The Mass, James White vs Mitch Pacwa (improved audio)

Father Pacwa (Catholic Perspective):

• The Mass re-presents Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-14), fulfilling the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Exodus 24:1-11).

• Last Supper words—“do this” (poieo, sacrificial in Exodus 29:39), “remembrance” (anamnesis, sacrificial in Leviticus 24:7), “poured out” (sacrificial blood in Daniel 9:27)—indicate a sacrificial act.

• Christ is truly and literally present in the Eucharist (1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:27-29; John 6:53-58), fostering unity and fellowship (koinonia).

• Believers offer spiritual sacrifices (Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5) through the Eucharist, participating in Christ’s offering (Colossians 1:24).

Reverend White (Protestant Perspective):

• Christ’s sacrifice is complete and non-repetitive (Hebrews 10:10-18), perfecting believers eternally; any repeated offering implies imperfection.

• The Eucharist is a symbolic memorial, not a propitiatory sacrifice or literal presence; “do this in remembrance” (1 Corinthians 11:25) and John 6:53-58 call for ongoing faith, not physical transformation of bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood (John 6:37-40, Ephesians 1:4). Christ’s presence is spiritual through faith and communal remembrance, not substantial in the elements (1 Corinthians 10:16).

• Salvation is by Christ’s merit alone (sola fide, sola gratia), not sacraments or works; rejects Catholic claims of transubstantiation and meritorious sufferings in purgatory as unscriptural additions (Council of Trent critiqued).

• Argues that Catholic literalism in John 6 is selective, as other imperatives like “abide in me” (John 15:4) are symbolic, and Paul’s warning to “discern the body” (1 Corinthians 11:29) refers to recognizing the memorial’s significance, not a literal presence.