Why is there so much disagreement about holy communion?

Answer

Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper (also known in some churches as the Lord’s Table or the Eucharist) is a topic of significant disagreement within the church as a whole. What is universally agreed upon is clearly found in Scripture: communion was established by Jesus during His last supper with His disciples. At that time, He offered them bread and “the cup.” He explained to them that these elements symbolized His body and blood (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24). He also instructed them to commemorate the ceremony in His memory «And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. », (Luke 22:19).

Disagreements concerning Holy Communion arise from various questions: Was Jesus speaking figuratively or literally about His body and blood, or was His message a mystical blend of both? How frequently should the church observe communion? Is the Eucharist a means of grace or solely a memorial? What was contained in the cup—fermented wine or unfermented grape juice?

Due to the absence of specific, detailed instructions from Jesus regarding the ritual, it is natural that there is some disagreement about the methods, locations, timings, and the exact representation of the bread and wine. There are debates about whether the elements actually transform into the blood and body of Christ (the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation), whether they somehow embody His Spirit (Luther’s doctrine of consubstantiation), or whether the wine and bread are purely symbols of His body and blood. There are varying viewpoints on the appropriate liturgy to be recited and whether confession should be included in the ritual. Denominations vary in their practices regarding the frequency of communion, how it

Should be performed, and by whom.

There are four biblical accounts of Jesus’ last supper with His disciples, three in the Synoptic Gospels and one in 1 Corinthians 11:23–34. When we look at these accounts in combination, we know the following:

1. During the Passover meal, Jesus blessed, broke, and offered bread to His disciples, saying, “Take eat, this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

2. He also passed around a cup, telling them to divide it among them: “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins.” He also instructed all of them to drink it.

3. It was during this last meal that Jesus mentions that one of His disciples would betray Him.

4. Jesus says He will not drink of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it anew with His followers in the Father’s kingdom.

As He instituted the Lord’s Supper, Jesus was focused on the spiritual relationship between Himself and His disciples. He did not provide particulars of how or when or where or by whom the elements should be served, and, therefore, different churches have some freedom to decide those details for themselves. For example, whether a church observes communion once a week or once a month is not really important.

However, other disagreements over communion are theologically significant. For example, if partaking of the Lord’s Table is necessary in order to receive grace, then grace is not really free and must be earned by deeds we perform, in contradiction of Titus 3:5. And, if the bread is actually the body of Christ, then the Lord is being sacrificed again and again, in contradiction of Romans 6:9–10. These matters are significant enough to have divided the church through the years and actually became an issue of contention during the Protestant Reformation.

Understanding that we are saved by grace, through faith, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9) and considering Jesus’ words regarding the elements of communion to be symbolic, we contemplate the significance of the new covenant «for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. », (Matthew 26:28) established through Jesus’ own blood. We commemorate His sacrifice for us whenever we participate in the Lord’s Supper «And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me. », (Luke 22:19). And we eagerly anticipate sharing the cup once more with Christ in the kingdom of God (Matthew 26:29;Mark 14:25;Luke 22:18).