April 24th
Luke 22:14-20
Institution of the Lord’s Supper
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (ESV)
There are several dominant ideas as to what the Lord's Supper means to Christians of various traditions. Roman Catholics believe in Transubstantiation. Lutherans believe in Consubstantiation. Most Baptists and many other types of Protestants believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial and that the nature of the elements or substance of the bread and wine remain unchanged. Many Reformed folk believe that the Lord is present spiritually in the Lord's Supper, but like the Baptist's, etc. the form of the bread and wine remain the same.
We even have several ways of naming the Lord's Supper: Eucharist, Lord's Supper, Communion, etc. Certainly, whatever we believe, the sacrament or ordinance of the Lord's Supper is an important thing in most churches.
What do you believe about it? Do you practice paedo-communion or for adults, only. I am curious as to what people believe/do.
Please leave a comment if you wish. If I have missed anything important about the Lord's Supper, let me know. This is not meant to be an all inclusive post, just a starter point. I am no expert in this area, but it has always intrigued me and my ideas about the Lord's Supper have changed over time, as I came into contact with more traditions.
Please forgive any errors here or ignorance on my part. I am just trying to facilitate discussion, not be comprehensive.
The ESV Study Bible says about the passage above:
"Luke 22:15 Jesus earnestly desired to eat this meal with his disciples for several reasons: (1) it represented the founding of the nation of Israel (see note on Mark 14:17); (2) Jesus himself was now about to become the true Passover Lamb who would be sacrificed for the sins of his people, and thus this Passover meal was the last in long centuries of celebrating it while looking forward to the Messiah; (3) Jesus knew the meal would richly symbolize the giving of his body and blood for the disciples to earn salvation for them; and (4) this Passover meal itself looked forward to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in heaven."
The Reformation Study Bible notes about verse 18:
"22:18 until the kingdom of God comes. This is an important aspect of the Lord’s Supper as a sacrament; it points forward to the Second Coming of Christ"
The ESV Study Bible says of verse 19:
"Luke 22:19 The expression This is my body has been subject to widely varying interpretations throughout the history of the church. Roman Catholics understand it literally, and claim that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. Lutherans hold that the literal body and blood of Christ are present “in, with, and under” the bread and wine (something like the way water is present in a sponge). Some Anglicans refer to the “real presence” of Christ in the bread and wine. Most other Protestants have argued that the body and blood of Christ are not literally, physically, or “really” present, but that Christ is present “symbolically”; most would also add that Christ is present spiritually, with and in the believing recipients of the bread and wine, strengthening their faith and fellowship in him and thereby feeding their souls. Christ’s spiritual presence can be supported from Matt. 18:20; 28:20"
Peace be to all.
Luke 22:14-20
Institution of the Lord’s Supper
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (ESV)
There are several dominant ideas as to what the Lord's Supper means to Christians of various traditions. Roman Catholics believe in Transubstantiation. Lutherans believe in Consubstantiation. Most Baptists and many other types of Protestants believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial and that the nature of the elements or substance of the bread and wine remain unchanged. Many Reformed folk believe that the Lord is present spiritually in the Lord's Supper, but like the Baptist's, etc. the form of the bread and wine remain the same.
We even have several ways of naming the Lord's Supper: Eucharist, Lord's Supper, Communion, etc. Certainly, whatever we believe, the sacrament or ordinance of the Lord's Supper is an important thing in most churches.
What do you believe about it? Do you practice paedo-communion or for adults, only. I am curious as to what people believe/do.
Please leave a comment if you wish. If I have missed anything important about the Lord's Supper, let me know. This is not meant to be an all inclusive post, just a starter point. I am no expert in this area, but it has always intrigued me and my ideas about the Lord's Supper have changed over time, as I came into contact with more traditions.
Please forgive any errors here or ignorance on my part. I am just trying to facilitate discussion, not be comprehensive.
The ESV Study Bible says about the passage above:
"Luke 22:15 Jesus earnestly desired to eat this meal with his disciples for several reasons: (1) it represented the founding of the nation of Israel (see note on Mark 14:17); (2) Jesus himself was now about to become the true Passover Lamb who would be sacrificed for the sins of his people, and thus this Passover meal was the last in long centuries of celebrating it while looking forward to the Messiah; (3) Jesus knew the meal would richly symbolize the giving of his body and blood for the disciples to earn salvation for them; and (4) this Passover meal itself looked forward to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in heaven."
The Reformation Study Bible notes about verse 18:
"22:18 until the kingdom of God comes. This is an important aspect of the Lord’s Supper as a sacrament; it points forward to the Second Coming of Christ"
The ESV Study Bible says of verse 19:
"Luke 22:19 The expression This is my body has been subject to widely varying interpretations throughout the history of the church. Roman Catholics understand it literally, and claim that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. Lutherans hold that the literal body and blood of Christ are present “in, with, and under” the bread and wine (something like the way water is present in a sponge). Some Anglicans refer to the “real presence” of Christ in the bread and wine. Most other Protestants have argued that the body and blood of Christ are not literally, physically, or “really” present, but that Christ is present “symbolically”; most would also add that Christ is present spiritually, with and in the believing recipients of the bread and wine, strengthening their faith and fellowship in him and thereby feeding their souls. Christ’s spiritual presence can be supported from Matt. 18:20; 28:20"
Peace be to all.
