The Lord’s Supper / Communion / Eucharist
The Lord’s Supper is a ceremony to remember — reflect on — (1) Christ’s body, which was broken on the cross for us, and (2) his blood that was shed to seal the New Covenant between God and all those who believe. Here’s the most detailed passage on the topic:
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
This passage provides all the details believers need to perform this rite and to grasp its significance; you can also read about it in the three synoptic Gospels (e.g. Matthew 26:26-29). The bread represents Christ’s body — which some break in two during the ceremony — and the wine represents his blood.
The apostle Paul pointed out: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Thus when believers partake of this ordinance we are not just remembering what Christ did for us in order to reconcile us to God and grant us eternal life, but we are showing it to all who are partaking or observing and thus proclaiming the Lord’s death and resurrection, which is core to the gospel — the “good news” — of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-3 & John 3:16).
There are no instructions on how frequently believers should observe this ceremony. I’ve been to fellowships that do it once a week, others that do it once a month and others that do it only at special services. Regardless of how often the assembly decides to do it, we should be conscious of making sure it doesn’t become a meaningless routine.
What if no bread product or wine/grape juice is available, can substitutes be used? Nothing is said about this either so I don’t see why you couldn’t use substitutes if necessary.
More important than the frequency of the ceremony or the precise nature of the elements, is the heart attitude of those who participate, which is revealed in Paul’s statement: “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29).
You’ll notice that nothing is said in these texts about how participating in the Lord’s Supper is a requirement for salvation, obviously because it’s not (Ephesians 2:8-9 & John 3:16).
Related Topics:
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
Law (Torah) — New Testament Believers are NOT Under the Law
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