Passover/ The Lord's Supper
There are old Christian denominations "similar to" the Catholic religion have put restrictive rules on the Lord's Supper that Scripture never did.
Idky so many Christian denominations nitpick over the Lord's Supper or conflate it into something it never was meant to be. We dont need to make a mountain out of a molehill, we need to take Scripture easily as it says, and not put into it what it doesnt say nor prescribe.
In Bible times Israel had a Passover meal. In the Upper Room they all shared one wine cup, but that was not likely how people dinned at any meal wherein the Passover at home was just a regular meal. They wouldve all had their own glasses, and dishes.
Table Settings: The Passover meal was typically eaten reclining, which was a sign of freedom. This OT practice is mentioned in at the Last Supper, where Jesus and his disciples reclined at the table. The meal would have been served on low tables or mats, with participants lying on their sides.
Food Items: The Passover meal included specific foods that held symbolic meaning:
Lamb: A roasted lamb was central to the meal, representing the sacrificial lamb whose blood marked the doors of the Israelites.
Unleavened Bread (Matzah): This bread was eaten to remember the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not allowing time for their bread to rise.
Bitter Herbs: These were included to symbolize the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.
Charoset: A mixture of fruits and nuts, representing the mortar used by the Israelites in their forced labor.
Wine:
During the Passover meal, four cups of wine are traditionally consumed, each representing different aspects of the Exodus story and God's promises to the Israelites. These cups are often referred to as the "Four Cups of Wine," and they are associated with the four expressions of redemption found in Exodus 6:6-7:
1. **Cup of Sanctification**: Represents God's promise to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
2. **Cup of Deliverance**: Represents God's promise to deliver them from slavery.
3. **Cup of Redemption**: Represents God's promise to redeem them with an outstretched arm.
4. **Cup of Praise**: Represents God's promise to take them as His people.
Wine is also a symbol of joy and celebration in Jewish tradition, making it fitting for the Passover meal, which commemorates a pivotal moment of liberation and divine intervention in Jewish history.
In addition to the wine, the Seder plate includes various symbolic foods, and the entire meal is rich with rituals and readings that recount the story of the Exodus. Overall, wine plays an important role in the Passover celebration, both as a symbol and as a part of the communal experience.
Do we Christians drink the cup 4 x of wine at the Lord's Supper? No. We do it once, in unity together.
The Utensils: While the Bible does not provide detailed descriptions of utensils used during the Passover, it is likely that they used common household items of the time, such as clay or wooden bowls and possibly metal utensils, as metallurgy was known in ancient Israel. Silverware, as we think of it today, may not have been common for everyday use, but wealthier families might have had metal utensils.
Rituals and Order: The Seder, a ritualized meal that includes specific readings and prayers, developed later in Jewish tradition.
But regardless, the focus wasn't the Passover meal for Christians, it was about the Lord's Sacrifice and Resurrection. Its an all in one for Christians because without the resurrection the sacrifice is useless. The resurrection proved God the Father accepted the work/ full payment/ for redeeming believers. The legal transaction was accepted & completed.
We are looking back at what He did, so the only part that matters is in unity the Church is partaking of what would be the wine of the time (grape juice [1]) and broken bread pieces. With a clear understanding that its symbolic of what Christ did.[2]
We are not having a dinner together of the above foods, meant for Israel to do, as a reminder of the fleeing Egypt and God passing over the Israeli [yes to judge the heathen Egyptians, but all who dont ibey, essentially the Gospel, will die/be judged].
Problems would arise, as it would be legalistic and forcing believers to be under Judaism, but the Council [rightly] never said Christians must observe the Passover.
The Acts 15 Council addressed the question of whether Gentile believers should be required to follow Jewish laws, particularly the Mosaic Law, including circumcision and dietary restrictions.
The key points from the Council of Jerusalem regarding what Christians must observe were:
Salvation through Grace: The council affirmed that salvation comes through the grace of Jesus Christ and not through the works of the Law. This was a central theme in the discussions, emphasizing that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by faith in Jesus.
Requirements for Christians: The council decided that Christians should not be burdened with the Mosaic Law. Instead, they issued a letter with specific guidelines for believers, which included:
• Abstaining from food sacrificed to idols.
• Abstaining from consuming blood.
• Abstaining from eating the meat of strangled animals.
• Abstaining from sexual immorality.
Encouragement to Follow the Spirit: The council encouraged Gentile believers to live in a way that honors God and to be sensitive to the Jewish believers' customs and practices, fostering unity within the diverse body of Christ.
The decisions made at the Council of Jerusalem were significant in shaping the early Christian community and establishing a framework for how Gentile believers would relate to Jewish traditions and laws. This council marked a pivotal moment in the early church, emphasizing the inclusivity of the Gospel and the importance of faith over legalistic observance.
Thus, the Lord's Supper only points to the cup and bread, not to a Passover meal. Representing the blood shed and body broken. Not the bitter herbs and Charoset were meant for Israel. The Lamb is represented as Christ in the wine and bread, so again no meal is necessary. Its just the cup and bread that's the ordinance given by Jesus, and as a memorial of rememberance. So the notion of a meal is excluded and would be forcing on believers something unbiblical.
In addition problems arise if you try to legalistically force a meal on the believers in the congregation.
What kind of food will you serve? What about allergies and food restrictions for medical?
In addition a greater issue is at hand, your unsaved spouse and their young kids, children and Teens are at church. How can you exclude them from a meal?? It would be chaos. You can't do that. Esp the churches that want to do it every Sunday!
Also note, for the wine & cup:
* wine was 1 part wine to 10 to 20 parts water, thus meets a standard grape juice beverage today. And you need to remember alcoholics cannot drink wine. So as a body taking wine together would likely cause a former alcoholic to relapse, thus youve caused a believer to sin, and Scripture warns against it!
* for germs, diseases and sanitary purposes, no one in their right mind would drink from the same cup. We have a load of diseases now that didn't exist then (plus herpes and AIDS, not to mention the 1918 flu, bubonic plague, and even covid that killed millions), but also even for hygienic safety we still wouldn't have 300 to 10k people partaking in a congregation from 1 cup. It's insane to think that many would and be there 10 hours to do so. Its not feasible are reasonable for these reasons.
Thus the churches that pass around individual cups of grace juice, and tiny bread wafers are the best way to go, and within reasonability. You still remind people not to partake if they haven't gone to a brother or sister to deal with a sin or offence you committed. So they abstaining this time, and go resolve it, then partake the next time. It also calls the unsaved to come to Christ, and begin thanking God for your salvation when you participate in the Lord's Supper ordinance.
Further, problems arise if you claim your children can be baptized as babies and are covered, thus can partake, which is unbiblical, (the child isn't at an age to understand nor obey the Gospel), but likewise you would also error to claim that of your unsaved husband. They would thus be taking the cup and bread unworthy and the church tramples Christ's blood. The church leadership needs to protect the ordinance with "fencing" and are accountableto God.
But you cant exclude visitors who are saved from the Lord's Supper, by only keeping it to believers in the local church, you exclude from the universal body of Christ, as they should partake.... would you stop the Apostles or Pheobe from partaking of the Lord's Supper at all the churches they traveled to, or visited, and even at ones the Apostles didn't found? They were saved, they were embraced as believers, so they partook, as they should in unity in Christ. Theres not one reference in Scripture that traveling believers or visiting believers should refrained from taking it and participating in it. They were all expected as believers to participate, and be included. Not doing so would imply there was unresolved sin. Same with long time visitors who havent becime members there, they should be participating, not being prevented from joining in an ordinance expected of the universal church; the Bride. Further, some visitors live in boonies and there are no churches [or the drive is too far for older folk to take every week], so the only time they can [be there] partake is when visiting, probably on vacation or when visiting family out of town.
This is usually an area about church shepherding and discipline that would be related to members [of certian denominations] baptized there, but tbh long term visitors are likewise under their leadership and discipline since they align with the church. All saved ones are baptized and in the body of Christ. Plus, what about the false converts at that church on membership? Your allowing them to partake knowingly or unknowingly. So a closed Communion doesn't make sense, and excludes true believers worshipping there who arent members. An open but fenced Communion is right.
Also you can't do a "cover all bases" prayer to absolve the congregation of sins against one another as if a blanket prayer will take care of it. Scripture teaching is clear. You are to go to one another to confess, and leave the alter/ abstain from Communion until you go deal with it. And first deal with these/your sins between you and God before your partake. [3]
In Summary,
Believers partake in the Lord's Supper ordinance together at church during corporate worship. We dont eat a lavish long Passover meal, as that was for Israel. Christians are to participate. And it is simply to commemorate symbolically what Christ did for us. We (all believers in attendance) partake in unison; each together drink and of a bread. Grape juice is more accurate, and small broken pre packaged bread crackers made for the ordinance are acceptable and time savers. It would take way too long for large churches to use one cup and rip up 5k pieces of bread. Plus super expensive to even consider. "Unsaved" family and visitors do not participate, but all "true believers" attending should. But only if weve dealt with our sins agaunst God and each other, or we abstain from communion until we do. Our worship services last morning until noon, and people leave to go eat (& take medications & rest), they then eat dinner before returning for evening worship.
Footnote:
[1] Explaining about Bible time wine, here
[2] Symbolism not literal.
It's symbolic because 1. Jesus was alive, and not on the cross yet, and 2. He didn't have believers sins laid on him yet, recieve the wrath of God for our sins, and die shedding his blood, nor resurrected yet, completing the legal transaction with the Father to fully pay/redeem believers. He was in the room with them, still alive, showing them what they'll symbolically do now as an attacking once he is resurrected and the Church begins. So, no. Its not his actual blood or body, it's simply representative; symbolically.
[3] Verses related
The concept of confessing sins to one another and reconciling before partaking in Communion is rooted in several biblical passages. Here are a few key verses that address these themes:
James 5:16
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
1 Corinthians 11:27-29
"So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves."
Matthew 5:23-24
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift."
1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
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