YEMI OLAKITAN
The Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper has been
considered to be one of the most important tenets of the Christian faith. The
Lord Jesus commanded his followers to do it in remembrance of him. However,
different denominations have different views concerning the Lord’s Supper, when
and how it should be observed and who should observed it. Senior Correspondent,
Yemi Olakitan, examines the differences with biblical texts.
According to the encyclopedia Britannica, the Last Supper, also
called Lord’s Supper, in the New
Testament (Matthew 26:17–29; Mark
14:12–25; Luke 22:7–38; I Corinthians 11:23–25), was the final meal shared by the Lord Jesus to
his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. According to the biblical account, Jesus sent two of
his disciples to prepare for the meal
and he met with all the disciples
in the upper
room. He told them that one of them would betray him. After blessing bread and
wine and giving it to them to eat and drink, Jesus told them that it was his body and he commanded that it should be done in
remembrance of him. This commandment has been kept and followed by Christians
all over the world.
According
to the Scriptures, Jesus did not specifically state how often it should be observed.
He simply said: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) Apostle Paul
however said: “For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep
proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.” (1 Cor. 11:26) In a
chat with Pastor Emmanuel Onoja of Hope of Life Evangelical church, he said, ‘‘the
Last Supper or the Lords supper can be done as often as the believers decides
and as the holy spirit directs, ‘it can be observed once in a year, it can be
twice a year, weekly or monthly. It does not really matter because our Lord
Jesus did not say specifically. The scripture says as often, which could be
interpreted in many ways by different denominations. The most important thing
is that Christians should obey the instruction of the Lord and observe the
Lord’s Supper. It is also important to note that only those who have given
their lives to the Lord Jesus and become born again children of God may observe
the Lords supper because the Bible says we should not eat it unworthily. It is
also not a festival meal where one eats and drinks to stupor; it is a very
spiritual and symbolic exercise that should be taken with all sobriety and
seriousness.’’
However a member of the
Jehovah’s Witness, (name with held) insisted that the Lords supper should be
observed annually. He said “as often” does not necessarily mean many times a
year; it could mean yearly. Jesus said, ‘in remembrance of me.’ A remembrance
should be an anniversary. If you want to
commemorate an important event, such as a wedding anniversary, or if a nation
commemorates her independence anniversary, how often would that be? It would be
once a year. Speaking further, he said. ‘‘Jehovah’s Witnesses observe the Memorial annually
after sundown on Nisan 14, according to the reckoning of the Jewish calendar. Jesus
died on the same Jewish calendar day that he instituted the Memorial. Who partook when Jesus instituted the Lord’s
Evening Meal shortly before he died? Eleven faithful followers to whom Jesus
said: “I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with
me, for a kingdom.” (Luke 22:29) They were all persons who were being invited
to share with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom. (John 14:2, 3) All who
partake of the bread and wine today should also be persons whom Christ brings
into that ‘covenant for a kingdom.’
Jesus said that only a “little flock” would receive the heavenly Kingdom
as their reward. (Luke 12:32) The full number would be 144,000. (Rev. 14:1-3)
In another chat with
Deaconess Roseline Abimbola of the Global Church of the Living God, she said,
since the Bible says it should be done often I believe that once in three
months will be appropriate although in my church we do it monthly we observe it
hymns. We do not sing praises. It’s a solemn mood. In my church i expressed my views that once in
three months is better but the elders chose monthly observance of the Holy
Communion. It does not really matter when we observe it, as long as we observe
the Communion. What the Lord Jesus
emphasized was the observance in remembrance of him. If he wanted it to be
yearly or monthly he would have said so. He left that part for us to decide. I
think that believers should submit themselves to the decision and authority of
the leaders of the church. Once the church elders decide when to take it, we
should submit to that authority and observe the Communion. Anyone who is born
again and is a faithful follower of our Lord Jesus can observe the Holy
Communion,’’ she said.
According to Pope John Paul II ‘‘Communion is an intimate encounter with Christ, in which we
receive Christ into our bodies, that we may be more completely assimilated into
him. It deepens unity with the Church, more fully assimilating us into Christ. It
also strengthens the individual because in Jesus himself, the Word made flesh,
forgives our sins and gives us the strength to resist mortal sin. It is the
channel of eternal life.
Jesus explained
the reasons for receiving Communion in the Gospel of John: "Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his
blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For, my flesh is real food, and my blood is
real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in
him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who
eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven,
not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live
forever" (John 6:53–58).
In another chat with Elder
Mrs. Victoria Osai of the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church encourages
Catholics to receive frequent Communion, even daily Communion if possible. ‘‘In other for one to receive the communion
worthily, one must be in a state of grace without any mortal sin. One must also
be baptized. "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the
Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of
the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the
cup" (1 Cor. 11:27–28).
In a statement by the
Catholic Church, a mortal sin is any sin whose matter is
grave and which has been committed willfully and with knowledge of its
seriousness. Grave matter includes, but is not limited to, murder, receiving or
participating in an abortion, homosexual acts, having sexual intercourse outside
of marriage or in an invalid marriage, and deliberately engaging in impure
thoughts (Matt. 5:28–29). (1 Cor. 6:9–10 and Gal. 5:19–21).
In another chat with Kemi
Adesina of the Living faith church, she said, ‘‘we take the Holy Communion in
my church regularly, weekly. The communion is a remembrance of the Lord Jesus
if possible I personally want to remember him daily. So, one can even take
Communion daily. We also take the
communion singing praises. It is a joyful atmosphere because the sacrifice of
the Lord Jesus brought salvation to mankind. We observe the Communion in a mood
of celebration and thanksgiving.
However, only those who have giving their lives to Christ and repented
of their sins, have embraced the new life in Christ Jesus can approach the
communion table. If one has not given his life to Christ and become born again,
then the person will be taking the Communion unworthily and we do not encourage
that. The Communion is a very important part of the Christian faith because the
Lord Jesus expressly commanded Christians to do it in remembrance of him. We
have to do it.’’
According to the Bishop of
the Living faith Church, David Oeydepo, one of the benefits of taking the
communion regularly is the gifts of divine health which is given by God. ‘‘You
cannot eat the body of the Lord Jesus and abhor sickness and disease in your
body, it gives divine life to your body, spirit and soul’’ he said.
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