What Communion Means for Believers

What is a Communion?

Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is a sacrament where Christians partake of bread and wine to symbolize Jesus’ sacrifice and reaffirm their faith.

The practice originates in the Last Supper Jesus shared with His disciples, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Here, Paul writes that Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, 'This is my body, which is for you,' and similarly instituted the cup, declaring, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.' Participants are called to remember Christ’s death until He returns, making this act both a memorial and a proclamation of His redemptive work.

This ritual not only honors Jesus’ sacrifice but also fosters spiritual unity among believers. Understanding its origins invites deeper reflection on its enduring significance in Christian life.

The Purpose of Communion in Christian Practice

Communion significantly expresses faith, embodying three core purposes rooted in Scripture: grace, unity, and remembrance.

In Acts 2:42, the early church devoted itself to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, illustrating how Communion became central to communal identity. This practice echoes the Passover, where shared meal elements symbolized deliverance, foreshadowing Christ’s sacrifice. By partaking, believers receive spiritual nourishment, reinforcing their covenant with God through Christ’s body and blood.

Christians observe Communion by sharing bread and wine, following Jesus’ command in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 to ‘do this in remembrance of me.’ The act proclaims His death until He returns, uniting believers across time and space in a shared spiritual reality. This continuity with ancient Jewish rituals underscores Communion’s role as both a historical and living testament to God’s redemptive promises.

Scriptural Foundations of Communion

The New Testament provides clear scriptural foundations for Communion through Jesus’ institution of the practice and Paul’s elaboration on its significance.

In Matthew 26:26-28 and Luke 22:19-20, Jesus commands His disciples to partake of bread and wine during the Last Supper, declaring the bread as His body and the cup as the new covenant in His blood. Paul later recounts this event in 1 Corinthians 11:24-25, emphasizing that believers are to proclaim Christ’s death until He returns by repeating this act in remembrance of Him.

Paul also issues a solemn warning in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 against participating in Communion unworthily, noting that those who eat and drink without discerning the body and blood of Christ invite judgment upon themselves. This underscores the need for self-examination and reverence, as believers are called to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice and their own faith before partaking. These passages collectively establish Communion as both a memorial and a sacred obligation, guiding its practice with theological depth and ethical responsibility, which we will explore further in its theological implications.

How to Read Communions Correctly

To read Communion biblically, prioritize its eschatological and communal dimensions while resisting overly individualized interpretations.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 frames Communion within the context of Christ’s sacrificial role as our Passover lamb, calling believers to ‘keep the festival’ with sincerity and truth - a practice rooted in the anticipation of God’s final redemption. Acts 2:42 illustrates this communal foundation, as the early church ‘devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers,’ highlighting how Communion unites believers in shared identity and purpose. These texts remind us that the ritual is a collective act of faith, not solely a personal memorial.

Avoid reducing Communion to a private spiritual experience. Instead, emphasize its role in fostering corporate unity and eschatological hope. The warnings in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 about partaking ‘unworthily’ underscore the need for self-examination within a community, preparing the way for deeper exploration of its theological implications in the following sections.

Going Deeper

To deepen your understanding of Communion, consider exploring its historical development and theological debates.

For instance, the Catholic Church emphasizes the Eucharist as the literal body and blood of Christ (real presence), while many Protestant traditions view it as a symbolic representation of Jesus' sacrifice. These differing interpretations reflect broader theological discussions about the nature of sacraments and their role in Christian life.