queslordsupper

The Lord's Supper

Questions and Answers

1. Why is the Lord's Supper the most traditional meeting we have? Would it be wrong if there was some innovation in the Supper, as there is in other meetings?

The Lord's Supper, or the meeting to partake of the bread and drink the cup in communion with other brothers and sisters in memory of our Saviour, is done according to the commandment of the Lord Jesus to His disciples: "Do this in memory of Me." In this meeting the bread is a symbol of His body and the cup is a symbol of His blood given by him in ransom for our sin.

In 1 Corinthians 11:26 it is made clear that every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again. The meeting is, therefore, solemn, because we are remembering the supreme sacrifice made by Christ, which leads us to reflect on the enormous price He paid to save us from condemnation. This reflection leads us to praise and worship, aloud or silently, using appropriate hymns and prayers. The praise and worship should be spontaneous on the part of each participant, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and a proper order maintained. I do not think it would be appropriate to call this "traditional": it obeys the apostolic doctrine.

The reality is that there have been changes and additions over time in the habits and customs of the churches, and many turned the Lord's Supper into a formal and empty ritual, sometimes a mere appendage to a service, and made undue restrictions to the participation of believers.

Since there is no program determined by the Word of God for the meeting, which ought to be led by the Holy Spirit and His Word, any innovation that is in conflict with this ruling is disobedience and sin. On the other hand, a renewal with a view to eliminating a traditional ritual to return to the authentic celebration and faithful observance of apostolic doctrine is very healthy, and the Holy Spirit has promoted this over time in the churches that seek to serve God by doing His will.

The leaders of the church may hold meetings for other purposes, with another character, and these will be conducted in the manner and with the use of those instruments which those who promote them deem most appropriate to their purposes. Obviously such meetings will always be subject to innovations that are considered useful to better achieve their goal.

2. Is there a commandment about the limitation to only one cup in the Lord's Supper?

Superficially, the Lord's Supper consists of a loaf of bread and a cup (of which we drink the content), according to the commandment of the Lord Jesus: "And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you... ' "

The bread was unleavened bread (no yeast) that represents the sinless physical body of the Lord Jesus, and the contents of the cup was the product of grapes, possibly but not necessarily pure juice, which represents His blood. Of course one loaf of bread and one cup can best represent the unity of His body and blood (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

On the other hand, we should always distinguish between what is circumstantial and the true biblical teaching. The Lord Jesus made use of food (bread) and drink (cup) used in the Israelite Passover supper as symbols of His body and blood. Among the four cups used at Passover, the Lord Jesus used the one they called the "cup of blessing" (1 Co.7: 16). As a matter of interest, it was ceremonially customary among the Jews to give bread and a "cup of consolation" (Jeremiah 16:7) to those who were mourning for the dead.

The fact He used one loaf and one cup reminds us that the Lord Jesus was one person, but the biblical teaching is deeper:

In the Lord's Supper we partake of material food which is a symbol of the spiritual food given us by God in the human person of Jesus. The Lord Jesus is God's food for our souls, "the bread of heaven" (John 6 :31-58). Bread was the staple food of antiquity, so much so that this word was used generically for any food.
The blood of the Lord Jesus shed on the cross was the price of our redemption from the penalty of our sin, spiritual death. This is the New Testament of God, replacing the Old which used the blood of animals as a figure of Him. The symbol we have is a cup containing a liquid to drink representing the New Testament based on the blood of Christ (1Cor.11: 25).

Basically, therefore, at the Lord's Supper we eat a material food which symbolizes the spiritual food that God gives us in the person of Jesus in his human body, and a material drink that symbolizes his death (blood) at the cross of Calvary. The material food is called "bread" and the material drink is called by its container "cup".

Those who participate in the Lord's Supper eat the "bread" and drink the "cup" (eg 1 Corinthians 11: 28), but the symbol is in its content: food and drink. Therefore, if the container consists of one or more trays with small pieces of bread (or other food) and one or more trays with cups of grape juice (or other beverage), the symbol does not cease to be valid.

In a small group gathered for the Lord's Supper, one loaf of bread and one cup with grape juice or other normal drink will serve very well. In a large group, a larger quantity will be more convenient without violating the biblical teaching.

3. Under what circumstances is it considered to take part in the Supper unworthily? Is it right to stop participating because of something that is causing us remorse? In this way would we not be rejecting the forgiveness of Christ symbolized the atoning blood?

Read 1 Corinthians 11:17 to 34.

The Lord's Supper was instituted by Him so His death is announced until He comes: the bread represents His body given for us, and should be eaten in remembrance of Him, the cup represents the New Testament in His blood.

Those who take part in it unworthily, or profaning it, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, being subject to condemnation for not discerning the Lord's body.

God judges us by the manner in which we attend the Lord's Supper. In the old church at Corinth, some members were sick and others even died because of what they did. They did not discern the Lord's body. Today there are many methods used to perform it, but what is being considered here is whether, in fact, we are discerning the body of Christ in the Lord's Supper.

The Lord's Supper is the most sublime expression and holiest exercise of the Christian worship. In Corinth it had dropped to such a secular level that it was practically a blasphemy. It followed a communal meal where the church was gathered, but many of the participants were poorly prepared, there was dissension between them and even cases of drunkenness.

In our day the Lord's Supper is a meeting usually isolated from the others, which eliminates some of the evils that were mentioned in the Corinthian church. However, we can highlight certain attitudes that can lead to its defilement.

Divisions in the church, unfortunately, are common for issues of little relevance, or stubbornness, partisanship or by making distinction of persons. These divisions are sometimes revealed in the Lord's Supper: some even refuse to participate in the Supper with other Christians because of these divisions. Paul admits that because of the rise of heresies, there will be manifestation against them on the part of sincere Christians, but this is not a heresy. Controlling the Lord's Supper as if were our property is a desecration.

The commandment is that each one examine himself: he alone in the whole church knows the state he is in with relation to his Lord, if he has confessed and received forgiveness for his sins before God and men. Only then can he come to pay his worship.

With regard to discerning the Lord's body, there have been debates and heresies throughout the centuries, but all that is told in the Bible indicates that it is the recognition of the presence of the Lord Jesus at the Lord's Supper. We have there the symbols to remind us of what He did for us, and so proclaim His death until His return to take us to be with Him. The hymns, worship and meditation, all should help us see His august presence in his church, His spiritual body. No attitude or activity that takes us away from this contemplation is fitting - it would be a desecration.

Remorse, according to the Oxford Everyday Dictionary definition, is "a deep regret for one's wrongdoing", and conducts to a full repentance. The Christian consciousness is probably more sensitive than the unbeliever's, and is more subject to remorse. But this is remedied: "If we confess (meaning "to admit") our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The sincere Christian who proudly does not want to admit his sin will remain at fault until he does, suffering remorse and feeling unworthy to approach the Lord at His Supper. Having the available remedy, he suffers unnecessarily ... But he will not have lost his salvation, which nobody can take away, and the pardon resulting from the blood of Christ will continue valid.

4. I wonder if a church can meet for the Lord's Supper knowing about unequal yoke. How can a brother hate another and take part in the Supper and participate in the work?

There are no explicit conditions set for it to be performed by a church, but supervisors of some churches establish their own rules for this. As to the participants, before taking the symbols that announce the death of Christ (the bread and cup), each should examine himself to make sure he is not taking it unworthily. Note: examine himself, not others. On the other hand, if a brother or sister is in sin, such as unequally yoked or in hate of another, it is the responsibility of the overseers to approach him and admonish him, and exercise any necessary discipline. But that is another matter.

5. When a brother takes the Lord's Supper unworthily, can God punish him by taking his life?

Surely God can do it, as He did in the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).

This text and its context explain what is meant by "taking the Lord's Supper unworthily": there were believers in that church who behaved carelessly and irreverently during the Supper - there were dissensions, gluttony and some even came to get drunk! Who participates in the Supper unworthily becomes "guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord," and is subject to the discipline of God, whose severity can be felt in the form of illness or even death.

It is incumbent on the believer to examine himself (not his brother) and then take the bread and cup. It is not a matter of personal merit, because none of us has got it, and we only come to God because of the merit which is given to us by his Son. On the other hand, he must have:

confessed and left his sins to be forgiven,
restored what he wrongly took of others,
forgiven those who trespassed against him,
and apologized to those he offended.

If he continues to live in sin, it is a lie for him to partake of the emblems of the death of our Saviour, which was undertaken to free him from it. If he does not examine himself and rid himself of sin, judgment will come, because God disciplines His children on earth, lest they be judged later with the world. Some are even taken away from here, as someone said, "it is possible for a saint (in Christ) to be fit to go to heaven, without being fit to stay to give good testimony on earth."

6. Can a local church deny the Lord's Supper to a former member during a visit, who changed to another denomination? Is there a biblical basis for such an attitude?

To meet for the Lord's Supper is an invitation, which for us becomes a commandment, from the Lord Jesus to His disciples, who are all those who turned from their sin and received Him as their Lord and Master. Before taking the symbols that announce the death of Christ (the bread and cup) each should examine himself (not others) to make sure he is not taking it unworthily.

The conduct of the local church is determined by their elders who look after His flock and one day will report to the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:1-4) . Denying participation in the Lord's Supper to a visitor who confesses Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and is in communion with another church of God is serious.

Simply the fact that he moved to the fellowship of another church of believers does not affect his relationship with the Lord Jesus or with other churches. But there may be other considerations not mentioned here, such as the reason why the former member left the communion of his church. If, for example, it was because he was found to be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater or a railer, or a drunkard, or robber, there is a commandment that the church must not have fellowship with Him (1 Corinthians 5:11), so the elders do well not to allow participation in communion with the church at the Lord's Supper.

I recommend that you read the article " Love and Communion . "

7. The 7th day Adventists being a sect, would it be right for them to participate in the meetings of our churches, even by singing?

It is not right to allow them to participate in a church meeting, for they are not members. At most, they may only watch in silence as visitors in the hope that their eyes are opened to the truth, acknowledge their sin and turn to Christ.

As to singing hymns, along with the congregation, it is not for us to ban them. Many of our hymns have doctrines that are not accepted by Adventists and he can not sing with sincerity. But the responsibility is his. Ours is to prevent him from praying, talking or teaching, and so prevent him from spreading their heresies within the church.

To learn more about what they are, see here .

8. I just read the brother's article on "The Three Tables"which is really instructive. I found your statement about the contents of the cup strange. In fact 1 Corinthians 11 does not speak about the contents of the cup but in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke it is said to be the fruit of the vine; would the cup of the Passover be different from the cup of the Lord's table?

It is not surprising that those who are accustomed to the use of wine in the cup of the Lord's Supper judge it strange to be alerted to the fact that the contents of the cup at this time are not specified anywhere in the Bible, and the simple cup is always stated as being the symbol of the blood of the Lord.

It is curious, too, that in the different occasions when a cup of wine is mentioned in the Bible in both Testaments, it always has a connotation of a curse - see starting from the first reference in Genesis 9:21, and other examples such as Psalm 75:8 and Jeremiah 25:15; in Lamentations 4:21, Ezekiel 23:32 and Habakkuk 2:16 only the cup is mentioned, but one can deduce that it is wine because of its consequences: drunkenness and shame. People used to boil wine to reduce the alcohol content or dilute it with water.

We cannot go so far as to deny that there may have been wine in the ceremony of the celebration of Passover, after all as far as we know there were no soft drinks at that time, but there was fruit juice and, of course, from grapes. The word "wine" we have in our Bibles translate several Hebrew and Greek words ranging from simple grape juice to wine of strong alcoholic content. They were alternatives to plain water.

According to what we are informed by Jewish writers and historians, "new" wine was still pure grape juice. What was stored in bottles (skin bags) ended up brewing, because they had no refrigerators in those days ... so it "worsened", contrary to what we think today, because it intoxicated. The wine which the Lord turned from water at the wedding in Cana was "new", so it was better and more expensive than the fermented wine they were using before and ran out. This makes sense, does it not?

References to the "fruit of the vine" in Matthew, Mark and Luke obviously carefully avoid mentioning "wine", also grape juice but fermented, as well as all other references to the contents of the cup of the Lord's Supper.

Wine unfortunately became traditional for use in the Lord's Supper for centuries after that, and today we even have hymns, especially in English, which are sung at the Lord's Supper and mistakenly mention "bread and wine" instead of "bread and cup", this being the correct expression that the Holy Spirit uses in His Word.