CallToRestoration.com Restoring the Lord s Supper April 2009 Bulletin

Transcription

1 CallToRestoration.com Restoring the Lord s Supper Bulletin Table of Contents 1. The Institution of the Lord s Supper a. Jesus Celebrates the Passover b. Jesus Washes the Feet of the Apostles c. Jesus Institutes the Lord s Supper 2. The Corinthians Error 3. Restoring the Lord s Supper Today a. One Cup, One Bread? b. The First Day of the Week

2 Restoring the Lord s Supper By Jonathan Minson There is hardly a function of the church that holds a more sacred standing among Christians than the Lord s Supper. Called the communion by some and the Eucharist (meaning thanksgiving) by others, the Lord s Supper is observed by nearly all churches and dominations across the world. Unfortunately, there is widespread disagreement about how often and in what way this supper should be taken. The importance of this communion should inspire all Christians, regardless of their denominational background, to seek to partake of the Lord s Supper in the best way, as described within the scriptures. The Holy Spirit did not inspire the authors of the New Testament to write about the Lord s Supper with such great detail in order for Christians today to observe the Lord s Supper in some other way. Rather, we should have a fervent desire to commune with our brethren, and our Lord, in the same way that Christ communed with the apostles on the night of His betrayal. What a beautiful thought! Though we are separated from that Last Supper by many centuries, we still can sit at table with our Savior. The Institution of the Lord s Supper The institution of the Lord s Supper, also called the Last Supper, is recorded in detail in Matthew 16, Mark 14, and Luke 22; John alludes to the institution in John 13, although he does not go into the same detail as the other gospels. Additionally, Paul retells these events in 1 Corinthians 11. Most of the events during Christ s ministry are not witnessed by all four gospel writers. Thus, the fact that these independent sources all make reference to the establishment of the communion is indicative of one thing: the Holy Spirit wanted to ensure that all Christians everywhere were familiar with the institution of the Lord s Supper. Knowing this, we will examine what happened on the night of the Last Supper. Jesus Celebrates the Passover The institution of the Lord s Supper took place while Christ and the apostle s were celebrating the feast of the Passover. This is seen in Matthew 26:17-20, Mark 14:12-17, Luke 22:7-16, and John 13:1-2. However, the institution of the Lord s Supper was not some customary observance of this feast, but was the initiation of a new practice separate and apart from the yearly Passover observance. It is likely that the Lord s Supper was instituted shortly following the end of the Passover meal as indicated by John 13:2, which states: And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon s son, to betray Him Several early textual variants re-render the phrase and supper being ended as and during supper. However, the extremely early Papyrus Bodmer II (also called papyrus 66), which dates as early as the late second century, supports the KJV/NKJV tradition even though it generally attests to the Alexandrian text-type. Additionally, internal evidence suggests that the KJV/NKJV reading more likely Page 2

3 contains the autograph a fact even conceded by ardent supporters of the Alexandrian text-type, such as Philip Comfort. We can be assured that and supper being ended is the original reading of John 13:2. At the conclusion of the Passover meal, Christ bends to His knees and begins to wash the feet of His disciples. Jesus Washes the Feet of the Apostles These events are recorded in John 13:1-17. In the weeks and months preceding the institution of the Lord s Supper, disputes arose over which apostle was the greatest. Such disputes are found in Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 20:20-28, and Luke 22: Christ, knowing that His departure was imminent, wanted His followers to understand that true greatness existed in serving. If His apostles did not understand this, a power grab might have taken place in order to fill the vacuum of authority left behind after Christ s ascension. In Jesus infinite wisdom, He demonstrated the greatness of serving by washing the feet of the apostles. Some have understood John 13 to be a commandment for Christians to wash the feet of their brethren as a part the Lord s Supper. This is an unfortunate view because it overlooks the true reason for Christ s action in John 13: to demonstrate the spirit of a servant. Jesus made it very clear in John 13 that His actions were significant of something far greater than just a physical washing of feet. Consider John 13:6-7: Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, Lord, are You washing my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. Jesus told Peter that he did not understand what He was doing. If Jesus was merely teaching that Christians should physically wash each other s feet, it would have been obvious what Jesus was doing, and His comment to Peter would have been senseless. However, Jesus actions stood for something far greater; thus, He told Peter that he did not yet understand. Again, consider John 13:12: So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? Once again, if the Lord was simply teaching that Christians should physically wash feet, why would He ask the rhetorical question, Do you know what I have done to you? Of course they knew what Christ had physically done to them. Christ was not asking if they understood His physical actions, but if they understood His spiritual actions. While it is true that Jesus did wash the feet of the apostles, He was teaching a message of far greater importance: be a servant to your brothers. This was the message that Peter and the apostles did not yet understand, and is the teaching Christians today should glean from these verses in John 13. After Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, He returned to the table with the disciples see John 13:12, 28. Jesus Institutes the Lord s Supper There are four different accounts of this institution, each are presented in the table below: Page 3

4 Matthew 26:26-30 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body. Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 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. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Luke 22:14-20 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. 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. Mark 14:22-26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, Take, eat; this is My body. Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to 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. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 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. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. While all four of these accounts are parallel, it is clear that Matthew and Mark show greater affinity for each other than they do with Luke and Paul; likewise, Luke and Paul show greater affinity for each other than they do with Matthew and Mark. A reconciliation of the four accounts orders the events of the institution of the Lord s Supper accordingly: 1. Luke 22:15-16 Jesus states: With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 2. Luke 22:17 Jesus takes the cup, gives thanks for it, and instructs the disciples to divide it among themselves. a. There is much confusion about what it means to divide the cup. We can learn what this means by eliminating what it does not mean: i. This probably does not mean drink of this cup because the drinking of the cup came after the eating of the bread see 1 Corinthians 11:25. ii. This certainly cannot mean divide a physical cup which would be a silly statement. b. If divide does not mean to drink and cup does not refer to a physical cup, then Jesus is saying to divide the contents among yourselves perhaps, place the contents of this cup into your own containers. c. Some entertain the idea that Luke 22:17 is out of sequence albeit for no apparent reason. This, however, would be an unusual occurrence for Luke s orderly account. Page 4

5 d. One possibility is that dividing the cup refers to passing the cup around the table, allowing each one to take a drink. A problem with this view is that it seems to reverse the order of the communion cup first, bread second. One might explain this away by pointing out that Luke only recorded Christ s command to divide the cup, and not the actual drinking of the cup by the disciples. i. First, why would Jesus give the instructions for the partaking of the supper in a backwards order? ii. Second, Luke does not record the disciples physically drinking the cup at all. Rather, the narrative is carried through the dialog of Jesus ordering the disciples. Thus, we should assume that the disciples divided the cup at the time that Jesus ordered them. e. Considering the alternatives, it is likely that Jesus took one of the cups from the Passover meal and instructed the disciples to divide the contents of that cup into their personal containers. 3. Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24 Jesus blesses, breaks, and then distributes the bread. a. This bread is the body of Christ, the holy Sacrifice prepared by God see Hebrews 10:5-10. b. All four accounts state that Christ broke the bread. It may be suggested by some that this is merely a statement to show how Christ distributed the bread to the disciples. However, this is unlikely as 1 Corinthians 11 mentions the breaking of the bread but does not mention its distribution to the apostles. It appears, then, that the breaking of the bread is indicative of something more perhaps symbolizing the broken flesh of Christ. 4. Matthew 26:27-29, Mark 14:24-25, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25 Jesus blesses the cup and gives it to the disciples to drink. a. Luke indicates that Jesus had already given thanks for the cup and ordered it to be divided among the disciples. Therefore, when Jesus blessed the cup here, He blessed it again and gave it (the contents) to the disciples to drink. While they already had the cup physically divided, they were not instructed to drink of it until they had eaten the bread. b. The cup, once again, refers to the contents. Christ said the cup is the new covenant in His blood and that we are to drink it. How can one drink a physical cup? Therefore, when Christ says cup He refers to the fruit of the vine a substitution made clear in both the accounts of Matthew and Mark. c. The symbolism of the new covenant in my blood is beautiful. During the Exodus, the blood of the covenant was sprinkled upon all of the children of Israel in Exodus 24:8. This is the blood that confirmed God s covenant with them and sanctified them see Hebrews 9: The new covenant, of which we partake, was confirmed by the blood of Christ. This blood sanctifies us Page 5

6 (Hebrews 10:29) and sets us free from the prison of sin (Zechariah 9:11). Christ is effectively saying this cup is the new covenant which has come by means of My blood or, as Matthew renders it, this is My blood of the new covenant. The Corinthians Error In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul writes to the church at Corinth to correct some major problems they had with regard to how they partook of the Lord s Supper. In fact, their mutilation of the communion was so severe that Paul said that the church was worse off as a result of their assembling together! We can learn so much about the communion by examining what the Corinthian brethren were doing wrong and what Paul had them do to correct their problems. All too often men oversimplify the Corinthians error by saying that they treated the Lord s Supper as a common meal. While there is certainly truth in this, this statement glosses over so much of the vital teaching of 1 Corinthians 11. Let s look at Paul s teaching section by section so we can understand what the Corinthians were doing wrong and how we can avoid falling into the same problems today. 1 Corinthians 11:17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. Compare this statement with what Paul says in verse 2 of the chapter. Paul segues from his commendation of their observance of head coverings to a condemnation of their observance of the Lord s Supper. Paul says that they had been assembling for the worse, and not for the better! This passage teaches this: it is better not to commune than to commune in the way the Corinthians were! 1 Corinthians 11:18-19 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. These divisions and factions may well be the sects spoken of in 1 Corinthians 1: It is evident from the chapter that these factions were driven by economic forces. Paul tells us that these factions exist so that those who are above the fray or are approved may be made known. As Christ taught, men can be known by their fruits. Those Christians who sought peace in the midst of division were made manifest to the congregation. 1 Corinthians 11:20-21 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. The important element to notice is how Paul contrasts the Lord s Supper in verse 20 with his own supper in verse 21. Christians should come together to partake of the Lord s Supper, but the Corinthians were coming together to partake of their own supper. Were they treating this as a common meal? It seems so. More importantly, they viewed this as an opportunity for a first-come, first-serve Page 6

7 meal in which they could feast while others went hungry; thus, they turned a holy institution into revelry. An important lesson to learn from this passage is that the Lord s Supper is something to be done together by all. In the New Testament we find examples of Christians praying together, and praying privately; we find Christians singing together, and singing privately; we find teaching done in a together arrangement, and done privately. However, it is not so with the Lord s Supper. It is always together. Christ said He had a fervent desire to eat the Passover with His disciples at the institution of this supper. When this togetherness is forsaken, we effectively turn the Lord s Supper into our own supper. Furthermore, this is something to be done by all. It is not appropriate for some to eat while others go hungry. 1 Corinthians 11:22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. Paul here expresses shock for what the Corinthians were doing. He asks, Do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? Here Paul is referring to the poor brethren among the Corinthian congregation. These economic divisions were evidently common in the first century church see James 2:2-4. By their gluttonous feasting, in which they monopolized the Lord s Supper, not sharing it together with their poorer brethren, they have shown that they despise the church of God. This again underscores the importance of togetherness in communion. While the church feasts with one another at the Lord s Table, we lay aside all prejudices and together, in complete unity with our brethren, reflect upon the sacrifice of our Savior. Racial, economic, and social differences are brought to nothing as the bride of Christ collectively remembers her Husband. The Corinthians neglected this togetherness as they refused to share in the Lord s Supper with the poor of the earth. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, Paul relates the events of the institution of the Lord s Supper covered previously in this article. 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord s death till He comes. Just as the Passover demonstrated the deliverance of the children of Israel from the bondage of slavery, the communion demonstrates the deliverance from sin that we received by the Lord s death at Calvary. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, Page 7

8 we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. When Paul refers to an unworthy manner (called unworthily in the KJV), he is referring to the way that we partake of the communion and not the spiritual condition we are in when partake of it. The Corinthians were partitioned on the basis on economic divisions. Their prejudiced and divided approach certainly qualifies as an unworthy manner. When we take the communion in such an unworthy way, we are profaning the body of sacrifice and blood of the covenant. Instead, Paul tells us to examine ourselves; to witness firsthand our sin that put the body of Christ on the cross and caused His blood to be shed. Should we fail to do this, and should we take the Lord s Supper in an unworthy manner, we are inviting judgment upon ourselves. This is not one in the same as eternal condemnation, but rather, it is a chastening by the Lord with the purpose of bringing about our repentance. There is disagreement over whether the weakness, sickness, and death spoken of in this passage are to be taken literally or figuratively. Some believe that God brought about these sicknesses in order to bring the Corinthians to repentance. This is how God chastened them. Certainly this is possible, considering that the church was still in the age of spiritual gifts. Others take these items figuratively and consign the chastening of God to some spiritual reprimand. In my estimation, the former appears to fit the contextual demands more fully, but a figurative application is certainly reasonable. 1 Corinthians 11:33-34 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. Here, Paul again emphasizes togetherness and gives a correction for the first-come, first-serve attitude that he condemned in verse 21: wait for one another. When the church comes together, wait for all of the brethren so that all can share in the partaking of the Lord s Supper. Paul then says if you are more interested in eating your own supper than the Lord s Supper, eat at home. Restoring the Lord s Supper Today One Bread, One Cup? Much of stir is made by many brethren about having one bread and one container for the communion. The scriptures do teach that we all partake of that one bread: 1 Corinthians 10:17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Paul, writing from hundreds of miles away in Ephesus, states that they all partook of that one bread. Though they physically ate from different loaves in different towns at different congregations, they were truly sharing in that one bread. How can this be? This is because the bread stands for something far greater than a physical loaf. Likewise, the cup stands for something far more than a physical container: Page 8

9 1 Corinthians 10:16 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? Do we all partake of one bread today? Yes! On Sunday mornings, Christians from Houston to Hyderabad all partake of one bread, for we, though many, are one bread and one body. In the same way, each Sunday morning Christians all across the world all drink from that one cup. Those who teach that there can only be one loaf and one container for each congregation are truly the ones who are dividing the bread and cup, for they overlook the true spiritual meaning of partaking of one bread and drinking from one cup as a church universal in favor of a view that emphasizes a physical loaf and a physical cup. The First Day of the Week Many churches today only offer the communion a few times per year. They claim that this keeps the practice fresh and ensures that it does not lose its meaning. Have you ever wondered why the church assembles on Sunday in the first place? There are two passages in the New Testament which involve the church coming together on Sundays: Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. In Acts 20:7, the church came together for the express purpose of communing. In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul tells the Corinthians to offer a collection, presumably because they were already assembled on the first day of the week. Again, these are the only two times we specifically read of Christians assembling on Sundays in the New Testament. It speaks volumes that many churches who offer the communion a few times a year offer the collection a few times a week. If the New Testament church assembled on Sundays for the purpose of communing, why would we continue to assemble on Sundays and not commune? When God told the Jews to honor the Sabbath, they understood Him to mean every Sabbath. Why would we read Acts 20:7 any differently? Conclusion While much more could be said about the Lord s Supper, I pray that what we ve studied thus far has been beneficial. I hope that you desire the restoration of the church in all areas, including the communion. As stated before, it is such a blessing that Christ has invited us to come and dine with Him at table! I encourage you to take advantage of this blessing every Lord s Day and find a congregation that communes with Christ in the way He has commanded. If you do, the blessing will be yours! Page 9