The Lord's Supper

Introduction

The Lord’s Supper, (or what some call Communion…) is one of the ordinances of the church. It is crucial for believers to understand how it is... and is not... to be observed.

Let us begin with looking at exactly what the Lord taught His disciples… and taught us through His Word.

In fact The Apostle Paul took some extra time to address The Lord’s Supper with the the Church at Corinth. He reminded them in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 AV

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

It is important for us to also understand why Paul was reminding the Corinthians of the Lord’s Supper. The Apostle Paul received many teachings from the Lord, that he took and used to help build The church of Christ. Paul had previously spent much time in the previous chapters admonishing this local church and addressing several problems within the church.

Today we will participate in The Lord’s Supper , But first let us take a look at The Lord’s teaching to us about The Lord’s Supper, through The Apostle Paul.

1. Paul rebuked the way the Corinthians were celebrating the Lord’s Supper (v. 17).

2. The corruption of the Lord’s Supper (vv. 18–22).

3. The real meaning of the Lord’s Supper (vv. 23–26).

4. The severe consequences of partaking unworthily of the Lord’s Supper (vv. 27–30).

5. The right approach to the Lord’s Supper (vv. 31–34).

Paul rebuked the way the Corinthians were celebrating the Lord’s Supper. He had praised them for their diligence in keeping the traditions or customs of the church (v. 2). But in dealing with the Lord’s Supper, he declared in no uncertain terms: “I praise you not.” The word declare (parangello) means command. Note how forceful Paul is: “Now in this [the Lord’s Supper] I command you, I praise you not.” His forcefulness stresses the awesome importance of the Lord’s Supper and the absolute necessity to celebrate it as it should be celebrated. Paul abruptly states: “You come together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper not for the better, not to edify yourselves by remembering the Lord’s death; but you come together for the worse, to tear yourselves down.” 2 (11:18–22) Lord’s Supper: the corruption of the Lord’s Supper. The Corinthians were tragically abusing the Lord’s Supper. The abuses may seem strange to some churches today because they simply partake of a bread crumb and a small glass of wine or grape juice to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. However, as stated in the introductory note, the Corinthians observed the Lord’s Supper with a full-fledged meal or Love Feast. There were four abuses, some of which are very applicable and speak very directly to the churches of every generation. a. There were divisions and cliques within the church which corrupted the Lord’s Supper (vv. 18–19). When divisions, cliques, factions, and parties exist, the spirit of a church is in disorder. Minds and hearts are not upon the Lord nor at peace with the Lord or with the Lord’s people. Disturbance, pain, anger, rumor, gossip, pride, selfishness, misunderstanding, and misrepresentation always prevail when there are divisions and cliques within a church. Note: Paul said he only believed part of what he had heard. He knew full well how matters begin to grow and become surrounded with rumors, innuendos, and exaggeration. However there was truth to what he had heard, and he knew it, and the church must correct it. Note another matter that is of crucial importance for genuine believers within the church. Divisions and cliques within the church do not catch God off guard nor by surprise. On the contrary, God allows the divisions and cliques for a very special reason: the division causes the genuine believer to stand out ever so much more. People who are divisive and cliquish cause the love and truth of genuine believers to shine ever so brightly. In the words of Scripture: “There must be heresies [factions] among you, that they which are approved [the tested, the genuine] may be made manifest [revealed, shown, demonstrated] among you” (v. 19). Thought 1. This point is a great encouragement to the minister of God and to genuine believers as they face division, cliques, and opposition from the carnal and unsaved in the church. Note the warning in this point as well. Any person who finds himself in a group that is divisive or cliquish stands in terrible danger. Divisiveness and cliquishness are proofs that a person is not genuine. He must repent and commit his life to the love and mission of the Lord (see 1 Co. 15:33). “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Co. 1:10). “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Co. 3:3). “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ep. 4:3). “Only let your conversation [behavior] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Ph. 1:27). “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Pe. 3:8). b. There was self-deception which corrupted the Lord’s Supper (v. 20). Very simply, the Corinthians were only deceiving themselves in coming together and partaking of the cup and the bread. They may have thought they were celebrating the Lord’s Supper, but they were not; they were utterly deceived. What they were doing was not remembering and honoring the Lord. It was utterly impossible to have a divisive and cliquish spirit and honor the Lord. Their meeting together was utterly meaningless and useless to the Lord. “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself” (Ga. 6:3). “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Ga. 6:7). “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (Js. 1:22). “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (Js. 1:26). “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 Jn. 3:7). “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Re. 3:16–17). “For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful” (Ps. 36:2). c. There was selfishness and neglect of others which corrupted the Lord’s Supper (v. 21). When the early church came together for the Love Feast, everyone brought all the food they could. This provided plenty for everyone, including the poor and the slaves who would not be able to bring much. The whole idea was to have a common meal where everyone shared: • the rich and poor • the Jew and Gentile • the upper and lower class • the adult and child • the free and enslaved • the educated and uneducated • the male and female However, the Corinthian church had begun to abuse the Supper. Instead of sharing, everyone sat off in their own little group of friends and shared their food only among themselves. The result was tragic: → Some were neglected, having little if anything to eat. This would be true in particular with the slaves. → Some were indulging, acting as gluttons. → Some were treating the affair as a social gathering, drinking off to the side and becoming drunk. There was no real Christian fellowship or love whatsoever being experienced. And although the church was partaking of the bread and the cup, it was not celebrating the Lord’s Supper. What they were doing was totally meaningless and useless. What they were celebrating was a feast to the evil spirit of selfishness and indulgence, not to the Lord. d. There was the abuse of the sanctity of the church and the shaming of the poor which corrupted the Lord’s Supper. Note that this verse is a series of questions that answer themselves and should stir conviction within the heart of the guilty. → Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? The church is not the place where we are to eat and drink. It is the place of worship. → Are you not abusing the church and shaming the poor through your division, cliques, selfishness, indulgence, and hoarding? Of course you are! → “What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not!” 3 (11:23–26) Lord’s Supper: the real meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Paul clearly said that Christ discussed the Lord’s Supper with him in a special revelation. What he received from the Lord is what he now shares. (See Ac. 18:9; 22:18; 23:11; 27:23–25; Ga. 1:12; 2:2; 2 Co. 12:7 for references to the special revelations Paul received of the Lord.) Note that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the very night that He was betrayed. a. The meaning of the bread: note the exact words of Christ. 1) “Take, eat: this is my body.” There are, of course, various interpretations of this statement. Some say that the bread actually becomes the substance of the Lord’s body when a person eats the bread and drinks the cup. Others hold beliefs ranging from the elements being the actual substance to being merely a remembrance of the Lord. But note the word “is.” The word has the meaning of representing or identifying as well as of substance. For example … • “He is [represents] the image and glory of God” (1 Co. 11:7) • “That rock was [represents] Christ” (1 Co. 10:4). (Other references would be Jn. 8:12; 10:9.) Note another point. When Jesus instructed the disciples to “take, eat,” He was standing there. He even partook of the bread Himself. Certainly in that instance the bread was only representing or symbolizing His body. Likewise, in passing the cup, Jesus did not say, “This is my blood.” He said, “This cup is the new testament [covenant] in my blood.” Of course, the cup was not literally the new covenant; it was only a symbol of the new covenant. Neither was it literally the blood of Christ; it was only representing the blood of Christ. 2) The words “which is broken for you” refer to the death, the bruising, and the suffering of Christ. Note the words “for you.” The word for (huper) points to the substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death. He died for us, as our substitute. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Ga. 3:13). “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (He. 2:9). “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (He. 9:28). “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pe. 2:24). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Pe. 3:18). 3) “This do in remembrance of me.” This means much more than just recalling the death of Christ. It means to actively stir up one’s mind and to meditate upon the person of Jesus Christ. Christ says to remember me, not just one aspect of His Person and work. The believer is to actively meditate upon Christ. b. The meaning of the cup: again, note the exact words of the Lord. 1) “This cup is the new testament [diatheke, covenant] in my blood.” The idea is that the old covenant of the Old Testament is being set aside and God is establishing a new covenant with His people. The basis of the new covenant is the blood of Jesus Christ, not the blood of bulls and goats. “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? and for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death … they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (He. 9:13–15). 2) “This do ye, as oft as ye drink it.” Christ, very simply, told His followers to do as He was doing in celebrating His supper: set a time aside, take the cup, bless it, and drink of it. 3) “In remembrance of me.” This is repeated to stress the point that the Lord’s Supper has one purpose and only one purpose: to focus attention upon the Lord. The Lord’s people are to center their minds upon Him and Him alone. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is not to be a time for fellowshipping and feasting. c. The reason for observing the Lord’s Supper: note the word show (katangello). It means to proclaim, preach, declare, announce. The Lord’s Supper is both a picture and sermon which proclaims … • the Lord’s death • the Lord’s return The point is this: Christ died for us that we might live eternally with Him. Therefore, His death pictures both what He has done for us as well as what He is going to do for us when He returns. His death is a picture of both our past and present redemption as well as our future redemption when we shall be conformed to His image of perfection. “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Ro. 5:9). “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation [behavior] received by tradition from your fathers” (1 Pe. 1:18). “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7). “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Re. 1:5). “For our conversation [behavior] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself’ (Ph. 3:20–21). “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Th. 4:16–18). “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). 4 (11:27–30) Judgment—Lord’s Supper: the severe consequences or chastisement for partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily. What does it mean to partake of the supper unworthily? Paul is speaking directly to the Corinthians; so whatever their sins were is bound to be what Paul means by unworthily. The Corinthians were guilty of partaking of the Lord’s Supper with … • a spirit of division (v. 18) • a spirit of heresy (factions, parties, cliques, v. 19) • a spirit of self-deception (v. 20) • a spirit of selfishness and indulgence (v. 21) • a spirit of drunkenness (v. 21) • a spirit of neglecting the poor (v. 21) • a spirit of irreverence and carelessness in protecting the sanctity of the church (v. 22) • a spirit of unthoughtfulness and carelessness in approaching the Lord’s Supper Very frankly, the above list seems to indicate that having sin within one’s heart and life is what is meant by partaking unworthily. Certainly, if we eat the bread and drink the cup with unconfessed sin in our hearts and lives, how can we be counted worthy? Our only worthiness is Jesus Christ, and the only time we are counted worthy by Him is when we are walking … • in constant confession • in constant repentance to Him • in constant praise of His mercy, grace, Person, and work We have no righteousness of our own, so the only conceivable time we could be counted worthy would be when we are walking in constant fellowship with Him. And constant fellowship means actively thinking upon and talking with Him through confession, repentance, praise, and request. There are three consequences for partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily, that is, with unconfessed sin in one’s heart and life. a. A person becomes guilty of the Lord’s death (v. 27). The idea is that the person shall be held accountable, for he is guilty of sin against the Lord Himself. He … • insults Christ • offends Christ • tramples Christ underfoot • counts the death of Christ as meaningless • does despite to Christ “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace” (He. 10:29). b. A person condemns himself if he does not examine his heart for unconfessed sin (v. 28–29). The severity of the consequence is so serious that a person must examine himself before partaking of the Lord’s Supper. He needs to make sure he has a clean heart by confessing and repenting of any known sin (v. 28). The word damnation (krima) means to judge, to condemn. It does not mean to damn or to doom to eternal hell and punishment. The person is assumed to be a real believer who is guilty of sin, not an unbeliever who is to be damned to hell. The actual judgment upon the believer who lives in sin is covered in the next point. The word discern (diakrino) means to discriminate, to distinguish. The person who eats the bread and drinks the cup unworthily just fails to think about what he is doing. He fails to discriminate and discern the seriousness of his act. If he thought about the matter, he would not partake of the Lord’s Supper with unconfessed sin in his life, for such irreverence of the body and blood of the Lord stirs the judgment of God. “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord” (Lam. 3:40). “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Co. 13:5). “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Ga. 6:4). c. A person is disciplined and chastened by the Lord (v. 30). The Corinthians were so rank in their abuse of the Lord’s Supper that God had to act in severe discipline. His discipline included both sickness and death. This fact is stated so simply and straightforwardly that it has to be taken for what it says unless the Scripture is to be twisted. There is nothing in the context that even suggests that weak and sickly death are symbolic. When dealing with God’s discipline or chastisement of His people, three things need to be kept in mind. → God does discipline His child. He disciplines His child because He loves him (He. 12:5–13). → God disciplines His child to prevent the child from destroying himself and hurting and damaging others through serious sin (v. 29, 31). → God knows exactly what kind of discipline will most likely awaken his child to repentance and confession. → God knows when a believer should be taken on home to heaven. God alone knows when a sinning believer has gone so far in sin that he is never going to repent. At that point, the believer’s task upon earth is done; he will never again have a testimony for Christ upon earth, nor be of any real value to anyone else. As stated, only God knows when a believer who is living in sin reaches such a point. When he does, he is ready to be taken home. His damage to Christ and to loved ones and to the world have gone far enough. Apparently, some of the Corinthian believers had reached the point of no return, so God took them on home to be with Him. (See Deeper Study # 1, Judgment—1 Jn. 5:16. Also see notes—1 Co. 3:13–15; 3:17; 5:3–5.) “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (Jn. 15:2). “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Co. 11:32). “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (He. 12:5–8). “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Re. 3:19). “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee” (De. 8:5). “He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain” (Jb. 33:19). “Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law” (Ps. 94:12). “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction” (Pr. 3:11). “O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing” (Je. 10:24). 5 (11:31–34) Lord’s Supper: the right approach to the Lord’s Supper. Note four points. a. Approach the Lord’s Supper by judging yourself, that is, by examining yourself. We are to examine and make sure we are not living in sin or carrying some known and unconfessed sin in our hearts. We are certainly not to partake of the Lord’s Supper if we are living in known sin. b. Accept the chastening of the Lord. Confess and repent, turn from your life of sin, knowing that God is chastening you out of love. He is chastening you to keep you from being condemned with the world. This apparently refers to the final judgment. The person who continuously lives in known sin is apparently running the risk of being judged with the unbelievers of the world. c. Serve one another. Stop acting selfishly and stop indulging yourselves. Share and demonstrate love by putting others first. d. Do not bring condemnation upon yourself. Straighten your life out; sin no more. Change what you have been doing. Eat at home, and come together for the Lord’s Supper. Do everything decently and in order. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Co. 4:17). “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (He. 12:11). “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty” (Jb. 5:17). “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Jb. 23:10). “Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more” (Jb. 34:31). “Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word” (Ps. 119:67). “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice” (Jon. 2:2).