The Lord's Supper - A Deep Dive

Ordinance or Sacrament?

The word “sacrament” means to make sacred, to dedicate to a god or to sacred use. The Latin word was used in the Vulgate to translate the Greek mustērion, which gave it the idea of something mysterious or magical. Thus groups that prefer to call these rites of the church sacraments usually connect with them some mysterious power or actual conveying of grace.

By contrast, “ordinance” (though a synonym of sacrament in the dictionary) does not incorporate the idea of conveying grace but only the idea of a symbol. Thus the ordinance itself has no inherent power to change those observing it, though God may use it to minister to them.

Commanded by Christ

Symbolic of Salvation

Practiced by the Church

Dictionary: something believed to have been ordained, as by a deity or destiny.

Did Jesus ordain for the church to continue the practice of communion after He celebrated His last passover with His disciples?

Initiated and Commanded by Christ - Luke 22:14-21 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. “But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. (see also 1 Cor. 11)

How do we know that Jesus intended for the church to continue the practice? Because the people that were there understood it that way.

Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

What does the Lord’s Supper Mean? (Rolland McCune)

Commemorative: A Memorial

It is a memorial to a historic event, the death of Christ.

We are to remember (relive) the death of Christ.

Emblematic: A Symbol

John 6:53-54 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

It is a testament to our Salvation by taking Christ in.

His body is symbolized in the bread and His blood is symbolized in the juice.

It symbolizes our communion with God.

Predictive: A Prophecy

1 Cor. 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

After He comes there will be another Lord’s supper for us to partake in the “marriage supper of the Lamb” as seen in Revelation 19

Matt. 26:29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

What are the requirements for participation?

To be a genuine believer

To have a obedient walk

Including baptism

Acts 2:41-42 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

If baptism is an ordinance then the logical order to observe the ordinances would be baptism first then the Lords Supper.

Commanded by Christ - Matthew 28:19

Symbolic of Salvation - Pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It also pictures the washing away of sin.

Practiced by the Church - Dozens of passages.

It can be understood this way: Baptism symbolizes our salvation and communion symbolizes our sanctification.

This has more to do with the heart attitude than the physical circumstance. If someone accepted Christ right before one of our communion services I do no think it would be wrong for them to participate. What concerns me is when a genuine believer consistently refuses to obey the command to be baptized.

Some churches require membership: closed vs close

Is there any false teaching surrounding the practice of communion?

Transubstantiation - the Roman Catholic Church teaches that once an ordained priest blesses the bread of the Lord’s Supper, it is transformed into the actual flesh of Christ (though it retains the appearance, odor, and taste of bread); and when he blesses the wine, it is transformed into the actual blood of Christ (though it retains the appearance, odor, and taste of wine). They also teach that it imparts grace to the participant.

Consubstantiation - Consubstantiation is the view that the bread and wine of Communion / the Lord’s Supper are spiritually the flesh and blood of Jesus, yet the bread and wine are still actually only bread and wine.

Should the Lord’s Supper be only practiced in a local church?

Ordinances were given to the church.

Paul always references them in connection to a local church.

Part of the discipline of those believers living in open sin in 1 Corinthians was denying them access to the Lord’s supper in the local church.

How often should the Lord’s supper be celebrated?

No number is given in Scripture

As often as you can without it loosing its gravity.