Christian Cyclopedia

(from Lat. ubique, “everywhere”). Term that originated in medieval scholasticism and is sometimes used as a synonym of omnipresence. Originally used by Luths. in reference to Christ's omnipresence also acc. to His human nature (cf.. Mt 28:20). Ref. theologians accused Luths. of teaching ubiquity in the FC in the sense of a local omnipresence or infinite extension of Christ's human nature. Luths. reject the charge and point out 1. The FC does not use the word “ubiquity.” 2. The FC specifically rejects ubiquity in that sense. “We reject and condemn as contrary to the Word of God and our simple Christian Creed … that the human nature of Christ is locally extended to every place in heaven and earth” (Ep VIII, The Person of Christ, Antitheses, 10; cf. SD VIII 92). 3. FC SD VII, The Holy Supper, 98–101, quoting M. Luther*: “The one body of Christ has three different modes, or all three modes, of being at any given place. [First,] The comprehensible, corporeal mode of presence, as when he walked bodily on earth and vacated or occupied space according to his size. … Secondly, the incomprehensible, spiritual mode of presence according to which he neither occupies nor vacates space but penetrates every creature, wherever he wills. … He employed this mode of presence … in the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper. … Thirdly, since He is one person with God, the divine, heavenly mode, according to which all creatures are indeed much more penetrable and present to Him than they are according to the second mode.” The 2d and 3d modes are illocal.