The Lord's Supper/Communion.

The Protestant Church teaches that it is a symbol.

For starters, the Calvary Chapel churches believe and teach the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, with real physical and spiritual healing available.

No, it just means they believe that Christ is present in a special way during Communion, not in His literal body and blood which the RCC says is offered up as a sacrifice every mass. The RCC view on it is a form of mystical cannibalism and clear blasphemy against our Lord's once for all sacrifice for sins.

Three Bible incidents come to mind for me.

One is the words Jesus spoke at the Passover meal when He took the cup and said, "This is My blood, all of you drink of it." He used wine, though He had His own real blood there if He had chosen to cut himself and used physical blood. He did not do that, He let the wine be a symbol of the blood. He told the disciples to take Him inside of themselves.

Then there was the time during His ministry when He shouted to the crowd, "Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no part of Me!" Which of course freaked out a large part of the crowd, rattling the 12 as well. It was a challenge again, "Don't just know Me, take Me inside,"

Lastly was the incident following His resurrection with Cleopas and another disciple in Emmaus. The men had been prevented from recognizing Him as He spoke on the road, the Holy Spirit restraining their minds as they were filled with information. But as they attended the evening meal, when Jesus broke the bread in front of them the Holy Spirit released them to recognize Him!

Discussions on the Communion meal can get complicated and even argumentative, but in my opinion it is about two things- recognizing in my inner man who He really is, and taking that reality inside as I walk a journey to becoming just like Him for eternity. Communion elements are a physical symbol of a spiritual reality.

That's how I see it. I would be interested in what others believe about it.

David Jeremiah, pastor of a local church here in San Diego, always teaches that it is just a remembrance of Jesus work in salvation. It would irritate me that someone should go about their daily life and then once a month remember that Jesus died for their sins.

I am mindful of that moment by moment, I just think the Communion meal has to be deeper, more powerful, more compelling than just a religious exercise in remembering.

The phrase, "You are what you eat" seems to have a place here.

Oracico is correct the RCC teaches that the wafer, becomes JESUS actual flesh, and that the wine becomes HIS actual blood. The priest prays, while the congregation is kneeling. The priest prays the Eucharistic Prayer and then holds the consecrated host up for all to see. At this point the wafer has become his actual body, and the wine becomes HIS actual blood...at least that is what any truly devout Catholic will tell you and believe. One other thing that should be made clear, Catholics are taught that there are requirements that must be met in order to take communion. They are taught that in order to truly be acceptable to take communion, one must first go to confession by going to the priest, confess, do penance,(pray prayers with the rosary) then you must believe that the wine and wafer become his flesh and blood, you must fast for no less then one hour before and then finally you will be in the right place and worthy to take communion. It is a very big deal to Catholics, the more frequently you take communion the closer you are to JESUS because you have been joined with HIM by the eating of his flesh. It is false teaching, it is not BIBLICAL and there is no support for such notions. They are pagan in their concept and no true believing Christian would take part in such an exercise.

God bless
maryjane

So I thought this worth sharing here:

It was close to their hearts to share in the Feast that Jesus spoke of, declaring visibly, until He returns. It was a declaration of their "one-loafness”””1Cor. 10, 11 and discerning of the Body of Christ as ONE. And, in fact, if they WERE NOT ONE”””your meetings do more harm than good, and it’s not the Lord’s Table AT ALL!” The ritual obviously MEANS NOTHING, if their lives don’t reflect the REALITY of the ENTIRE CHURCH AS ONE, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, IN THE COMMON AFFAIRS OF LIFE! "Contending as ONE MAN for the Faith” (Phil. 1:27). "Joined and knit together by every supporting ligament” (Eph. 4:16). "We being many are ONE!” IF the LIFE of the people doesn’t reflect this Truth, God says that they "eat and drink condemnation upon themselves” and it’s not even the Lord’s Supper anyway! And they shouldn’t bother to meet at all, since God is judging them for it. Wow.

So, it’s important to God. But, it’s not magic bread. It is a declaration to heaven and hell and earth of a UNION of LIFE, eating and drinking with Him anew in His Kingdom. AND, it must reflect the reality of our LIVING SITUATIONS DAILY AMONGST HIS PEOPLE, or it is a bogus ritual that God strikes some sick and others dead over (1Cor. 11). Being "DEVOTED” to doing it, and LIVING the Reality of it, MUST go hand in hand. And yes, God is very much involved in SUCH a "Communion” as this.........

We rarely participate in communion at my church--once a quarter at most. So I look forward to it.

It is clear since people were getting sick and dying in the Corinthian church over this that it is more than just a symbol. I don't agree with transubstantiation for sure; however anytime we reflect on the atonement we should be serious about it, especially when we are being obedient to The Lord and what we are commanded to do.

I have wanted to comment on this. But I have sat back and watched to see what everyone had to say.

Communion is a beautiful, powerful thing. Jesus instituted communion at the last supper ( Luke 22:19-20.) The Apostles and disciples did it (acts 2:42.) The apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian church how to go about taking Communion (I Corinthians 11:23-32).

In verse 23 Paul says that which I have received from the Lord have I delivered unto you. So we see here that Paul was teaching the church what the Lord had taught him. The Bible says in 1 corinthians 14 that if any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual, let Him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

So Communion isn't a custom, It is a commandment from God, and seeing how God instructed it and Jesus and the Apostles did it, we must do it also.

How often should we take communion? Jesus said do this as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me. So that means He wanted them to do it more than once and He wants us to do it more than once. You can do it any time you remember Christ and what He has done for you, so long as it is out of a pure, righteous, and sincere heart.

There is power in communion. Because not every one is allowed to partake of it. Here in is where the power lies:

1 Corinthians 11:27-29 KJV
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. [28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

In order to take communion, you must be PURE. You must be holy, and must be living right. You must examine your self before taking, and if you have sinned you must repent in order to be in condition for communion. When you repent of your sins, And you have examined your self and are found worthy then you are in perfect condition to ask God for anything, and to claim the promises of God.

Many churches have done away with Communion because it makes many people uncomfortable because they have to face the fact that they have sin in their life. But when a person examines their life and rids themselves of anything that would hinder their relationship with God, when they get in condition, and when they remember what the Lord has Done for them, they can pray and God Will answer!

This is the power of communion, and that is why so many were sickly and dying in the Corinthian church, like they are today, because they were taking it without first examining their lives and repenting and askingGod to forgive them.

I urge you, plead with you, brethren and sisters, take God at His Word. If you have a sickness in your body, if you need God to move in your life, or just want to get closer to Him, take Communion!!!

Examine, repent and remember and watch God do great things. Taste and see that the Lord is good!!!

Love you all, God bless.

I urge you, plead with you, brethren and sisters, take God at His Word. If you have a sickness in your body, if you need God to move in your life, or just want to get closer to Him, take Communion!!!

Brother,

Can you expound on this statement a little more. I do not understand how these symptoms--sickness in the body and needing God to move in my life--are cured or nullified or generally affected by taking communion as per the scriptures.

I have a question to add to the one given:

How should a believer respond when there are communicants with rebellion in their lives?

There are 4 primary views on the communion/eucharist. However, rather than me lay them out and thrash them around I would suggest another route.

There was a marvelous resource written a few years back called, "UNDERSTANDING FOUR VIEWS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER".

Well respected and spoken followers of all four main views (Baptist, Reformed, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic) present their positions which are then counterpointed by the other three. There truly is a distinct difference in all four. It is a challenging read to put them all in the same ring at the same time and evaluate them.

It was very well done with each position making their case while the other three then had opportunity to respond and question it. All done in a thorough, respectful, and academic manner. An enjoyable read that removes much of the emotion and lets the various view be presented side by side letting the reader make his mind according to the truths he sees and his conscience.

Here is a link to the book if you wish to give it a look. Right now it is about $12.00 on CBD.

http://www.christianbook.com/understanding-four-views-the-lords-supper/john-armstrong/9780310262688/pd/262688

Well worth the investment if a person is actually interested in the topic and not just fighting or knit picking.

Good eVening, I apologize for not getting back to y'all sooner. I got off work a little later than expected, and have just now got a chance to get on SI.

Brother Havoc,

The Bible says The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their Prayers. We see from this Scripture that God hears the Prayer of a righteous person. Righteous meaning to be in right standing with God. As believers we live by God's Word, if we're not sober and vigilant though, we Will allow things to hinder our walk with God. Communion Is like stepping off the boat to go onto the water. It's taking the next step. It's more than just asking for forgiveness, but you search your heart and mind and ask God to reveal to you any area of your life that you are lacking in, and repent of your sin. After you repent, you take communion which honors God because you are remembering everything that He did by Sending His Son, and by remembering what Christ did for us on the cross.

The Bible says in Hebrews 4:16 KJV
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Now that you have been cleansed, You can come to the Throne boldly and Ask God what ye would because you know you have made things right between you and the Lord. There is nothing hindering your relationship with Him, you have done what is commanded of you and you can ask in Faith trusting in Him to answer.

Sis Ginny:

The Bible says In Phil 2:12 work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. As hard as it is, and as heartbreaking as it can be, You must make your choice, and they must make theirs. That's why the Scripture says examine yourself see if ye be in the faith. If you're in church you must come under the authority of the pastor because God is not the author of Confusion. After the Pastor teaches on Communion it is left up to the person to make the choice.

One scripture I really struggle with is 1 Corinthians 14:38 KJV
But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

As a Preacher of the gospel, I Preach against sin and of the consequences of committing sin. I see people that hear the Word of God Preached and still walk out the door living the same filthy life style. I want to shake them, And turn them from their sin but ultimately, they must make their own choice. If they know better and still yet take it anyway they Will live with that. All we can do is pray for them, and work out our salvation for salvation.

James 4:17- therefore to Him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to Him it is sin.

Thank you for the questions. Again I'm sorry I am just now getting to answer. Hope y'all are doing well. God bless.

One of the deepest spiritual experiences I have had was when a dear brother arranged for a surprise, or spontaneous communion service for a a small number of us who prayed on Saturday mornings. He had little setting arranged around the table and as we entered the room he was at the door greeting us and gave us each a hug and said "there is a place prepared for you." It is hard to describe how impactful that simple act was. But I do know why- it is because Jesus was speaking through him.

For me, the spontaneity of it was what made it special because it did not seem so contrived and it was very simple. But the Lord was present- not in the elements but there with us. My church as a body take communion about once a quarter which to me is not enough, but I think groups of believers should take communion together apart from the church service. I believe it is more meaningful and a deeper experience that way. Also, that is the way Jesus began it-- with a small group of close friends.

I was listening to an Art Katz sermon a while back and he said he had a little communion "kit" and he took communion by himself every morning as part of his devotional time.

Communion Is like stepping off the boat to go onto the water. It's taking the next step. It's more than just asking for forgiveness, but you search your heart and mind and ask God to reveal to you any area of your life that you are lacking in, and repent of your sin. After you repent, you take communion which honors God because you are remembering everything that He did by Sending His Son, and by remembering what Christ did for us on the cross.

I love communion. I do, and I eagerly look forward to it whenever we have it.

I want us to review the text in 1 corinthians 11 where this concept is found.

Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. There must, indeed, be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore, when you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper. For at the meal, each one eats his own supper ahead of others. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on the church of God and embarrass those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you for this!

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, "This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way, after supper He also took the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup. For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. If we were properly evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged, but when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. And I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come.

Man0fGod,

I am going to be direct, but don't think I am condescending.

What I am hearing is this: When we sin, we should ask for forgiveness, but when we really want God to do something for us, or we need a work in our life, or when we really need some deep cleansing, we should take communion.

I doesn't seem to me that this is the pattern that we have for us in the Scriptures. Now, clearly, I could be misunderstanding what is being said or I could just not be familiar with this concept as shown in the Scriptures. Both are pretty likely, lol.

I think the problem was the the Corinthians were very nonchalant and were taking advantage of one another and putting to shame those who had nothing. In fact, it appears that the whole concept of the Lord's Supper was totally off-kilter. They were eating and drinking and carousing about and definitely not discerning the body and blood of the Lord, nor were they remembering what He did for them. Yet they still called it the "Lord's Supper." It was anything but.

Because of that, the Lord had began to judge them and made some sick and killed others.

In view of all of this, Paul told them to examine themselves and explained how to correctly partake of the Lord's Supper.

Considering this, Paul was not telling them, "your health is bad and you are in sin, therefore take the Lord's supper in order to prompt the cleansing that you need." He was saying the opposite, "You are sick because you are sinning in taking the Lord's Supper and eating and drinking guilt on yourselves. Examine yourselves so that you are able to take it."

The Lord's Supper does nothing to cleanse me, just as baptism does not cleanse me. I must be clean prior to both of those things.

*****************************

I was listening to an Art Katz sermon a while back and he said he had a little communion "kit" and he took communion by himself every morning as part of his devotional time.

Is there a pattern in the NT that shows that we should do that? I always thought that communion was a communal ordinance and not a by-yourself ordinance.