What Is Communion? Dave Detwiler Imagine for a moment that you are a happy pagan living in the first century, in the city of Corinth, Greece, and you just found out that one of your best friends was thinking about joining a new religious group known as "Christians" or "followers of Christ." You might well wonder whether your friend had lost his mind! After all, why get involved in a strange new religion, when there were already plenty of appealing and time-tested options to choose from in Corinth? So, you decide to ask your friend, "What exactly is this new group all about? What do they do when they get together?"

And your friend responds, "Well, I'm still trying to figure everything out. Here's what I've picked up so far: when people decide to join them, they have them renounce all other gods and express their exclusive devotion to Jesus Christ, a Jewish teacher from Galilee who is believed to be God in human flesh. And as they confess their faith in him, these believers are dunked in water. They call it 'baptism.' Anyway, that's how you get in."

"Okay," you respond, "it doesn't sound nearly as fun as the way we initiate people into our religion, but what do they do once they've joined?"

"This is where I'm a bit more confused," your friend confesses. "They do a lot of things that are pretty simple and harmless, like pray and sing to their God, but the last time I met with them, things got really out of hand, and I don't think they were supposed to."

"What do you mean?" you ask.

Your friend continues, "We had gathered to share a meal together as a way of remembering what this Jesus had done on our behalf, but some people started eating before others had arrived, those who came late, like me, found that all the food was basically gone, so we just had wine, but a lot of people had way too much wine, and then it really got ugly. People started complaining and calling each other names, some people stormed out of the meeting, others actually became sick, one guy even keeled over and died, if you can believe that!

"At that point, I decided to head home, and as I was leaving I asked one of the regulars what that scene was all about, and she said, 'It's really very sad, because those meals are supposed to remind us of our fellowship with Jesus and with one another, but we've managed to make an absolute mess of them.'"

Ah, yes, welcome to the New Testament church! This scenario is, in fact, based on a true story, recorded for us in the eleventh chapter of the apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. It is here that we read more about this thing called "communion" than anywhere else in the Bible.

For centuries now, Christians have argued over communion, debating such questions as:

• How often should we celebrate communion?
• Is it supposed to be a solemn time or a joyful time?
• Can someone other than an ordained minister lead in communion?
• Should we use unleavened bread and wine, or are crackers and juice okay?
• Are the elements somehow transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus?
• Is Christ more present with us during communion than he is during other times of worship?
• Can anyone participate? What if I have sin in my life?
• If people participate in an unworthy manner, will they actually get sick and perhaps die?
• Does participating in communion provide me with some sort of mystical power? (Think about movies such as "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," or "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Both of them made a big deal about the cup or grail that Jesus used in the Last Supper, as if it had some sort of power on its own. Is that how we should understand communion?)

The key question, of course, is What does the Bible actually say? I won't be addressing each of the above questions, but I do hope to strengthen our understanding of this very important ceremony of the church. Here's what Paul had to say about it in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34:

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 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." 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." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Therefore, 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. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

According to this passage, what is this thing we call communion? Five distinct answers emerge:

1. It is an act of true worship (1 Cor. 11:17-22).

Paul begins by saying, "When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat" (v. 20), but that's what it was supposed to be. The Corinthians had messed up this ceremony so much that the apostle couldn't bear to identify it by that name.

You may be more accustomed to the term "communion," or perhaps "Eucharist," or even "Mass," but think of the significance of calling it "the Lord's Supper": Who is hosting this special meal? Jesus himself! This is significant, for, in communion, Jesus is not just calling us to remember his death; he is inviting us to enjoy intimate fellowship with him.

Further, what is being served at the Lord's Supper? Again, Jesus himself! Now, here's where we need to be careful: Does this mean that we are in fact eating his flesh and drinking his blood when we celebrate communion? No, and here are a couple of important reasons why:

First, when Jesus served the disciples at the Last Supper, it would have been obvious to them that Jesus was speaking symbolically when he said, "This is my body" and "This is my blood." After all, Jesus was right there in the room, and he didn't pass around himself, but rather he passed around some bread and wine.

Second, the fact that Jesus told us to take these elements "in remembrance of him" clarifies that the bread and cup are tangible reminders of Jesus' death on our behalf. In other words, we remember that Jesus is our source of spiritual nourishment when we receive him into our hearts (not into our stomachs!).

All of this is simply to say that when we gather for the Lord's Supper, we are meeting with Jesus-celebrating his presence and receiving the spiritual nourishment that he provides as we enjoy him and take his word to heart. In other words, communion is an act of true worship.

2. It is an act of grateful remembrance (1 Cor. 11:23-25).

This is the part we're probably more familiar with. You'll notice that twice Jesus says, "Do this in remembrance of me" (vv. 24, 25).

It's important to note that this is a command. Celebrating the Lord's Supper is not an optional extra in the Christian life; Jesus calls us to remember what he has done for us on the cross by way of this special ceremony. One of our worship songs puts it perfectly: "Once again I look upon the cross where you died; I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside; once again I thank you, once again I pour out my life."

That's the kind of response we should be offering each time we remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made to forgive our sins and reconcile us to God. Communion is—or should be—an act of grateful remembrance. However, there's more to it than that.

3. It is an act of joyful anticipation (1 Cor. 11:26).

Yes, we remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but we also remember that he is our risen and returning Savior. In other words, the best is yet to come! As Paul writes, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (v. 26).

You see, the Lord's Supper is, in a sense, a foretaste of the feast in the kingdom of God. So be clear on this: Communion should not only cause us to be cut to the heart as we remember the sacrifice of Jesus; it should also cause our hearts to explode with joy as we remember what the death of Christ has done for us and look forward to the coming of God's kingdom when we're really going to have a meal! In other words, the Lord's Supper should get us excited about our future in Christ!

According to Paul, there is absolutely nothing irreverent or inappropriate about this approach to communion. However, there is yet more for us to consider as we approach this ceremony.

4. It is an act of self-examination (1 Cor. 11:27-32).

Before we start throwing a party, Paul has a few sobering words for us to keep in mind. In verse 27 he says, "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."

In other words, it is possible to participate in communion in a way this is wrong, that is guilty of sin. Therefore, as Paul says in verse 28, "We ought to examine ourselves before we eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (v. 28). Notice that we are to examine ourselves—not each other (although, admittedly, we are much better at the latter). And what are we to be looking for in ourselves? Verse 29 goes on to say, "For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself."

What does Paul mean by saying 'without recognizing the body of the Lord'? There are two possibilities: Either failure to recognize that the food symbolizes Christ's body (although this doesn't seem to be the issue in Corinth), or failure to recognize that when we eat this food, we are Christ's body—which is exactly how the Corinthians had failed.

They were gathering as the church, the body of Christ, but were they acting like it? No! They were acting selfishly, and destroying the unity of the body of believers (see vv. 17-22 again). So what Paul is saying here is that when we come to the Lord's Supper, we better take a good hard look at our attitude and actions toward our fellow believers. For to come to the Lord's Table, remembering his selfless sacrifice on our behalf, while at the same time remaining selfish and unloving towards others in the church is gross hypocrisy!

And Paul is quick to remind us that there could be serious consequences for such behavior: "That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep" (v. 30, with "fallen asleep" referring to the death of a believer). And all of this leads us to our final point.

5. It is an act of genuine fellowship (1 Cor. 11:33).

In communion, we remember and celebrate the fact that we have fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, and fellowship with one another in the body of Christ, the church. And you can't have one without the other (it's that hypocrisy thing again).

So if we take a look at our heart and our behavior, and see things such as favoritism, hatred, unforgiveness, gossip, slander, pride, racism, sexism, and so on, then we are failing to recognize the body of the Lord; we are compromising our fellowship in Christ, and therefore we have no business participating in the Lord's Supper—unless, of course, we own up to these sins, confessing them to God, and, if need be, to those people we have sinned against.

Jesus wants us to join him in this special meal; he doesn't want to exclude anyone. But we can't bring our sins with us. Instead, we must confess and renounce them. Just as we usually come to the dinner table with clean hands, we must come to the Lord's table with clean hearts. And to help you along these lines, here are four questions to ask yourself each time you plan to participate in communion:

1. Am I mindful of Jesus' presence as we gather together?
2. Am I grateful for what He has done for me on the cross?
3. Am I eager for His return, and do I live in the light of it?
4. Am I upholding the unity of the church in my attitudes and actions?

If you can honestly say "yes" to each of these, or at least say that you want from this point on to be able to say "yes" to each of these, then join us in the Lord's Supper as we "proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (verse 26).

[NOTE: We typically celebrate communion at Encounter on the first Saturday evening of each month]