Question: What is the Lord’s Supper?

    Answer: The apostle Paul taught extensively relative to the act of religiously partaking of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine (I Cor. 11: 20-34). The Corinthians had turned this occasion of spiritual feast into a drunken "orgy." Paul called that for which they should have assembled "the Lord’s Supper" (vs. 20).

    The origin of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper at the "last supper" (Matt. 26: 26-29; Jn. 13). Hence, the expression "Lord’s Supper." Jesus clearly showed it was not part of the feast of unleavened bread, but a totally new memorial (Matt. 26: 26-29).

    The meaning of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is basically a memorial (I Cor. 11: 24, 25). The emblems used in the Lord’s Supper are indicative of the memorial aspects. The unleavened bread represents Jesus’ pure body and the fruit of the vine (elements used during the "last supper) Jesus’ blood which was shed for the remission of sin (Matt. 26: 26-28). The Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of Jesus’ vicarious death and a declaration that He is coming again (I Cor. 11: 26). The memorial is a time of self-examination, to determine if the participants are partaking in the right manner (I Cor. 11: 27-29). The Lord’s Supper or breaking of bread was and is a principal reason for Christians assembling on the Lord’s Day (Acts 20: 7). The Lord’s Supper is individually observed by Christians in the assembled church (I Cor. 11: 18-34).

    Frequency of observance. The Lord’s Supper was a regularly observed memorial (Acts 2: 42). They met on the Lord’s Day to partake (Acts 20: 7). Since each week has a Lord’s Day ("first day"), we conclude they partook weekly (cf. Ex. 20: 8). "in the post-apostolic church the Eucharist continued to be celebrated every Lord’s Day" (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pg. 1925).