Baptism and Communion (continued)

by Steve Bastin

Arguments have raged for centuries over who is the “true” church.  People make up lists of what constitutes the “true” church and proudly point to themselves as the only ones who fulfill the conditions.  The Bible does not speak of the “true” church or the “false” church.  It simply speaks of the church.

There are letters in the Bible to the church at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, Thessalonica, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea as well as a letter to the churches of Galatia.  In addition there are references to other churches in Jerusalem, Antioch, Judea and Samaria.  There are things that are noted as being wrong in many of these churches.  Were they “false” churches when something was wrong or were they still true churches?  The Bible does not provide a clear answer to this question (so far as I know).

The Bible speaks of an apostasy.  John warns against the anti-Christs.  Paul speaks of teachers who will “turn their ears away from the truth.”  Do they become a “false” church when their ears have been turned away?  Paul also speaks of a time when people will “fall away from the faith.”  Are they a true church when such has happened.  What if some fall away and others do not?  Are they then a “true” church or a “false” church?  Perhaps we need to do a head count and see which group is in the majority.  Or should those who are the “true” church cast out the others?  Or, what are we to say if those who have fallen away cast out those who have not?

That is probably enough questions to keep someone busy for a while!!  All of this is said to show the matter of being a “true” church is not as easily answered as some would have us to believe.

There are two things that seem to be essential in order to call oneself God’s church.  One must know how a person becomes a member of that church.  And one must know how one remembers Jesus.  Baptism and communion are essential elements of what one should consider in determining what is a “true” church and what is not.  If one cannot determine who is in the “true” church and one cannot remember how to remember Jesus, what conclusion must one draw about this whole business of “true” church?

Thankfully, the Bible is clear on baptism and communion.  In our article last month we discussed in some detail the place of baptism in becoming a part of God’s church and this month we will concentrate on communion.

Part of the importance of communion is that it is an activity that involves the whole church.  It is communion.  It is fellowship with other believers as well as fellowship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  The word translated communion is a Greek word that means fellowship and it is sometimes so translated in the Scriptures.

Communion comes from a command of Jesus.  “Do this in remembrance of me.”  At the very beginning we understand that communion is not optional.  In both Greek and English the verb is an imperative.  When your mother says, “Stop,” that is not a request.  It is a command.  So, too, with the words of Jesus.

“This” in Jesus commands refers to what he has just done.  He took the bread, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples.  There are accounts of this in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and 1 Corinthians 11.  It is interesting that in Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians, he begins by saying, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.”  His instructions came from Jesus and he is merely repeating what Jesus had previously taught him.  The instructions in 1 Corinthians 11 are not new information.  Paul is rehashing old matters, but that is not surprising to us in light of Jesus command, “Do this in remembrance of me.”  We would expect that every disciple would have been instructed in matters of communion .  This is not a matter that would have been left unexplained for any great length of time.

The bread that Jesus took would have been unleavened bread.  “The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and prepared the Passover.”  Moses instructions for the Passover were that all leaven was to be removed from their houses and unleavened bread was to be eaten for a week.  Therefore, Jesus took unleavened bread.  In like manner we take unleavened bread.

When Jesus took the cup, we are not told the contents of the cup.  Later, in referring to the cup, Jesus said, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”  The contents had not been changed to the blood of Jesus since he calls it “fruit of the vine” after he says, “This is My blood of the covenant.”

Whether it is fermented or fresh, we are not told.  It was probably fermented, but we are not told that.  Since Jesus was silent on the stage of fermentation, so too, the church needs to be silent.  It might be grape juice, wine or vinegar.  The choice of one or the other is not a matter for argument since Jesus said simply, “Fruit of the vine” and grape juice, wine and vinegar are all equally such.

That leaves us with the question of “when.”  Should communion be once in a lifetime or often?  Should it be yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly or daily?  There are churches that have adopted each of these as their practice for observing communion.

We will turn to the pages of the New Testament to discover what was done by the apostles of Jesus.  We will observe what they did and take our pattern for communion from them. It was to them that Jesus gave command and it is from them that we will learn what was commanded.

There is no question that Jesus gave the initial instructions concerning communion on Thursday evening before his crucifixion of Friday.  That would correspond to Friday evening as the Jews observed the day to begin with sunset, not midnight.  Yet there is no evidence of the disciples having communion on such a day following the resurrection of Jesus.

There is a reference in Acts 20 that is of interest to us.  “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.”

Paul had delayed his departure from Troas for five days in order to be with the disciples on this occasion.  If the breaking of bread were daily there would have been no need to delay and Paul was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost.

In this passage, it is the bread which is broken.  The Greek makes it clear that this is not the usual bread, but that it is special.  From this and the context we understand that this is communion to which the writer has reference in Acts 20.  This is similar to the reference found in chapter two concerning the things to which the first disciples devoted themselves.  Included in that list was “the breaking of bread.”  The additional information we are supplied in Acts 20 is that the breaking of bread is on the “first day of the week.”

We have a similar indication in 1 Corinthians.  In chapter 16, Paul gives instructions concerning a collection that he was gathering for the poor.  Similar instructions had been given to other churches.  They were to “put aside and save . . So that no collections be made when I come.”  This was to be done “on the first day of every week.”  From this we understand that they were meeting on the first day of every week as a church.

Earlier, in chapter 11, Paul gave instructions concerning communion.  It is evident from verses 17 to 22 that the Lord’s Supper (communion) was a part of their gathering together.  Their observance of the Lord’s Supper was disorderly and Paul corrects those matters.  Of interest to us here is that communion was a part of their weekly gatherings.

In the first century, people were baptized to be saved and added to the Lord’s church.  As Christians they came together on Sunday to remember what Jesus had done for them by participating in a simple meal that was called the Lord’s Supper or communion.

Those who are committed to Jesus will follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, the apostles of Jesus.  And God will be honored through His only begotten Son.