1. What is the Lord's Table? The Lord started His supper on the night before His death. It was meant to be a time of fellowship and communion. The words which are used for it are of a sacrificial nature - body, blood, and so forth. The Lord's Table is associated with forgiveness of sins, the personal peace we get, our symbolic union with the Lord, our continuous dependence on Him, sanctification, our togetherness with the Lord, and a way for us to look forward to His coming.
2. Describe the sacrificial language of the Lord's Table. The word "body" is often used because we partake of the body of Christ. The word "blood" is used because we partake of His blood. The Lord's Table uses these words as symbols, not the real things. We do not actually eat of His body, nor do we actually drink of His blood. Other words are covenant, poured out for many, and for the remission of sins.
3. What modern terms are used to describe the Lord's Table? "Eucharist" (Matthew 26:27) means to give thanks. "Communion" (I Corinthians 10:16) is used to show the body of Christ coming together. "The Lord's Table" shows the place and possessiveness of our relationship to Him. We are His, and He is ours. "The Lord's Supper" reflects that it was His last supper on earth. "Breaking of bread" (Acts 2:42, 20:7) describes the process of breaking bread with other believers. "Ordinance" (I Corinthians 11:2) shows what the Lord's Table is to the church. The associated verse from Corinthians is often used out of context because the Lord's Table is not something we do out of tradition. We do it as a memorial to our Lord.
4. Who should partake of the Lord's Table? The Lord's Table is for Christians. We do not have to be without sin to partake, but we should try to deal with any revealed sins before we do. Because of this, the Lord's Table becomes a means of discipline. When a Christian is excommunicated, they are deprived from participating in the Lord's Supper.
5. Why is the Lord's Table a church ordinance? Why should it not be celebrated apart from a church? Ordinance is an authoritative command or order. The church has two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Table. Baptism associates us with Christ, and the Lord's Table brings us together to fellowship with one another and to look toward His return. Jesus told His disciples to baptize believers, and the Apostle Paul spoke about the Lord's Supper in I Corinthians 11. The Lord's Supper was started by Christ on the eve of His crucifixion.
6. What is the difference between open communion, closed communion, and close communion? Open communion allows non-church members to participate in the Lord's Table. Closed communion restricts participation to church members only. Close communion takes the position that the church is not the regulatory agency. The individual is responsible for dealing with their revealed sins and then encouraged to partake. In close communion, church membership is not a factor.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 12 - The Churches of the New Testament
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