communion

[Absolem]

2 minutes ago, OneLight said:

I chose juice as it contains no yeast, which when you look in scripture, yeast (meal) is looked at as impure.  The Last Supper was celebrated on the same day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  The bread was unleavened, and I am going to say they were drinking juice, not wine, which is fermented grape juice that contains yeast (meal).

All we are told of what was in the cup is the following from Matthew 26:27-29

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

What's unleavened?

[OneLight]

6 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

Question: "Who is authorized to oversee the Lord's Supper?"

Answer: 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 instructions concerning the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Paul later wrote to Timothy about the qualifications for church leaders, bishops/elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13). In the original language, the word “deacon” comes from a verb that means "to serve," probably in the sense of waiting on tables, but it also came to be used to signify a broad range of service in the church. Because of the connotation of table service in the word “deacon” and the centrality of the Lord’s Supper in the worship of the early church, there is strong indication that serving the communion elements was an important function of deacons.

From this we can conclude that designated church leadership conducted the Lord’s Supper in the early church; however, there is no Scripture specifically given with "how to" instructions. Therefore, it would seem reasonable for the leadership, if there were an insufficient number of deacons present, to appoint laymen to serve.

More important than who serves communion is the attitude with which it is both served and received. First Corinthians 11:27 says that those who take the elements in an “unworthy manner” are guilty of sin against the body and blood of Christ. An “unworthy manner” can mean the taking of the elements by those who do not belong to Christ or taking them in a flippant or irreverent manner. It can also mean using the ceremony as a means to be seen before men to be exalted by them. Verse 28 gives the criteria for both serving and participating in the Lord’s Supper. We are to examine ourselves before we partake and be sure our hearts are right before the Lord. Then both the servers and the receivers can be sure of pleasing God when they participate in His communion.

https://www.gotquestions.org/oversee-Lords-Supper.html

I disagree with their conclusion that only designated church leaders can perform the Lord's Supper.  Jesus Himself said "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes."  He in no way restricts the partaking by anyone, as long as they examine themselves first.

[OneLight]

3 minutes ago, Absolem said:

What's unleavened?

Unleavened bread is bread that is not made with yeast.  Yeast raises the bread into loafs.  Unleavened bread is flat, containing no yeast. 

[missmuffet]

22 minutes ago, OneLight said:

I disagree with their conclusion that only designated church leaders can perform the Lord's Supper.  Jesus Himself said "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes."  He in no way restricts the partaking by anyone, as long as they examine themselves first.

This is also from Got Questions. It is a little more of what you are saying.

However, Scripture does not designate where the communion service must be held. It has been served in hospitals and nursing homes for ill patients. Missionaries on the field have served communion to believers where no churches have yet been established. Some families perform their own communion service on special occasions such as Christmas Eve. Our Lord, in commemorating the Passover with the disciples in the upper room, instituted the first communion service. The only instructions we have regarding the process of the rite come from Jesus’ own words to “do this in remembrance of me” until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). This passage gives all the instructions we need to perform the rite of communion and to understand the significance of what we are doing.

https://www.gotquestions.org/communion-outside-church.html

[OneLight]

11 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

This is also from Got Questions. It is a little more of what you are saying.

However, Scripture does not designate where the communion service must be held. It has been served in hospitals and nursing homes for ill patients. Missionaries on the field have served communion to believers where no churches have yet been established. Some families perform their own communion service on special occasions such as Christmas Eve. Our Lord, in commemorating the Passover with the disciples in the upper room, instituted the first communion service. The only instructions we have regarding the process of the rite come from Jesus’ own words to “do this in remembrance of me” until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). This passage gives all the instructions we need to perform the rite of communion and to understand the significance of what we are doing.

https://www.gotquestions.org/communion-outside-church.html

Not to get picky, but which do you personally believe; that anyone who examines themselves can partake in the Lord's Supper, even if they are alone, or do you believe only a designated church leader can perform the Lord's Supper, in other words, be the one who passes the bread and cup?  I'm confused about which you believe as you bring both.

[missmuffet]

57 minutes ago, OneLight said:

Not to get picky, but which do you personally believe; that anyone who examines themselves can partake in the Lord's Supper, even if they are alone, or do you believe only a designated church leader can perform the Lord's Supper, in other words, be the one who passes the bread and cup?  I'm confused about which you believe as you bring both.

I don't think you are picky. I support both. Not everyone can attend a Church. It is nice to have an alternative. Like the post said what is most important is the the words are in Jesus own words.