The Lord’s Supper (part 4)

A few points about the Lord’s supper:

  1. The problem at Corinth with regard to the Lord’s supper was probably that one group ate before the other group (cf. 1 Cor. 11:21-22). However, the root problem was that of division. Moreover, Paul was not a moralist. In approaching the solution, he did not want people merely to change their behavior. He wanted the divisions to dissolve because of a deeper understanding of the work of Christ.
  2. Communing with each other is not about getting a full belly. You can do that on your own (1 Cor. 11:34).
  3. In communion, we are to serve each other as Christ has served us. (1 Cor. 11:33, cf. John 13)
  4. In communion, we remember who we are in relation to each other. (1 Cor. 11:28-29)
  5. The Lord’s supper is not about the bread and wine. The bread and wine serve as a vivid reminder, an object lesson, directing our affections to God and to each other because of what Christ has accomplished. Thus, the Lord’s supper is the whole meal with the bread and wine as objects of reference.
  6. In communion, we remember who we, as a gathered body, are in Christ. Christ is present in the Lord’s supper, not in the bread and wine, but in His church.
  7. In communion, we look back to what Christ has done on the cross. (1 Cor. 11:24-25)
  8. In communion, we look forward to drinking the wine new with Christ when we sit at the marriage supper of the Lamb (the church with her bridegroom). For this reason, the Lord’s supper cannot be divorced from Christ’s resurrection and ours. Nor can it be divorced from the judgment of unbelievers. (1 Cor. 11:26, Rev. 19)
  9. The Lord’s supper is a Trinitarian experience. For example: We thank the Father for his giving of the Son. We thank the Son for his obedience. We thank the Holy Spirit for applying it to our lives. Without the work of the Trinity, we would be unable to commune with God or his people.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

John Piper's Response to N.T. Wright Due Out by Nov. 1

The New Atheism - Mohler at DTS

Christ’s Command & the New Calvinism