The Lord’s Supper: Biblical Overview and Theological Reflections WC McCarter
NAMES
(1) Eucharist (εὐχαριστέω): Matt 26:27; Mark 14:23;
Luke 22:17, 19; 1 Cor 11:24
“17 [Jesus] took the cup, and gave thanks . . . . 19 And
He took bread, gave thanks. . . .”
Not a title for the meal in the Bible but has become one,
especially for Roman Catholics.
(2) Communion (κοινωνία): 1 Cor 10:16-17
“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? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one
body; for we all partake of that one bread.”
Fellowship, sharing, communion. Here we find a
description of the event of the meal, yet it has become a title in many
traditions.
(3) Breaking of Bread (τῇ κλάσει τοῦ
ἄρτου): Luke 24:35;
Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7; 1 Cor 10:16
“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.”
Most scholars, nearly universally, believe that this
phrase refers to the Lord’s Supper. Remember, Jesus was known to the disciples “in
the breaking of bread” after traveling the road to Emmaus. So, here, we have a
biblical title for the meal.
(4) The Lord’s Table (τραπέζης κυρίου): 1 Cor 10:21
“21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.”
We are instructed to come to the Lord’s Table with
sincerity and purity of heart and relationships. Here, we have another biblical
title for the meal.
(5) The Lord’s Supper (κυριακὸν δεῖπνον): 1 Cor 11:20
“20 When you come together in one place, it is not to eat
the Lord's Supper.”
Here, the meal is specifically referred to with this
title, which is the most common of all the titles. The Corinthians were rebuked
for making a mockery of the Lord’s Supper. They called it such, but they were
actually getting drunk and eating their fill before others could make it to the
gathering.
CONTEXT
(1) Passover: Beginning at Exodus.
The Lord commanded the people to keep the Passover meal for generation after
generation to remember their salvation from slavery in Egypt. There was a
Passover Lamb, a blood sacrifice, and there was salvation.
(2) Last Supper: Passover Meal.
Jesus took the position of the “head of household” and instituted a new covenant in His blood.
(3) NT Christians: Meal within the
meal (agape love feast). They practiced this regularly, even weekly
(devoted/continued steadfastly).
(4) Church History: As one
dictionary says, “At first the ceremony was part of a larger meal . . . but,
being a special part, it could be separated” (ZIBD). The dictionary article
goes on to teach, Historically speaking, the Lord’s Supper was later separated
and became the second part of the weekly worship time, the first being the
ministry of the word (ZIBD). So, what the church had was two major pillars for
the service around which was placed prayers and songs: the ministry of the word
and the Lord’s Supper. For the first 300 years, it seems to be regularly
practiced.
ELEMENTS
(1) Bread: “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.”
(2) Cup: Blood of the new covenant
poured out for many. The word wine is never used. Fruit of the vine. May have
been unfermented grape juice.
MEANING
(1) Remember: There is no doubt that
one of the chief purposes of the Supper is to remember. Jesus commanded, “Do
this in remembrance of Me.” The Table is a memorial of the once-for-all
sacrifice of Christ (Heb 7:27; 9:12), and, contrary to Catholicism, it is not a
continual, active offering of a sacrifice. The Table serves to remind us of the
one-time sacrifice. And, “Remembrance, biblically, involves a realization and
appropriation in the present of what was done in the past” (source unknown). It
is an active memory. We put ourselves back in time. We think of ourselves in
the Upper Room. We think of ourselves at the cross. We imagine being present at
the empty tomb and at the Lord’s ascension.
(2) Examine: The apostle instructs
in 1 Cor 11:28-29, “28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the
bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner
eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.” The
Lord’s Supper gives us a weekly opportunity to examine our own lives, our own
souls to see if our motives are pure and if our minds are set on the Lord.
Let me point out that the “unworthy manner” here is
specifically “not discerning the Lord’s body” which is, in the context, not
considering your brothers and sisters in Christ. You see, the Lord’s Supper is
not something you do alone. It is not just a fellowship of you and the Lord
like you’re in a bubble or like a man on the moon. No, the Lord’s Supper is a
fellowship of the whole church. You must think of the person in front of you,
behind, beside, and across the room. The Lord died for each one of us. If there
is ill-will between you and someone else, if there is conflict, if you are
ignoring others, overlooking his/her needs, then you are eating and drinking
the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.
(3) Commune: Again, we have 1 Cor
10:16-17,
“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? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for
we all partake of that one bread.”
The word used is the word for fellowship. Of course, this
piggybacks off of the last point. This is a communion that we share with one
another and with the Lord Himself. This is the most important, the most special
form of fellowship that the Christian has.
(4) Proclaim: The famous words of
the apostle come in 1 Cor 11:26 when he says, “26 For as often as you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.” We are
making a statement. We are preaching to our own souls, to all those in the
assembly, and to the whole world. We are heralding the Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
(5) Pledge: Coming to the Lord’s
Table and participating in His Supper is a pledge of loyalty to the Lord, a
pledge of allegiance to Christ and His church. It is to come wholeheartedly and
single-mindedly, focusing completely on the Lord and His purposes. One author
says, “To eat at His table is to be committed to Him, identified with His
people, and dedicated to the service of His cause in the world” (BEB, 1355).
(6) Anticipate: In each of the
accounts of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, from Matthew, Mark, and Luke
to Paul in 1 Corinthians, there is some form of hope for the future. When we
partake, we proclaim the Lord’s death until
He comes. And, we will all one day participate in this meal with the Lord
in the Father’s kingdom.
CONCLUSION
(1) Christians Only: With all these
things in mind, one can see that it is assumed that this a meal for Christians
only. Why would one want to participate if he/she does not believe?
(2) Weekly Meal: It appears that the
Lord’s Supper was practiced weekly in the New Testament, but that is not
conclusive. Early church history also shows a weekly participation in the
Supper. There is no prescription, no commandment about frequency, but it was
done regularly. So, we choose to make it part of our weekly worship time, much
like the Bible lesson, the singing, the prayers, and the Scripture readings. It
is our opportunity, each week, to be reminded of the Gospel message, to examine
ourselves, to fellowship at the Lord’s Table, and to proclaim the Gospel to one
another. We engage in this weekly because we cannot think of a reason not to do
so. This is as important an activity as there is in the Christian life.
(3) Both And: The Lord's Supper should be both solemn and joyful at the same time, both serious and a celebration.