Seeking advice on Communion

Outside of the gospel accounts of how Jesus established the practice these seems to be the only detailed instructions:

Any reason you don't just do this for yourself?

I'm not being snarky, but you have Scriptures in your signature, you obviously know how to find a verse in the Bible. The myriad of online Bible tools that exist would make this extremely easy for you.



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Bible Search: lord%27s supper

Bible Search: communion

Bible Search: body of christ

As far as I know the literal references are the words of Institution, because they say "do it as often..." and 1 Cor 11:29. but you might also look at Act 2:42 and 20:7 for examples in the early church.

To my knowledge, the usual argument for closing communion based on doctrinal is 1 Cor 11:29. That implies to some people limiting it to those with similar views on communion. But Catholic practice is based on a wider understanding of the role of the Church and communion that would have to be justified by a wider study of the Church in the NT as a whole. Similarly Protestants with closed communion. To my knowledge restricted it to baptized people is simply based on the concept that it should be Christians, based on 1 Cor 11:29 and a pretty obvious though implicit understanding in all the references to communion. (It's fairly clear that in the NT it's something done by believers, though there's no explicit prohibition of non-belivers.) For churches where Christians are baptized at birth, except for converts, it's pretty easy to see why you'd say that someone who isn't baptized isn't a believer. But of course for churches in the Baptist tradition, that's not the case.

There are actually a number of different ways of handling it:
* Only your church or at least your group of churches: Catholic, conservative Lutherans and Reformed.
* Any Christian, but you have to verify with the home church that they're in good standing. Some conservative Protestants, based on general concepts of Church discipline, but particularly 1 Cor 5:11
* Any baptized person or any Christian. Liberal Protestants and some conservative Protestants. I group these together because as far as I know, the churches that say any baptized person do this because historically that was any Christian.
* Anyone. As far as I know, this is rare.

Note that Paul's phrase "discern the body" in 1 Cor 11:29 has quite a range of understanding. Some think it means that you must accept the real presence of Christ's body in communion. Others think it's referring to the Church as Christ's body. And that's just 2 possibilities. Check a good critical commentary for all of them and the arguments.

If Jesus is the Word of the Lord, what does it mean to eat his body and drink of his blood? Now the Jehovah's don't have blood transfusions because they believe the life is in the blood.

Could communion be to receive the Word of the Lord?

Something to consider, however it must be said that, most denominations have "the sacrament of communion (Lord's supper etc)." The sacrament itself was practiced by the apostles.

However I've often wondered if the bread itself, is a spiritual metaphor for manna from Christ. Spiritual knowledge, and his life's blood to walk in his ways...

Maybe; just something to muse over, apologies for the opinions.

Bible verses concerning communion:-

What Does the Bible Say About Lords Supper?

Having just come upon this thread, I have to say 'Good work, all of you.'

When I read the OP, I thought 'This will take some work,' but in only four posts you all really delivered the goods. Now I guess it's up to Chris to reach his own conclusions.

ChrisHolland619 said:

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If you truly want to be a blessing to me, just post the verses in your replies in totality so I can view them myself, and let God speak to me regarding this issue through His Word. I believe God has the power to do that.

Regards.

Click to expand...

Just read the brown bits, then when you think you have got understanding from God, read what I have put and see if you agree ...

If you understand what "communion" is you will immediately know who it is (not) for!

As the word indicates, it is for people who are in the common union with God and others that Jesus came to bring.

It physically symbolises what is going on spiritually with the partakers - they are living according to the Spirit of God, having "no confidence in the flesh", the natural state of man to be right with God (or others, or oneself!)

"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you ...It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:53, 63)

"as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Cor. 11:26)

Now that the Spirit is given, man is required to receive Him (as detailed in scripture - see Acts 2:4, 33; John 3:8 etc), then overcome the weakness/sin of "the flesh" through drawing on His mind & heart.

Any one / any church that is not doing this is not truly communing with The Lord. Sadly many "blind leaders of the blind" are like this, fulfilling Jesus' warning:

"I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity" (Luke 13:25-27)

The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11:
17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.

18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,
19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.
21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal.
One goes hungry, another gets drunk.
22 What Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?
Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?
What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death zuntil he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
33 So then, my brothers,10 when you come together to eat, wait for11 one another—
34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment.
About the other things I will give directions when I come.

Footnotes
[1] 11:3 Greek gunē. This term may refer to a woman or a wife, depending on the context
[2] 11:5 In verses 5–13, the Greek word gunē is translated wife in verses that deal with wearing a veil, a sign of being married in first-century culture
[3] 11:10 Or messengers, that is, people sent to observe and report
[4] 11:18 Or I believe a certain report
[5] 11:24 Some manuscripts broken for
[6] 11:24 Or as my memorial; also verse 25
[7] 11:30 Greek have fallen asleep (as in 15:6, 20)
[8] 11:31 Or discerned
[9] 11:32 Or when we are judged we are being disciplined by the Lord
[10] 11:33 Or brothers and sisters
[11] 11:33 Or share with

Many scriptural references regarding Communion you can find here: Just click on this: (in black) What Does the Bible Say About Holy Communion?

and check out the first 20 or so. Many of the others are implicit rather than directly connected to what is usually shared regarding Holy Communion.
http://www.openbible.info/topics/holy_communion

As far as I know there are no instructions given to churches regarding who should be allowed to take communion. The instructions in 1 Corinthians are addressed to the people who take communion and one of them is "let a person examine himself." God will judge those who take communion when they are not worthy. The church isn't under any obligation make any judgment in such a case.