gluten ones. And that's my Archdiocese at 18:42! Looking forward to the next two parts!

Today I learned that there is something called the "New Apostolic Church." Many of us would consider this phrasing to be an oxymoron.

The pictures chosen are so on point And great timing in the edit

How fascinating! There's more veriety than I thought. I'm am Australian Presbyterian. In my experience we just use ordinary store-bought bread cut into 1cm/half inch cubes, and usually grape juice. The first chuch I went to after becoming a Christian at 18, used to throw any leftover bread out the vestry door for the sparrows - I imagine some denominations' clergy would be horrified at that!

This is the best channel on RU-vid for accurate information on what all these different Churches teach. Thanks for all the hard work that goes into fact checking this information.

Really appreciate your willingness to sort through and explain the myriad of practices.

This was such a brilliant video! Amazing work!

very good video! i love hearing about all the differences between denominations. my only advice would be to mention groups like Quakers (of which i am one) who do not celebrate sacraments, as we view all things as sacraments.

Thank you for calling Catholics "Christian". As a child, a horrible memory is when Protestants told me that I was not really Christian...

I am a sub-deacon in an Eastern Orthodox Church. I am a subscriber to your channel. Your explanation of our bread and wine was accurate. Also, we appreciate your unbiased approach. I have made the prosfora and I am there in the altar as it is prepared for the people.

As a Catholic thanks for explaining the beliefs. I’m still learning my religion and like knowing the beliefs of other Christian denominations

Thank you for your thorough and thoughtful research. I appreciate you probing the source documents of each denomination to state their viewpoint. It shows a devotion to theological scholarship lacking in many.

Fascinating, I had no idea The Apology to the Augsburg Confession describes the Eucharist as a "sacrifice" even if it uses it in a different sense from the Catholic understanding. I learn something new every day.

This is my favorite series. I’m Roman Catholic and love hearing about how other denominations do things.

That was a fascinating video. Very much looking forward to further videos like this one

Churches that would use disposable individual cups clearly don't believe that Christ is really present in the body and blood of Christ cause how can you just dispose of Christ's blood like that?

Tremendous research as always. So much great information! You did accidentally mix up the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon but you got the doctrine right, which is what is important.

Another important thing to mention, is what different denominations do with the leftover Bread and Wine after the service. This relates, among other things, to the view on the Real Presence - does Christ's Real Presence remain even outside the specific context of "take and eat"?

All Hail Christ, truly present in the Eucharist!

The last section brings to mind that time, during Covid, where I was watching a live stream from a Pastor (who was streaming from home) and all I had to hand was a cake slice and a can of Red Bull. 😅😂

Correction. The orthodox chalice holds the body and blood. Not wine. And not blood only. Both elements are present in the chalice.

I love the Anglican and Lutheran churches. Their services are beautiful, especially the High Church services, yet they’re from a Protestant perspective.

The chalice contains both the Body and Blood in the Orthodox Church.

I serve at an Anglo-Catholic church. One of our priests (we have two who takes the service depending on their availability) shares the large host amongst the servers

One of the reasons that these videos are so good and so successful at sharing information is that we have no idea what Joshuas own faith tradition is.

@14:47 Nobody actually receives at what JWs call "The Lord's Evening Meal" because they believe only the 144,000 are permitted to receive and they have all now passed from this world.

The enemy comes to divide. Jesus final prayer to Our Father, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.”

12:38 slight correlation here. The Book of Mormon says that it should be wine. It's the Doctrine and Covenants that says water is fine, which you show visually, but you must have had a Freudian Slip and forgot to rerecord

I grew up in the wine-hating South. It wasn't until I read the bible that I realized that in 1st Corinthians 11, Paul is chastising the saints for getting drunk at the Lord's table. So, I asked a Southern Baptist deacon and his wife about the passage, and all I got was pushback. Then I asked them if the Corinthians were drinking grape juice, how could they get drunk in the first place? I've a had a glass of Welch's in my day, and not once did I ever get the slightest buzz. For people who say they rely on the Bible alone, it sure was awfully quiet when I asked how the saints got wasted on Welch's. Not only that, but how could they be seen as gluttons if all they were eating was a wafer or piece of bread? On top of that, they were coming to the table and feeding themselves, and not a gatekeeping ceremony with a dude essentially throwing out drops and crumbs. It was a flipping meal. We're taking the Lord's Passover under lock and key, blinded by pomp and gatekeeping. When Jesus fed Peter on the beach, Peter didn't leave hungry physically or spiritually as he was told to feed Christ's sheep. Isn't it awful when you can't wait for the ceremony to end so you can go out to eat and let a stranger feed you better than your church did? No one ever came to dine with Jesus and left hungry. Even a restaurant appetizer puts these tables to shame. And all we do is argue over our theories of blood and body while the flocks are still starving. God, have mercy! Ugh! God, send your son soon.

One correction: the verse quoted at 12:33 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is from the Doctrine and Covenants, which is not part of the Book of Mormon. It is a separate book of scripture. Great verse, appropriately used, just not part of the Book of Mormon.

Super important detail: differences in the verbal “formula” used-if any is used at all!

My church has raised bread and then offers both a cup of wine and a cup of grape juice for Intinction. We also have a gluten free station, also with both wine and grape juice. Since COVID, we have also offered prepackaged packets, but their use has steadily declined.

In Orthodoxy, the consecrated bread is put directly into the wine, and a spoonful of wine and soaked bread is then dropped into each communicants mouth. You can see that bread-in-wine mix in the image you have of an Orthodox priest holding up the chalice. The later scene where the priest is holding a big bowl of bread and handing it out is he blessed but not consecrated bread. That bread is handed out at the end of the service, as people walk up to the priest for a final blessing before leaving.

I never even wondered about it, lmao at the variety. Turns out my church uses wine from the same local producer since the 19th century! Very cool

The Coptic Church requires at least 3 loaves and the number must be odd.

Outstanding research!

The "communion kebob" with the bread and grape! 🤣🤦‍♂

Regarding the sacrament taken by those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the direction is actually found in the Doctrine & Covenants and not the Book of Mormon. It is one of the foir standard works of the Church (Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price). Otherwise, another great video.

Thanks for the great video.

The Catholic Church also teaches that the communion wine must be natural grape wine (not table wine). See Canon 924 §3 of the Codex Juris Canonici

Thank you, Brother Joshua 🌹⭐🌹

Great video, very helpful. I was hoping you'd talk about whether or not communion can be taken without a minister / pastor / priest. I changed churches a few years ago and though I like many things about our new church home, one that I struggle with is much less frequent communion than I'm used to. I investigated whether it's OK for me, as a layperson, to lead communion at home for my own family, and found MANY differing opinions online. I am sure this is due to all the different church traditions much like this video demonstrates for the bread and wine/juice! But would be interesting to see specifically what different denominations are teaching. Note: This is slightly different than the idea of taking communion at home as lead by a pastor during a livestream. Hope that makes sense!

Another great video I would’ve been interested in hearing the difference in how often each denominations partake of communion, weekly, every meeting, each month, on Easter etc

I've seen plenty of videos on the differences between denominations .. I'd like to see a video on how these differences came about, and what the root traditions were that preceded these differences. Perhaps baptism vs sprinkling .. and why/how/when the difference/split/change occured occurred could be a starting point for a series of shorts.

This video and one on baptism are helping simplify denominational triage. Anyone lower than Reformed are contra to Scripture on two fundamental teachings (Baptist, non-denom, etc.)

In my Catholic parish in germany we use White wine (I think Riesling) for wine. One of the problems with red wine is that it causes stains.

Coptic Orthodox infants frequently only receive the blood from the chalice.

Love these Thank you for your service Very informative يعطيك الف عافية

19:21 for anyone reading this the 2005 report is really interesting and (to me at least) a fun read. The reason for the “odd” food and drink is ease of access, two different cups one alcohol and the other grape juice for people who are recovering/recovered alcoholics, and a plethora of other reasons. TLDR: report at timestamp gives reasons and examples for communion food and drink

It might have also been interesting to mention denominations that don't practice communion at all, like Quakers and the Salvation Army.

Can u explain the chaldean catholic church in 2 minutes?

Great compilation. Very interesting.

I really like the Lutheran view … takes Christ’s words at face value and doesn’t feel a need to add on extra explanations using mere human logic like the Catholics do. The fact that there might be mystery (from our human perspective trapped in the third dimension) for these things IS logical.

I don't know how you do it, man. Clear, concise, well informed. Also, I learned the word impanation. Come on, that's a great word even if I don't believe in it.

Great summary. Thanks for the video

Thanks Josh! I think most people would want to stick to wine and unleavened bread due to to symbolic significance of the wine being purified by fermentation, and the lack of leaven... but at the same time, if someone is house-bound or ill, or poor, or has nothing else... my church teaches that even a cracker and water can be used... God cares what is in the heart. But a sincere Christian, I would think, would want to make the small effort to take the appropriate things, if it is at all possible. 👍 At the end of the day, it is between them and Father, not really anyone else. Anyone thinking they're making a hilarious joke by posting disgusting pictures of abusing elements of communion are clowns who aren't hurting anyone. (Don't read the Amazon reviews for communion sets and wafers, you will see all sorts of human ugliness.)

I knew some of this but thanks for a fuller understanding.

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, there's a basket of an odd number of loafs (minimum of three). The entire basket is presented at the start of the mass and the presiding clergy selects the best one to be consicrated and the rest are broken after the mass and distributed to the congregation.

In case anyone is wondering, the church with the communion kebab was a Baptist church. I did the digging for ya.

This was very fascinating. My church uses one piece of unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice out of only two cups, but that's not what we view as the important part. We would fellowship a Church that uses wine or individual cups, but NOT one that viewed it as essential to salvation.

There also differences in what words are spoken by the pastor when giving the elements to the people. :--}>

The amount of research these videos require!! :-o

Great explanations. We Should seek to understand the positions we claim to stand against

So it IS magic ritual.

Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. We are supposed to take the Lord supper every first day of the week has commanded.

One person's exegesis is another's eisigesis and hundreds of denominations are sure they're not wrong. God is unchanging and perfect... And a great communicator

In The Catholic Eucharist, the bread and wine, each, contain both the Body and the Blood. I've understood that communion in Protestant churches use crackers and grape juice. The Lord did NOT use crackers and grape juice, but, rather, bread and wine. When the priest consecrates the Bread and Wine, we are transported to the foot of the Cross.

I've been with the Campbellites for over 70 years and am aware of almost a dozen reasons why a small town may have three congregations, each of them so small they have a hard time paying the light bill. However, this is the first time I've heard of a single cup church of Christ. And them I found out that somebody's using a "loaf"!! Pretty sure some of the brethren regard this as worse than instrumental music. When someone in the congregation isn't making the bread, we have Manischewitz matzoh.

Are there any denominations that believe in the true presence at communion but don't baptize babies? That seems to be a strange dividing line that the humongous amount of denominations has never crossed.

Small correction: 12:35 you said it is from the Book of Mormon, but the quote is from Doctrine and Covenants as displayed on the screen

In part two, could you touch upon different churches requirements for receiving communion? Some have a minimum age or require First Communion, some require the recipient be baptized, some require the recipient be a member of that church body

Very informative, thank you!

7:13 Have you done a video on Low vs High Church? First time hearing these terms. I would assume some people see the term “low” as derogatory?

An extremely interesting and informative vlog. It does beg the question, however, as to how so many different interpretations can be made of the clear, unambiguous, and perfect inspired word of God? How can any church-goer know their church is the true faith and not a false one?

God bless you all 🙏

Catholics believe that not only are the Body and Blood of Christ present under both species, but also His Soul and Divinity. The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, the God-Man, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Ok, on the Eastern Orthodox side we have the Lamb (consecrated bread) in the Blood (wine) and it is received by a spoon

Thank you for including Latter-day Saints.

Crazy how divided we are. No wander there are so many atheists out there. We can't agree on hardly anything. Quite sad actually...

While most people don’t “need” as much detail as you have provided here, it is generally a good thing that people be aware of other language, doctrine and practice than that to which they are accustomed. My views on this subject (as with most subjects) are my own so please don’t “blame” my parents or anyone else for my beliefs and preferences. I consider the faith of Jesus to be a personal faith - not institutional - so I object to anything I consider to imply that a religious organization or its officers have any spiritual authority not freely available from the Lord himself to every lay person. Given my view on the personal nature of my religion, it will come as no surprise that I consider the use of the bread and wine of the Lord’s supper to be important but not efficacious - i.e. I don’t believe the grace of God is received through the bread and wine or through the ceremony (or meal) where the bread and wine are eaten and drunk. I like to attend the worship services of a variety of denominations (and “non-denominational” congregations) but I seldom participate where the congregation is not accustomed to following the instruction in I Corinthians 11 to tarry one for another - i.e if members of the congregation eat the bread before everyone has been served or drink the wine before everyone has been served. I think this is the first time I’ve been aware of any statement by an officer (or official document) of the Roman Church that the sacrifice of the mass is not a repetition of the sacrifice of Jesus. My dad stopped attending the services of the Roman Church when he was in his twenties but, before then, he was under the impression that The invocation of the priest was considered as creating the body and blood of Jesus The mass was considered a repetition of the sacrifice of Jesus and he objected to all of the above. On those rare occasions when I attend a service where the laity are accustomed to kneeling while the clergy are standing, I don’t participate. Nor do I customarily kneel in any situation where clergy or laity are “officiating”. For example, my wife’s brother, John, a Free Methodist pastor, knelt with my bride and me during the celebration of our wedding.

at 12:35 its not "the book of mormon" its "the doctrine and covenants"

Do you include non-protestant, non-Catholic Christian denominations?

I grew up Catholic, and now attend a Lutheran church, so it seems strange that some churches only have communion once a month. Maybe I'm biased in my thinking, but it seems like Jesus' words during the Last Supper were an expectation for His followers.

I feel like the only thing we can agree on is that everyone else is anathema but our special group🙃 Can't wait for Christ to return and set us all straight.

Thanks!

Very informative video! Despite being a True Orthodox Christian for 29 years, I had never come across the alternative term metaousis for transubstantiation. Though both are acceptable, this would seem to be closer to the original Greek of the Septuagint, the New Testament and the church fathers. However, unlike in some of your other videos, you failed to mention us, at all, (the logical place would have been immediately after the presentation of the (Eastern) Orthodox, who should be called "World Orthodox" as an alternative epithet to reflect their membership of and/or communion with the "World Council of Churches" (WCC) in all cases, which distinguishes them from the True, Genuine, Authentic, Old Style or Catacomb Orthodox Christians). You failed to mention True, Genuine, Authentic, Old Style or Catacomb Orthodox Christians (these terms are somewhat overlapping) or, for that matter, Old Believers (of both the priestly and the priestless types). I trust these will be included in part 2 and also in any revisions of this original part 1 video.❤😊

7:03 how is it bloodless from the beginning? Do they not think he bled on the Cross? Do they not think blood is part of the Eucharist?

Great video, as always. I'm curious as to why you didn't cover communion by intinction?

Excellent overview of an incredibly broad topic. I will add a small point if I may. The Catholic and Orthodox are so close on this subject, that the Catholic Church recognizes as valid the sacraments (including Holy Communion) of the Eastern Orthodox and many (though not all) Orthodox Churches reciprocate that recognition. That said the two churches are not "in communion" with one another and so members may not commune in each other's churches (Catholics make rare exceptions for this, but the Orthodox generally do not.)

Most informative.

I was raised in the Episcopal Church and occasionally, people would bake leavened bread to use for communion instead of the wafers. Now, I am Catholic, and in both the Catholic and Episcopal Churches, the priest will break up the priest host and use it instead of the small wafers for the first people who receive communion.

Wow, my head is spinning. I believe its symbolic.

Nothing significant distinguishes any because they all fail to include extortion among the sins.

Does ‘Communion’ not also denote a relationship of recognition and acceptance between Christian Churches or various Denominations?

Hey josh, may i ask you what church you belong to or what type of Christian that you are? Thanks