The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper (aka Communion) is an important part of the Christian life. Jesus never asked His disciples to remember His birth but He did instruct them to remember His death and resurrection.  He gave the church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders of His atoning work on the cross, His death, and resurrection. These two ordinances are: Water Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. This blog entry is about the latter.

What does the Bible teach about The Lord’s Supper/Communion? Below are some answers to the following relevant questions along with some of my own insights and preferences:

I.       What is The Lord’s Supper? 

II.      Who should partake of The Lord’s Supper?

III.    How do I prepare myself for The Lord’s Supper?

IV.    When and how often should we observe The Lord’s Supper?

V.     What elements are used and why?

VI.    How are the elements presented?

VII.   Where do the names ‘The Lord’s Supper’ and ‘Communion’ come from?

VIII. When was The Lord’s Supper instituted?

I. What is The Lord’s Supper? 

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The Lord’s Supper is a Christian religious practice, instituted by Christ, where Christians, usually gathered with other Christians, partake of bread and grape juice/wine to remember what Jesus Christ did through His atoning work on the cross and through His resurrection for them.

A. It is a simple act.

“The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread...” 1 Cor. 11:23 ESV

Jesus didn't have some big elaborate ceremony, wearing special costumes and doing all kinds of fancy rituals. He took bread and He took wine and He gave it to the disciples.  We need to emphasize the Christ-centered spiritual significance of The Lord’s Supper. There’s no need to turn it into a big ritual that may detract from its core meaning. Let’s understand what it means according to the Word of God and then seek to observe it properly with all our heart, soul, mind, and action.

B. It is a reminder.

“and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 1 Corinthians 11:24 NKJV

It’s a memorial. May we keep learning about the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross and may we never forget what He has done, always remembering the victory that exists through Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected in victory over sin and death. And may His people celebrate the new covenant Christ has with them by God’s grace through faith in Christ as Savior and Lord.

C. It is a symbol.

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:25 ESV

Jesus said, “do this in remembrance of me” and then when He said, “this bread is My body and this cup is My blood,” He didn't mean that literally.  When He said this, He hadn't even gone to the cross yet.  He hadn't died yet. I believe He was talking about a symbol, not His actual flesh and bones and blood. Jesus once said "I am the door."  Does that mean He's a piece of wood or metal?  He said, "I am the bread of life."  Does that mean He's a loaf or slice of bread?  No.  He was being symbolic.

I realize some people believe and teach that the elements are miraculously transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ without visible change (transubstantiation view) or that Christ’s body and blood somehow come to be with the elements (consubstantiation view) but I don’t buy into these views. I believe The Lord’s Supper is symbolic of Christ’s work on the cross and that the elements don’t supernaturally change somehow. I do believe that when true born again Christ-followers engage in Communion, that the Lord is present spiritually with them since I believe, biblically, that the Lord is always present with His redeemed. It’s my prayer that His people have increased awareness of His presence during Communion moments.

D. It is a proclamation of Christ’s death until He comes back.

“For whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” 1 Cor. 11:26 ESV

When you partake of The Lord's Supper, you're making a statement of your faith in Christ who died for your sins, rose, and is coming again.  There's a backward look and a forward look. We look back to the cross work of Christ, His death, and His resurrection. We look forward to the biblical revelation that Jesus is coming back to reign and fully establish His kingdom on earth and we are to do this Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him until He comes back. Personally, I also believe His redeemed will be celebrating Christ’s redemption work into eternity. It is so amazing what Christ has done, is doing, and will do. This is central in human history; God’s plan of redemption.

E. It is fellowship with God and one another in Christ.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 1 Cor. 10:16 NKJV

The word ‘communion’ means to have intimate personal fellowship with another. When Christians gather and observe The Lord’s Supper, this reflects their spiritual oneness with Christ and the other Christians present. Your ‘communion’ is with Christ and other redeemed Christ-followers who are present.  

II. Who should partake of The Lord’s Supper?

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I believe that only people who are already true born-again saved Christ-followers should partake of Communion. Christ didn't offer The Lord's Supper to the crowds.  He offered it to His closest disciples. Since it celebrates the new covenant in Christ for His redeemed and brings them together in spiritual communion it doesn’t make sense to partake if you are not redeemed by Christ. Whether Judas the betrayer was present or not (something debated) for the first one, this communion moment is intended for those who are already spiritually in the Body of Christ for it cultivates spiritual communion with Christ and His people. The most detailed passage about The Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34) refers multiple times to the church (brothers, believers) coming together for this communion experience. This goes for parents of young children as well. The Lord’s Supper is not snack time. It is to be revered and honored in the eyes of God. Parents, if your child is trusting Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior and Lord and he or she has a basic understanding of The Lord’s Supper and you believe they are right with God, then I think it’s good that they partake otherwise have them pass the elements without partaking of them. Learn about Communion from God’s Word and teach your kids the truth about Communion and be God-honoring when you participate in it.

III. How do I prepare myself for The Lord’s Supper?

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Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 ESV

Prepare yourself by...

A.  Self-Examination, 1 Cor. 11:27

B.  Confessing your sins, 1 John 1:9

C.  Refreshing your commitment to Christ, Rom. 12:1

D.  Restoring any broken relationships, Matt. 5:23-24

Ask yourself questions such as these:

1) Am I saved by Jesus Christ?

2) Is there any unconfessed sin in my life?

3) Am I in good fellowship with God, living according to God’s will?

4) Have I wronged others or have ill feelings toward them?

If yes to any other these, confess the sin, accept God’s forgiveness, and repent (turn from sinful ways to God’s ways for you) and get right with God and others if applicable.

IV. When and how often should we observe The Lord’s Supper?

Jesus, directly and the rest of Scripture, never stated when or how often believers should observe The Lord’s Supper.  He instituted it on a weekday night, many believe was a Thursday, the same evening He and the Apostles celebrated the Passover meal. 

For a brief period, the earliest church may have had Communion every day (Acts. 2:42, 46) and a little later on we read that they came together for Communion on Sunday (Acts 20:7) but these two references as to when Communion was experienced by early Christians are not mandates as to how often we should have Communion. So, let’s not be dogmatic about how often The Lord’s Supper needs to be experienced.  Be careful that you are not practicing legalism in your traditions, preferences, and non-mandated Bible verses.

I’ve been involved with local churches who have recognized The Lord’s Supper at various intervals like quarterly, monthly and on some special occasions. I think that the more often you do it you have to be more discerning that it doesn’t become a mundane ritual. And if you rarely do it I think you are not carrying out this ordinance as the Lord commanded His redeemed to. So, we should do Communion sometime between too often and rarely. That’s clear as mud. May the Lord lead you in this.

V. What elements are used and why?

Most believers use various types of bread (represents the broken body of Christ on the cross) and ‘fruit of the vine,’ typically grape juice or wine, (represents the spilt blood of Christ who died for our sins) as elements of The Lord’s Supper.

I believe the bread was unleavened at the first Lord’s Supper since it was Passover time and the Jews were to expel all leaven from their homes in commemoration of the Hebrews eating unleavened bread when they escaped Egypt in a hurry. I don’t believe it is a sin to use leavened bread today for a Communion element but my preference is unleavened because of biblical realism.

I believe that wine (from the grape vine) was used during that first Communion. We can’t be certain of what percentage of alcohol was present at that moment. Some people believe that leaven was used in or is associated with the fermenting process of wine in Bible times but I’m not so sure about this. I’m unclear as to what type of wine was used at the first Communion. I, personally, don’t like local churches (where I attend) serving alcoholic beverages as a Communion element (or at any other time) because of the negative connotation associated with alcohol in our culture today. I think it is better to avoid alcohol when partaking of Communion. I believe grape juice is sufficient and God-honoring in remembering that Christ spilt His blood on the cross for our sins.

VI. How are the elements presented?

The bread and juice elements are presented in a variety of ways depending on the traditions and preferences of the church or other gathering. Most of the churches I have received and/or officiated Communion at use Deacons/Ushers to pass out the elements in trays and you pick out your own elements; typically a small cracker or piece of bread and a tiny plastic cup with some juice in it. A few times I received the elements in pre-packaged closed individual containers. I’ve also presented Communion in a small private setting for shut-in/homebound or nursing home residents who couldn’t practically attend the larger church worship gathering.

Some churches use a loaf of bread and a piece is torn off from the loaf (which most closely resembles what happened at the first Lord’s Supper and with the early Christians). I think it is fine if the bread or crackers are pre-cut in advance. This saves time and can prevent some unnecessary handling. At some churches, a piece of cracker/bread is placed on your tongue by a church leader. And there are some places where a larger cup with juice/wine is shared among the people.

I’ve had lots of good and interesting experiences related to Communion. There have been plenty of spiritual highs, like when I preached about Communion and we experienced it together as a church body or when we ended our worship gathering immediately after we drank the juice element and I said, “Until He comes again!” or when my sons experienced their first Communions after Kym and I thought they were spiritually ready.

There have also been some more light-hearted moments. I remember when I was a kid our church had rubber insets in the pew holes for the little communion cups to be stored after you drank the juice. I used to take those rubber insets out and play with them, wearing them like rings and rolling them up. As a pastor, I recall mishandling a tray of juice cups one time and spilling some juice on a deacon. And then there is the germ thing. Personally, I prefer that people do not touch my food with their skin before I eat it. One time a deacon friend of mine picked a piece of bread for me, to serve me (that was nice), and he placed it in my hand. I set that piece on the Communion table and picked out my own piece of bread. People were probably handling, without gloves, the pieces of bread in the church kitchen beforehand but seeing my piece of bread touched by someone else right before it goes in my mouth weirded my germ-radar out.

I believe the presentation of The Lord’s Supper should involve a summary of what it means along with any instructions (this could be printed up, like in a bulletin) and there should be a relevant prayer. The summary reminds the participants of the basics and informs people who are not familiar with this biblical practice. Sometimes, mixing up what happens is spiritually stimulating for those who think the same Communion practice time and time again is too routine. Also, Jesus gave thanks for each of the elements before they were taken and we should follow His example in this, thanking God and praying over this spiritual moment that His will be done for His glory.

VII. Where do the names “The Lord’s Supper” and “Communion” come from?

Both show up in some modern English translations of the Holy Bible. These names can be used interchangeably because that’s what Paul did.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 1 Cor. 10:16 NKJV

Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 1 Cor. 11:20 NKJV

The use of ‘The Lord’s Supper’ distinguishes the moment from any other eating/drinking occasion. It is called a supper but it is not intended to fill your stomach with food and drink. It is intended to cultivate your spiritual communion with Jesus Christ and His redeemed. This is to be a very sacred moment in your Christian life, a spiritual experience that feeds the soul and honors God. The word ‘communion’ is ‘koinonia’ in the original Bible language of Greek which means ‘to have in common, to participate and have partnership, to have intimate personal fellowship with.’ Some churches use the name ‘eucharist’ which is related to the Greek word, eucharistia, but in English translations of the New Testament of God’s Word this word is “thanksgiving” and it’s not found in the context of The Lord’s Supper. Luke referred to The Lord’s Supper as ‘breaking of bread’ (Acts 2:41, 20:7). Paul also referred to it as The Lord’s Table (1 Cor. 10:21). And it’s also referred to as an ‘ordinance’ in the KJV of 1 Cor. 11:2.

VIII. When was The Lord’s Supper instituted?

Jesus Christ instituted The Lord’s Supper on the evening before Jesus went to the cross, just before He was arrested, but just after He celebrated a Jewish Passover meal with His closest disciples. The accounts of this first Communion are recorded by Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, and Luke 22:14-23 and Paul wrote about it as well in 1 Cor. 11:17-34.

What are your thoughts about The Lord’s Supper as presented in God’s Word and what I’ve written about here?

Mike

Six Baptisms; #2 Baptism by Holy Spirit (& into Christ)

This blog entry is the continuation in a series called ‘Six Baptisms.’ The first entry ‘#1 Baptism by Fire,’ which includes an introduction to this series, can be read at http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2014/03/six-baptisms-1-baptism-by-fire.html

As I wrote previously, the Greek word “baptizo” in the New Testament of God’s Word means to immerse, submerge, and/or cleanse.

It is by God’s special grace through faith in Christ through which a person receives Christ as Savior, receives the Holy Spirit, receives imputed righteousness from Christ, and receives the fruit of the Spirit among other divine blessings. We, unholy sinners, can enter into a current and eternal relationship with God by His grace through faith in Christ. This is amazing and this spiritual process of salvation in Christ involves a spiritual baptism sometimes referred to in Scripture as ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit, ‘baptism into Christ,’ or ‘baptism into one Body.’

I believe these biblical phrases refer to the same spiritual act of God in the life of a Christian today. This spiritual immersion and cleansing involves a spiritual union with and identification with the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ and His universal Body of believers.

Let’s consider some Bible verses that refer to this spiritual baptism.

Matthew 3:11 ESV “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John 1:33 ESV I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

John the Baptist taught here that Jesus Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit which is different than the baptism John the Baptist was providing people before the public ministry of Jesus Christ. I’ll write more about water baptism and what John was doing in a later entry.

Galatians 3:26-27 ESV for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

This phrase ‘baptized into Christ’ refers to a spiritual immersion into Christ.

Romans 6:1-11 ESV ¹ What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

To be baptized into Christ, to be a born-again saved Christ-follower, means to die to your sins (vs3) and to live a new life through the resurrection of Christ (1 Pet. 3:21).

What does this look like for a Christian? Consider Paul’s testimony: Galatians 2:20 ESV I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 Corinthians 6:17 ESV But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Christians are spiritually placed into Christ, in union with Him, and they have the Holy Spirit within them, and so we should live accordingly.

In 1 Cor. 12, Paul was dealing with a situation where the Corinthian church was splitting into factions over the issue of spiritual gifts. Overemphasis on certain spectacular gifts had led to the attitude that some people had the most desirable gifts, while others were deficient. In response, Paul wrote, "We're all one (in Christ)! Don't divide up into cliques!" And to prove his point, he wrote this to the Corinthian Christians, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 ESV For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

What’s his main point here? All true Christ-followers share the reality of being baptized into Christ by way of the Holy Spirit. The phrase ‘into one body’ here refers to the Body of Christ, not meaning His physical body, but referring instead to His spiritual body which includes the universal Church of true Christ-followers in which He is the head.

Titus 3:4-7 ESV ⁴ But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

I believe this passage refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit through Christ.

When does this spiritual baptism occur? In modern day Christianity, I believe that the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ and ‘baptism into Christ’ (& into one Body) occur simultaneously at the salvation conversion moment in a Christ-follower’s life. There is a spiritual justification conversion moment in God’s plan of salvation for people today. This is the moment when the person called by God begins trusting Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. It is God who declares the person is saved, and that they now have a position in His heaven, and he or she is reconciled with Him. I believe it is at this salvation moment that the person is sealed by and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, baptized by the Holy Spirit, and baptized into Christ and into one Body. Consider, in addition to the above verses:

Ephesians 1:13 ESV ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Romans 8:9 ESV ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

So, for personal example, when I was nine years old I received Christ into my life as my Savior and Lord. In that spiritual salvation conversion moment I was baptized by the Holy Spirit and baptized into Christ (& into one Body).

There are moments in early Christianity when some individuals received the baptism of the Holy Spirit after a salvation conversion moment; such as at Pentecost to the original Apostles (Acts 2) and to some Samaritan believers in Acts 8:14-17. I believe this was just part of the transition period from the incarnated days of Jesus Christ, to the beginning of the Christian church, and to the spread of Christianity to Jews, to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. By the time we get to Acts 10, I think we have the model for today; personal impact of the Gospel, trusting belief, and receive the Holy Spirit.

These days, I believe the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’/’baptism into Christ’ is a one-time spiritual act by God at the salvation conversion moment that spiritually identifies a person with God. There doesn’t have to be miraculous signs and wonders or dramatic recoveries from addictions or other major things occur at that moment, although salvation itself is miraculous and a big life-transforming deal! Praise God! If you are a true Christ-follower already you don’t need to seek a baptism of the Holy Spirit. It already took place.

Each genuine Christ-follower has the Holy Spirit in their life as God’s gracious gift; however, they are exhorted to be filled with the Holy Spirit (aka ‘led by’, ‘walk by’ or ‘walk in’, and ‘live by the Holy Spirit’). This means the individual Christ follower must decide regularly to ask God to fill him or her with the Holy Spirit, to choose to regularly yield to/submit to the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 ESV And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Galatians 5:16-26 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

The above passage gives us a glimpse of what it looks like to be a Holy Spirit-filled Christ-follower in contrast with being characterized by the immoral works of the flesh. Which do you align more with?

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is part of ‘progressive sanctification’ in a Christ-follower’s life. This maturing spiritual sanctification in Christ varies for each believer in their lifetime. There can be many fillings of the Holy Spirit, all the while the Christ-follower continues to be indwelt by and sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is characteristic of the Christ-follower who acknowledges their ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’/‘baptism into Christ’ and they live accordingly for the glory of God.

I hope and pray that you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit and into Christ and are living accordingly. What do you think about this subject in Scripture and what I’ve written about here?

The next entry in this series will be about ‘baptism by water.’ 

Mike