COMMUNION
COMMUNION
“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? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)
The “communion” of which Paul wrote was initiated by Jesus at the last supper, just before He was crucified. Matthew records it like this: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29)
Mark recorded it like this: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:22-25)
Luke recorded it like this: “When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from 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 given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:14-20)
Please note that Jesus not only ate the bread and drank the cup on that night with His disciples, but also promised to do so again with them in His Father’s Kingdom!
John records that as Jesus ate the last supper with His disciples He explained that He was going away where they could not follow Him now (John 13:36). He was not going to abandon them, however, or treat them like orphans. Even though Jesus was going away He was going to return to them soon in the person of the Holy Spirit. Note: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:16-20)
WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT JESUS PROVED HIS LOVE FOR US ON THE CROSS “THIS IS HOW WE KNOW WHAT LOVE IS: JESUS CHRIST LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US. AND WE OUGHT TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OUR BROTHERS! (1 JOHN 3:16)
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For three years Jesus had gone before them and commanded “follow me.” Now Jesus promised that even though He was temporarily going away, both He and the Father would come back and make their home with them. They would not be abandoned like orphans. Jesus promised “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23)
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Please don’t worry! Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us! (Hebrews 13:5) •
Further, Jesus is not only with us as individuals, but He also promised to be with us in a special way when we assemble for worship. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
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Our word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklesia” which refers to an assembly. The church of Jesus Christ is not a building, it is an assembly of people. Where even two or three gathered in His name Jesus is there. Consequently, believers should not forsake the assembly of the saints but exhort and encourage one another to be faithful (Hebrews 10:25).
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Jesus also promised to be with us in a special way in the communion supper. Our word translated as “communion” comes from the Greek word “koinonia” which refers to a “partnership” or “fellowship.” When we eat bread in memory of His body, and drink the “fruit of the vine” in memory of His blood, we are demonstrating our partnership with Jesus (Mark 14:22-25).
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So the early church gave priority to meeting together and breaking bread: “And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)
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“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)
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The more “fellowship” we have with Jesus, of course, the more we will become like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
A WORD OF WARNING
When Cain killed his brother God warned him that “Sin is crouching at your door and desires to have you.” (Genesis 4:7). The Hebrew word translated as “desires” is “teshugah”. This word is only found three times in the Bible. Keil and Delitzsch, in their commentary on Genesis, state that it refers to a desire so strong that it borders on being a disease. It comes from a root word meaning a “violent craving.”
The point is that Satan is obsessed with sending us to hell. He is patiently “crouching at your door” desiring to defeat you. He is so serious about this that he will do anything, and say anything, to deceive you. Remember! Adam and Eve were perfect people in a perfect environment. If Satan could deceive them, he can obviously also deceive us!
Paul warned the Corinthians: “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2-3)
Everything God created was “very good” “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31). This even included the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17). Yet Satan used this special tree to bring sin into the world, and death, as you know, came by sin (Romans 5:12).
The communion supper is good, but Satan can deceive us into dividing with our brethren over “how” we are to take communion. Benaiah, one of David’s mighty men, killed an Egyptian with his own spear (2 Samuel 23:21). This is what Satan wants to do with us. The Scriptures are the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesian 6:17) and Satan wants us to kill one another with the Bible. Every division in the Body of Christ is a tribute to Satan’s cunning.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for example, were both commanded by Jesus. They have been recognized as two basic ordinances of the Christian faith. God intended baptism and the Lord’s Supper to unite us and to bring us together. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). With reference to communion Paul wrote: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17) Sadly. there are literally hundreds of divisions in the Church of Jesus Christ over baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Martin Luther, for example, was a reformer in Germany, and Huldrych Zwingli was a reformer in Switzerland. Both left the Catholic Church and both believed in the “authority of the Scriptures.” They were divided, however, on how the Scriptures should be interpreted. The Communion Supper was one point of violent disagreement. Luther believed that the words of Jesus “This is my body” be taken literally, and Zwingli felt they were symbolic. Luther refused to work with Zwingli for he felt that to do so would “meet damnation with body and soul.” Luther felt that just as the army of Joshua was stopped by one sinner like Achan, the reformation would be stopped by a sinner like Zwingli.
As we have said, however, the Lord’s Supper should unite us! “Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of one loaf.” (1 Corinthians 10:17) “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
The following thoughts about communion are only one man’s opinion! Please do not let the devil deceive you into arguing and dividing over opinions!
WHY SHOULD WE TAKE THE LORD’S SUPPER?
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First, Jesus said to do so! Whatever Jesus tells us top o we need to do it! When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper He told His disciples - “Do this in remembrance of me!”
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Of course we must obey Jesus! We cannot call Jesus Lord if we do not do what He commands us to do (Luke 6:46).
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Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper while eating the Passover. Just as God commanded the observance of the Passover so that His people would never forget their deliverance from Egypt, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper so that we would never forget what He did for us at Calvary.
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“Because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 9:14)
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When we observe the Lord’s Supper we also affirm His promise to come again: “For whenever you eat the bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes!” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
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The very idea that the God Who created the universe died on a cross to save us is unique. No pagan god ever did such a thing! Each time we take communion we are reminded of this magnificent miracle that is beyond human comprehension. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33)
WHO SHOULD TAKE THE LORD’S SUPPER?
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Since it is the “Lord’s Supper” He is the one who gives the invitation. All who claim Jesus Christ as Lord are invited to commune with Him!
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Please, however, consider this warning: “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)
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Nobody should take the Lord’s Supper who refuses to repent!
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David, a man after God’s own heart, set a good example for everyone when he prayed: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” Psalms 51:1-3 •
Ananias and Sapphira were Christian people who approached God in an unworthy manner and died because they lied unto the Lord (Acts 5:1-11).
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King Herod died because he refused to give glory to God (Acts 12:19-23). Don’t be proud like Herod was!
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Some at Corinth also died and others got weak and sick because they ate the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner! Remember! “It is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God.” (Matthew 4:7)
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Therefore “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.”
WHEN SHOULD BE TAKE THE LORD’S SUPPER?
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The Scriptures do not say!
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The Scriptures do say that “As often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death until He come.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
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It seems the church in Jerusalem took communion every day: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)
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The church at Troas came together on the first day of the week to break bread (Acs 20:7) Paul was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem (Acts 20:16) and yet he stayed at Troas for 7 days (Acts 20:6) Apparently he arrived in Troas too late to meet with the brethren and had to wait 7 days to break bread with them.
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Please note the “breaking bread” was apparently the primary purpose for their meeting. •
We are apparently free to “commune” with Christ any time we want to!
WHAT DO WE EAT AND DRINK IN THE LORD’S SUPPER?
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Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper with unleavened bread while they were eating the Passover meal.
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Some believe that the early church had “love feasts” during which they ate the Lord’s Supper (Jude 12)
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The Corinthian church also had meals in association with the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20-22). Since they abused these meals Paul wrote: “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so when you meet together it may not result in judgment.” (1 Corinthians 11:33-34)
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The bread at the Passover was made of wheat, oats, barley, or rye and was without leaven. •
Many parts of the world, however, do not have access to these grains and make their bread out of something else. This, however, does not keep them from observing the Lord’s Supper. •
The “fruit of the vine” at the Passover came from grapes.
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Many parts of the world, however, do not have access to grapes.
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You can live without wheat and grapes, but you cannot live without something to eat and something to drink. I believe that people in the jungle and people in the Arctic can commune with God by using what they have.
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One tribe in the jungles of Papua New Guinea were converted to Christ by John and Bonita Pryor. The members of the tribe drink nothing but water after being weaned from their mother’s breast. Since they are surrounded by enemy tribes they have no way of getting supplies from the outside world. Thus they remember His body with bread made from sweet potatoes and they remember his blood by drinking water.
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Sadly, the religious world is divided over the “fruit of the vine” that Jesus drank. Some say it was not fermented as anything with leaven was forbidden at the Passover. Without refrigeration, as you know, it is difficult to keep grape juice from fermenting.
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Paul rebuked some in the church at Corinth for getting drunk taking communion (1 Corinthians 11:17-22). It is not wrong to take a sip of wine, but it is always wrong to get drunk.
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V 17 - “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.”
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Vss. 18-19 - “In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.” The word translated as “differences” is the word for “heresy”. Just as the human body has mechanisms to get rid of poison, so does the Body of Christ. The “approved” cling to Jesus, and the “heretics” cling to someone else.
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V 20 “So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat,” It didn’t matter what they intended, their meeting was so corrupt that it was not the Lord’s Supper. •
V 21 - “for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.”
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V 22 - “Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!”
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After rebuking them for the errors Paul continued: “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.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
WORSHIP WITHOUT RITUALS
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Under Mosaic Law only the high priest could enter into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. He could only do so one day in the year, and then only by observing the strictest rituals. •
Some of those many rituals are listed in Leviticus 16:1-34). If the high priest neglected to properly put incense on the fire before the Lord, for example, he would die (Leviticus 16:13). •
When Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord they died (Leviticus 10:1-3). •
When Jesus died, however, the veil before the Holy of Holies was torn in two: “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split. (Matthew 27:50-51)
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By the blood of Jesus we can now enter with confidence into the presence of God without a ritual: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:19-23)
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On March 22, 1951, missionary J. Russell was arrested and imprisoned by Chinese communists. He was kept in solitary confinement for 15 months. He was starved, tortured, beaten, and was prepared every day to die for his faith. He had no idea what day of the week it was. His only food was rice, and his own drink was water. Every day he took communion using rice to remind him of the body of Christ, and water to represent his blood.
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Here are video interviews with Bro. Morse and his son Eugene:
https://vimeopro.com/wotruth/venture-in-faith/video/110859073
https://vimeopro.com/wotruth/venture-in-faith/video/110859074
DISCIPLINE IN THE CHURCH
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“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Hebrews 12:5-6)
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There was a man in the church at Corinth who was having sexual relations with his father’s wife: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)
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The theological term for this discipline is to “excommunicate”. This means to not take communion with them.
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In the following verses (1 Corinthians 5:9-12) Paul explains that in society we have to associate with sinners in order to win them to Christ. In the church, however, it is different. “But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.” (1 Corinthians 5:11)
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A loving father does not discipline his son to save himself, but to save the son he loves. Similarly, our motive for disciplining a brother in Christ is his salvation and not ours! •
In this instance the discipline worked and the sinful man repented. So Paul wrote: “The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.” (2 Corinthians 2:6-8)
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David had a wicked son named Absalom who usurped his throne. David loved his sinful son just the same . When David heard that Absalom was dead he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33).
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This is the way that God loves us! “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
THE DISCIPLES APPOINTMENT WITH JESUS
After Jesus was raised from the dead He appeared to His disciples over a period of 40 days and spoke about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). On some of these occasions Jesus appeared without warning. A week after He was resurrected, for example, Jesus suddenly appeared to them in the upper room even though the doors were locked (John 20:26).
He did, however, make an appointment with them to meet him in Galilee. When Jesus appeared to a group of women he said: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee where they will see me.” (Matthew 28:10).
A few verses later we are told: “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus told them to go.” (Matthew 28:16)
It was at this appointment that Jesus gave them the Great Commission saying: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus also made another appointment with His disciples. He said: “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
As you know Jesus also made another appointment to meet with them: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29)
PRAISE GOD! JESUS HAS ALSO MADE THESE SAME APPOINTMENTS WITH US!
WHEN YOU MEET WITH TWO OR THREE BELIEVERS IN THE NAME OF JESUS WILL BE THERE!
WHEN YOU BREAK BREAD IN MEMORY OF HIS BODY, AND DRINK THE CUP IN MEMORY OF HIS BLOOOD, HE WILL BE THERE!
JESUS HAS PROMISED NEVER TO FORSAKE YOU – PLEASE DON’T FORSAKE HIM!