Do Christians Make Too Much of Communion?

[Josh]

Nate brought up an interesting question/ discussion tonight after pubagetics-

Do Christians make more of "communion" than Scripture warrants? Was the Lord's Supper originally intended just as a thing to reflect on at every meal?

Thoughts?

[Josh]

The question stems from the fact that the main passage in the New Testament that deals with what we call "communion" seems to indicate that it was originally synonymous with a communal meal (and not a separate sacramental ritual):

1 Cor. 11:17-34

17In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

33So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come I will give further directions.

This may be the case, but unfortunately we don't have much info Scripturally or otherwise to go on from the very earliest days of the Church.

However, here are some things to consider:

1) The fact that the sacrament of communion may have originally been part and parcel of an actual meal doesn't diminish it's "sacredness" in any way.

2) The historical pattern that Communion is based on is, of course, the Jewish Passover, which was anything but a common meal, although it did take place in the context of an actual meal.

3) Jesus Himself foresaw the real spiritual significance of the Lord's Supper. A perusal of the Last Supper accounts plus his shocking statements in John 6 underscore this. In other words, the Lord's Supper is a meal embued with spiritual significance.

4) We do have record that the Lord's Supper was the central event of the liturgical (worship) life of early church. They saw Communion as special (more than just a meal).

More in a bit...