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Should we use wine or grape juice for communion?

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tonychanyt

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Matthew 26:

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
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Pulpit Commentary:

The offspring of the vine is a poetical way of describing wine (cf. Deuteronomy 22:9; Isaiah 32:12, etc.). It is absurd to find in this term an argument for unalcoholic grape juice. Wine, to be wine, must undergo fermentation, and if it is not to putrefy or to become vinegar, it must develop alcohol.
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You can't keep grape juice from naturally fermenting into wine without refrigeration. Historically, alcoholic wine was used in the Last Supper.

What about today?

If you want to stick to historical context, you should use wine. Moreover, you would also need to use unleavened bread to be consistent. However, that is not necessary. Today, we can keep grape juice in the fridge, and some people, like me, are sensitive to alcohol. So grape juice is more suitable for more people, including kids. The important point is to understand that the drink represents the blood of Jesus.

Should we use wine or grape juice for communion?

Either is fine. For my taste, I prefer grape juice :)
 
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AlexB23

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tonychanyt said:
Matthew 26:


Pulpit Commentary:


You can't keep grape juice from naturally fermenting into wine without refrigeration. Historically, alcoholic wine was used in the Last Supper.

What about today?

If you want to stick to historical context, you should use wine. Moreover, you would also need to use unleavened bread to be consistent. However, that is not necessary. Today, we can keep grape juice in the fridge, and some people, like me, are sensitive to alcohol. So grape juice is more suitable for more people, including kids. The important point is to understand that the drink represents the blood of Jesus.

Should we use wine or grape juice for communion?

Either is fine. For my taste, I prefer grape juice :)
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Our church sadly does not use any juice or wine. It uses bread, as the church that I go to is Catholic.
 
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R

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I prefer wine as there are so many beautiful associations:
  • wine is connected to celebration and is supposed to give joy (Judges 9:13, Psalm 104:14-15, Ecclesiastes 10:19)
  • wine is inextricably connected to the Pesach (=Passover) meal tradition that Yeshua already referred to during the last supper
  • personal: it tastes better than grape juice :)
It's good to give both options; for children and people with past alcohol struggles grape juice would be the safe alternative.
 
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David Lamb

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tonychanyt said:
Matthew 26:


Pulpit Commentary:


You can't keep grape juice from naturally fermenting into wine without refrigeration. Historically, alcoholic wine was used in the Last Supper.

What about today?

If you want to stick to historical context, you should use wine. Moreover, you would also need to use unleavened bread to be consistent. However, that is not necessary. Today, we can keep grape juice in the fridge, and some people, like me, are sensitive to alcohol. So grape juice is more suitable for more people, including kids. The important point is to understand that the drink represents the blood of Jesus.

Should we use wine or grape juice for communion?

Either is fine. For my taste, I prefer grape juice :)
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I don't know if it's available where you are, but here in the UK, it's possible to buy non-alcoholic communion wine, which is what we use.
 
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AlexB23 said:
Our church sadly does not use any juice or wine. It uses bread, as the church that I go to is Catholic.
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Are you saying that the Catholic Church no longer uses wine for Communion?
 
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seeking.IAM

seeking.IAM

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Thomas Bramwell Welch invented the method to pasteurize grape juice in 1869. He was a doctor turned dentist and Methodist minister. He persuaded local churches to adopt this "non-alcoholic wine" for communion services, calling it "Dr. Welch's Unfermented Wine." The use of grape juice for the sacrament is a fairly recent invention in Christian history implemented by some churches. Interestingly it took root in the Methodist Episcopal Church for which Welch was a pastor. --a church then very active in the temperance movement. I can't help wondering if the church fell prey to Dr. Welch's marketing strategy or was he spiritually or morally driven? If only we could look into the heart of men. Yes, that Welch's Grape Juice.
 
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