📖 Biblical Definition
The Lord's Supper (also called Communion or the Eucharist) is the meal instituted by Christ on the night He was betrayed, in which believers partake of bread and wine in remembrance of His body broken and blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me... This cup is the new covenant in my blood" (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). The Supper proclaims Christ's death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26), nourishes believers' union with Christ and with one another, and serves as a covenant renewal ceremony. Paul warns that partaking in an "unworthy manner" brings judgment — the Supper is not casual but sacred, requiring self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Lord's Supper: the sacrament of the eucharist; the commemoration of the death and sufferings of Christ.
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LORD'S SUPPER, n. The sacrament of the eucharist; the commemoration of the death and sufferings of our Savior, by the use of bread and wine, as emblems of His body broken and His blood shed for the remission of sins. Note: Webster recognizes the Lord's Supper as a sacrament of commemoration — bread and wine as emblems of Christ's sacrifice.
📖 Key Scripture
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 — "The Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread... 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'"
• Matthew 26:26-28 — "Take, eat; this is my body... Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant."
• 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 — "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?"
• Acts 2:42 — "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."
• 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 — "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The Lord's Supper is either rarified into an occasional ritual or stripped of its covenantal gravity.
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The Lord's Supper suffers from opposite errors. Many evangelical churches treat it as an occasional afterthought — a quarterly appendage to the sermon, rushed through with crackers and grape juice while a worship song plays. The early church devoted themselves to the breaking of bread as a central act of worship, not a footnote. On the other side, Roman Catholic theology transforms the Supper into a re-sacrifice of Christ — the Mass — contradicting Hebrews' insistence that Christ was offered "once for all." The memorial view strips the Supper of any real spiritual nourishment, while transubstantiation adds what Scripture does not teach. The biblical Lord's Supper is a genuine means of grace — not an empty symbol, not a re-sacrifice, but a real participation in Christ that nourishes faith and proclaims His death until He comes.
Usage
• "The Lord's Supper is not an optional add-on to the worship service — it was central to the apostolic church's gathering and should be central to ours."
• "Paul warns that eating and drinking in an unworthy manner brings judgment — the Table is sacred, requiring self-examination and repentance."
• "Every time we eat the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes — it is both remembrance and anticipation."