Communion: Take it apart... Common union. It is something that all people who believe in Jesus Christ can share together. It is something that binds us in common action. And whether we believe in a physical blood and body or a symbolic blood and body we still take the action as one of the most serious things we do in our lifetime. And we should.
Check out 1 Corinthians 11:24-30
- 23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
- 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
- 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.”
- 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
- 27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
- 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
- 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
- 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
Communion is a vital part of the Christian walk
- It is commanded to do
- It is a symbol of what Christ did for us
- It is a time for examination
- It is a time of proclammation
This is still not done so keep coming back.
6 comments:
Before I comment, please answer me this. Is Paul talking about the same thing in the following verses?
"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?" 1 Cor 10:16
"On the first day of the week we came together to break bread." Acts 20:7
I would say yes. I think they are truely related. But that is an opinion. And I might use that by the time I get done with the article. Had to stop writing for the day, you know...with the Inauguration of the messiah and all...
First of all, I want to correct myself. I meant to ask, "Are Paul and Luke talking about the same thing?" I must have been tired. Gettin' Old ya know.
I don't believe they are. I believe that Paul is talking about when the church gathered together for the celebration of the Feast of Passover and Luke was talking about the Middle East custom that began with Melchizidak.
The church, in it's attempt to distance itself from anything Jewish, has made them the same thing and we have lost the true meaning behind the Lords Supper, that is the Feast of Passover.
In fact, the word or the concept of "communion", as we use it, is not even in the bible. It's one of those Roman Catholic rituals, the eucharist, held over from the reformation. In the King James, the word appears three times. It those three times, the Greek word is koinonia, which means fellowship. So you can see how it developed in what it is today.
Even the early church fathers couldn't agree on their cover story. Ignatius of Antioch considers it a rite involving the consumation of, "the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ". Justin Martyr called it a yearly meal.
I believe Justin Martyr was correct. As a matter of fact, and I don't say this too often, but even the Jehovah's Witnesses got it right by observing The Lord's Evening Meal, or Memorial, each year on the evening that corresponds to the Passover. I think todays church misses out on a major blessing by not celebrating the Passover.
I used to have a problem with having "communion" as often as we do. Not anymore. I look at it as "the breaking of bread" we were told to immitate. By the way, notice that the cup is missing in the reference in Acts.
You know that we celebrate Passover with a Messianic bent to it. Didn't you celebrate it with us about eight years ago?
I hope this was in the realm of what you wanted to discuss, if not, oh well.
Shalom Aleichem Chaverim,
It's been a while but I've been busy over the holidays. I hope all is well with you.
To No Doubt,
It is refreshing to see someone with the correct view of Y'shua's words.
When Y'shua spoke at his last Pesach on earth, he finished the evening with the third cup and said, "I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
Are you aware that there are five cups. Nowhere in the B'Rit Hadashah is there any reference to the fourth or fifth cups. So rejoice for the fourth cup is called the "I will take you as my people or the taking out" and will be shared with us when he comes to take us home.
Along the lines of whether or not the Mishpacha should celebrate The Pesach, it is required not for savation puposes but for edification and following G_D's will for us. You are correct in saying, "I think todays church misses out on a major blessing by not celebrating the Passover."
However, I must correct you when you are saying, "anything that is Jewish" or "Jewish Feasts. They are our celebration of obedience unto G_D. I know you don't mean anything by it, but remember Sha'ul said that there are no Jew or Gentile, only the Mishpacha, B'nai Elohim. Challelujah, B'ruch attah Y'shua Elohim.
Lastly, the fifth cup is called "“I will bring you to the Land that I promised to Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov.” and is mixed with warm salty water and consumed. The Talmud tells us that it represents a fifth cup that reflects the hope for a messianic redemptive return to the Land of Israel.
Technically, Y'shua did not completely fulfill the Pesach. However, he will complete the celebration at our first meal in the Kingdom of G_D.
Challelujah, Challelujah and Amen Y'shua Adonai Elohim. (Praise G_D, Praise G_D and Let it happen Y'shua, Our Lord and G_D.)
I see what you are saying No Doubt. I misunderstood. I thought you were just plain asking if it had anything to do with drinking of the cup. I now see where you are going with this. I wasn't thinking on that realm but it was good to say and hey, go for it!
Sh'ma!!!!
Glad to see you back!
This is good stuff from the both of you and I agree that we (Christians and Jews) miss the point of each other's messages. The Jew can not see how Christ fulfills the law and the Christian can not see why we still have the law. We are relatives. We are no different from each other but we need to open our eyes to what we have to offer to each other.
Thanks to both of you for answering and giving some light on the subject.
I think we need to see some nuances in scripture some often miss. When we see breaking of bread, more times then not it is the custom of sharing a meal as no doubt has suggested. But at the close of Acts 2 we see "the" breaking of bread with the definite artical suggesting the Lords upper
Secondly no doubt seemed to be miffed (I could be wrong) by the term "Eucharist". this word comes from eucharista meaning to give thanks and appears in the Lords Supper passages when he took the bread and having given thanks (eucharistia) He broke it....
I am not sure once a year meets Paul's thinking of the term "often" used twice in 1 Cor 11. the Lords table became associated with a daily and later weekly agape meal and remained until into the fourth century
Elder John
Post a Comment