Communion /LORD's Supper Questions to Ponder

[TISHUVAH]

How often should a church congregation celebrate the Lord's Supper? Who can partake of it? Should the unbaptized be allowed? Should only members of the church be allowed to participate? Who leads in the service/meal?

[Tony Haynes]

The Bible nowhere instructs us how often we should take communion. 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 records the following instructions for communion: “…the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread; And giving thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way He took the cup also, after supping, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood; as often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.’ For ‘as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show’ the Lord's death until He shall come.” This passage gives all the instructions we need to perform the rite of communion and to understand the significance of what we are doing.

The bread which He broke in half represents His body which was broken on the cross for us. The cup represents the blood He shed on our behalf, sealing a covenant between Him and us. Each time we perform the communion ritual, we are not only remembering what He did for us, but we are “showing” it as well to all who watch and all who participate. This is a beautiful and graphic picture of what happened at the cross, what it means, and how it impacts our lives as believers.

It would seem, then, that since we take the Lord’s Supper to remember Christ’s death and shed blood, we should take it fairly often. Some churches have a monthly Lord’s Supper service, others do it bi-monthly, others weekly. Since the Bible does not give us specific instruction as to frequency, there is some latitude in how often a church should observe the Lord’s Supper. It should be often enough to renew focus on Christ, without being so often that it become routine. In any case, it’s not the frequency that matters, but the heart attitude of those who participate. We should partake with reverence, love, and a deep sense of gratitude for the Lord Jesus, who was willing to die on the cross to take upon Himself our sins.

[gary cook]

I think Only those BORN -AGAIN should!
We know when we are Born -Again ! We feel it take place! God puts a new spirit within us and He also comes to dwell in us!

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

I think ? We Can take it anytime we come together !I doubt few churches would?

[Terri Deane]

So very true Pastor Mikie. I also believe that we can't really trust our feelings all the time either. After all,
Satan tries to change us through our feelings as well as getting in our way. I am one of those people who didn't experience any real different feelings at the time I gave my life to Christ. Now, here I am 17 years later, and my love for the Lord has grown substantially, and my faith has been so strengthened that I KNOW, Not feel, that God is always here in every circumstance, and he will continue for eternity. Just like LOVE; which isn't always a Feeling, it is a comittment. We can FEEL out of love with our partner or God, at times, but love
doesn't go away just like that. Feelings can be so deceptive.
When we FEEL that God isn't there for us any more, it isn't the truth either, God is always there, it is we who
walk away or loose sight of what is most important in life.

People who take comunion should be saved: 1 Corinthians 11:27---"Therefore whever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body ande blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup, For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

I hope one will coment on this next question also: It appears in the section about the Lord's supper, that they actually ate a real meal, and that Jesus used that meal time Just before he was arrested to make this a time of remembrance. It was at passover time and a full meal was served. Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 22: 7-13; and here in Mark 14:12-25.
Now on the first day of unleavened Bread, when they killed the passover lamb, His diciples said to Him,
'Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?' And He sent out two of His diciples and said to them,"Go into the city, and a man will meet you carying a pitcher of water; follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my diciples?" Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.
So His diciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the passover."

I know that this was passover time, but wouldn't it be just as good at each time we do the comunion??

[Linda]

We can do it at home alone if we want to.

[gary cook]

Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.