The Lord's Supper - more often than not....

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Constantlyreforming

Constantlyreforming

Puritan Board Sophomore
I am sure there are threads and threads on this, but I wanted to bring up something.

I was speaking with our pastor regarding the Lord's Supper, and he asked me how often I would suggest having it. Currently we celebrate once or twice a month at our church.

I told him my preference would be every week, and as often as we get together for worship or fellowship as believers. He was taken back a bit, but seemed to "dig" the idea. I told him that I have become more and more convinced by my reading of scripture that we should celebrate the Lord's Supper whenever we convene to have Christian fellowship. THe question, of course, is what does it mean when Christ says "as often as you do this"...does this mean "as often as you get together for the supper", or, does this mean "as often as you get together"...

??

I am being more and more convinced through scripture and prayer that I should have bread and wine available at my house, and at the church. When we have a few families over for supper, I am convinced we should break bread and drink of the cup. When we have Bible Study wednesday night, or wednesday mornings, we should fellowship with the Lord's Supper.

An argument from another elder was presented to me regarding the possibility of making the Supper less sacred and reducing it's meaning.

I told him I am trying to be faithful to its meaning and purpose, and that any lack of sacredness for the Supper is on the individual and their lack of reverence, not on the Supper's supposed "over-use".

Shall we pray less, so that we value prayer more? Shall we sing hymns less often, so that when we do, we cherish the words more?


Thoughts?
 
ESV translates 1 Cor. 11:25 as, "In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"

As I look at the greek, the word 'to drink' is there in the context of 'as often as'. Is there another passage you were referring to? If not, this simply states that this is what is to be done every time the sacrament is done.





Also, as this is a confessional board, partaking of the sacrament outside of Public worship is forbidden, for example, the Westminster Confession says,

"IV. Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest, or any other alone; as likewise, the denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about, for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ."
 
Mr. Beckler,

You've brought up a number of issues and thoughts.

1. The specific question of what the text in 1 Cor. 11 means is adequately answered by Mr. Barnes. No translation or Reformed commentary I know of understands this text any other way.

2. The other issue of private sacraments is also properly answered by Mr. Barnes.

3. This leads to the underlining issue: you seem to equate every occurrence of breaking of bread in the NT as a time for the Lord's Supper. Again, no commentary I know of believes that. You also seem to have unique view of the Supper. It's efficacy is tied directly to faith and the Word. In fact, increase in frequency does not necessitate an increase in sanctification and may even bring judgment (see the Larger Catechism).

In any event, if you wish to study the issue I would encourage you to interact with the saints of old as I have in my M. Div. thesis on weekly communion. You can read it here.
 
Shawn Mathis said:
In any event, if you wish to study the issue I would encourage you to interact with the saints of old as I have in my M. Div. thesis on weekly communion. You can read it here.
Click to expand...

Dear Rev. Mathis,

Thankyou for making your thesis available. I think it will prove very useful. In a footnote you draw attention to Dr. Grossman's "Theses on Weekly communion And The Heresy of Sacramentalism." Do you have any suggestions as to how I might be able to obtain a copy? Blessings!
 
Constantlyreforming said:
I told him my preference would be every week, and as often as we get together for worship or fellowship as believers.
Click to expand...

I would agree with you, except that I would contend that the Lord's supper is to accompany the preaching of the word, not just fellowship of believers. Therefore, I wouldn't say you need to celebrate the Lord's supper on Wed night class nights or when Christians come over to your house for fellowship, but weekly during morning worship to accompany the preaching of the word.
 
Dear Rev. Winzer,

I hope it will be helpful. So far those I know who are strongly attached to weekly communion have not bothered to read it. Those who are more undecided (as I was when I first started my research) appreciated it.
 
Participating in the Lord's table is a means of grace, and I think there are some practical reasons for a more frequent observance: if someone is providentially hindered from attendance, the time between participation can be lengthy. We are rarely gone on Sundays and won't plan anything when communion is scheduled, but illnesses can definitely intervene, especially for Moms dealing with children. My preference is for a weekly observance.
 
 
Now that I am in a PCA church I take communion on a weekly baises and I love it. I find some sort of great blessing in taking it every week. 3 months and it has yet to grow stale. I would say that anyone who grows cold to the lords supper by taking it every week should check their walk with Christ. The IFB church I would attend would take it every 5th Sunday. So I usually would never get to take it.
 
Weston Stoler said:
I find some sort of great blessing in taking it every week.
Click to expand...

I am curious: is this a different blessing in substance than what you should receive from the preached Word? Before you practiced weekly communion did you have this "great blessing"?

thanks,
 
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I believe for one it is because I am aware of the true reasons for taking it. I did consider it a great blessing when I took it at my last church that was a reformed church but nondenominational but they took it only once a quarter.
 
I follow my heart and my own feelings as to when I receive.

Shawn Mathis said:
Dear Rev. Winzer,

I hope it will be helpful. So far those I know who are strongly attached to weekly communion have not bothered to read it. Those who are more undecided (as I was when I first started my research) appreciated it.
Click to expand...

Shawn, In my Presbyterian congregation we have 3 services every Sunday. It is a large congregation. We have communion weekly at the 8 AM service and monthly at the 9:30 and 11 AM service. Those who favor more frequent communion have the option to do so. When I was a Roman catholic I received communion every Sunday. Since becoming a Presbyterian and a Protestant I do not receive every Sunday. Sometimes I attend the Communion service during the month and receive communion more than monthly. I follow my heart and my own feelings as to when I receive but I do receive communion at least once a month at the monthly communion which is the first Sunday of the month at all three services. I can respect the arguments for both sides for more frequent and less frequent or monthly. I also believe we should remember that as Protestants receiving communion and celebrating the Lords Supper is a memorial of His one time only sacrifice on Calvary for all who place their faith in Him alone for salvation. The sacrament does not give us further sanctification and should be seen only as a memorial done in remembrance of Him as He asked. Since becoming a Protestant I receive of my own choice less frequently to remind myself that it is not necessary to receive to be saved. I can do nothing myself to save myself; it is only by His suffering and Gods Grace which gave me faith in Him alone to say I confess in Christ alone to have salvation. I give Glory to God alone and I follow the scriptures alone to know what is correct; the scriptures are the final authority. I am a Protestant and as such I always remember that the elements are still bread and wine only and Christ is not in the elements but comes to me in communion through faith alone. The following from scriptures is important to read lest we become too much like the Romanists.

Hebrews 7:27
27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
Hebrews 10:11-12
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Hebrews 10:14
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10:18
18 And where these have been forgiven, “sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.”

Tomorrow being Reformation Sunday I do think I will join in the Lords Supper because Reformation Sunday to me is important since becoming a Protestant. Celebrating the Lords Supper as a memorial on Reformation Sunday for me will be a way of remembering how thankful I am to have been rescued from the bondage of Roman catholicism and being born again by Gods grace into the Protestant fold and becoming by Gods grace alone a Reformed Protestant and a Presbyterian; thus being freed by the true Gospel of Christ and becoming a member of His church; the Presbyterian church and the Reformed Protestant faith, the true faith of the apostles and Christ and restored to us by the Reformers.
 
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Sirs, I believe we are moving off topic. The original questions were answered by Rev. Barnes. The broader question of the frequency was not explicitly asked. I would certainly be happy to continue this on another thread (unless the moderator has no problem).
 
As to the frequency, GI Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes on Chapter XXIX of the Westminster Confession, "Of the Lord's Supper,"

3. How often does Christ require its observance?
A. Often

Biblically, I think that is the best answer, as important as it is, as essential as it is to a true church, not necessarily every single instance of corporate worship, nor every corporate gathering of believers.
 
Romans922 said:
Also, as this is a confessional board, partaking of the sacrament outside of Public worship is forbidden, for example, the Westminster Confession says,

"IV. Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest, or any other alone; as likewise, the denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about, for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ."
Click to expand...

The Second London Baptist Confession XXX.4 removes the part about private masses from the Westminster Confession.

LBC XXX.4: The denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and reserving them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this ordinance, and to the institution of Christ.
 
Mr. Beckler,

Here is a long thread that has covered the issue of the frequency of the Supper if you are interested. Searching the forums will show two others at least but they are shorter. Glancing through the posts, I think my thesis contributes to the discussion.

Rev. Winzer: nice quote from that thread:

"I call weekly observance unbiblical when it asserts itself on the basis of mis-exegesis of Scripture. I call it superstitious when maintained on a sacerdotal view of the sacrament. I generally call it unwise, because I have only ever seen it conducted by dropping the standards of spiritual observance as articulated by the Larger Catechism."
 
Shawn Mathis said:
Weston Stoler said:
I find some sort of great blessing in taking it every week.
Click to expand...

I am curious: is this a different blessing in substance than what you should receive from the preached Word? Before you practiced weekly communion you did not have this "great blessing"?
Click to expand...


Well, I don't know if Weston is too far off in that the Lord's Supper does in fact convey a means of grace to the partaker. The WCF 29.7 says,

Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements, in this sacrament, do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally but spiritually, receive, and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of his death: the body and blood of Christ being then, not corporally or carnally, in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet, as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.
Click to expand...
 
It should be once per year. Anything more starts a slippery slope that leads to what the first poster is longing for, i.e. every time believers get together for whatever reason. And doesn't the confession say something about preparing oneself? Well, perhaps 10 minutes is enough.
 
I'm serious. Baptism/circumcision is once in a life time and Communion/Passover is every year. If more than once per year is better than twice per year, then once per day is better than twice per year. Seems simple to me. The sacrament is either good enough once per year like the OT type, or the more the merrier, and the brother that started this thread should keep wine and bread on hand in case another believer stops by for lunch.
 
There should be preparation and self-examination for partaking of the Supper. To have it every time the congregation meets or even once a week, does not allow for this to be thoughtfully done, and smacks of superstitious sacerdotalism.

Is what we get through the sacrament, additionally to the Word, of such import that we need it every week? If the sacrament is held weekly is it likely that it will be able to be apprehended by faith in such a way that there will be great/greater spiritual benefit.
 
Shawn Mathis said:
Rev. Winzer: nice quote from that thread:

"I call weekly observance unbiblical when it asserts itself on the basis of mis-exegesis of Scripture. I call it superstitious when maintained on a sacerdotal view of the sacrament. I generally call it unwise, because I have only ever seen it conducted by dropping the standards of spiritual observance as articulated by the Larger Catechism."
Click to expand...

Three years ago my wife and I joined a small, Reformed Baptist church that observes the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day. We hold to the 1689 LBC and consider both sacraments as given to the church, not individuals - under the supervision of the elders.

The way in which our elders present and teach and warn and praise during the Lord's Supper has kept it fresh and grace-filled each Sunday. Not a whiff of sacerdotal or low standards - merely a recognition that we are forgetful people who need to be reminded of our ever present need of the grace given us by the Lord Jesus and the price He paid to redeem us to Himself.
 
TimV said:
I'm serious. Baptism/circumcision is once in a life time and Communion/Passover is every year. If more than once per year is better than twice per year, then once per day is better than twice per year. Seems simple to me. The sacrament is either good enough once per year like the OT type, or the more the merrier, and the brother that started this thread should keep wine and bread on hand in case another believer stops by for lunch.
Click to expand...

I would agree with you that the OP misses it when he states that the Lord's supper be connected to every time there is fellowship of believers. Instead I believe it should be coupled with the weekly preaching of the Word. See my earlier post in this thread. As for your more is better thought process, again, I would contend that the Lord's supper does convey a special grace to those who rightly receive it. In this sense, why would one not want to receive the sacrament as a means of grace?

---------- Post added at 09:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:08 PM ----------
Peairtach said:
There should be preparation and self-examination for partaking of the Supper. To have it every time the congregation meets or even once a week, does not allow for this to be thoughtfully done, and smacks of superstitious sacerdotalism.
Click to expand...

How so? How is it impossible for someone to prepare and examine themselves on a weekly basis?
 
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