HOW DOES THE SAINT OBSERVE THE LORD’S TABLE/COMMUNION? PART2
1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Because of the volume of feedback to the study “How does the saint observe the Lord’s Table/Communion?” I thought it needful to do a follow-up study on the matter by going more in to detail into the “Table,” “bread,” and “cup” issues. The Apostle Paul uses Israel as an example and an ensample for the saint today, both with Moses and the children of Israel, and with Jesus Christ and His Apostles at the supper for a specific reason, even though we have a different plan and purpose apart from Israel, our sanctification is of a similar nature. And to understand the issue of the Lord’s Table/Communion, one would have to understand what God was actually showing the children of Israel and the Apostles at that time.
Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
The “Table” and “cup” issue here in the Psalms has to do with a sanctification issue whereas the Israelite saint has the proper godly thinking toward what his Father has to offer him regardless what this world system ‘throws at him.’ Verse 1 shows the saint thinking like God does by not letting the outward man do all the thinking by submitting to his ‘wants,’ but understanding and appreciating God’s plan and purpose to ‘lead’ him in his edification knowing the eternal value and the glory that it brings for His “name’s sake.” And the saint knew while he did things God’s way, and his “walk” became consistent to how God intended, he would face persecution, but in spite of what type of persecution or “fear” that came the saint’s way, God’s word of truth comforted the saint regardless what he faced. Furthermore, the saint came to understand and appreciate that when it came to partaking of the “Table” of the Lord, this had to do with the saint ‘examining’ himself worthy or not to ‘take on’ the “Table” that his Father has prepared before him in the face of what this world has to offer. And if he is ready to “drink” worthily of the “cup” at the “Table” of the Lord, then he is ready to ‘take on’ all that the “cup” consists of.
Luk 22:40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luk 22:41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
Luk 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luk 22:45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
Luk 22:46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
The Lord also dealt with a “cup” placed before Him, and He knew what that “cup” consisted of, and what the benefits would be for our sakes and the Father’s, regardless of the persecution and the battle on the cross that He was about to face.
Joh 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
Joh 18:11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
The “cup” of the Lord consisted of the things He was about to ‘take on’ for the gospel’s sake, and he knew that His ‘drinking’ the “cup” was about His Father’s “will” being “done,” and by not ‘drinking’ of that “cup” would be the desire of this world, and the will of Satan.
Luk 22:21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
Luk 22:22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
Luk 22:23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.
Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Luk 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
At the supper the Apostle began to have “strife among them,” to determine which one would be the greatest and the least among them; but the Lord explained what the “bread,” “body” issue was all about. They had an improper way of thinking regarding one another, and each other’s purpose as members of that “bread/body,” they were to have one common way of thinking, with togetherness, and one common purpose regarding each other.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Jesus prayed to the Father that His Apostles would be “sanctified through the truth,” being that they “are not of this world,” and that they be delivered “from evil” just as Psalms 23 testifies, and that their “walk” would not be of this world, but of the Father’s will and purpose, so that the Apostles would go out preach to ‘them also which shall believe on Him through their word.’ Moreover Jesus also prayed for ‘oneness’ among His Apostles, and that they may understand and appreciate what that issue was all about.
1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
Finally, our observance of the “Lord’s Table” is of a “spiritual meat,” and a “spiritual drink” nature just as 1Corinthians 10 says, and this is part of our sanctification that Paul says we should not be “ignorant” of, this is why he uses the children of Israel to show a bad example of ones who were “of this world” and the consequences (the children of Israel experienced a physical “damnation” to themselves because they ‘ate and drank’ unworthily unto the Lord) that may come from partaking of the “table of devils,” then he shows the example of the Lord getting His Apostles ready to ‘take on’ the ministry in His absence with the main focus being on their ability to carry on the ministry with togetherness, and most importantly their responsibility to “feed” His church here on the earth while He was with His Father at His right hand.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
The “temptation” spoken of here has the same meaning of the “temptation” spoken of in Luke 22:40-46, the “temptation” here is the things of this world that we can be given unto, and our way of “escape” is found by the word of God, and our understanding of how to let it work effectually in us in our times of “temptation” so that we too can “flee” from it. Also the word “communion” means ‘oneness,’ ‘fellowship,’ and being of the same way of mind, this is how we too ought to observe the Lord’s Table daily as we “eat and drink” the “spiritual” meat and drink of the Lord’s Table to His honor and glory.
Rod Jones