Why communion?

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Ya I get it, I was just making a statement. And not calling you a liar by the way LOL !!

I didn't think it was funny the first time. This thread needs a clean-up for flaming.

 

[Dave G.]

I didn't think it was funny the first time. This thread needs a clean-up for flaming.

OK.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Forgive me .... but I find it incredibly ironic (and sad) to me that a thread ABOUT communion (which implies fellowship and unity - that was always part of communion) ... disintegrated into disagreements. I am NOT calling anyone out or pointing any fingers.

A clean-up probably is in order. Members can always edit their own posts.

(No report filed.)

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

A deletion of the thread would probably be better given that it's an argument over what people call tradition and therefore is not permitted in this forum afaik

 

[~Anastasia~]

A deletion of the thread would probably be better given that it's an argument over what people call tradition and therefore is not permitted in this forum afaik

That would be up to the mods.

I don't see that asking what meaning an individual derives from a practice is necessarily arguing over Tradition itself, but ... it seems that people are people and there is always the temptation to argue over anything we might disagree with someone else on. That argument itself is meant to be off-topic to this forum.

Members are all free to report whatever they see as violations (though we prefer they don't state in the thread that they have as that only increases animosity). I'm just trying to cool things down and save staff the effort where I can.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Please edit your posts to be in accordance with this forum's Statement of Purpose.

Especially the following ...

Any discussions about Scripture and Christian theology should be done in a spirit of love and humility, exhibiting mutual respect and grace towards one another, with the goal of increasing spiritual insight and knowledge with the Holy Spirit's guidance. Discussions should not turn into a heated debate. Members who participate in this forum are not here to win an argument or prove a point, they are here to learn from one another and grow spiritually. We would like this forum to remain a safe place where Christian members from all denominations can learn more about being a disciple of Christ and following Him.

 

[Dave-W]

Eucharist/communion/Shulchan Adonai is very important. It is also indissolubly linked to Passover.

In the Passover Seder, we are to consider ourselves as being present in the liberation from Egyptian slavery. In communion, we consider ourselves to have died and risen with the Lord.

Being bread and wine, it is a covenant meal - meaning that those who partake together have a certain spiritual linkage together. Indeed, IMO many misinterpret this verse:

1 Corinthians 11:27
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.​

We think of that as dealing with personal sins, and that is all well and good; but actually does not fit the greater context of the epistle. In the very next chapter we read this:

1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.​

"Communion" (koinonia) means to have things in common. I submit that the "body" Paul wrote about was the local body of believers, and the sins that made communion taking "unworthy" was unresolved hurts and disputes.

So if we look at the Passover symbology - we are part of a great throng coming from bondage to freedom. If we look to the New Covenant symbology - we are covenanting ourselves with our fellow believers to walk out the New Covenant. Either way it is NOT an individual thing.

 

[Francis Drake]

NO! Siding with someone calling me a lier is placing the onus on you to prove that what I wrote is a lie, not to hear his interpretation. The post he said is a lie is here:

Whoah there!
I wasn't accusing you of anything whatsoever, but if I have offended you it was unintentional and I apologise.
It was a perfectly polite and innocuous post addressed to Episaw about his beliefs, and I was actually backing you up when you asked him, "What is your truth" in post number 9.

There is not one word of a lie contained therein and is in fact my interpretation of communion as to what it means to me.

Your interpretation of what communion means to you is obviously correct and unchallengeable by any other person. As is the same for my interpretation or Episaw's.

Prove away sir drake!

I don't think I have anything to prove to you?
I personally do not participate in church communion because I reject the ceremonial nonsense that drags it down, but that's my personal take. And that's why I imagined it would be close to Episaw's beliefs, had he let us know.

This is what I said before, and as you see, it wasn't aimed at you or anyone else other than him.-
"Reading the other comments, I am more likely to side with your interpretation. However I can't be too sure of that, as apart from denouncing the others, you have posted nothing on your own beliefs."

As for me, I take communion most days with my wife and anyone else who happens to be with us.

 

[Seraphin29]

This is really simple for me. It's a reminder that Jesus died on the cross for me, and has conquered sin by rising again. Through Him I have hope and peace and have received the Gift of the Holy Spirit. When we have communion at the church I go to, we all just walk to the front, take bread and wine and eat and drink it in fellowship with the church, no ceremony, just simply remembering the great price He paid for us. Personally I always find it a wonderful, deep experience, and feelmtruly filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

[Episaw]

"with the goal of increasing spiritual insight and knowledge with the Holy Spirit's guidance."

That is always my aim bearing in mind the appalling ignorance of scripture and truth by too many believers. Most of the time they just parrot what they have been told rather than searching the scriptures for themselves.

I am the opposite. I accept nothing until I have searched the scriptures and if what has been said is not supported by scripture I reject it.

Regarding communion, you will not find anywhere in scripture where the church took a piece of cracker or a thimbleful of wine. it was always in the context of a meal.

At the original Passover where Jesus spoke of the bread and cup, it was in the context of a Passover meal which only happened once a year.

To follow scripture we must do the same.

In Corinthians, the teaching of Paul on the matter was in the context of a meal and how you were meant to conduct yourself at that meal.

It talks about people being hungry. How will people have their hunger ministered to with a piece of cracker and a thimbleful of wine?

Common sense will tell you that it is not possible. To meet people's physical needs you have to offer a meal.

Paul was saying to discern the body (the church) you have to include those who had not eaten or could not contribute to the meal. Those that could contribute did so enough so that others without could eat as well.

Just a small point about culture. If someone you met on the street invited you to break bread with them, they were inviting you to join them for a meal. NOT to eat a bit of a cracker and drink a very small glass of wine.

The verse in Acts 2 which talks about meeting together for fellowship, apostles doctrine, prayer and breaking of bread indicates meeting together for a meal, not communion as we know it.

 

[Episaw]

This is something we do in purity of heart, we do it keeping right with God and we do it in fellowship with the church body and with the spirit of Christ.

If that is the case, why doesn't it say that in scripture?