The Lord’s Supper Today
When we look at the Lord’s Supper, we must rightly divide between the kingdom program for Israel and the revelation given to Paul for the Body of Christ. In the Gospels, the Supper was instituted by the Lord on the night He was betrayed, and for Israel it was directly tied to the Passover. It pointed forward to the coming kingdom where Christ promised He would drink the cup “new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” For them, it was a covenant meal, anticipating earthly blessings and the reign of Christ on earth.
Paul, however, gives us a different perspective. He is the only apostle who directly instructs the Body of Christ about the Supper, and he does not connect it to Israel’s Passover or their covenant hope. Instead, he presents it as a memorial of Christ’s death, the very foundation of our salvation, and tells us to proclaim His death until He comes. The focus is not on covenant promises but on the cross and its meaning for us today.
This is why Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 about partaking “unworthily.” The issue is not whether we are personally worthy—none of us are in ourselves—but whether we treat the Supper lightly or as common. In Corinth, believers were abusing it, turning it into a feast, dividing by class, and dishonoring Christ. Paul’s correction was to restore its spiritual meaning: to remember His body and blood given for us.
So, do we practice it today? Yes, believers in the Body of Christ may practice the Lord’s Supper. It is not commanded as a ritual for salvation, nor is it tied to Israel’s covenant, but it is given as a memorial of Christ’s death. The motive is simple: gratitude, remembrance, and proclamation of His finished work until He comes. It is not wrong to practice it; it is wrong only when it is turned into an empty ritual or abused without discernment.
And what if one does not attend a church? Paul never restricts the Supper to a church building. Believers can partake wherever they gather—in homes, small groups, or even with family. The key is not the place but the remembrance: bread symbolizing His body, the cup symbolizing His blood, taken with reverence and thanksgiving.
In summary, Israel’s Supper was tied to Passover, covenant promises, and the coming kingdom, while Paul’s instruction for the Body of Christ makes it a memorial of Christ’s death, proclaiming His finished work until He comes for us. Today, it is not a ritual for righteousness but a testimony of faith in the cross, practiced with gratitude and discernment. Done in this way, it is right and meaningful, a simple yet profound proclamation of the gospel we believe.
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Credits: This post originated from a great question asked by a good friend.
Thank you, Dennis, for contribution to this blog.
