Its Ordinances (Continued)

9. THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
1. Memorial
1. The Lord’s Supper is foremost a memorial of the Lord’s death.
2. Consider the following passages that emphasize the phrase “in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
   See All...; 1 Corinthians 11:24And 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.
   See All..., 25).
3. When partaking of the Lord’s Supper “ye do shew forth the Lord’s death” (1 Corinthians 11:26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
   See All...).
2. Prophetic
1. It looks forward to the coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
   See All...).
2. It looks forward to our future fellowship with Christ (Matthew 26:29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
   See All...).
3. Purification (1 Corinthians 11:27-34 [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. [28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. [30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. [31] For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. [32] But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. [33] Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. [34] And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
   See All...)
10. THE PRACTICE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
1. The Place
1. When ye come together into one place (1 Corinthians 11:20When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
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1. “Ye” is plural and indicates a time when the “ church of God which is at Corinth” (1 Corinthians 1:2Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
   See All...) would be gathered together in one place.
2. This is also referred to as the “church of God” in contrast to the houses of the people (1 Corinthians 11:22What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
   See All...).
2. Not just any situation will do (1 Corinthians 11:22What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
   See All...).
2. The Order
1. The bread (1 Corinthians 11:23-24 [23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: [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.
   See All...)
1. The taking of bread (1 Corinthians 11:23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
   See All...)
2. The giving of thanks (1 Corinthians 11:24And 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.
   See All...)
3. The breaking of bread (1 Corinthians 11:24And 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.
   See All...)
4. The partaking of bread (1 Corinthians 11:24And 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.
   See All...)
2. The cup (1 Corinthians 11:25After 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.
   See All...)
1. The taking of the cup (1 Corinthians 11:25After 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.
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2. The giving of thanks (Matthew 26:27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
   See All...)
3. The singing of an hymn (Matthew 26:30And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
   See All...; Mark 14:26And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
   See All...)
3. The Parts
1. The bread
1. The type of bread
1. The institution
1. The disciples came together to partake of the Passover meal (Matthew 26:17Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
   See All...).
2. The bread at the Passover was to be unleavened bread (Exodus 12:1-11 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, [2] This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. [3] Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: [4] And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. [5] Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: [6] And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. [7] And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. [8] And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. [9] Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. [10] And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. [11] And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.
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3. The institution of the Lord’s Supper occurred right on the heels of the Passover.
4. The bread at the Lord’s Supper had to be unleavened bread or else the Lord would have been violating the Passover.
2. The negative viewpoint of leaven
1. Leaven is likened to false doctrine (Matthew 16:6-12 [6] Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. [7] And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. [8] Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? [9] Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? [10] Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? [11] How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? [12] Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
   See All...).
2. Leaven is likened to hypocrisy (Luke 12:1In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
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3. Leaven is likened to sin (1 Corinthians 5:4-8 [4] In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, [5] To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [6] Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? [7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: [8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
   See All...; Galatians 5:9A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
   See All...).
2. The symbol of the bread
1. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that the bread symbolized His body (Matthew 26:26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
   See All...).
2. He repeated this to the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 10:16The 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?
   See All...; 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 [23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: [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.
   See All...).
3. If the bread is leavened then it would signify that the body of Christ was full of sin (1 Peter 1:21-22 [21] Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. [22] Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
   See All...).
2. The cup
1. The content of the cup
1. The fruit of the vine
1. The fruit of the vine (Matthew 26:29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
   See All...; Mark 14:25Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
   See All...; Luke 22:18For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
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2. The fruit of the vine would be the fruit produced by the vine without the intervention of men.
2. New wine
1. Though the Bible never uses the term wine with the Lord’s Supper, this word is used to signify both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage.
2. The Bible tells us that “new wine is found in the cluster” (Isaiah 65:8Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.
   See All...).
3. New wine is likened to the blood of grapes (Genesis 49:11Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
   See All...).
4. New wine is considered to be the “pure” blood of grapes (Deuteronomy 32:14Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.
   See All...).
5. The Lord emphasizes that He will drink it “new” with His disciples in the kingdom of God (Matthew 26:29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
   See All...; Mark 14:25Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
   See All...).
2. The symbol of the cup
1. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that the cup pictured His blood (Matthew 26:27-28 [27] And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; [28] For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
   See All...).
2. This was reaffirmed to the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 11:25After 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.
   See All...).
3. The only “pure” blood (1 Peter 1:19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
   See All...) would be the freshly squeezed juice from the vine. Therefore, the “fruit of the vine” could not have been fermented wine.
4. The Time
1. Time of day
1. It was instituted in the evening (Matthew 26:20Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
   See All...; 1 Corinthians 11:23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
   See All...).
2. We are given no direct commands as to what time of day we are to partake of the Lord’s Supper. It is not safe to be dogmatic on the time of day for this practice.
2. Frequency
1. People have different opinions as to the frequency of partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
1. Some say daily.
2. Some say weekly.
3. Some say monthly.
4. Some say quarterly.
2. The Bible does not suggest a quantity, but rather a quality (1 Corinthians 11:24-26 [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. [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. [26] For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
   See All...).