Bible Question:
Who should take communion and how often should they take it.
Merwin L./ Raleigh, N.C.
Bible Answer:
Communion or the Lord's Supper
I Corinthians 11:23-32
[23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread:
[24] And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.
[25] After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.
[26] For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come.
[27] 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.
[30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
[31] For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
[32] But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
A) The reason for the Lord's Supper:
Memorial:
Our Lord said....Luke 22:19 “This do in Remembrance of Me.”
Not a means of salvation in itself, but ...a remembrance of the Lord and what He has done for us.
II Corinthians 5:21 “For He (God the Father) hath made Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
Communion:
Not with each other, but fellowship with the risen Lord.
James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you....”
Edification:
Colossians 2:6,7
[6] As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:
[7] Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
B) Who is the Lord's Supper for:
The Lord's Supper was a central theme to the early church.
Acts 2:42 NLT “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper*), and to prayer.”
The Lord's Supper is for the Christian Church/ Born Again Believers.
I Corinthians 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”
C) How often should Christians partake of the Lord's Supper?:
Acts 20:7 (The custom of the early church) “On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord's Supper.* Paul was preaching to them,...”
Church history tells us that for the first 700 years, this was the church custom.
Later it was changed, but John Calvin stated, “the change was a contrivance of the devil.”
John Wesley told his people to celebrate the Lord's Supper every week.
