8.3 Communion
© 2018 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
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? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
It is a fascinating thing that Paul developed out from his innermost being, his conception of Christ as a many-membered body, in his partly frustrated guidance of the exuberant Corinthian church. There were hardly any former Jews among them; most of them had been happy pagans before they received Christ. The Corinthians had no inherent knowledge of Moses or the law or of Jewish tradition, and they did not care.
Part of One Another. And Paul drew from the Old Testament ONLY to gently prod these excessive former idolaters into the full reality of Christ living as them. All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:2-4).
Then Paul said – it didn’t work out so hot for all of them, however – WE ARE PART OF ONE ANOTHER!!! – You are as Jesus to me, and I am as Jesus to you. Yet look closely at the heart of what Paul means, that which is translated as “communion.”
Partake of One Bread. The cup of blessing which we bless – the bread which we break. – Is it not communion? – My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:55-56).
Compare John 6:55-56 with 1 Corinthians 10:17. What is Paul saying?!!??? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Paul is attaching Jesus’ menu for eternal life (knowing God) to our communion together as one body, eating of the same bread – which is one another.
Holy Intimacy. In this lesson, we are setting aside questions of universal reality and questions of outward expression. Here we are entering into the most Holy intimacy, the marriage bed relationship with Jesus and with Jesus in and as one another.
Now, in using the metaphor of the marriage bed, as God uses it, I am speaking entirely inside the purity of the Spirit. We are speaking of the deepest of shared intimacy together, and that deepest of shared intimacy is found in two places, and both in the midst of community. The first of those two places is the dinner table, and the second is the worship service.
Meals and Worship. Inside these two places, meals and worship, inside of Christian Community, there exists an intimacy of Christ that CANNOT be known by those who do not know it. So, do not think, “That’s not been my experience.” Think, rather, “I am ignorant of Christ.” The second thought is the only doorway into all that Christ really is.
Now, as I have shared, my time living in Spirit-filled and godly Christian community was as a spy. The giants of Nicene thinking still ruled in that land. Yet the fruit of Christ was there for me as I desired. Nothing was perfect, but what I know was Christ, and I bring that which was Christ to share with you.
To Know One Another. My memory of those two things in Christian Community, the meal time and the worship time, is mostly filled with the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that goodness came out from our shared intimacy of communion together inside the Spirit of the Lord.
Now, the action of eating together as well as the action of worshipping together fit into our definition of fellowship. So what is the communion together, the communion of the Holy Spirit, taking place inside the actions of fellowship? To know God is to know one another; we know God by knowing one another. God Himself is invisible; God’s revelation of Himself to you is among one another.
The Ritual of Communion. When Jesus gave us the practice or ritual that is called “communion,” He said, “This do in remembrance of Me.” I am convinced that He meant what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10-12, that the actions of communion signify our eating together of one life and our drinking together of one Spirit. And thus our purpose in performing the ritual would be only to set before our eyes on a regular basis the reality that we together are drinking of Christ in and as one another.
From that point of view, let’s consider each of the two sides of that ritual. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
Levels of Worship. The cup of good speaking, which we (together) speak well of (worship) is it not koinonia in the blood of Christ? – …be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:18-19).
I have known levels of worship together in third feast Christian community that are non-existent in any other church gathering I have experienced. When I consider any individual with whom I worshipped in that context, that shared worship remains in my heart greater than any difficulty I may also have known with that individual. Knowing Christ as one another, reflecting Him to one another upon our faces, occurs inside of worshipping together.
Eating Together. The bread which we break, is it not the koinonia of the body of Christ? – So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God… (Acts 2:46-47).
In eastern culture, eating a meal together (breaking bread) was considered an act of union. If a tribal leader invited you, as a stranger, to share a meal together, then you knew without question that you were safe in his camp and protection. In the early church, eating together was the communion of Christ. In Christian community, eating meals together is the sustenance of Community, that is, Christ life.
As Christ to Me. Remember our discovery of how Paul actually said 2 Corinthians 3:18. But we all, with unveiled face, reflecting (Christ) as a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. Let’s paraphrase that last part, - are together transformed from meal to meal, from worship service to worship service, by the shared drinking together of the Spirit of the Lord.
What is happening here? On the one hand, I say, “Christ is my only life; Christ is all that I am.” And on the other hand, I say, “You also are as this same Christ to me.” Just as my words slowly changed my mind regarding my own story of self, so my words of Christ must also change my mind regarding you as part of that same story of Christ.
When We All Get to Church. We used to sing a chorus in the Pentecostal church. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory. Here is how Christ now among us sings these same thoughts. When we all get to Church, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus (in one another), we’ll sing and shout the victory.
I’m not suggesting we sing those words, for they remain hokey; nonetheless, the point is this. Everyone insists that intimacy with Jesus is what it’s all about. And I agree. Yet God’s Salvation is that this very intimacy is what we KNOW in the Communion of worshiping and eating together.
Drinking One – Eating One. And have all been made to drink one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). – the cup of the blood of Christ. Paul’s entire picture allows us, then, to say this as well. And have all been made to eat one flesh – the bread of the body of Christ.
Later in this course, we may consider the outward forms of worship service and meals together. Here we are looking at purpose. The outward forms are the structure of the house; purpose is the protected space around which we build. Communion together, knowing Christ as one another. This is NOT something attained, but it is something experienced.
The Respect of Communion. Now, some would argue that I am presenting collectivism, that by drinking of the same Spirit and eating of the same Flesh, we are merging together into a large, indistinguishable blob. I am presenting the very opposite of collectivism.
The respect of communion delineates each individual with honor. If I see you as Jesus Himself to me, if I treat with you as Jesus face to face with me, that means one thing. It means I treat you with the highest of honor and service. You are as my King, you are as my Lord, you are as my own Heart. You are as everything to me. You are as the breast upon which I always lean my head.
Knowing One Another. Collectivism is based on utter disrespect for the individual, and disrespect for the individual is based on separation. Collectivism requires external command and compulsion.
Union with Christ means that I accept that the Head of the Body is utterly in you, and you accept that the Head of the Body is utterly in me, and we walk together in mutual love and honor, submitting one to the other.
Yet again, that is the outward form. Love is the heart. And love contains a practical and ongoing intimacy, a sharing together of joy and sorrow, a knowing of one another. That knowing of one another IS Communion.
Koinonia of the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14). The koinonia of the Holy Spirit be AMONG you ALL. – The togetherness of the Holy Spirit be among you all. – Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).
The presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, that is, the Holy Spirit among us, is the koinonia, the togetherness, that is Christ. Liberty is the deepest respect and the highest regard for one another in the intimacy of our union together.
Marriage. I shall know just as I also am known (1 Corinthians 13:12b). God’s pro-knowing is His Heart. We enter into that Heart with this thought – I know His knowing of me. Yet that pro-knowing Heart of Father is found in one word – love. – That the love of God be among you ALL.
This is all, of course, entirely and utterly beyond our capability, or even the willingness of our hearts. That the grace of the Lord Jesus be among you all.
Let’s say it this way – I shall know you just as you know me, and you shall know me just as I know you. This knowing of one another is the essence, the Heart of Christ Jesus. It is worship; it is Communion. It is marriage.