Type of Doctrine: Secondary
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV)
Why does it matter?
The first reason the Lord's Supper matters is that it was a practice instituted by Jesus (Luke 22:14-23). But it wasn't given merely as a practice to repeat; significantly, it was given as a practice from Jesus to remember Jesus! Here's how Paul says it: as often as you partake of the Lord's Supper you proclaim the gospel until Jesus comes back (paraphrase of 1 Cor. 11:26). In other words, the Lord's Supper matters because the Lord matters.
The Lord's Supper matters because the Lord matters.
Furthermore, Scripture shows the seriousness of taking the Lord's Supper in a proper way. Paul says, "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died" (1 Cor. 11:27-30; emphasis mine). Yikes.
Lastly, the views vary widely; some believe that the bread and wine/juice actually become the body and blood of Jesus while, on the opposite extreme, others believe that the bread and wine/juice are symbols (more on this later). Are we eating the actual body and blood of Jesus or not?
What is it?
The following will cover: (1) an overview of the Lord's Supper, (2) the frequency of the Lord's Supper in history, and (3) the four views of the Lord's Supper.
Overview
The Lord's Supper is the practice of eating bread and drinking wine, or juice, to remember and proclaim the Lord's death for the forgiveness of sins.
The Old Testament background is the Passover. This was a celebration by Jews to commemorate the deliverance of God's people from Egypt. Significantly, when Jesus creates the new covenant idea of the Lord's Supper, he is eating Passover with the disciples (see Luke 22). Outside of the Gospels, an important text on the Lord's Supper is found in 1 Corinthians 11.
The Lord's Supper is often described as a sacrament. The term "sacrament" comes from a Latin word which means mystery. Some decided to change the term to "ordinance" to distance themselves from the sacramental theology of the Catholic church (however dispensing the term is not necessary even if one disagrees with sacramental theology). Additionally, the Lord's Supper is occasionally referred to as Communion or the Eucharist (which emphasizes our thankfulness for the gift).
Frequency
The early church participated in the Lord's Supper weekly, in every worship service. This was the typical pattern throughout church history until a few hundred years ago when some began to modify it to monthly or quarterly out of a concern that it would become an empty ritual (although it's not clear how other elements in weekly worship services don't seem to become empty rituals such as preaching, singing, announcement times, etc.). Some Evangelicals have begun to recover the ancient practice of weekly partaking of the Lord's Supper emphasizing this Scripture: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Doesn't the church want to proclaim the Lord's death every week?
4 Views
Here are the four most common views on the Lord's Supper (adapted from H. Wayne House, Charts of Christian Theology & Doctrine, 124):
View | Who? | Presence of Christ | Interpretation of "This is my body" (Mk. 14:22) | Details |
Memorial | - Originally: Ulrich Zwingli (Lived 1484-1531) - Modern: Usually Baptists, Non-denominational, and many Evangelical denominations | Christ is not present literally or spiritually - it is symbolic | Nonliteral | Symbol reminds those who partake of the gospel |
Spiritual Presence/Reformed | - Originally: John Calvin (Lived 1509-1564) - Modern: Reformed, Presbyterian, some other Evangelical denominations | Christ is not literally present but he is present spiritually (often explained by the Holy Spirit) | Nonliteral | Symbol reminds those who partake of the gospel plus gives spiritual nourishment through the presence of Christ by the Spirit |
Consubstantiation | - Originally: Martin Luther (Lived 1483-1546) - Modern: Lutheran | The bread and wine/juice don't change into Christ's body and blood, but he is literally present in, with, and under | Literal | Those who partake have the forgiveness of sins and confirmation of their faith (as long as they truly have faith) |
Transubstantiation | - Originally: Thomas Aquinas (Lived 1225-1274) - Modern: Catholic | The bread and wine/juice literally become the body and blood of Christ | Literal | Spiritual nourishment and frees from venial sins as Christ is sacrificed each time to atone for the sins of those who partake |
Application
Take the Lord's Supper often and think about Jesus: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes" (1 Cor. 11:26).
Where can I learn more?
Bibliography:
- House, H. Wayne. Charts of Christian Theology & Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992.
For more information see these resources:
- Allison, Gregg. Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.
- Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994.