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Some Thoughts on Communion
Some important thoughts from this passage from Blomberg:
"Almost every denomination has its distinctive traditions for how to perform the ritual: what if any liturgy to use in accompaniment, who may participate, who may distribute the elements, what form of food and drink is used, and so on. Often Paul’s threats of judgment have been unleashed on anyone who disagrees with one denomination’s unique traditions. In so doing, many Christians have entirely missed the real meaning of these threats, which, as we have seen, are directed against those who are not adequately loving their Christian brothers or sisters and providing for their physical or material needs.
Even when Paul’s words are supplemented by the Gospel accounts, there is very little in Scripture that insists that the Lord’s Supper must be celebrated a certain way. No text ever restricts who can officiate or distribute the bread and wine. No particular words mandate what must be spoken. Prayers of thanksgiving are appropriate, but this is a far cry from the formal “blessing” of the elements that has become enshrined in certain ecclesial traditions. No specific frequency of celebration is ever commanded, although the references to the “breaking of bread” in Acts 2:42 and 20:7 may suggest that at first Christians partook of the Lord’s Supper daily and later weekly. Acts 2:42 also suggests it was one of four central elements in early Christian worship, along with prayer, fellowship, and instruction. There is thus nothing wrong with including communion as a part of every worship service, though there is something to be said for reserving it for certain announced occasions, so that what was intended to be special runs less of a risk of becoming mere routine." [1]
For a long time I've found it very interesting that communion services that I've been a part of seem to be so far from what was practiced in the early church. Granted, as Blomberg says above, there are very few requirements placed upon communion in the Bible. What I find interesting though is that in basically every communion service I've ever been a part of, it's been a very solemn and somber affair. As we see in this passage, early on in the church the service was more of an extended meal and fellowship time than a five minute extra with some crackers and a shot of grape juice. When we look at the history of the early church beyond the NT, we get a similar picture of what was called the "love feast" that was practiced regularly to remember and celebrate the work of Jesus. I'm all for taking sin seriously and examining ourselves, but I think when communion becomes nothing more than 2 minutes of quiet reflection we've missed the point. We have communion in remembrance of Jesus - how do we remember him? As a broken man on a cross or a risen Savior from the grave? As just a perfect man or as the beginning of the New Covenant? As a disapproving boss looking over our shoulder or the one that gives us new life? There is much more to celebrate in communion that we usually think of. This passage shows the importance of taking things seriously, but that certainly doesn't mean it should be like a funeral! Reading this passage that way is a serious error. Not sure how this practically works out as most people are so fixed in their mind about how communion "should" be, but I think that Jesus deserves a better remembrance than a bunch of people quietly bowing their heads and trying to think if they feel guilty about something.
Just a thought.
Some Thoughts on Communion
Some important thoughts from this passage from Blomberg:
"Almost every denomination has its distinctive traditions for how to perform the ritual: what if any liturgy to use in accompaniment, who may participate, who may distribute the elements, what form of food and drink is used, and so on. Often Paul’s threats of judgment have been unleashed on anyone who disagrees with one denomination’s unique traditions. In so doing, many Christians have entirely missed the real meaning of these threats, which, as we have seen, are directed against those who are not adequately loving their Christian brothers or sisters and providing for their physical or material needs.
Even when Paul’s words are supplemented by the Gospel accounts, there is very little in Scripture that insists that the Lord’s Supper must be celebrated a certain way. No text ever restricts who can officiate or distribute the bread and wine. No particular words mandate what must be spoken. Prayers of thanksgiving are appropriate, but this is a far cry from the formal “blessing” of the elements that has become enshrined in certain ecclesial traditions. No specific frequency of celebration is ever commanded, although the references to the “breaking of bread” in Acts 2:42 and 20:7 may suggest that at first Christians partook of the Lord’s Supper daily and later weekly. Acts 2:42 also suggests it was one of four central elements in early Christian worship, along with prayer, fellowship, and instruction. There is thus nothing wrong with including communion as a part of every worship service, though there is something to be said for reserving it for certain announced occasions, so that what was intended to be special runs less of a risk of becoming mere routine." [1]
For a long time I've found it very interesting that communion services that I've been a part of seem to be so far from what was practiced in the early church. Granted, as Blomberg says above, there are very few requirements placed upon communion in the Bible. What I find interesting though is that in basically every communion service I've ever been a part of, it's been a very solemn and somber affair. As we see in this passage, early on in the church the service was more of an extended meal and fellowship time than a five minute extra with some crackers and a shot of grape juice. When we look at the history of the early church beyond the NT, we get a similar picture of what was called the "love feast" that was practiced regularly to remember and celebrate the work of Jesus. I'm all for taking sin seriously and examining ourselves, but I think when communion becomes nothing more than 2 minutes of quiet reflection we've missed the point. We have communion in remembrance of Jesus - how do we remember him? As a broken man on a cross or a risen Savior from the grave? As just a perfect man or as the beginning of the New Covenant? As a disapproving boss looking over our shoulder or the one that gives us new life? There is much more to celebrate in communion that we usually think of. This passage shows the importance of taking things seriously, but that certainly doesn't mean it should be like a funeral! Reading this passage that way is a serious error. Not sure how this practically works out as most people are so fixed in their mind about how communion "should" be, but I think that Jesus deserves a better remembrance than a bunch of people quietly bowing their heads and trying to think if they feel guilty about something.
Just a thought.
[1] Craig Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 232-33.
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