How We Interpret the Lord’s Supper

            One of the most significant sources of confusion in Bible interpretation is when individuals interpret figurative language as literal. Webster's Dictionary defines figurative language like this: "Figurative language refers to words or phrases that are meaningful, but not true." In addition, we might think of this by simple expressions in the Bible. The church is the body of Christ (Eph 1:22-23, 4:4. 5:23). Should we interpret the church as the literal, physical body of Christ? Do we transform into Jesus when we follow Him? If so, what happens when I sin against God? I want to illustrate this point by speaking about various errors that come from taking language that is clearly figurative literally.

Is it Flesh and Blood?

            The Roman Catholic religion teaches the doctrine of Transubstantiation. During the Eucharist (Lord's Supper/Communion), they believe that the bread and the wine are transformed into the literal body and blood of Christ. One Roman Catholic source informs,

By the consecration of the bread and wine, there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood (CCC 1376)

            After reading this we might wonder where one derives this idea. This belief is derived from their interpretation of Matthew 26:26-28.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28

We can answer this by asking some serious questions. First, when Jesus said this is my body, did He literally hold His flesh in His hands? Did He drain His literal blood from His veins into the cup? If we were to take this literally, then His blood was shed prior to the cross and His body was already given. Furthermore, Jesus said the cup was the blood of the new covenant. Was the cup literally the New Testament? If it was, it was not literal blood.

What Does This Teaching Imply?

            Jesus used figurative language often; the Bible contains prophetic language that describes figures. Jesus used the figure of bread to describe Himself in John 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world." Was Jesus literal bread? No, He was not. Yet, Christ said in John 6:56, "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him." To suggest that Jesus intended for anyone in His time or thereafter to drink blood and eat flesh is to say that Christ called brethren to do things forbidden (i.e. drink blood, cf. Acts 15:28-29). It also makes Jesus a teacher of cannibalism. In another instance, the Lord says, "And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell" Matt. 5:30). If people took the entire Bible as literal language, there would be many more amputated religious folk in this world.

The True, Literal Purpose of Communion

            God has always been intent on giving His people reminders. Why would He do that? He Himself places reminders on this earth. Consider the memorial of the rainbow (cf. Gen 9:11-18). Jehovah was intent on placing that sign not merely as a reminder for all man, but a reminder for Him. It is interesting to see that God gives us reminders as He is one that looks to be reminded. It is not that God might just forget one day what He said, it’s that when He looks on His bow in the sky, He recognizes that His promise endures.

The Lord's Supper is a memorial in which we come together to remember the death of our Lord. We remember that He gave His body and blood for the remission of our sins. "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till He come" (1 Cor 11:26).  We must not miss the literal purpose of this act of worship because of the figurative language used by the Lord to describe it. This is our privilege and one of five acts of worship we are given to keep. Much like the three feasts under the former covenant (Deut. 16:16) we are given this feast as a remembrance of what was done for us to deliver us. The Feast of Booths is certainly like this under the Mosaic dispensation. The Lord said, “Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths; that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God” (Lev 23:42-43). The children of Israel needed an annual reminder of how God's people lived in the wilderness for 40 years before the younger generation, with Caleb and Joshua, entered the land of promise.

What can we make of this?  The Lord is intent on reminders, albeit figurative reminders that require literal actions. The Lord gave us a weekly reminder that every New Testament Christian must keep and needs to keep. Jesus said, “do this in remembrance of Me” (cf. Luke 22:18-20,1 Corinthians 11:23-25). As we take the emblems of the bread and fruit of the vine, let us remember what the Lord did for us through His perfect atoning sacrifice.

Grace and Peace,

R.D. Beavers