FACTS:And there is no record of anyone believing that what Christ did at the last supper was symbolic. It was not until the 9th century that the real presence was first questioned.There is no evidence from before 100 AD that any Apostle taught the "real presence".
No Extra-Biblical sources taught it before 100 AD.
No Biblical books taught it.
No secular sources wrote about it before 100 ADIf it were important at all to Christianity, it would appear in God's Inspired Word. It does not.
Why??
Nowhere in Scripture is transubstantiation taught. You will have to deal with that. If it were important at all to Christianity, it would be there. Apostles would have taught it. It is not. Why??
My question is, if the Apostles did not teach the real presence, why did it take so long for the belief to be questioned?
That is an interesting question, but it is not the important question.
The Apostles warned that error would creep into the Church. By 95 AD, it had already infected 7 churches mentioned in Revelation.
A better question, which you have not dealt with FRiend, is why isn't it taught, commanded, examples put forth, etc. in the Inspired Words of God.
That it was questioned during the Reformation is not unusual at all. For the first time in centuries, people had freedom to examine the Word of God and did not find it. The game was up.
A better question, which you have not dealt with FRiend, is why isn’t it taught, commanded, examples put forth, etc. in the Inspired Words of God.
Oh, but it is taught, commanded, examples put forth, etc, in the Inspired Words of God. Eprhaim of the Syrian Orthodox Church explains it in one of his homilies:
“Our Lord Jesus took in His hands what in the beginning was only bread; and He blessed it, and signed it, and made it holy in the name of the Father and in the name of the Spirit; and He broke it and in His gracious kindness He distributed it to all His disciples one by one. He called the bread His living Body, and did Himself fill it with Himself and the Spirit.,
And extending His hand, He gave them the Bread which His right hand had made holy: ‘Take, all of you eat of this; which My word has made holy. Do not now regard as bread that which I have given you; but take, eat this Bread, and do not scatter the crumbs; for what I have called My Body, that it is indeed. One particle from its crumbs is able to sanctify thousands and thousands, and is sufficient to afford life to those who eat of it. Take, eat, entertaining no doubt of faith, because this is My Body, and whoever eats it in belief eats in it Fire and Spirit. But if any doubter eat of it, for him it will be only bread. And whoever eats in belief the Bread made holy in My name, if he be pure, he will be preserved in his purity; and if he be a sinner, he will be forgiven.’ But if anyone despise it or reject it or treat it with ignominy, it may be taken as certainty that he treats with ignominy the Son, who called it and actually made it to be His Body.”,
-”Homilies” 4,4 ca.. 350 A.D.,
“After the disciples had eaten the new and holy Bread, and when they understood by faith that they had eaten of Christ’s body, Christ went on to explain and to give them the whole Sacrament. He took and mixed a cup of wine. The He blessed it, and signed it, and made it holy, declaring that it was His own Blood, which was about to be poured out….Christ commanded them to drink, and He explained to them that the cup which they were drinking was His own Blood: ‘This is truly My Blood, which is shed for all of you. Take, all of you, drink of this, because it is a new covenant in My Blood, As you have seen Me do, do you also in My memory. Whenever you are gathered together in My name in Churches everywhere, do what I have done, in memory of Me. Eat My Body, and drink My Blood, a covenant new and old.”,
-”Homilies” 4,6 ca. 350 A.D.
This is just one of many examples showing what the various Christian communities taught about the Word of God throughout the ages.
As you mentioned, though, you are free to examine the Word of God in your own way.
May the Peace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, be with you
Rich