When should we take the bread and wine service? (communion)
The first thing to be understood about the bread and wine memorial of our Master’s death is that we Saxon Christians are the physical Israelites, and as such we are celebrating Passover with this service, as the Feast Days are still to be honored (minus the animal sacrifices since Christ came). Denominational churches that do not know who the Israelites are, automatically start off on the wrong foot in most areas of doctrine.
Jesus said in Mat.16:24 ,
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
This has many far reaching implications in all areas of our lives, including how we view certain things in Scriptures. It may appear a “nice thing” for us to have “Communion” every week, but we are to follow Christ, do as He did for examples, and deny our own reasonings. The only time Christ participated in the “Communion service” was at Passover. We are to follow Him in our actions. He knew before that time that He was to suffer, and if a weekly memorial was meant, He could have easily been training His disciples to do so long before this Passover by which He gave the command to partake of the bread and wine.
Luke 22: 13 “And they went, and found as He had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover.
14 And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.
15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer:”
19 “And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
8 Therefore let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
The question wasn’t here that we should not celebrate Passover, as some teach, but that we must still indeed keep it, only not with “leaven of malice and wickedness”. What is that? Paul explains in the next verse that this is wicked people who are not sincere about the faith at all. They must not participate as they are bad leaven.
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
13 — Therefore put away (purge) from among yourselves that wicked person.” (i.e. purge out the leaven mentioned in v.7)
This (or these people) were the “leaven” that can destroy the whole body of believers, and Paul warns us to get rid of them, especially at Holy Times such as Passover, when we would honor our King’s sacrifice on the cross. Paul tells us “Therefore let us keep the Feast” — “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us”. In other words, Paul recognized that the sacrifice of Christ (honored in communion) is connected only to Passover.
The mention of “breaking bread” on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) does not clearly suggest that this is a weekly communion service by any means, as that term (breaking bread) also meant just eating regular meals daily (Acts 2:46). Again, we would be speculating here and spinning our wheels. In truth, Passover is the only specific time clearly mentioned for the ceremony to take place.
Those who quote I Cor.11:26 “ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew Yahshua’s death till he come” to mean a weekly memorial or a “whenever memorial”, fail to read the preceding verses where once again Paul tells us exactly when this occurred. v23 “For I have received of Yahshua that which also I delivered unto you, That the Master Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed – took the bread & wine, etc” When was this? Again here Paul clearly ties it to Passover night. The “For as often” is only seen in connotation with yearly Passover, both by Paul and by Jesus’command. Other than that we would still be guessing. There is more, but hopefully this gives some insight and food for thought on the subject. Actually, the question becomes “Do we take up our cross and follow what Christ did”? or do we speculate in uncertainty by “trying to do good” at our own times and reason? We at our Fellowship honor the communion service once a year at Passover for the reasons explained herein.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:52 pm I was raised in a church that had communion every Sunday, but the message here is worth looking into. Nice blog.