Throughout church history, men have debated the hows, whys, whens, whos and whats of the Lord’s Supper. Is it every Sunday? Is it Sunday only? Unleavened bread? Fermented or unfermented wine/grape juice? One cup or many? Closed communion or open? Can we sing or must there be silence? Can women pass out the trays? Can unbaptized boys pass out the trays? Can there also be a meal? Should there be a time of confession first?
Isn’t it interesting that what we spend so much time fighting about, the Bible says nothing about? More than twenty New Testament letters and only one has any correctives about the Lord’s Supper. And we rarely if ever talk about what Paul was actually addressing in 1 Corinthians 11.
When Paul did address the problems in Corinth, the main thing he did was to remind them of the original purpose of the Supper: remembering Jesus’ death and proclaiming its meaning until he come again. Let’s not lose sight of that as we bicker and quarrel over that which falls within the realm of the unspoken in the Bible:
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)