The Lord’s Supper: A Question of Frequency

Josh Pannell

Introduction:

We Must Consider the Question of Frequency. It has been my experience that many
pastors and churches have not truly considered the question of how frequently the Lord
would desire we partake in The Lord’s Supper. It is not enough to feel or believe that we are
obedient to the example of the early church who “devoted themselves to the breaking of
bread.” (Acts 2:42); rather, we must ask what is meant to be devoted to the breaking of
bread. How would we know if we are? How would we know if we aren’t? The example of
the early church prompts the question, “how often were they observing it?” It also prompts
the question, “what would neglecting The Supper look like?” and “how would I know if my
church was neglecting The Supper?”

As a second example, when Paul says we proclaim the Lord’s death as often as we partake
in The Supper (1 Corinthians 11:26), does he mean to say that Christ is proclaimed through
The Supper every time the church should choose to do so? To say it another way, does Paul
mean to say “you may proclaim Christ through The Supper this week, if you so choose”? Or
does he mean to indicate the significant role The Supper plays in the proclamation of the
gospel itself? Or, to say it another way, does Paul mean to give liberty to the frequency of
The Supper (as his words are often read), or does he seek to indicate that observation and
celebration of the Supper is, in itself, preaching the gospel?

An Analogy. When Jesus commands method of prayer and fasting in his Sermon (Matthew
6:5-18), it is often noted that his words assume that the Christian is regularly praying and
fasting: “and when you pray” (Matthew 6:5); “and when you fast” (Matthew 6:16). Our Lord
means not only to prompt his hearers towards more faithful praying and fasting, but he also
prompts the question, “am I praying and fasting with enough frequency”?

Should a young believer read Jesus’ words and, in attempts to obey them, choose to
pray/fast once every 3 months, would he be in violation of these commands? Not
necessarily. But he should be instructed into a more excellent way. He should be taken to
other Scriptures which give greater clarity into what regular prayer and fasting looks like in
the Christian life. To complete the analogy, is a church which observes The Supper every 3
months in violation of specific Scripture? Not necessarily. However, I do believe those
churches should also be shown a more excellent way.

We Must Look to Scripture. In my experience, many who first contemplate the frequency a
church should partake in The Supper do not begin with Scripture. Rather, they begin with
experience and followed by zeal to be anti-tradition. While trying to not sound crass, the
argument that The Supper will lose its specialness if a church partakes weekly is not a
Scriptural argument. Nor is arguments that it takes too much time in the service. Nor is the
argument that weekly bread and wine is too expensive. Nor is the argument that we want
 to make sure we aren’t mistaken for Catholics or Anglicans. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a
Scripturally supported argument for taking The Supper monthly or quarterly; rather, they
are always pragmatic in nature.

Furthermore, while these arguments are often used against a more regular observation of
The Supper, certainly they would never be rightly used of other means of grace. For
example, no right-minded preacher would ever say “let’s be sure not to read the Word so
often that it becomes less meaningful to us.” The same is true that no Protestant church
would say, “Anglicans pray three times a day so let us pray with less frequency than that so
that we don’t cause confusion.” Why, then, are these arguments used for less frequent
celebrations of The Lord’s Supper?

As those who firmly believe in sola scriptura, we must not abandon the Scriptures when we
consider how frequently we should celebrate The Supper. We must ask the text not only if
we should observe The Supper, but how often we should observe The Supper. And we must
trust the text to give to us the answers we are seeking.

A Theological Argument. Because there are no texts which explicitly command the
frequency a church should celebrate The Supper, a different kind of argument is needed.
Similar to the doctrine of the Trinity, the question of frequency must be answered by logical
deductions of the different relevant texts. I will seek to do this with two kinds of texts: 1)
texts which implicitly teach a weekly observance of The Supper, and 2) texts which explain
the significance of The Supper in the Christian’s life. To say it another way, first we will
consider when the 1st Century Christians observed The Supper, and second we will consider
why the 1st Century Christians observed The Supper. (We’ll save how for another time).
Finally, I will conclude by making a theological conclusion in which I argue that weekly
celebration of The Supper complements our gospel-centered theology, Christ-centered
theology, Charismatic theology, and Calvinist theology.

Texts About Frequency (When):

Many texts here could be considered; however, I will only mention the two strongest texts
here.

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul
was teaching the believers. (Acts 20:7).

This text records the elements of a regular Sunday gathering of these believers.
The first day of the week is mentioned, assembling is mentioned, preaching is
mentioned, and the celebration of The Supper is mentioned.

“Breaking bread” is shorthand for Luke to describe observation of The Supper. It

is his way of reminding his reader of two things, first of The Last Supper when
Jesus broke the bread for his disciples, and second of the significance of the
 broken body of Jesus Christ on behalf of the church. We could say it looks back at
what Jesus did to inaugurate The Supper both in the meal with his disciples and
his death for the church.

Luke uses the infinitive construction “to break bread” (κλάσαι ἄρτον) to
communicate the purpose of the gathering. It’s not just that they happened to
observe The Supper when they gathered, but that they gathered for the very
purpose of celebrating The Supper. The language Luke uses is clear that the
meeting itself would have been incomplete were it not for the breaking of bread.

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come
together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you
come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it
in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine
among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper
that you eat. (1 Corinthians 11:17–20)

Similarly, in this text, when Paul describes the regular gathering of the Church in
Corinth, he assumes that they are partaking in The Supper together. So much so
that he speaks of them coming together as a church and the Lord’s Supper in the
same breath. In fact, when one approaches the text without the assumption that
The Supper was celebrated at every weekly gathering, verse 20 seems out of
place with verses 17-19.

Should we read here that Paul was rebuking the Corinthians for their monthly or
quarterly communion services? This doesn’t fit the context. Rather, Paul is
rebuking their actions when they come together as a church. The assumption
here is that the event of gathering included with it the event of eating and
drinking.

Texts About Significance (What):

More readily available are texts which indicate the importance of celebrating The
Supper because of what it is (or what it does). These texts serve both to highlight the
spiritual significance of The Supper to prompt more regular communion with Christ
through The Supper.

Why should this be considered when asking the question of how often The Supper
should be observed? Because ideas have consequences. And what we believe about
something will ultimately determine our desire to experience that thing. And,
unfortunately, the dominance of the memorial view of The Supper in many Baptist/Bible
churches has resulted in observing The Supper less and less in those churches. However,
because the Scriptures indicate that The Supper is far more than simply a memorial of
Jesus Christ’s death for us, the church should have great reason to celebrate it weekly.
Biblical Images For The Supper:

The Bible teaches the importance of The Lord’s Supper both in explicit and
implicit ways. In order to grasp the full breath of what the Bible has to say about
what The Lord’s Supper does for the Christian we must be sure to hear every text
that speaks to us on this issue. Therefore, before a detailed description of what
The Lord’s Supper does for those who participate in it, it is essential to
understand the Bible’s own images for The Supper that we might clearly hear
what the Bible says through those implicit texts.

1) The Feeding of the 5,000.

There is a clear tie between the feeding of the 5,000 and the institution of The
Lord’s Supper in the gospel accounts. Consider the repetition of the verbs
“took”, “blessed/gave thanks”, “broke” and “gave”

Then he ordered the crowds to sit
down on the grass, and taking the
five loaves and the two fish, he
looked up to heaven and said a
blessing. Then he broke the loaves
and gave them to the disciples, and
the disciples gave them to the
crowds. And they all ate and were
satisfied. And they took up twelve
baskets full of the broken pieces left
over. (Matthew 14:19–20)
Now as they were eating, Jesus took
bread, and after blessing it broke it
and gave it to the disciples, and said,
“Take, eat; this is my body.” And he
took a cup, and when he had given
thanks he gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of it, all of you, for this is my
blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for the
forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26–
28)

And taking the five loaves and the
two fish, he looked up to heaven and
said a blessing and broke the loaves
and gave them to the disciples to set
before the people. And he divided
the two fish among them all. And
they all ate and were satisfied. (Mark
6:41–42)
And as they were eating, he took
bread, and after blessing it broke it
and gave it to them, and said, “Take;
this is my body.” And he took a cup,
and when he had given thanks he
gave it to them, and they all drank of
it. And he said to them, “This is my
blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many. (Mark 14:22–24)

And taking the five loaves and the And he took bread, and when he had
two fish, he looked up to heaven and given thanks, he broke it and gave it
 said a blessing over them. Then he
broke the loaves and gave them to
the disciples to set before the crowd.
And they all ate and were satisfied.
And what was left over was picked
up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
(Luke 9:16–17)
to them, saying, “This is my body,
which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.” And likewise
the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup that is poured out for you is
the new covenant in my blood. (Luke
22:19–20)

Jesus then took the loaves, and when

he had given thanks, he distributed
them to those who were seated. So No Institution Account
also the fish, as much as they wanted.
(John 6:11)

John’s Gospel does not include the institution of The Lord’s Supper; however,
immediately following The Feeding of the 5,000, Jesus speaks about the
importance receiving his body and blood. Because of the synoptic parallels
between these events, I believe it is proper to read Jesus as speaking of
physically consuming The Lord’s Supper and spiritually consuming himself
simultaneously.

2) The Mana in the Wilderness.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under
the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in
the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the
same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them,
and the Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1–4)

Paul communicates to the Corinthians that they are a part of the same Spiritual
Family as the Israelites who were rescued out of Egypt. How does he do this? By
demonstrating that they also participated in the sacraments of Baptism and The
Lord’s Supper, not in a literal sense, but in a spiritual sense.

Literal Baptism in water. Spiritual baptism in crossing the Red

Literal Lord’s Supper in eating the
bread (=Christ’s body).
Literal Lord’s Supper in drinking the
wine (=Christ’s blood).
Sea
Spiritual Lord’s Supper in eating the
mana (=Christ [body])
Spiritual Lord’s Supper in drinking the
water from the Rock (=Christ [blood]).
The Corinthian church experiences in the sacraments what the Old Covenant
believers experienced in the Red Sea crossing and the mana from heaven;
therefore, they are a part of the same spiritual family. Baptism initiates the
covenant community into the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, and The
Lord’s Supper sustains the covenant community in their journey. Baptism is the
united experience of the church in entering the wilderness together, and The
Lord’s Supper is the united experience of the church in journeying in the
wilderness together.

3) Elisha Feeding the 100 (2 Kings 4:42-44)

Elisha’s miracles of feeing the 100 men during a famine is a type of The Feeding
of the 5,000. This is especially made explicit in John’s Gospel. Compare the two
accounts:

Loaves of barley (2 Kings 4:42) Five barley loaves (John 6:9)

But his servant said, “How can I set
this before a hundred men?” (2 Kings “Where are we to buy bread, so that
4:43) these people may eat?” (John 6:5)

And they ate and had some left (2
Kings 4:44)
And when they had eaten their fill, he
told his disciples, “Gather up the
leftover fragments, that nothing may
be lost.” So they gathered them up
and filled twelve baskets with
fragments from the five barley loaves
left by those who had eaten. (John
6:12–13)

While this text is not directly connected by the biblical authors to The Lord’s
Supper, by merit of the allusion between this text and Jesus’ Feeding of the
5,000, there are implicit connections we can make with The Lord’s Supper.

4) Elijah Being Fed in The Wilderness (1 Kings 19:4-8)

Elijah’s being sustained on his journey to Sinai by the bread and water from
heaven is compared to the giving of the mana and water in the wilderness to the
Israelites rescued from Egypt. This bread and water from heaven provide the
strength Elijah needs to complete his journey, just as the mana and water give
the Israelites the strength they need to complete their journey to the same
mountain.
 Again, while this text is not directly connected by the biblical authors to The
Lord’s Supper, by merit of the allusion between this text and the feeding in the
wilderness, there are implicit connections we can make with The Lord’s Supper.

Christ and The Lord’s Supper

Christ is Present in The Supper.

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of

Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of
Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16)

Paul says that in The Supper, Christians have “participation” (or better
translated “fellowship” [=κοινωνία]) with Christ. This word is used
elsewhere to describe communion between the church and members of
the Trinity:

 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so

that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our
fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John
1:3)
 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love,
any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
(Philippians 2:1)
 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

While the believer always experiences fellowship with God by virtue of

his union with Christ, there is an increased experience of the presence of
Christ when the church participates in The Supper.

“Take, eat; this is my body…Drink of it, all of you for this is my blood.”
Matthew 26:26, 28

In Church History, there have traditionally been 4 ways of understanding

the Word of Christ in this text:

Approach Body and Blood of Bread and

Christ? Wine?
Transubstantiation Yes No
(Roman Catholic)
Consubstantiation Yes (in substance) Yes
(Lutheran)
 Receptionism Yes (in means) Yes
(Calvinist)
Memorialism No Yes
(Zwinglianism)

Calvin taught that there is a true participation in the body and blood of
Christ, but not by means of a change in the bread and wine into the
physical body and blood of Christ. Calvin taught that when Christ says
“this is his body,” he neither means that it mystically becomes his body
nor that it simply represents his body. Rather, Jesus indicates that The
Supper is the means by which Jesus is spiritually present with his church
through the Holy Spirit. The bread and wine become to us the very body
and blood of Christ by faith, not in that they change their actual
properties, but that they become the means by which Christ is present
with his church to nourish her with his presence.

Calvin uses the illustration of the rock in the wilderness in 1 Corinthians

10:4. Was the Rock Christ? Not bodily; rather, it was the presence of
Christ among the people of the Old Covenant so that he might bless them
with rivers of “living water.” Christ was present among the church in the
wilderness by means of the Rock, but not in the Rock. So Christ is present
with the New Covenant Church by means of the bread and wine, but not
in the bread and wine.

Christ is Revealed in The Supper.

When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and
broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they
recognized him. And he vanished from their sight…Then they told what
had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the
breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:30-31, 35)

While this text is not an explicit celebration of The Lord’s Supper

administered by the resurrected Christ, Luke includes many hints that this
text should help inform our theology of The Lord’s Supper.

First, note the repetition of the verbs used in Luke’s account of the
inauguration of the Supper:

And when the hour came, he
reclined at table….And he took
bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and gave it to
them, saying, “This is my body,
When he was at table with them,
he took the bread and blessed
and broke it and gave it to them
(Luke 24:30)
 which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:14–
19)

Second, “breaking of bread” is used by Luke in Acts to refer to the Lord’s

Supper (Acts 2:42, 46; Acts 20:7).

Luke sets expectations for the church to experience deeper knowledge

and revelation of Jesus Christ in the celebration of The Supper. And what
is this revelation of Jesus Christ in reference to? Not abstract revelation
of Jesus or revelation of Jesus apart from the Word, but The Supper
provides clarity to Jesus in the preached word “did not our hearts burn
within us while he opened to us the Scriptures…he was made known to
them” (Luke 24:32).

Christ is Remembered in The Supper.

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it
to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

Contrasting the Passover sacrifices which brought a remembrance of sin

every year (Hebrews 10:3), The Supper provides a remembrance of Jesus
putting an end to sin in The New Covenant.

Jesus chooses the Passover meal celebration to inaugurate The Supper.

The Passover defined the people of Israel as God’s redeemed people.
Jesus, in reorienting this Passover meal around himself, reorients
covenantal redemption around himself.

Remembering God’s deliverance has always been at the heart of God’s

covenant with his people. Throughout Scripture, both God and God’s
People are called upon to remember the covenant with the result of
faithfulness to that covenant – think of God remembering Israel in Egypt.
Covenant Signs play special roles in this remembrance in the Bible’s –
think of God remembering the Noahic Covenant with the sign of the bow.
So here, there is a remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ for our sins
with the result that we walk in faithfulness to the covenant.

Christ is Proclaimed (Preached) in The Supper.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the
Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)
 As alluded to above, Paul does not intend to give liberty to frequency of
celebrating The Supper in this text; rather, he calls the Corinthian
believers towards a more informed celebration of The Supper. Paul says
here that every time the church gathers to celebrate The Lord’s Supper,
they gather to preach Christ in and through The Supper. Paul combines
The Supper with preaching language (καταγγέλλω). This verb is used
elsewhere for the very preaching of the gospel itself:

 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man

forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, (Acts 13:38)
 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim
the gospel should get their living by the gospel. (1 Corinthians
9:14)
 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with
all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
(Colossians 1:28)

Paul connects the preaching ministry of the church with the sacramental
ministry of the church in this text. Paul sees the importance both in the
Gospel proclaimed through word and the gospel proclaimed through
sacrament. Or, he values the preaching of the gospel and the drama of
the gospel. Paul does not separate the two. Every time the church
gathers to celebrate The Supper together, they are preaching the gospel.

The Church and The Lord’s Supper.

The Church is Strengthened in The Supper.

Just as the mana provided by God for the children of Israel strengthened
them in the wilderness, so the church is strengthened in their journey
through celebrating The Supper. This parallel is explicitly made by both
Jesus and Paul (John 6:56-58; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4). The point is that,
while Baptism initiates the journey through the wilderness, The Supper
sustains weary pilgrims through the wilderness.

The same picture is used of Elijah in the wilderness who is sustained

through the bread and drink from heaven on his way to Mount Horeb,
And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food
forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:8). So
also, the Church, who is on her spiritual journey to Mount Zion, is
sustained in the wilderness through the meal from heaven.

The same picture is used in Elisha’s feeding of the 100 during a time of
famine and our Lord’s own feeding of the 5,000 (2 Kings 4:42-44). So also,
 the church is hungry, in need of spiritual nourishment, and receives her
spiritual food in celebrating The Lord’s Supper. Spiritually, The Supper
comes to us as in a time of famine and nourishes us and strengthens us in
our journey.

The Church Communes with Christ in The Supper.

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of

Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of
Christ?... Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the
sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food
offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that
what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want
you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord
and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and
the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:16, 18–21)

While all believers are objectively united with Christ upon their
conversion, there is a subjective communion with Christ that is
strengthened in the sacrament of The Lord’s Supper. The Supper both
expresses what is already true, and to bring what is true to pass (or,
brings what is already true into our experience). Because Christ is truly
present in the celebration of The Supper, believers truly participate in
Christ while celebrating The Supper.

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in

him. (John 6:56)

“Abiding in Christ” in John’s gospel is equivalent to Paul’s “united with

Christ.” Jesus will later speak of the importance of the believer’s ongoing
(subjective, not objective) abiding in him when he says, “Abide in me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the
vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the
branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5). The Supper is
a divinely given means by which the believer might further experience
this “abiding in Christ.”

The Church is United to One Another in The Supper.

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all
partake of the one bread. (1 Corinthians 10:17)
 The Supper both expresses who the church is in her unity to one another
and forms the church into that united body she is called to be. Again, it
both expresses what is already true, and brings what is true to pass (or,
brings what is already true into our experience).

It is because there is one bread that there is one body. Many read this
the other way around: “we use only one bread because there is one
body.” But Paul makes the opposite point here. The single body is a direct
result of the single loaf. The Supper creates and produces unity in the
church.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all
under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized
into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual
Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1–4)

When Paul wants to argue that the people delivered out of Egypt are a
part of the same spiritual family as the Corinthian church, he points to
their mutual experience of the sacraments of Baptist and The Lord’s
Supper. The Lord’s Supper unites the church of all generations into a
single body. This is why church discipline includes exclusion from The
Table (1 Corinthians 5:6-8): to not partake strengthens exclusion from the
Covenant Community; to partake strengthens inclusion in the Covenant
Community.

A Theological Summary and Conclusion

More could be said above; however, I trust this short survey suffices to give a summary
of the significance of The Supper. In the section below, I see to show how a weekly
celebration of The Supper is the natural conclusion of several of our core beliefs.

The Supper and Gospel-Centered Theology

Celebrating The Lord’s Supper weekly complements our Gospel-Centered

theology. We love and celebrate the gospel. The gospel preached through the
Word is the highlight of our week. Would a weekly celebration of The Supper
distract from this gospel-focus? By no means! Rather, the gospel celebrated in
The Supper is the natural conclusion and complement of the gospel celebrated in
the sermon. Celebrating The Supper weekly serves only to strengthen our focus
upon the gospel, and build our love and appreciation for the gospel. As Paul says,
every time the church celebrates The Supper, we preach Christ’s death until he
comes.
 The preached Word is the gospel explained; the Supper is the gospel seen, felt,
smelled, and tasted. The preached Word is the gospel exegeted; The Supper is
the gospel dramatized. The preached Word is the gospel spoken about; The
Supper is the gospel experienced. As the disciples on the road to Emmaus, our
senses may be dull to the effect of the preached Word during the sermon, but it
is during the celebration of The Supper that we realize that our hearts burnt
within us during the Word preached.

How does the gospel preached in The Supper affirm the realities of the gospel for
the participants? Volumes could be written about this, but in short:

1. As we see the bread and wine prepared, we are reminded that we have a
Covenant Mediator who has made a sacrifice for the foreignness of sins.
2. As we see the bread broken and the wine poured, we are reminded that
we have a substitute for sins who was broken in our place and satisfied
the cup of the wrath of God.
3. As we see people from all ethnicities and economic classes partaking
together, we are reminded that all are equal at the foot of the cross.
4. As the meal that Christ established is distributed, we are reminded that it
was he who initiated fellowship with us.
5. As the bread and wine are handed to us, we are reminded that we can do
nothing but receive Christ.
6. As we hold only the bread and wine Christ gave to us in our hands, we
are reminded that Christ’s sacrifice alone is the means by which we come
before the Father.
7. As we consume the bread and wine, we are reminded that Christ alone
can satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst.
8. As we see, feel, taste, and smell the bread and wine, we are holistically
reminded of the truth that Christ has died for us our sins.

Celebrating The Lord’s Supper is celebrating the Gospel. Celebrating The Lord’s
Supper can only become commonplace and meaningless if the gospel itself
becomes commonplace and meaningless. The weekly celebration of The Supper
serves as the proper complement of the Gospel preached through the Word.

The Supper and Christ-Centered Theology

Celebrating The Lord’s Supper weekly complements our Christ-Centered

theology. We desire that Christ be honored and proclaimed, both in every
weekly gathering of the church as well as in our day-to-day lives. It is our
greatest joy to see Christ enjoyed and cherished by his bride. Would a weekly
celebration of The Supper not serve to further this goal and joy? We desire that
Christ be preached weekly, and Paul says that Christ is proclaimed (or preached)
in The Supper. It is him who is put forward in The Supper. It is him we honor. A
 weekly celebration of The Supper does not distract from Jesus Christ, it is a
means of focusing our attention on Jesus Christ, a means by which we show
greater honor, adoration, and joy in Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, The Supper itself serves to further reveal Jesus Christ to those who
participate. This is the lesson learned by the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Christ is made known to us in the breaking of the bread. While our hearts may be
hard to Christ made known through the Word preached, we find that our hearts
are suddenly soft and tended in Christ made known through the bread and wine.
If Jesus himself used the sacrament to clarify his person and work, how much
more so should we?

The Supper and Charismatic Theology

Celebrating The Lord’s Supper weekly complements our Charismatic theology. As

good Charismatics, we desire a deep awareness the Lord’s presence and work
among us, especially when the church is gathered. The celebration of The Lord’s
Supper is a means by which Christ’s presence with his church is felt and
experienced. In addition to the texts examined above, consider how it is that
Christ dwells more experientially with the church. Is it not through faith in the
gospel (Ephesians 3:17)? And this is precisely what The Supper provokes and
provides

What can we say of the Holy Spirit’s role in The Supper? How does he minister to
the church? In short, because the role of the Holy Spirit is to bring the effects of
the death of Christ into the experience of the elect, every ministry of the Holy
Spirit is strengthened and experienced in the celebration of the Gospel in the
celebration of The Supper. Again, the example of the disciples on the road to
Emmaus demonstrate this to us: the Spirit comes and produces his illuminating
work in and through The Supper (cf. Ephesians 1:18). The Spirit, through the
Supper, compels the church to come to and experience afresh the realities of the
Gospel, and meets the church with fresh experiences of the effects of the
Gospel.

The Supper and Calvinist Theology

Celebrating The Lord’s Supper weekly complements our Calvinist theology. As

good Calvinists, we rightly celebrate the unmerited favor of God given to us in
and through the death of Christ. We rejoice in the sovereign decree of God to
rescue sinners who are wholly unable to rescue themselves. And we glory in the
effectual death of the Savior in the place of his Bride. A weekly observation of
The Supper affirms and celebrates all of this.
 While our Arminian brothers seek to miniplate the work of the Spirit through
scheduled revivals and lengthy invitations, we Calvinists know the Spirit loves to
work through the simplicity of the Word preached. We celebrate the simple
preaching of the gospel and trust the Lord to work powerfully through it. We
must have that same confidence in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. As
Christ is preached in the Supper, the Spirit works to apply Christ to the elect. As
Christ is held forth to be received in The Supper, the Spirit prompts and compels
the reception of Christ in our hearts. Our eyes are blind and our affections are
misplaced, but the Spirit corrects both of these for us through The Supper.

Moreover, there is a felt specificity of the death of Christ for the elect as they are
handed the elements and told this is the body and blood of Christ, given for you.
There is a felt effectiveness of the death of Christ for the elect as they are told
that Christ is broken for the forgiveness of sins. A weekly celebration of The
Supper serves to bring into the experience of the elect the effectual nature of
the atonement given for them.

Conclusion

The Scriptures prompt a weekly celebration of The Lord’s Supper both through implicit
examples of weekly celebrations and through descriptions of the significance of The Supper.
While there is more that could be said than what is appropriate for this summary, I trust this
brief article both compels a deeper appreciation for The Meal Christ has provided for us and
inclines you towards celebrating it at our weekly gatherings. May we know and experience
Jesus Christ to a greater degree through the Sacrament he has given to us.