The Lord's Supper, What is it?

When you hear someone speak of the “Lord’s supper” what comes to your mind? In the Christian society we live in the term has become synonymous with “taking communion” or partaking of a Passover service with bread and wine. But, is that what the “Lord’s supper” really is? What does the Bible have to say about the “Lord’s supper?”

The only place in Scripture that this phrase is used is in 1 Corinthians the eleventh chapter. Since this chapter also mentions “the same night in which he was betrayed,” “bread,” “drink this cup” we automatically assume this has to be speaking of Passover, or “Communion.” But is it? Is that the subject at all? Just what did the Apostle Paul have in mind when he used that phrase? Let us study this with an open mind. Let us look at the context of this passage. Let us look at what is here and what isn’t here and come to understand. In fact what is here and what isn’t here may surprise you.

Obviously there is a problem that Paul is wanting to address, not to praise them but to bring to their attention what is wrong and hopefully get it corrected. What does the problem deal with? Paul doesn’t give us the whole story here but it definitely has something to do with “coming together,” or, as the Weymouth translation renders it, “your meeting together.”

There it is again, “when ye come together in the church.” Coming together for what reason? He still doesn’t say in this verse but he makes it clear as we follow the context on through. But, he does begin to make his point that he hears from somewhere, and he partly believes it, that when they come together, for whatever the purpose or reason is, that there is “divisions” among them. They aren’t unified in what they are doing.

He continues by saying that “there must be also heresies among” them. The word translated “heresies” here is elsewhere translated “sects” and can mean “a body of men following their own tenets.” This seems clearly what he is saying, since he follows it up by stating “that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” Those who were genuine, the approved among them, he says will become apparent.

For the third time Paul mentions “when ye come together” and he adds another short phrase, “therefore into one place.” The continued theme is of the congregation in Corinth “coming together.” Now we finally come to the phrase in question, the Lord’s supper. And, notice what Paul says. “This is not to eat the Lord’s supper.” It would appear that whatever it is that they are coming together for it ISN’T to eat the “Lord’s supper.”

Some few translations and marginal renderings show this as “ye cannot eat” the Lord’s supper, but the Literal and most others indicate that the KJV is correct in the wording here. Paul says very specifically that when they come together it “is not to eat the Lord’s supper.” What does he mean? By the time we go through the rest of this chapter I believe it will become apparent.

I don’t know if you have noticed or not but in addition to the theme of “when ye come together” there is something else that is showing up over and over again. Verse 20 we read that it was not to eat the Lord’s supper. Now we see Paul mentioning here in verse 21, “for in eating” and “his own supper.” He talks of one being hungry and another drunken. The Weymouth translation says, “ for it is his own supper of which each of you is in a hurry to partake, and one eats like a hungry man, while another has already drunk to excess.” What is going on here?

Let’s go over verses 21 and 22 and try to understand what Paul is saying. In verse 21 he says that “in eating” every one takes his own supper before others. I sense he is saying they weren’t waiting on anyone else but were selfishly going ahead and eating. Consequently some were being left out and were going hungry. Another problem appears to be that some were also drinking too much. They weren’t saving any of the alcoholic beverage for others.

In verse 22 Paul asks, “What?” or as we might say, “What is going on here?” or “What is happening anyway?” He asks, “Don’t you have houses or homes in which you can eat and drink?” He pointed asks, “Or do you have such little respect for each other, do you despise and think so little of the church, the assembly, of God that you are acting as you are?” He says that they are, through their actions, shaming those that are poor and “have not.” He asks rhetorically, “What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this?” And, then he answers his own question, “I praise you not.” He says, in essence, “I don’t think so! Your actions are not worthy of any praise.”

Paul says he has passed on to them what he had gotten from Christ. He repeats it here. Notice what he says. “That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed...” I believe it is very significant that he DOESN’T say “at the last Passover.” We have always interpreted it that way. Our belief has always been that the night Christ was betrayed was the Passover. I believe there is Scriptural evidence that indicates that the night in which Christ sat down with His Apostles and then later was betrayed was not at the beginning of the 14th of the first month, that He was not instituting “new symbols” for the Passover. (That is all part of another study, available to those interested.) In verse 23 Paul could just as well have said “Passover” if that was the case or the point to be made. However, the point in this verse is “bread.” Christ “took bread.”

We are very familiar with this. Christ instructed His Apostles and showed them the symbolism, the bread was His body which was broken for them. And, they were told to “do” in remembrance of Him. What were they to do? Eat. There is that theme again. They were to eat bread. And, when they ate bread it was to be in remembrance of Christ and His body being broken.

In the same manner as He had instructed them about the bread, He took the cup of wine and told them that it was the new testament in His blood. He told them to drink it. But, notice specifically what He says. “As oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” And, notice what He says in the next verse.

He says, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,...” (There is that theme again of eating and drinking.) What does oft and often mean? We’ve attempted to say it somehow means once a year but somehow our explanation gets muddled. The Greek word translated “oft” is hosakis, and it means “as often as.” Again, I believe we have made an assumption that we are to eat a piece of unleavened bread and drink a bit of wine once a year on the Passover and by doing so we have “remembered” Christ and have shown his death “till he come.” I wonder, do we only need to show Christ’s death once a year? Christ seems to be saying very clearly that “as often as” you eat and drink bread and wine we are showing His death, be that daily, semi-weekly, weekly or “as often as” we eat bread and drink wine.

Weymouth’s translation, I believe, makes these verses quite clear. “ and after giving thanks He broke it and said, ‘This is my body which is about to be broken for you. Do this in memory of me.’ In the same way, when the meal was over, He also took the cup. ‘This cup,’ He said, ‘is the new Covenant of which my blood is the pledge. Do this, every time that you drink it, in memory of me.’ For every time that you eat this bread and drink from the cup, you are proclaiming the Lord's death--until He returns.” Notice again the way he makes these verses quite clear. “Do this, every time that you drink it, in memory of me.” And, “For every time that you eat this bread and drink this cup...”

The theme continues, eating and drinking. But, Paul is addressing the eating and drinking “unworthily” or with a wrong attitude or with misunderstanding. He says “wherefore,” or “if” anyone eats and drinks with that wrong attitude he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, guilty of Christ’s death. That individual would be crucifying Christ anew!

Again, the theme of eating and drinking. Paul tells the people there in Corinth as well as us to “examine” ourselves, see our attitude and understanding of the bread and wine AND then eat and drink. Notice the word “that” is in italics. It isn’t in the original. It says eat of bread and drink of cup, or the bread and the cup. I don’t believe Paul is specifying “that” bread and “that” cup as to what might be passed around on Passover.

Paul continues to speak of eating and drinking. He gets very specific that if one does eat and does drink with an improper attitude and understanding of the picture of the bread and the wine he is bringing “damnation” or “judgement” on himself. Why? Because he is not “discerning the Lord’s body.” He doesn’t understand that the bread is the body, as Christ said, verse 24.

And, what are the consequences of not properly understanding and discerning the Lord’s body?” Paul says that many are weak and sickly. IF they had proper discernment they could have and would have been healed. IF they had understood that by His stripes we are healed (1 Pe. 2:24), had understood that the bread was His body and that His body was given for us, there would not have been the sickness that was there. And, many wouldn’t have died needlessly.

1 Corinthians 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 1 Corinthians 11:34 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.

Paul says, “Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together...” There is that phrase we saw at the beginning of this section but this time Paul goes ahead to tell us the purpose of coming together. “To eat.” And, that is the secondary theme we saw throughout the verses. Eating and drinking. Paul then tells them what they are to be doing “when they come together to eat.” Note, he didn’t say, “when you come together to celebrate the Passover,” or “when you come together to take communion.” He tells them to “tarry.” What does that mean? It means “to wait.” He says, “Wait for one another.” (Weymouth translation.) He isn’t wanting them to be so self-centered, thinking only of their own stomach. Verse 21's statement become clearer, “For in eating every one takes before other his own supper.” He says, “Don’t do that. Be patient. Wait on your brethren. Wait for one another.” Then in verse 34 he tells them that if someone hungers, and this would seem to indicate an inordinate hunger, he should eat at home rather than come and “pig out” and bring condemnation on the whole congregation. He says that he would address “the rest” of the difficulties or problems that needed attention when he came.

So, do we see what Paul is addressing in this chapter? It isn’t about eating the “Passover.” It is about when they as a congregation come together to eat and drink, have a meal (a supper) together (what we might even call a potluck dinner). He is telling them that they should be concerned for one another and above all else keep in mind the picture that each one should see daily, not annually, in the bread we eat and the wine we drink.

With that in mind, what was Paul saying when he said, in verse 20, “When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper?” We’ve put our preconceived notion on this statement and have said that there was a problem at the Passover service. We have interpreted “Lord’s supper” to mean “Passover” or “communion.” But, in the entire context it seems very clear that Paul is telling the people in Corinth that the “supper” or meal they are coming together to eat is not the supper or meal that the Lord, Jesus Christ would be a part of, not a supper He would be pleased with. The whole emphasis of this chapter is to straighten out their lack of understanding and their wrong attitude toward their eating and drinking. Paul is helping them see that whenever, “as oft as,” you eat bread you are to be remembering Christ’s body and whenever, “as oft as,” you drink wine you are to be remembering Christ’s shed blood.

When we have a piece of bread with our lunch or dinner we need to heed Christ’s instruction, “For every time that you eat this bread..., you are proclaiming the Lord’s death–until He returns.” And, every time we enjoy a glass of wine we need to keep in mind His words, “For every time that you...drink from the cup, you are proclaiming the Lord’s death–until He returns.” (1 Cor. 11:26 Weymouth translation.) I do not believe one time a year fulfills our obligation to obey this instruction.