Church Identity and Perpetuity Part 13

The third mark of the apostolic church is that the members being baptized believers, came frequently around the Table of the Lord, and commemorated the sufferings and death of their precious Redeemer, by partaking of common bread to represent His body broken, and common wine to represent His blood shed for them. –Hassell

The communion supper is an ordinance that Christ instituted the night of the final Passover and commanded that the church keep it in memory of his death. I want to recognize the elements in the supper, the profession of the communicants, and the fellowship that is required in its observation.

Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Mt 26:26

The verb “to be” is often—in any language and literature style—used in a figurative sense, as in this represents my body, or this is a picture of my body. A few examples of this from the Bible are Gen 41:26, 27; Ezek 37:11; Dan 7:24; Mt 13:38,39; Rev 1:20. Transubstantiation is a teaching that bread in the communion supper changes substance into the literal flesh of Christ, but the Bible doesn’t show that. This teaching came about centuries later and contradicts the teaching that Christ was sacrificed only once (Heb 10:10-13; 7:24-27). However, the bread is a picture of the body of Christ we see with our mind’s eye and remember his death. This remembrance powerfully affects us spiritually.

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it with you in my Father’s kingdom. Mt 26:27-29

This fruit of the vine refers to wine because before refrigeration there was no shipping and storing fresh grape juice. This is significant because fermentation is a clarification and preservation process that removes the leaven that tends to spoil the juice. Jesus often uses leaven to describe sin and pride, so it is inappropriate to represent the body and blood of the spotless Lamb with light bread and juice which so quickly spoil with corruption. Jesus calls attention to the new testament in his blood (Lu 22:20). In our present dispensation (New Testament Church), our redemption from sin is accomplished by the sacrifice of the Son of God himself, and we which are called receive the promise of eternal inheritance. See Hebrews 9. The wine we drink represents that blood and reminds us of its accomplishment. Jesus is here also foreshadowing our future dining with him in heaven in a grand wedding reception of which we are joyfully reminded by this ordinance (Rev 19:7-9).

The “Great Commission” so-called that Jesus gave his disciples included: 1) Teaching and making disciples, 2) Baptizing, and 3) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Mt 28:19-20). The communion supper is an essential command we are to observe after we are baptized. Baptism is a one-time profession of faith and resembles the process in which our spiritual life begins. Likewise, communion is a profession of our faith that we repeat and resembles the process in which our spiritual life is nourished. This illustrates the necessity of being baptized before partaking in the communion because no one can eat spiritual food if they haven’t been immersed in Christ’s death and resurrection to walk after him in the newness of life (Rom 6:4). Eating the communion supper is a commemoration of his death and a profession that we have spiritual life because his body was broken and blood shed for us.

Finally, the communion supper is a symbol of fellowship and unity of the church. The Apostle Paul uses the terms fellowship, communion, concord, and agreement synonymously when it comes to who we work together with as brothers and sisters in the church kingdom.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  2Cor 6:14-18

Primitive Baptists practice close communion. That does not mean that only members of the local congregation are allowed to participate in communion, but it does mean that there must be genuine agreement, concord, or fellowship in this service. All are welcome to come in and sing with us, pray with us, hear our preaching, and eat dinner with us; but to fulfill the Divine command to be separate from the world, and to disassociate from false doctrine and ungodliness, the communion table must be restricted to those who are members of churches holding to the same faith and discipline that we are. (see also 1Cor 5:7-13, Gal 1:9, 2 Thes 3:6). There is nothing more intimate and special than sharing the communion meal, but if we share it with anybody and everybody that claims the name of Jesus, it greatly dilutes the meaning of communion because of the many diverse ideas of the body of Christ and the accomplishment of his blood. Notice in Acts 2:42 after 3,000 had been added to the church, the breaking of bread was by those continuing steadfastly in doctrine and fellowship. Take away the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, and the breaking of bread is just a cold formality.