COMMUNION - LORD'S SUPPER

WHEN?

 

 

In the N.T. what we call the "communion" is referred to as "breaking bread," and regular daily meals were also referred to as "breaking bread."  These must be sorted through. 

 

Acts 2:46 says the Christians broke bread daily.  Tracing the verse in Greek....

 

            "Ate" in Greek is "metalam" (i.e., metabolism), and means to receive food from another (i.e., house to house).

 

            "Meat" in Greek is "trophe" and means nourishment.

 

The only passage that talks directly about when the early Christians kept the communion is Acts 20:7 that says the church met on the first day of the week TO (for the purpose of) BREAK BREAD.  Below is the sentence in Greek working down the paper, with English meanings next to each word.

 

GREEK                      ENGLISH

 

'En                               During

 

de                                and

 

ta                                 observe, keep commandment or regulation

 

                                    According to the concordance, the word "ta" is another word for "ho."  Both words mean affairs of something or the state of something.

 

                                    According to Vine's Expository of N.T. Words, "ta" means an official regulation or commandment regarding the affairs or state of something.

 

mia                              every first

 

                                    According to the concordance, "mia" is the feminine form of "heis."  "Heis" is translated "one" 283 times.  "Mia" is translated "first day." 

 

                                    This word refers to "each" or "one by one" or "every one."

 

                                    So this word refers not only to it being the first day, but one particular day which was regarded during each week.

 

ton                               certain day, particular day

 

                                    This word is not in the back of the concordance because it does not appear alone in Greek sentences.  It is part of a hyphenated term "mia-ton."

 

                                    In the front of the concordance under "first," "mia" was translated "first (day)."  Above that under "First, at (the)" It was translated from the Greek term "pro-ton."  It gives the significance of copying another first, an original first, a prototype.

 

                                    There is only one significance of the first day of the week in the New Testament; Jesus rose from the dead then.  Therefore, to the Christian, this would be a particular day kept every week in memorial.

 

Sabbaton                     first day after the Sabbath

 

sunag-menon              religious assembly (from same root word as synagogue)

 

harmon                        espoused or adopted

 

                                    "Hermo-zomai" in the back of the concordance referred to doing something in harmony with something else.

 

                                    Vine's Expository of New Testament Words says the word "harmon" refers to something that is PERPETUAL and on going such as EACH AND EVERY such day perpetually.

 

                                    Note the O.T. Mosaic command, "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy."  The interpretation everyone gave was that THE Sabbath Day meant EVERY Sabbath Day.  They didn't say, "Well, it isn't specified, so we'll keep the Sabbath once a month, or quarterly or yearly."  Therefore, God meant "THE first day of the week" for breaking bread to mean EVERY first day of the week.

 

klasai                          break

           

arton                           bread, sometimes shewbread

 

                                    When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, what he was keeping the Passover.  Jews were to keep the Passover using unleavened bread (many scriptures in O.T. on this).  Also, leaven was referred to by Jesus as representing sin and error.  Therefore, the significance of leaven continued, and unleavened bread for the Lord's Supper is appropriate.

 

Conclusion:  Christians should meet together on the first day of every week for the primary purpose of breaking bread (communion).  Scriptures show they did other things too - prayed, preached, gave money, read scriptures, sang, but Acts 20:7 seems to indicate the primary purpose was to keep the communion to "remember the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26).

 

 

 

COMMUNION - LORD'S SUPPER

WHAT?

 

 

YEAST SYMBOLICALLY:

 

Matthew 16:6 & 12      Teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees

 

Luke 12:1                     Hypocrisy of the Pharisees

 

I Corinthians 5:7-8        Malice and wickedness

 

Galatians 5:7-9             Untruths

 

 

 

YEAST LITERALLY:                                        

 

When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, he was celebrating the the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (Matthew 26:17-19)

 

Then Jesus took this same unleavened bread and gave it new meaning.  He said now this unleavened bread represented his body (Matthew 26:26).

 

Then he took the cup and gave new meaning to it, saying from now on it was to represent his blood (Matthew 26:27-28).