The Lord's Supper Then and Now

Dave Black wrote a review of a book dealing with how we celebrate the Lord's Supper. Thanks Alan Knox for reviewing Dave's review.

I've recently been asking myself why I don't celebrate the Lord's supper as a celebration feast.

I frequently feast together with other believers. Sometimes we even share bread, (but rarely wine).

I also participate in large gatherings where we soberly consider our sinfulness and quietly thank God for his grace toward us.

Somehow this second activity gets called the Lord's Supper, and the first one doesn't.

I've joked a few times with believers when we've gathered around a meal and shared bread that it was kind of like the Lord's Supper. But everyone knows I'm nuts, so they just smile and the awkward moment passes.

Dave Black also considers Howard Marshall's findings:

I. Howard Marshall, Professor Emeritus of New Testament at the University of Aberdeen, writing in 1980, summarizes the biblical teaching about the Lord’s Supper. Among his conclusions are the following:

1. The Supper should be celebrated frequently, if possible each Lord’s Day.
2. There is no New Testament evidence that would require “ordination” to administer the elements.
3. Since the Lord’s Supper is a meal, the appropriate setting for it is a table, not an altar.
4. The New Testament envisages the use of one loaf and a common cup.

I'm not sure if anything else is missing (except a shared cup - which may not go over well in our culture). But I don't know how to make it real.

Related Posts:

• Lords Supper