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Position of the Providence Church Elders:
The Lord’s Supper
As a community of believers our Heavenly Father has been gracious
enough to provide us with two ordinances which strengthen and further
establish us in our faith. Baptism is recognized as logically
preceding membership in a local community, and the Lord’s Supper (also
known as Communion, Eucharist, Breaking of Bread) flows scripturally as
the consequence of church membership. It is through Baptism that the
visible church recognizes one as a member of His invisible and
universal church, and through the Lord’s Supper that the visible church
maintains that earthly relationship.
The Westminster Confession of Faith of 1646, to which we adhere as a church, makes eight statements about the Lord’s Supper:
I. Our Lord Jesus, in
the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body
and blood, called the Lord's Supper, to be observed in his Church unto
the end of the world; for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of
himself in his death, the sealing all benefits thereof unto true
believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further
engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him; and to be a
bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other, as
members of his mystical body.
II. In this sacrament Christ is not
offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for
remission of sins of the quick or dead, but a commemoration of that one
offering up of himself, by himself, upon the cross, once for all, and a
spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same; so
that the Popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most
abominably injurious to Christ's one only sacrifice, the alone
propitiation for all the sins of the elect.
III. The Lord Jesus hath, in this
ordinance, appointed his ministers to declare his word of institution
to the people, to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and
thereby to set them apart from a common to an holy use; and to take and
break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also
themselves) to give both to the communicants; but to none who are not
then present in the congregation.
IV. Private masses, or receiving this
sacrament by a priest, or any other, alone; as likewise the denial of
the cup to the people; worshipping the elements, the lifting them up,
or carrying them about for adoration, and the reserving them for any
pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this
sacrament, and to the institution of Christ.
V. The outward elements in this
sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such
relation to him crucified, as that truly, yet sacramentally only, they
are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit,
the body and blood of Christ; albeit, in substance and nature, they
still remain truly, and only, bread and wine, as they were before.
VI. That doctrine which maintains a
change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of
Christ's body and blood (commonly called transubstantiation) by
consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant, not to
Scripture alone, but even to common-sense and reason; overthroweth the
nature of the sacrament; and hath been, and is, the cause of manifold
superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.
VII. Worthy receivers, outwardly
partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament, do then also
inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally,
but spiritually, receive and feed upon Christ crucified, and all
benefits of his death: the body and blood of Christ being then not
corporally or carnally in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet as
really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that
ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.
VIII. Although ignorant and wicked men
receive the outward elements in this sacrament, yet they receive not
the thing signified thereby; but by their unworthy coming thereunto are
guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation.
Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy
communion with him, so are they unworthy of the Lord's table, and can
not, without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, partake
of these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto.
The bread signifies the body of our Lord broken for us on the cross,
and the bread also signifies the saints who gather together as His
body. The wine signifies the blood shed for our sins. When the church
of Jesus Christ gathers for worship around the table, we remember His
body and shed blood and God seals the benefits of His sacrifice to the
church as they take His Supper.
There is no virtue in the elements themselves; they are and will remain
pure bread and wine. The administrator is likewise without virtue; he
is a sinner saved by grace. The words spoken at the time of communion
do not carry power or virtue in themselves; they are words of life only
in that they are faithful to the Word of God. All of these are
effectual means of grace only in that the Holy Spirit provides us with
eyes to see and ears to hear—spiritual eyes to see the memorial of our
Savior broken and bloodied for our sins, and spiritual ears to hear the
words of Christ relayed by his servant.
All baptized professing members of evangelical churches shall be
encouraged to participate in observing the Lord’s Supper. Those who
serve the elements will distribute them to the heads of household
whenever possible for further distribution to their families. The
elders will make every effort to limit participation to members of the
church of Christ who are not under church discipline or in active
rebellion against the Lord or His church. In doing so, they help
prevent those souls under their care from eating and drinking judgment
to themselves (1 Corinthians 11:27-29). Hebrews 13:17 states that
elders are going to give an account of the souls under their care, and
the elders at Providence Community Church desire that God be glorified
and His people be edified in this worship.
Given the nature of the Lord’s Supper, Providence Church will observe
communion weekly. Whenever possible this communion will take place in
the regular worship service on the Lord’s Day.
Denials and Affirmations
We affirm that Jesus Christ inaugurated the Lord’s Supper before His death (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20).
We affirm that the visible church is to regularly observe the Lord’s Supper until His return (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
We affirm that all baptized professing members in good standing of
evangelical churches may come to the Lord’s Table (See Providence
Community Church Elder Position Paper: Baptism) (Romans 12:3-5; 1
Corinthians 12:12-14).
We affirm that the Spirit of Jesus Christ attends our worship through
the breaking of bread as a memorial (Luke 22:17-20; Rom 8:9-11).
We affirm that it pleases God when we remember His crucifixion and our
salvation through regular observance of this supper (Acts 2:42, 46-47).
We affirm that by partaking in the supper we are brought into communion
or fellowship with Jesus and His sufferings (Corinthians 10:16,17).
We deny that Jesus’ human body (glorified or otherwise) is present in our worship (Colossians 3:1; Mark 19:16).
We deny that grace or merit is infused within the bread and wine (Romans 10:12-15; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30).
We deny that true worship can take place around the Lord’s table without true unity (1 Corinthians 11:17-22; Matthew 5:23-26).
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