For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
Every time believers eat the bread and drink the cup they publicly proclaim the Lord's death, continuing to do so until he comes. The bread and the cup are symbols and not the actual body and blood, the broken bread representing his body given on the cross and the cup representing his blood shed to save and cleanse from sin. The service is a memorial that keeps his love, suffering, crucifixion and infinite sacrifice for the sins of the world fresh and vivid in mind. It joins remembrance of his death with vivid hope in his return in power and glory, comforted by his promise to share anew with his people in his Father's kingdom. It is a sacred ordinance to be received worthily and not as selfish feasting, with discernment, humility, mutual forgiveness and putting away of strife, following foot washing as preparation.
Words and Emblems
The phrase as often means every single time believers eat this bread and drink this cup, and the word shew means they publicly proclaim the Lord's death, continuing that proclamation until he comes. Each observance is therefore done in remembrance of Christ, keeping the memory of his love and infinite sacrifice alive until he comes again. Each eating and drinking keeps his work for his people fresh in mind and keeps the hope of his second coming vivid, since his death is the center of hope through which reconciliation with God is possible. The sacrament makes a vivid reminder of his body given for sin and his suffering and death, recalling the painful events surrounding his final communion with the disciples, including his agony in Gethsemane and the abuse he endured.
The bread and the cup are symbols, not the actual body and blood. The broken bread represents Christ's body given and broken on the cross for the sins of the world and for the world's salvation, and the wine or cup represents his blood shed to save people, to cleanse the sins of those who seek pardon and receive him as Saviour, and to commemorate the dying Lord. Receiving the emblems in this sense shows belief in his sacrifice, repentance for sin, and acceptance of Christ as Saviour, while recognizing continual dependence on his blood for salvation. The emblems are to be unleavened bread and pure, unfermented grape juice. The wine used at Passover was pure grape juice, not fermented, and fermented wine would spoil the figure of Christ's blood.
Eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood in celebrating the ordinance is spiritual. By faith believers receive Christ himself, receive his words, obey them and do his will as the bread of life that satisfies the soul, becoming one with him in spiritual life. The Holy Spirit helps the mind grasp and understand the truths represented by the ordinance and conveyed by these symbols. In this way the sacramental service keeps Christ's crucifixion before the believer's mind, and feeding on Christ is necessary for communion with him as a meeting with Jesus.
Institution and Passover Background
Christ established this ordinance on the night He ate the Passover with His disciples at the Last Supper, leaving it as a memorial of His crucifixion. That sharing of the bread and cup belongs to His ordinance directing disciples to Him as the offering for the sins of the world. Even its celebration amid accusation and danger recalls the circumstances in which it was instituted, surrounded by betrayal, His agony in Gethsemane, and the abuse He endured. Partaking with spiritual understanding brings those painful events of His final communion vividly to mind, for His suffering and death are represented in the bread and wine, His body given for sin as an infinite sacrifice for the world and for each person. The ordinance thus awakens conscience, recalls its lessons, convicts of sin, and calls participants away from pride, disunity, and strife.
The Supper replaced the Passover after the Passover's type reached its fulfillment in Christ, the spotless and unblemished Lamb of God whose death redeems fallen humanity. The Passover had looked back to Israel's deliverance from Egypt and forward as a type of Christ whose death brings redemption, and its type was fulfilled when Christ died. Like the Passover, which commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the Supper keeps fresh in mind the great deliverance accomplished through His atoning death and His work for humanity. That Exodus deliverance was a type of the greater and final deliverance of His people accomplished through His atoning death, on whose cleansing blood salvation depends.
Instituted in place of the Passover, it is to be observed by His followers in every land and through the ages until His return. It is to be observed more frequently than the annual Passover because it commemorates His atonement and keeps His sacrifice and continual dependence on His cleansing blood in mind. The Passover meal was originally eaten hurriedly to suit Israel's departure from Egypt, while later reclining suited their changed circumstances.
Memorial of Christ's Death
The service is a memorial done in remembrance of Christ that proclaims his death every time the bread is eaten and the cup is drunk, keeping the memory of his love and sacrifice alive until he comes again. It keeps his work for his people and the great deliverance accomplished through his sacrifice fresh in mind, keeping before believers the sacrifice he made for them and the scenes of his suffering and death vividly before them. It commemorates his death while keeping the hope of his return vivid, for his sacrifice makes reconciliation with God possible and is the center of hope, giving reason to look with joy to his second coming. Like the Passover which commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, it keeps fresh the great deliverance accomplished through his sacrifice, and instituted in its place it is to be observed by his followers in every land and through the ages until his return.
It commemorates his body given and his blood shed for the sins of the world, with the bread and wine representing his broken body and shed blood and proclaiming his death while awaiting his return. It is a vivid reminder of his infinite sacrifice for the world and for each person, his body given for sin and his suffering and death set forth in the emblems. Partaking with spiritual understanding recalls the painful events surrounding his final communion with the disciples, including his betrayal, his agony in Gethsemane, his crucifixion, and the abuse he endured. The broken bread symbolizes his body given for the world's salvation, and the wine symbolizes his blood shed to cleanse the sins of those who seek his pardon and receive him as Saviour.
The ordinance keeps in mind the people's continual dependence on his blood for salvation, pointing to the cleansing blood on which salvation depends. It is to be celebrated often as a remembrance of his betrayal and crucifixion, and more frequently than the annual Passover because it commemorates his atonement which brings the final deliverance of his people, of which Israel's deliverance from Egypt was a type. The symbols declare Christ as sin-bearer who became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. They point also to the new covenant ratified by his blood, through which all who receive Christ become children of God and joint heirs with him, with heaven's blessings for this life and the life to come.
Receiving the bread and wine, which represent his body broken and blood shed on the cross to save people, shows belief in this sacrifice, repentance for sin, and acceptance of Christ as Saviour. Each person is to take part publicly as a witness of accepting Christ as a personal Saviour, who gave his life for the remission of the sins of all who believe and receive him and to rescue that person from death. Sharing the bread and cup directs disciples to him as the offering for the world's sins, awakening conscience, recalling its lessons, convicting of sin, and calling participants away from pride, disunity, and strife.
Hope Until He Comes
The eating of the bread and drinking of the cup is to be continued until he comes, proclaiming the Lord's death at every observance while awaiting his return. It is to be observed by his followers in every land and through the ages until his return in power and glory, a sacred ordinance and not a feast for selfish enjoyment. It is a memorial of his body given and broken and his blood shed for the sins of the world, keeping alive the memory of his love and sacrifice and the great deliverance accomplished by his work for his people. It must be received worthily with discernment of the Lord's body, since unworthy participation brings guilt and condemnation.
Each observance keeps the hope of his second coming vivid, recalling the sacrifice through which reconciliation with God is made possible. Because of that sacrifice believers may look with joy to his return, and his death is the center of their hope. The bread and wine symbolize his broken body and shed blood, keeping his love and death fresh in memory. The sacred rite of the cup proclaims his death until he comes again, symbolizing his work to save humanity. His promise to share the fruit of the vine anew with his disciples in his Father's kingdom comforts them with the hope of reunion.
The Supper thus joins remembrance of his death with expectation of his return. The bread and cup are the emblems of the dying Lord, received as believers gather at the communion table. There they are received amid joy and solemn feeling, with songs expressing the hope of soon seeing him come.
Doctrine and Errors Corrected
The verse establishes the Lord's Supper as a scriptural ordinance in which eating the bread and drinking the cup proclaims the Lord's death until he comes. It does not teach that bread and wine become Christ's actual body and blood, and it stands opposed to an idolatrous sacrifice. The mass, with its claim that priests turn the bread and wine into Christ's actual body and blood, replaced this scriptural ordinance.
The bread and the cup are emblems for commemorating the Lord's suffering and death in an act of remembrance. The claim that the Supper is merely the Passover continued and therefore to be observed only once a year is an error to be rejected. Beyond this remembrance until he comes, the passage lays down no further rule about how often the ordinance is to be observed.
Worthy Observance in Practice
The Supper is a sacred ordinance, not a feast for selfish enjoyment, and it must be received worthily with discernment of the Lord's body, for unworthy participation brings guilt and condemnation. Necessary preparation is called for, connected with baptism, before partaking.
It is a duty of God's people to be practiced often and more frequently, with Christ's example followed as exactly as possible. So kept, it holds believers humble and separate from the world and from backsliding like the nominal churches. It is to be introduced carefully and performed understandingly to avoid confusion, and never made a tedious ceremony. Participation is not to be restricted, for each is to take part publicly as a witness of accepting Christ as personal Saviour.
The observance is solemn, impressive and profitable, awful yet glorious because of the Lord's presence, a time for weeping and rejoicing that is long remembered. Breaking the bread calls for fitting, interesting speaking about its meaning that moves those present to sobs and groans. Kept in the church meeting after preaching or in evening service, it helps settle believers into the work when God is blessing His people.
The communion service follows the ordinance of foot washing, which comes first to prepare believers by reminding them of Christ's humility and service. Foot washing is a religious service, not ordinary hospitality, and the ceremony tests and proves loyalty. Pride, conflict, and striving for supremacy hinder fellowship with Christ and must be put aside before receiving His body and blood. Kept together with washing of feet in appointed meetings after humble confessions are made, the Supper carries forward a good work with hope of lasting good.
Foot washing is not obligatory before eating the bread and drinking the cup, and one who prefers only to witness it is still welcome to partake. The emblems are passed by hand to those who partake. They may be administered at the bedside of the sick and suffering as a last sacrament when death is expected.
Participants must hush controversies, forgive those who have done injury, settle every difficulty, exercise mutual forgiveness, and put away malice, hatred, and any strange flame from the altar. Believers meet around the table as people purchased by Christ's blood.
High and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned meet together equally round the communion table. With as many believers as possible taking part, even one who has just begun to keep the Sabbath may join in communion. Each person partakes publicly as a witness of accepting Christ, who gave His life to rescue that person from death.
Celebrated in appointed church meetings on Sabbath morning or in evening service together with washing of feet and after humble confessions or preaching, the ordinance brings Jesus into the midst to manifest Himself in a special manner. There He softens and subdues the soul, expels selfishness, imbues with the Holy Spirit, and brings love and grace and peace into contrite hearts. So kept it brings high gratification, great happiness to the soul, and lasting good.
Every time believers eat the bread and drink the cup they publicly proclaim the Lord's death, continuing to do so until he comes. The bread and the cup are symbols and not the actual body and blood, the broken bread representing his body given on the cross and the cup representing his blood shed to save and cleanse from sin. The service is a memorial that keeps his love, suffering, crucifixion and infinite sacrifice for the sins of the world fresh and vivid in mind. It joins remembrance of his death with vivid hope in his return in power and glory, comforted by his promise to share anew with his people in his Father's kingdom. It is a sacred ordinance to be received worthily and not as selfish feasting, with discernment, humility, mutual forgiveness and putting away of strife, following foot washing as preparation.
Words and Emblems
The phrase as often means every single time believers eat this bread and drink this cup, and the word shew means they publicly proclaim the Lord's death, continuing that proclamation until he comes. Each observance is therefore done in remembrance of Christ, keeping the memory of his love and infinite sacrifice alive until he comes again. Each eating and drinking keeps his work for his people fresh in mind and keeps the hope of his second coming vivid, since his death is the center of hope through which reconciliation with God is possible. The sacrament makes a vivid reminder of his body given for sin and his suffering and death, recalling the painful events surrounding his final communion with the disciples, including his agony in Gethsemane and the abuse he endured.
The bread and the cup are symbols, not the actual body and blood. The broken bread represents Christ's body given and broken on the cross for the sins of the world and for the world's salvation, and the wine or cup represents his blood shed to save people, to cleanse the sins of those who seek pardon and receive him as Saviour, and to commemorate the dying Lord. Receiving the emblems in this sense shows belief in his sacrifice, repentance for sin, and acceptance of Christ as Saviour, while recognizing continual dependence on his blood for salvation. The emblems are to be unleavened bread and pure, unfermented grape juice. The wine used at Passover was pure grape juice, not fermented, and fermented wine would spoil the figure of Christ's blood.
Eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood in celebrating the ordinance is spiritual. By faith believers receive Christ himself, receive his words, obey them and do his will as the bread of life that satisfies the soul, becoming one with him in spiritual life. The Holy Spirit helps the mind grasp and understand the truths represented by the ordinance and conveyed by these symbols. In this way the sacramental service keeps Christ's crucifixion before the believer's mind, and feeding on Christ is necessary for communion with him as a meeting with Jesus.
Institution and Passover Background
Christ established this ordinance on the night He ate the Passover with His disciples at the Last Supper, leaving it as a memorial of His crucifixion. That sharing of the bread and cup belongs to His ordinance directing disciples to Him as the offering for the sins of the world. Even its celebration amid accusation and danger recalls the circumstances in which it was instituted, surrounded by betrayal, His agony in Gethsemane, and the abuse He endured. Partaking with spiritual understanding brings those painful events of His final communion vividly to mind, for His suffering and death are represented in the bread and wine, His body given for sin as an infinite sacrifice for the world and for each person. The ordinance thus awakens conscience, recalls its lessons, convicts of sin, and calls participants away from pride, disunity, and strife.
The Supper replaced the Passover after the Passover's type reached its fulfillment in Christ, the spotless and unblemished Lamb of God whose death redeems fallen humanity. The Passover had looked back to Israel's deliverance from Egypt and forward as a type of Christ whose death brings redemption, and its type was fulfilled when Christ died. Like the Passover, which commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the Supper keeps fresh in mind the great deliverance accomplished through His atoning death and His work for humanity. That Exodus deliverance was a type of the greater and final deliverance of His people accomplished through His atoning death, on whose cleansing blood salvation depends.
Instituted in place of the Passover, it is to be observed by His followers in every land and through the ages until His return. It is to be observed more frequently than the annual Passover because it commemorates His atonement and keeps His sacrifice and continual dependence on His cleansing blood in mind. The Passover meal was originally eaten hurriedly to suit Israel's departure from Egypt, while later reclining suited their changed circumstances.
Memorial of Christ's Death
The service is a memorial done in remembrance of Christ that proclaims his death every time the bread is eaten and the cup is drunk, keeping the memory of his love and sacrifice alive until he comes again. It keeps his work for his people and the great deliverance accomplished through his sacrifice fresh in mind, keeping before believers the sacrifice he made for them and the scenes of his suffering and death vividly before them. It commemorates his death while keeping the hope of his return vivid, for his sacrifice makes reconciliation with God possible and is the center of hope, giving reason to look with joy to his second coming. Like the Passover which commemorated Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, it keeps fresh the great deliverance accomplished through his sacrifice, and instituted in its place it is to be observed by his followers in every land and through the ages until his return.
It commemorates his body given and his blood shed for the sins of the world, with the bread and wine representing his broken body and shed blood and proclaiming his death while awaiting his return. It is a vivid reminder of his infinite sacrifice for the world and for each person, his body given for sin and his suffering and death set forth in the emblems. Partaking with spiritual understanding recalls the painful events surrounding his final communion with the disciples, including his betrayal, his agony in Gethsemane, his crucifixion, and the abuse he endured. The broken bread symbolizes his body given for the world's salvation, and the wine symbolizes his blood shed to cleanse the sins of those who seek his pardon and receive him as Saviour.
The ordinance keeps in mind the people's continual dependence on his blood for salvation, pointing to the cleansing blood on which salvation depends. It is to be celebrated often as a remembrance of his betrayal and crucifixion, and more frequently than the annual Passover because it commemorates his atonement which brings the final deliverance of his people, of which Israel's deliverance from Egypt was a type. The symbols declare Christ as sin-bearer who became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. They point also to the new covenant ratified by his blood, through which all who receive Christ become children of God and joint heirs with him, with heaven's blessings for this life and the life to come.
Receiving the bread and wine, which represent his body broken and blood shed on the cross to save people, shows belief in this sacrifice, repentance for sin, and acceptance of Christ as Saviour. Each person is to take part publicly as a witness of accepting Christ as a personal Saviour, who gave his life for the remission of the sins of all who believe and receive him and to rescue that person from death. Sharing the bread and cup directs disciples to him as the offering for the world's sins, awakening conscience, recalling its lessons, convicting of sin, and calling participants away from pride, disunity, and strife.
Hope Until He Comes
The eating of the bread and drinking of the cup is to be continued until he comes, proclaiming the Lord's death at every observance while awaiting his return. It is to be observed by his followers in every land and through the ages until his return in power and glory, a sacred ordinance and not a feast for selfish enjoyment. It is a memorial of his body given and broken and his blood shed for the sins of the world, keeping alive the memory of his love and sacrifice and the great deliverance accomplished by his work for his people. It must be received worthily with discernment of the Lord's body, since unworthy participation brings guilt and condemnation.
Each observance keeps the hope of his second coming vivid, recalling the sacrifice through which reconciliation with God is made possible. Because of that sacrifice believers may look with joy to his return, and his death is the center of their hope. The bread and wine symbolize his broken body and shed blood, keeping his love and death fresh in memory. The sacred rite of the cup proclaims his death until he comes again, symbolizing his work to save humanity. His promise to share the fruit of the vine anew with his disciples in his Father's kingdom comforts them with the hope of reunion.
The Supper thus joins remembrance of his death with expectation of his return. The bread and cup are the emblems of the dying Lord, received as believers gather at the communion table. There they are received amid joy and solemn feeling, with songs expressing the hope of soon seeing him come.
Doctrine and Errors Corrected
The verse establishes the Lord's Supper as a scriptural ordinance in which eating the bread and drinking the cup proclaims the Lord's death until he comes. It does not teach that bread and wine become Christ's actual body and blood, and it stands opposed to an idolatrous sacrifice. The mass, with its claim that priests turn the bread and wine into Christ's actual body and blood, replaced this scriptural ordinance.
The bread and the cup are emblems for commemorating the Lord's suffering and death in an act of remembrance. The claim that the Supper is merely the Passover continued and therefore to be observed only once a year is an error to be rejected. Beyond this remembrance until he comes, the passage lays down no further rule about how often the ordinance is to be observed.
Worthy Observance in Practice
The Supper is a sacred ordinance, not a feast for selfish enjoyment, and it must be received worthily with discernment of the Lord's body, for unworthy participation brings guilt and condemnation. Necessary preparation is called for, connected with baptism, before partaking.
It is a duty of God's people to be practiced often and more frequently, with Christ's example followed as exactly as possible. So kept, it holds believers humble and separate from the world and from backsliding like the nominal churches. It is to be introduced carefully and performed understandingly to avoid confusion, and never made a tedious ceremony. Participation is not to be restricted, for each is to take part publicly as a witness of accepting Christ as personal Saviour.
The observance is solemn, impressive and profitable, awful yet glorious because of the Lord's presence, a time for weeping and rejoicing that is long remembered. Breaking the bread calls for fitting, interesting speaking about its meaning that moves those present to sobs and groans. Kept in the church meeting after preaching or in evening service, it helps settle believers into the work when God is blessing His people.
The communion service follows the ordinance of foot washing, which comes first to prepare believers by reminding them of Christ's humility and service. Foot washing is a religious service, not ordinary hospitality, and the ceremony tests and proves loyalty. Pride, conflict, and striving for supremacy hinder fellowship with Christ and must be put aside before receiving His body and blood. Kept together with washing of feet in appointed meetings after humble confessions are made, the Supper carries forward a good work with hope of lasting good.
Foot washing is not obligatory before eating the bread and drinking the cup, and one who prefers only to witness it is still welcome to partake. The emblems are passed by hand to those who partake. They may be administered at the bedside of the sick and suffering as a last sacrament when death is expected.
Participants must hush controversies, forgive those who have done injury, settle every difficulty, exercise mutual forgiveness, and put away malice, hatred, and any strange flame from the altar. Believers meet around the table as people purchased by Christ's blood.
High and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned meet together equally round the communion table. With as many believers as possible taking part, even one who has just begun to keep the Sabbath may join in communion. Each person partakes publicly as a witness of accepting Christ, who gave His life to rescue that person from death.
Celebrated in appointed church meetings on Sabbath morning or in evening service together with washing of feet and after humble confessions or preaching, the ordinance brings Jesus into the midst to manifest Himself in a special manner. There He softens and subdues the soul, expels selfishness, imbues with the Holy Spirit, and brings love and grace and peace into contrite hearts. So kept it brings high gratification, great happiness to the soul, and lasting good.