Jen Wilkin, JT English, Kyle Worley, and Mason King discuss the history and theology of the Lord’s Supper, exploring its different views and its connection to biblical and theological themes. They define the terms "ordinances" and "sacraments" and provide helpful definitions such as transubstantiation and consubstantiation. The hosts also discuss the significance of the Lord's Supper in corporate worship, emphasizing its role in remembrance and connection with fellow believers.
The Lord's Supper serves as a weekly rehearsal of the true story of redemption, cultivating remembrance, forming a connection with fellow believers, and instilling hope for the future.
The Lord's Supper elicits various interpretations, including transubstantiation, consubstantiation, spiritual presence, and the memorialist view, each emphasizing different aspects of Christ's presence during the ordinance.
Deep dives
The Significance of the Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper holds a significant place in the life of the church, serving as a reminder of God's faithfulness, a proclamation of the gospel, and a display of divine hospitality. It is a covenant renewal ceremony where believers come before God and experience the sanctifying grace communicated through the elements. The Lord's Supper is a weekly rehearsal of the true story of redemption, cultivating remembrance, forming a connection with fellow believers, and instilling hope for the future.
Different Views on the Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper elicits various interpretations. One view is transubstantiation, held by the Catholic Church, which posits that the bread and cup literally transform into the body and blood of Jesus while retaining the physical properties of bread and wine. Consubstantiation, advocated by Lutherans, suggests that Christ's presence is physically there but not identically the body and blood of Jesus. The spiritual presence view emphasizes that Christ is present among his people in a unique spiritual way during the Lord's Supper. Finally, the memorialist view views the Lord's Supper as a remembrance with no unique presence of Christ.
The Spiritual Presence View
The spiritual presence view recognizes a unique spiritual presence of Christ during the Lord's Supper. It emphasizes that the Holy Spirit uses this ordinance as a means of grace to shape and form believers, conforming them to the image of Christ. The focus is on the covenant renewal, remembrance of the gospel, and the reception of spiritual blessings secured in Christ. It cultivates a sense of assurance, reminding believers of God's promise to persevere them through all seasons of life.
Taking Part in the Lord's Supper
Participating in the Lord's Supper involves receiving, rather than taking, the elements. It is a posture of humility and recognition of being a recipient of God's grace. The Lord's Supper serves as a reminder that believers are nourished by Christ's presence and formed by his sanctifying grace. It instills a sense of hope, as participants look forward to the future feast with Christ. By embracing the spiritual presence view, believers can enter the Lord's Supper with an open heart, ready to receive God's blessings and experience his transforming work in their lives.
Jen Wilkin, JT English, Kyle Worley, and Mason King discuss the history and theology of the Lord’s Supper.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
The Lord’s Supper is one of two ordinances/sacraments. What is an ordinance or sacrament?
Where would we go in the bible to talk about the Lord’s Supper?
How does the Lord’s supper connect with broader biblical/theological themes?
What is happening in the Lord’s supper?
What are the different views on the Lord’s Supper?
Helpful Definitions:
Ordinances: Baptism & the Lord’s Supper are the means by which the people of God rehearse the story of God communally.
Transubstantiation: The bread and the cup are literally transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. Jesus Christ’s presence is in the elements in a physical way.
Consubstantiation: Christ's presence is physically there but not that the elements are actually the body and blood of Jesus. His presence is in and around.
Spiritual Presence: In the elements and in the proceedings of communion Christ is spiritually present with his people.
Momoralism: Christ is not uniquely present physically or spiritually in the Lord’s supper. It is simply a sign of remembrance.
Eutychian: Confusing the divine and human properties of Jesus.
Nestorian: Separating the two natures of Jesus so that they are no longer the same person.
You can learn about the Bible through the eyes of its people. Or, you can take a journey to see Christ as central to the storyline of scripture. Find out more about the Bible studies at lifeway.com/characters and lifeway.com/gospelfoundations.
Jen Wilkin, JT English, Kyle Worley and Mason King discuss the history and theology of the Lord’s Supper.
Sponsored by:
You can learn about the Bible through the eyes of its people. Or, you can take a journey to see Christ as central to the storyline of scripture. Find out more about the Bible studies at lifeway.com/characters and lifeway.com/gospelfoundations.