Many Protestants say that in communion there is no forgiveness of sins. As when we hear the Word of God alone, so the Holy Spirit works on the heart, thus also in communion as we hear the Word of God and partake, the Spirit works on the heart. As we partake, it becomes a means by which God strengthens our faith assuring us we have God’s grace in Christ. It is simple wine and bread until we partake of it, hearing and believing the words of Christ. In I Corinthians ten Paul tells us that in our partaking of the bread, it is “participation (communion) in the body of Christ” and that in partaking of the wine, it is “participation in the blood of Christ.” How much clearer need it be than this that in a mysterious way we partake of Christ’s body and blood in, under, and with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins? Power in the Word They treated communion with contempt and did not trust in the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s body and blood. 11:29 An overly harsh statement upon this matter if it is only bread and wine! In the Corinthian congregation Paul explains how the judgment showed itself, “That is why many of you are weak, and ill, and some have fallen asleep.” ( died) I Cor.11:30 At Corinth individuals came to communion not repenting of their sins, this being how they were unworthy.
Paul says the one not discerning the body and blood and who yet eats and drinks, “Eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” I Cor. No, something far greater than bread and wine is here, or Paul would not speak so. Paul says in I Corinthians 11:28 that if one takes communion in an unworthy manner, not discerning the Lord’s body and blood, he is “guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” The person is not guilty of profaning bread and wine that would be silly. There is something more than only bread and wine here. Their reason cannot accept this mystery, so they explain it away with a figurative sense. Unfortunately, many Reformed Protestants think Jesus meant here, “This represents My body…This represents My blood.” But there is simply no evidence to support their reasoning. Jesus says, “This is My Body…This is My blood.” There is no reason in the context or in other passages to take the words in a figurative sense. We naturally take words in their literal, natural meaning, unless the context or other passages explain the words in a figurative sense. And we understand them according to cross references and other passages on communion. We understand them according to their context. With the words of communion we take them in the sense in which they were given us. But above all, “First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” II Pet. There is milk in the Word and there is meat in the Word. To understand by faith some of the hard sayings, it simply takes more study. We firmly believe that the Bible explains itself to us. As often as we eat and drink this we even proclaim our belief in His atoning work for our salvation. When we do this in remembrance of Him we are to remember His death be comforted by the forgiveness of sins. When our Lord tells us that in communion we receive His body given for us and His blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins, then we know that in this sacred act the Lord gives believers the assurance of forgiveness of sins just as He does in the Gospel in the Word. We say that there are two earthly elements and two heavenly elements present when we partake. He refers therefore to four elements being present in communion: the bread and the wine, His body and His blood.
From these references we hear our Lord clearly saying of the bread, “This is My body,” and of the wine, “This is My blood.” Yet He also tells His disciples to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. The teaching on communion is found in: Mt. Our attitude should be like that of young Samuel, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.” Let us be willing to hear and accept with believing hearts. This teaching of His Word we should believe. In communion we have a mystery and paradox. We are to accept by faith what the Word of God teaches. Reason says, ‘impossible,’ while faith says, ‘I believe.’ Yet this is exactly how it is in the person of Jesus.
Our reason cannot grasp that within one person there could be the human nature and the divine nature. We believe that Jesus is both God and man that is that he has two natures. This is a paradox and a mystery to be accepted by faith. We believe in the Trinity, three persons in one God. Faith grasps matters which are beyond human reason.įaith accepts as the Word discloses. We must rely on the mind of God in spiritual matters and trust His Word by faith. As a matter of fact a paradox contains matters that are contradictory to each other according to human reason. Scripture has many statements which are paradoxes, that is that they are beyond comprehension by human reason.
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