The Lord's Supper (2)

Passages to Begin With:

Jesus— Mt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:17-20

Mk. 14:22-25 “22 As they were eating, he took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.””

Early Church— Acts 2:41-47.

Acts 2:41-47 “41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”

Acts 20:7 “7 On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread. Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he kept on talking until midnight.”

Paul— 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

“17 Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 Indeed, it is necessary that there be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! 22 Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this matter! 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Theme Statement:

The Lord’s Supper is a special act of worship commanded by Jesus whereby those partaking remember our Lord, Jesus’, sacrificial death on the cross to offer forgiveness of sins. Though the Bible does not mandate the frequency, it should be a regular part of the Christian’s life.

What does the Bible say about the Lord’s Supper?

It is a command from Jesus.

It was observed by the early church. (Acts 2:41-47)

It is something we do in remembrance of Jesus, remembering his sacrificial death and proclaiming that until He comes again. (Lk. 22:19, 1 Cor. 11:26)

What are the different names that refer to the Lord’s Supper?

The Lord’s Supper: This title is appropriate because Jesus instituted the Supper.

Communion: This title is derived from the experience— the disciples and Jesus came together in common worship (and so we do, today, when we partake of this special act of worship, also).

Eucharist: Deriving from the Greek word εὐχαριστέω (to give thanks) or εὐχαριστία (thanksgiving) and influenced by Jesus’ expression of giving thanks for the cup. It commemorates the celebration of the body and blood of Jesus, giving thanks for his sacrifice.

What are different beliefs about the Lord’s Supper?

Transubstantiation: Literally meaning “change” (trans) “substance” (substantiation)- the belief that the substances of the Lord’s Supper literally undergo change to become the literal body and blood of Jesus as one partakes of them. The Roman Catholics adhere to this belief. It is not physical change that takes place; it is a change of essence.

Consubstantiation: This view is one held by Martin Luther— the view asserts that Christ is present with the substance of the Lord’s Supper. Baptists do not affirm this because we “believe Christ is present in His redeemed people, not in the elements of the Lord’s Supper.” [Kelly, Land, Mohler, 98] Episcopalians affirm some level of this.

Memorialization: This view is one held by Huldrych Zwingli— the view asserts that the most important part of the Lord’s Supper is remembering Christ’s command to partake of the Lord’s supper and remembering His sacrifice in doing so. Memorialization views the elements are symbols by which Christians are helped to remember the sacrifice of Christ.

Spiritual Presence: This view is held by John Calvin— the view goes beyond memorialization to place special emphasis on the symbols in the elements, viewing them as significant signs and indicating some special communion between Jesus and Christians when they observe the Lord’s Supper. [1]

Open versus Closed Communion:

Some open communion for anyone present during the service where it is offered, not reserving it only for Christians.

Others reserve communion only for believers asserting that because it is a command of Christ and an act of worship whereby we reflect and remember His sacrifice, it should only be reserved for those who have believed in Christ and repented of their sin. It should be noted that Paul warns about partaking of the Lord’s Supper without reverence in 1 Corinthians 11:27-34. Baptists have traditionally practiced closed communion, reserving it only for those who are Christians.

How do churches determine the frequency of which they partake of the Lord’s Supper (communion)?

Simply put, the Bible gives no instruction on how frequently Christians are to partake of the Lord’s Supper. It is implied and assumed to be a regular practice of the Christian’s worship, though, because it is a command of Christ. Additionally, Paul said, “…as often as you do...” implying it to be regular.

The early church is recorded as partaking of the Lord’s Supper together daily (Acts 2:42, 46); However, later, it seems that maybe this became less frequent— to once weekly on the Lord’s day (Acts 20:7).

There is no direct command in Scripture directing the frequency. Thus, churches have varied on how frequently they partake of the Lord’s Supper. Some partake of it as often as daily (Catholics who attend Mass daily); others, weekly; others bi-weekly; others monthly; others quarterly.

What is key to keep in mind?

It is to be an act of worship, honoring Christ in obeying His commands and remembering His sacrifice.

Inasmuch as it is to be an act of worship, perhaps good advice is this:

Do it as often as is needed to remain focused and re-center our hearts on Him and His sacrifice; yet, not so frequently that it becomes routine and loses its significance when we partake of it.

Bibliography:

[1] ZA Blog, “Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation, or Something Else? Roman Catholic vs. Protestant Views of the Lord’s Supper” in Zondervan Academic. Published Oct. 20, 2017. Accessed Jan. 27, 2024.https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/transubstantiation-consubstantiation-catholic-protestant

[2] Charles S. Kelley Jr., Richard Land, and R. Albert Mohler Jr. “Baptism and the Lord’s Supper” in The Baptist Faith and Message. (Nashville, TN: LifeWay Press, 2021), 97-100.