The Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper
Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:17-20,28-30
The Lord’s supper was originated by our Lord Jesus in His church, and given to members of His church only, it was not pagan in nature as many claimed to be. And it was to His church that the responsibility of perpetuating His Supper until His return was given.
The Gospel according to Matthews 26:26-29 reads:
The Apostle Paul makes it very clear that the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper was established on the very same night that He was betrayed. He also declared to us the nature and the purpose of the Supper.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 reads:
ITS NATURE
The Lord’s supper is in nature a memorial supper, it is clear just as Jesus presented it in His own words:
“This do in Remembrance of me.”
It was given as a means of commemorating the sacrificial and atoning death of Christ.
Luke 22:19
1 Corinthians 5:7,8 reads:
Christ became our Passover in death and bore the leaven of Judgment for our guilt of sin to the cross.
1 Peter 2:24.
It is proper that unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine be used in the Lord’s supper as symbols of our Lord’s broken body and shed blood. This is to be done in remembrance of Him to shew the Lord’s death till he come.
(1 Corinthians 11:26; Acts 1:10,11)
Taking part in the Lord’s supper does not give you access to Heaven neither do you receive particular grace or forgiveness of sins as Roman Catholic teaches, but we are to do it in Remembrance of Him who died for our sins.
Not a means of securing Grace(Con-Substantiation)
No one can secure Grace, and there is a growing belief that the bread and wine used in the Lord’s Supper are a means of securing grace, helping the saved stayed saved. Listen, that is far from the truth.
It is the belief of several religions that the Lord’s Supper is therefore a sacrament, which should be taken every Sunday to help people get in or stay in the grace of God.
Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:8-9
The Lord’s Supper is never mentioned in the Bible as a means by which salvation is to be either acquired or retained.
Not the Literal Body and Blood(Trans-substantiation)
Roman Catholicism holds that when the bread and wine are blessed and broken they become instantly the very body and blood of Jesus Christ. They argued that they are eating the real body and drinking the real blood of Christ.
The priest blesses the bread ceremoniously in latin, saying, “hoc es corpus meum” (this is my body). Then in turn blesses the wine, saying, “Hoc es haima meum”
Upon the pronouncement, Catholicism claims that the elements then and thereafter are the very body and blood of Christ.
Both of these doctrines are wrong, and they do not belong to the churches of God.
ITS RIGHTFUL PARTICIPANTS
Who can participate in the Lord’s Supper? The Lord’s Supper like salvation is offered universally to everyone, on the Lord’s conditions. Everyone is offered salvation, if each is willing to accept the one way of Jesus.
John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Tim 2:5
In the New Testament, only members of the Lord’s Church, each church, should eat the Lord’s supper together. That each church of the Lord has the authority to administer it to her own membership, properly adjudged, none will question.
The church is to be together, gathered together in order to observe the Lord’s supper properly. There is no Bible authority to carry elements to the home of any sick and give it to them individually. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper His church was gathered together with Him. Except for Judas Iscariot who was not there (Unsaved people cannot partake in the Lord’s Supper)
Luke 22:29-30.
Baptists who are obedient to the Lord practice partaking the Lord’s Supper only with and in His church, not with those who serve other tabernacles.
Only members of the Jerusalem church took the Lord’s supper following the Pentecostal revival at Jerusalem. Baptism and church membership are requirements for anyone to partake in the Lord’s Supper. None except those who have been baptized by the authority of one of the Lord’s churches has any right to the Lord’s table.
Acts 2:41-42 reads:
If someone comes from Catholic church, CAC, methodist, and others, should we join hands together, and observe the Lord’s Supper together? My answer is No.
To approve members of different churches, embracing different plans of salvation, and holding different forms for baptism is to go against the Word of God. There must be fellowship in doctrine before there can be scriptural breaking of bread together.
In the Old Testament, although it is not specifically called a type, the Old Testament Passover appears in many ways to be a type of restricted participants in the Lord’s Supper.
Exodus 12:43-49 reads:
Strangers could come to the Passover supper, but only after they had been circumcised and subscribed to the Lord’s law of worship for Israel. We can’t just meddle with anyone in the breaking of bread, but only people like faith are to be involved in it as commanded by the Lord.
Twelve Restrictions Concerning Its Observance
The Holy Scriptures place twelve restrictions around observance of the Lord’s Supper. The whole church, and each member in particular, has a grave responsibility in keeping the Lord’s Supper in Remembrance of Him.
In seeking to maintain the following restrictions around the Lord’s Supper, the church is obeying the Lord, and not Men Acts 5:29
The elements are restricted, to unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. (Matthew 26:26, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 5:7)
The place is restricted to a coming together- (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:18,20)
The personal motive of individuals is restricted. The motive is not to show love, kindness to friends and neighbors, but obedience to Christ alone. (1 Corinthians 11:22,26)
The purpose is restricted to show forth the Lord’s death. – Matthew 26:26
The persons are restricted, to saved, baptized fellowshipping church members. Matthew 28:19,20, Acts 2:41-42)
The conduct of church members is restricted, to the orderly- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).
The moral practices of individuals were restricted (1 Corinthians 5:11)
The design was restricted, to show the Lord’s death till He comes. 1 Corinthians 11:15-22, Luke 22:19
The members of only one faith were restricted (Hebrews 13:8-10)
The united in doctrine were the restricted (1 Corinthians 11:16-20)
The individual was self-restricted by divine injunction(1 Corinthians 11:28)
Only the members adjudged worthy by the church were to eat. (1 Corinthians 5:22)
These are the Lord’s orders and not man’s. Our Lord advised, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”.
1 Corinthians 11:27-29 declares that if one eats and drinks unworthily(with the wrong motive), he eats and drinks damnation(judgment) to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.