Communion?

You might enjoy this from my church.

Sermon Network - St. Pete Vineyard Church : Means of Grace: Holy Communion

Here's the video Chris mentioned in the sermon.

Communion - misconceptions - YouTube

There is a book called "Come to the Table" by John Mark Hicks that is about the restoration view of communion.

I see communion very much like Mr. Hicks does.

Jesus said to remember HIM... NOT the Roman's torturous death they inflicted upon Him.

If I died in a fiery car crash, I would want my loved ones to remember me as the man I was to, and with, them... Not as a mangled, bloody corpse in three thousand pounds of twisted steel. And I believe this is what Jesus asked His friends to do... to remember who He was, and what He stood for, and what He meant to them.

FundamentalistJohn said:

Hi Friends;
Can anyone here recommend to me a book, pamphlet or tract concerning the restorationist understanding of communion. I am specifically asking about celebration of the Lords Supper.
Thanks
FJ

Click to expand...

Excerpts from the book, "Why I am a Believer in Jesus":


[FONT=&quot]Let me discuss one ritual that is commonly observed in all kinds of Churches, that is, communion (Eucharist). A meticulous study of the scriptures clearly indicates that it was a ritual instituted by Paul to tackle the problem in notorious Corinthian Church established by him! What was established was the blood covenant by Jesus Christ with His apostles, not communion during the last supper!
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]What is difficult to follow: ritual of communion or abiding by the blood Covenant that is the law of Christ? Obviously, it is the communion procedure. People, naturally, settle for convenient arrangements avoiding the harder aspects, giving unnecessary importance and branding for an easy observance![/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] The participants of the Last Supper, namely, Matthew and John do not record in their gospels to perform this ritual as a ‘remembrance’ of His death! Mark, who got much of the information for the gospel through Peter, who was also present, did not write that it should be observed at fixed intervals! Luke who wrote the gospel gathering information from Paul and also from others did not also indicate that it should be observed frequently in his earlier manuscripts. [It is indicated in a footnote of the NASB that ‘some ancient manuscripts do not contain the remainder of verse 19 nor any of verse 20’ in Luke chapter 22 as a part of ‘remembrance’] Therefore, Jesus never wanted this to be observed as a routine ritual![/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As a reminder, Jesus Christ declares that He will neither eat nor drink again until the kingdom of God comes (Luke 22:16-18) Even Paul did not fix up a frequency for this, like, daily, weekly, monthly or yearly observance! Paul was never with Jesus in His earthly ministry, so he missed out many important tenets preached by Jesus! All the apostles grew in spiritual stature gradually. Paul still had his pharisaic mind in the beginning! He simply came up with a solution at Corinth with a ritual, influenced by his old nature with an eagerness to solve the problem based on the reports he had received! [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]That was not the case with the apostles. If you happened to go through the apocryphal books, such as, Acts according to Peter and Thomas, you will find that they observed the spirit of communion based on what Jesus Christ preached: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56). [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The new believers who accepted Him as their Savior should also believe in what He said symbolically with a spiritual sense. The communion was observed in the early Churches-- that directly involved apostles--with new believers understanding the spirit behind what the Lord had said.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] What is spiritual cannot be converted to a routine practice! The communion will be meaningful only, as I have indicated before, when it is celebrated with new believers immediately after baptism. That also gives credence to the ‘Great Commission’ advocated by the Lord as a part of the responsibility of a believer. Heaven will rejoice when a new believer is brought before the Lord! What other occasions other than communion is fit to solemnize this event with the angels and other believers? [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]What is happening now in Churches? All kinds of bizarre thinking and belief go with that! Thinking that Jesus Christ will become body and blood in the elements of bread and wine is not supported by the Bible! Such an uncalled for belief will make everyone a kind of a cannibal! Not only that, it is a sadistic thinking of expecting Jesus Christ to get crucified and shed blood whenever communion is observed![/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In the book of Acts breaking of the bread may signify both communal and communion or just one of the two. This performance was recorded several times since new batches of believers were added in succession in Jerusalem after the Pentecost.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Communion was never observed before the Pentecost. Why did they not observe before if it had been indicated during the Last Supper? Its first observance was recorded after 3000 people were baptized (Acts 2:42).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Communion has nothing to do with our salvation, that too, when it is being carried out as a ritual! Many Churches give too much of importance to this part of service relegating the word of God! In some Churches people come only for this and walk away immediately afterwards! What is important: inspired words of God or the elements of the communion? It is a typical tendency of people going after created things rather than towards the Creator! [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Now churches excommunicate people who do not go by its doctrines and its governance. They are prevented from participating in the communion! A big deal! Who can prevent a person in hearing the word of God?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I may partake with the elements with a sense of social obligation, nothing more! The typical elements are dry compressed bread of round shape and grape juice. Recently, I have taken a vow of abstaining from wine (fermented) in tune with what Jesus declared in Matthew 26:29.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It is a good thing that ‘Salvation Army’ does not observe this! But it is making a mistake of avoiding baptism also! From an individual point of view, communion has become a ritual while baptism is not! Jesus clearly says that one has to undergo water baptism before one is baptized with the Holy Spirit.[/FONT]