the home of someone who loved the Sav iour. His name is not given but his kind ness to Christ is eternally remembered. Nothing done for Christ is ever lost. Note the participants in the first Lord’s Supper (w . 20-25). Eleven of the twelve present were the loyal friends of Christ; but one was to deny Him. W e wonder if there are not at every celebration of the Supper some who betray the Lord by their lives even though they have the privilege of taking part in the Supper. Note the elements in the Supper (w . 26- 29). The bread speaks of His body (v. 26), and the wine speaks of His blood (v. 28). Of course, neither the bread nor the wine became the actual physical elements of the Lord’s body, but stood for the com plete offering up of Himself to be the sinner’s Saviour. The Meaning of the Lord's Supper In the first place, the Lord’s Supper is a memorial feast (M att. 26:29; 1 Cor. 11: 24,25). Paul tells us distinctly that the Supper is to be done in remembrance of Christ. There are those who tell us that the Roman Catholic mass is the repetition of Christ’s death, but this is both untrue and unnecessary. It is untrue because the Scripture tells us that Christ died “ once for all” (Heb. 9:25-28); it is unnecessary because there is no need for further atone ment since Christ has forever put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:26). When we come to the table of the Lord we do so to recall forcibly to mind the sufferings He endured for us on the cross. And we need often to be reminded of this1blessed atoning work of Christ. Again, the Lord’s Supper is an acted sermon. When the believer partakes of the bread he thus symbolizes that he has, by faith, partaken of the purpose for which Christ gave His body, namely, salvation. When he takes of the cup he shows that he has already appropriated, by faith, the saving power of the blood of Christ. The Lord’s Supper is a fellowship. This is the meaning of the word communion in First Corinthians 10:16, 17. When be lievers gather together to observe the Sup- • per they imply that they are joined to gether with Christ and with one another through faith, so that the unity of the body (the true church) is apparent. (Study Ephesians 4:1-16 for teaching on the one ness of true believers.) The Lord’s Supper is a confession of faith (1 Cor. 11:26). When believers gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper they “ show forth,” or they display the central fact of Christian faith, namely that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, and they indicate that they accept that truth and have made it real in their lives. Again, Christians at the Lord’s Table indicate their faith in the Second Coming of Christ, for they are to observe the Supper “ till he comes.” The Lord’s Supper is a feast spiritually speaking (1 Cor. 11:24, 25). The "Supper, though very meager as far as actual sus tenance for the hody is concerned, is a sumptuous banquet for the believer’s soul. He finds strength and encouragement to live for Christ in the observance of the Lord’s Supper. (Study John 6:48-59.)
The Correct Observance of the Lord's Supper
It should be observed frequently (1 Cor. 11:26). W e are not told how often we should observe this sacred rite and various churches differ in their views on this sub ject. The believer should observe the Sup per frequently, however, and should let the Supper become a spiritual blessing in his life. It should be kept sacred (1 Cor. 10:16- 22; 11:17-22). Believers who are living in sin, whether open or secret, are not spirit ually eligible for the Supper. The believer who partakes of the Supper with sin in his life opens himself for the chastisement of God (v. 27). It is to be observed only after due prepa ration has been made (1 Cor. 11:28-34). The Christian is expected to study his life and to scrutinize it carefully, looking for any hidden sin that would make him unfit for observance of the holy Supper. If he comes unprepared he makes himself liable for the judgment of God which may be- exercised in physical sickness or even in death (v. 30). Oct. 11, 1953 My Church's Colleges And Seminaries Prov. 2:1-9; 2 Tim. 2:15-17 This topic as chosen by the International Christian Endeavor Society is designed to give denominational writers an opportun it y to present to their young people the schools sponsored by their particular de nomination. Inasmuch as the present writer is affiliated with no denomination but is an independent believer there are no denominational schools about which he needs to write. This does not mean, how ever, that I am not interested in Christian schools. To the contrary I have been con nected with the Bible Institute of Los An geles for the past seven years as a mem ber of the faculty, and will have more to say about this educational institution in the development of the topic. The Importance of Higher Education In the World Today There was a time, in the history of edu cation when the well-trained citizen of any country had nothing more than an elementary school education. Gradually the standard rose until nearly everyone in America, at least, could boast of a high school education. But the end is not yet, for in recent years the trend has heen in creasingly toward the necessity for a col lege education leading to the degree of bachelor of arts or higher. Young people in this day need to real ize the importance of seeking and acquir ing a higher education if at all possible, and should put forth every effort to gain a well-rounded education. One of the reasons for higher educa tion is that the business world is turning to college graduates for their help. If you will read the “ help wanted” ads in your local newspapers you will notice that nearly all of the better jobs require a col lege degree. It is getting increasingly dif ficult to land a good-paying job without a college education. And the difficulty will increase in the coming years as more and CONT INUED ►
Helps for Christian Endeavor and Other Young People's Groups By Chester J. Padgett, D.D. Associate Professor of Bible Biola Bible College
Oct. 4, 1953 "This is My Body" 1 Cor. 11:23-34; Eph. 4:1-16
This is the first in a series of four topics on the general subject of the church. We will be thinking in this lesson of the Lord’s Supper, also called the Communion. The Lord’s Supper is one of the two sacraments of the Protestant church. By sacrament we mean symbol. The other sacrament is that of Christian baptism.' The. sacrament of baptism symbolizes the believer’s identity with Christ and with His church in the world. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper symbolizes the spirit ual or mystical union of the believer with the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is to be observed only once in the believer’s life and Christian experience while the Lord’s Supper is a perpetual symbol and is to be observed periodically by every believer. The Institution of the Lord's Supper Mott. 26:17-30 Let us think first of the origin of the Supper. The Lord’s Supper was inaugu rated by the Saviour Himself, not by any man, or group of men, not even the church, for actually the church as an or ganization had not yet been started. In giving the Lord’s Supper the Saviour was anticipating the formation of the church which was to take place about seven weeks after His death at Pentecost (Acts 2). Note the time of the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:17, 18). It was on the “ first day of the feast of unleavened bread,” that is, the first day in the week- long celebration of the Passover. It was on this day that the Passover lamb was slain according to the regulations laid down in Exodus 12. It is of interest to remember that on the very day the Sav iour died thousands of lambs. were slain in the Holy City by Jews commemorating the Jewish feast of Passover. Most of them did not realize that in the Saviour’s death was the sacrifice of God’s Passover Lamb who died for the sins of the world. Note the place of the institution of the Lord’s Supper (v. 18). It was to be in
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