Weekly Newsletter 04/13/2023

Greetings!

This week’s topic for discussion is one of the important questions related to the Lord’s Table. The most frequently asked questions are the questions concerning the form and not so much the substance of the Supper. For example: What kind of bread are we to use? Wine or grape juice? How often should the Supper be observed? And so forth.

But, to begin this short article on the Supper, I still want to state what is clear, beyond doubt, and should be the center of the Lord’s Table. Don’t miss it! Without understanding this, you will tend to move more toward unrest, doubts, and even divisions focusing on the secondary things. As one of the recent preaches noted: the main thing must be kept the main thing! What is the main thing?

The Lord’s Table is the ordinance that Jesus Christ Himself commanded for all His followers, so that they can remember His sufferings and death for their sins and for their redemption. This is so important that Christ Himself appeared to the apostle Paul and personally conveyed this command, so that he, in turn, would deliver this ordinance to the church (1 Cor. 11:23-25).

The Supper itself, which Jesus Christ had before his sufferings, was a transformation of the Old Testament Passover commanded by the Lord to the people of Israel (Ex. 12:1-4). Over time, various additional parts were added to this ceremony. Including a cup of wine, which Jesus and his disciples also adopted, and even made part of the New Testament Communion. Four cups of wine and unleavened bread were part of the traditional meal. So, if we were to talk about what Jesus used at the Last Supper, then we must admit that it was wine and unleavened bread.

Unleavened bread:

“They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.” (Ex. 12:8)

Wine:

“When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.” (1 Cor. 11:20-21)

When we are trying to understand the meaning of the cup (1 Cor. 11:25), we just need to look at the context. The context of the Supper (vv. 20, 33). In this context, eating was taking place, and there was wine in the cup, from the excessive use of which, some could get drunk (v. 21). It is very difficult to imagine that during the Supper, the participants were engaged in pouring out or replacing one form of the fruit of the vine to another. Because of that, we are inclined to understand that during the Last Supper there was a wine in the cup (perhaps, with less alcohol content).

But, whatever form of drink is present, and whatever form of bred is used, the main idea of this text is that Christ draws a parallel with His body and His blood. If we do not understand this, we will cling more to the form than the essence of the Communion itself. Therefore, churches that use other elements for the cup and bread are not subject to our judgment. We look at the participation itself, and what is the meaning put into this ordinance, and which becomes the measuring stick for doctrinal accuracy.

⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

• Thursday (6:30 PM) – Kid’s Bible School (open to all but required for parents), followed by Bible Study (Proverbs) for the whole church at 7:30 PM.
• Worship Service in Russian at 9:00 AM
• Worship Service in English at 11:15 AM