S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Christians universally agree that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ and should be observed as an ordinance in the church by His followers. It was to the Corinthian church that Paul wrote i...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Meshack Gachago Supporter lead-elder, educator and overseer of several ministries

The head of family or elder in a local church helps to facilitate the Lord's table. Moses was instructed to have every house kill a lamb; it is obvious that the head of the family took responsibility in making this happen - the fathers. Elders, and Peter says he is one, minister in the word, and oversee any other NT local church activity with the help of deacons.

January 04 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Myron Robertson Supporter Seeking God's heart

Nowhere in that or any other biblical discussion is there a direct answer to your question, so a deeper examination of the symbolism must be studied. In John 6 Jesus does exactly that, and after the sermon gives an example of how we are to feed each other the spiritual food he gives us, using the physical loaves and fish. 

The first thing Jesus did before feeding these people was to have them group themselves in divisions according to the system set out in Ex 18. John 6 tells us that they were told to divide into groups of 50 (heads of households). John does not say so, but we can safely assume that within those groups the further division into groups of 10 would have quite naturally been done by these people who thought they understood the law rather well.

Next, after asking God's blessing Jesus broke the bread for his disciples, and then they took that bread to the various groups, breaking the bread among the leaders of the groups. Then each leader would have broken the bread again, distributing it, probably, to the leaders of the groups of 10, but whether directly or indirectly, to all the people of his group. Presumably he gave it to the groups of 10 and the leaders of those groups distributed it to their followers. In this manner everyone gets fed and all the leaders at every level has some role in the officiating, thus learning both leadership and teaching skills.

The symbol of the bread is stated many places to be Jesus body or flesh, but it is also shone in others to be the word of God, most specifically his law. This is the symbolic point of the first temptation. The law is written on stone and the stone is bread, but we are not to eat bread alone, but EVERY word that comes from God's mouth, no matter who distributes that word.

Jesus said, "Wherever two or three gather in my name, I am there with them," Mt 18:20. I can guarantee you that in most of these groupings there is not a clergyman there, but I can also guarantee that they are there breaking spiritual bread with each other. Who is officiating? In a sense Jesus is, but in another sense the one teaching the ways of God is. Also, the one teaching changes and at various points in the conversation any of the members may be the teacher. The officiator changes depending on who has the knowledge that is being shared in that moment. Anyone with knowledge of God does officiate.

January 23 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report