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Date: Thu, 24 Aug 1995 14:26:53 +0200
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: Catechism, 31
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Q. What is the outward sign in the Lord's Supper?
A. The broken bread that we eat, and the poured out wine which we drink,
in remembrance of the sufferings and death of Christ.
In the Lord's Supper, we use two outward signs:
1. Bread;that is broken.
2. Wine; that is poured out.
We eat the bread, and drink the wine, while we remember the sufferings
and death of Christ. We think about His terrible sufferings, which He
underwent to save sinners from those torments. We remember His death,
which He underwent to save the sinners from the eternal death, due to
their sins. When we see the minister taking the bread, and breaking it,
we think about the breaking of Christ's body, on the cross. When we see
the minister pouring out the wine, we think of Jesus Christ, whose blood
was shed for us.
Q. What is thereby signified and sealed?
A. That Christ, with his crucified body and shed blood, feeds and
nourishes our souls to everlasting life.
The bread and wine in the Lord's supper have the capability to feed and
nourish our bodies. As bread and wine feed us, in like manner does
Christ's body and His shed blood, nourish our souls. The nourishment of
the body through bread and wine signify the spiritual nourishment of our
souls. Christ, through His sufferings and death, earned eternal life for
us. Instead of dying through sin, our souls will live through Christ's
righteousness. Without feeding, our souls would perish, but through
Christ's crucified body and shed blood, our souls are nourished, so that
they may life.
Paul says, that the cup with wine is the communion of Christ's
blood. Also, that the broken bread is the communion of Christ's body.
"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?" (1 Corinthians 10:16) And Christ Himself says,
that, who eats His flesh, and drinks His blood, will have eternal life.
"Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I
will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:54) This eating must not be
understood literally, but spiritually. Who eats of His flesh has
communion with Him. Likewise, who drinks of His blood. This is shown in
the Supper, when we eat of the broken bread, and drink of the shed wine.
The broken bread and shed blood not only signify Christ's
sufferings for us, but they also seal it. That means, as sure as we see
that the bread is broken before our eyes, so sure is Christ's body
broken for us, so that we have eternal life. And as sure as we see
before our eyes that the wine is shed into the cup, so sure is also
Christ's blood shed on Golgotha, for us. The signs of bread and wine
seal, that this is an eternal truth. All doubt has to vanish, for these
things are as true as God is the Truth.
Q. Where has Christ promised such things to us?
A. In the institution of the Lord's Supper, which is thus expressed, by
St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11: 23, 24, 25, 26: "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; and when he had given thanks,
brake it, and said. take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you;
this do in remembrance of me. 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. For as
often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's
death till he come."
For I have received of the Lord, - Paul has not invented something,
but he has received the institution of the Lord's Supper of
the Lord.
that which also I delivered unto you, - As a faithful minister, Paul
passes on what he has received from the Lord, so that they may
be assured, that they receive nothing but the Lord's truth.
that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, - In the
night, wherein Jesus was betrayed, just for His death, He has
instituted this Supper.
took bread; and when he had given thanks, brake it, - The first sign,
the broken bread. After Christ thanked the Lord, he broke the
bread, as a sign of the coming breaking of His body.
and said, take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; - He
gave the bread to His disciples, and said that they had to eat
it. "It is my body", He said, but we know that such a mode of
speaking means: "It signifies and seals my body". As the bread
was broken for the communicants, likewise is Christ's body
broken for them.
this do in remembrance of me. - That means, do this always, and
remember Me. Remember My sufferings and death for you, in
order that you might live.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, - The
second sign, namely the cup of wine.
saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: - This is the new
testament, or the new covenant, which is founded on My blood.
this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. - As often as
you drink the wine in the Lord's Supper, do that in
remembrance of Me. I am the centre of the Supper, and I am the
cause of your salvation. As often as you drink this wine,
remember Me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the
Lord's death till he come. - We have to keep the Lord's
Supper, until He comes back to judge the quick and the dead.
Till He comes again (which day we expect with great longings),
we have to show His death.
Q. Is the bread changed into the body of Christ, and the wine into his
blood?
A. No; no more than the water in baptism is changed into the blood of
Christ.
Bread is not changed into Christ's body. Bread remains bread, and it
becomes no flesh; it does not change. Who thinks this, is in error. It
is the same with the wine. Also wine remains wine, and is not changed.
As the water in baptism does not become red, so as to change into
Christ's blood, likewise are the bread and the wine not changed. Let us
reject such a unspiritual and unnatural view of the bread and wine.
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Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Listowner of chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
Institute Practical Bible-education
Web: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html
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file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/cate: cat-031.txt
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