CHAPTER 32
Concerning The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance that belongs to the Church and is to be celebrated by the Church for the following reasons:
The following points are an exegesis of
1 Corinthians 11:23-
23 ¶ “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.”
I. It is a memorial. “…do this in remembrance of Me.” Each time the Church celebrates the Lord’s Supper it points to the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross on behalf of His people. By the eating of the bread and the drinking of the fruit of the vine, we remember His life of service and His suffering for His saints. The totality of His being is represented in the elements of the Lord’s Supper – He gave all of Himself once (Heb. 9:28; 10:12) – offering His own blood once for all (Heb. 9:12).
II. It celebrates the new covenant in His blood. The Lord’s Supper points to Jesus
as the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of His death on the Cross, for the
redemption of the called, who consequently receive the promise of the eternal inheritance
(Heb. 9: 11-
III. It is evangelistic in nature – “…proclaim the Lord’s death…” It is through the
blood of Jesus (Heb. 10: 19-
IV. Finally, the Lord’s Supper is eschatological in nature – “…till He comes.” Each
time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we point to the fact that He is coming again
– for His people (I Thess. 4: 13-
(I Cor. 15: 50-
Finally, it must be said that the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, as well as the ordinance of Baptism, are ordinances that are under the stewardship of the Church. These ordinances are not under the authority of ministers, laymen or associations. They (the ordinances of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper) are under the responsibility of the Church. They are to be exercised by the Church and under the authority of the Church. The Church can designate the execution of the ordinance to whomever they choose. The ordinances are not to be taken by an individual or a family and performed as a religious rite without being properly being authorized by the local church. A father can baptize his son or lead his family in the Lord’s Supper if he is authorized by the local church to do so.