The Lord’s Supper (2)

By Bob Myhan

The Lord’s Supper is multi-purpose; it is a memorial meal, a communion meal, a covenant meal and a grace meal. But it is also a unity meal.

Paul wrote,

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? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. (1 Cor. 10:16-17)

When saints partake of the Lord’s Supper, they are reminded that the one Lord established one body, the church, of which He is the Head.

Jesus said “I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18) not My churches.

Paul declared “There is one body” (Eph. 4:4) not many bodies.

Paul also said of Christ, “He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18)

Christ has only one body just as the one body has only one Head.

The Lord’s death—memorialized, symbolized and proclaimed in the Lord’s Supper—had as its glorious purpose the uniting of Jews and Gentiles in one body, the church.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.  And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. (Eph. 2:14-17)

Any person, therefore, who defends human names, creeds, disciplines, and doctrines—which create division among the Lord’s people—obviously does not appreciate the fact that the body of Jesus Christ was given on Calvary to unite men in Him. Neither does he grasp the significance of the bread that memorializes and symbolizes that body.

How can one, who is not in favor of the unity that His death was intended to bring about, sincerely proclaim that death in partaking of the Lord’s Supper?

Also, those who properly partake of the Lord’s Supper, with the understanding that they are “one bread and one body,” are encouraged to work together toward fulfilling Jesus’ prayer for the continued unity of His disciples.

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21)

They are also encouraged to obey the following injunctions.

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor. 1:10)

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. (Phil. 1:27)

Because it is a unity meal, it is not to be eaten as individual Christians at home but as a collectivity of Christians in the assembly.

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. (Acts 20:7)

Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. (1 Cor. 11:17-20).

Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. (1 Cor. 11:33).

The saints at Troas “came together to eat” and the saints at Corinth were chastised for not eating together. Now, do we eat together if only a few eat? If everyone is not going to eat, why come together? If we can “eat solo,” can we not “sing solo”? If all are to sing, then all are to eat. If this is not so, why is it not?

As a unity meal, the Lord’s Supper is full of meaning to the Christian who has the sincere desire to continue to be united with his brethren in Christ and labors to that end, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). He will never exalt himself so as to measure others by the extent to which he imagines himself to have grown and deny them the privilege of sitting at the Lord’s Table and partaking of the Lord’s Supper. It is the Lord’s Supper, not ours. In view of the fact that the Lord has said, through the apostle, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup,” the Christian is to examine none but himself. After all, no one is fully what he ought to be.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).

 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:10)

The apostle Paul could say,

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12-14).

What Christian can truthfully say, “I have apprehended”? &

1 Corinthians 13 for Moms

Anonymous

I can read bedtime stories till the cow jumps over the moon and sing "Ten Little Monkeys" until I want to call the doctor-- but if I don't have love, I'm as annoying as a ringing phone.

I can chase a naked toddler through the house while cooking dinner and listening to voice mail, I can fix the best cookies and Kool-Aid in the neighborhood, and I can tell a sick child's temperature with one touch of my finger, but if I don't have love, I am nothing.

Love is patient while watching and praying by the front window when it's 30 minutes past curfew.

Love is kind when my teen says, "I hate you!"

It does not envy the neighbors' swimming pool or their brand-new mini van, but trusts the Lord to provide every need.

Love does not brag when other parents share their disappointments and insecurities, and love rejoices when other families succeed.

It doesn't boast, even when I've multi-tasked all day long and my husband can't do more than one thing at a time.

Love is not rude when my spouse innocently asks, "What have you done today?"

It does not immediately seek after glory when we see talent in our children, but encourages them to get training and make wise choices.

It is not easily angered, even when my 15-year-old acts like the world revolves around her.

It does not delight in evil (is not self-righteous) when I remind my 17-year-old that he's going 83 in a 55-mph zone, but rejoices in the truth.

Love does not give up hope.

It always protects our children's self-esteem and spirit, even while doling out discipline.

It always trusts God to protect our children when we cannot. It always perseveres, through blue nail polish, burps and other bodily functions, rolled eyes and crossed arms, messy rooms and sleepovers.

Love never fails.

But where there are memories of thousands of diaper changes and painful labor, they will fade away.

Where there is talking back, it will (eventually) cease. (Please, Lord?)

Where there is a teenager who thinks she knows everything, there will one day be an adult who knows you did your best.

For we know we fail our children, and we pray they don't end up in therapy, but when we get to heaven, our imperfect parenting will disappear.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. &