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The Lord's Supper And Emblems
George
L. Faull
Dear
Brother Faull,
Is it wrong to say that the Lord’s Supper represents his
body and blood or that they are emblems?
ANSWER:
We often use figures of speech. Here are some we use often:
SIMILE
This is when something is “LIKE, or AS” something else or
there is a resemblance to another thing.
METAPHOR
Something which represents another thing. Spoken of as being another thing. It says it is the other, though it is not
actually the other except it represents the other.
HYPOCATASTASIS
This is an implied representation or resemblance. The word is used but it is only an implied
resemblance.
Take for example when Jesus was speaking of the doctrine of
the Pharisees. He did not say, the
doctrine of the Pharisees is like leaven (SIMILE) or the doctrine of the
Pharisees is leaven (METAPHOR). He
said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Saducees.” (HYPOCATASTASIS)
He did not say, this doctrine was “like” or “is” leaven but
rather He actually substituted the word “leaven” for the word “doctrine.” He thus is implying their doctrine was
leaven. Matthew
16:11, 12
So if it is a Simile it is “like” unto it. E.g. “LIKE” a
lamb that is led to the slaughter.
If it is a Metaphor it “represents” it. E.g. “The Lord is my rock.”
If it is Hypocatastasis there is an implied representation
or resemblance to it. E.g. “Go tell
that fox..”
What did Jesus say in Matthew
26:26, 28? He used a metaphor. He said, this “is” my body, that is, the
supper represents what He would do to establish the new covenant. He would shed His blood and give His
life. The cup and loaf are not changed
into His body and blood either actually or spiritually. This memorial simply represented the act
that would make the new covenant possible in that He would give His body and blood
for the remission of sins. Peter later
would declare the new covenant was available and their sins could be
remitted. Acts 2:38, “Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.”
Let’s use Matthew 13 as an example of a string of metaphors.
Speaking about His parable, Jesus said in Matthew 13:37-39, “37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the
good seed is (represents) the Son of man; 38 The field is (represents) the
world; the good seed are (represents) the children of the kingdom; but the
tares are (represents) the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed
them is (represents) the devil; the
harvest is (represents) the end of the world; and the reapers are (represents)
the angels.”
Now apply this to what is said concerning the Lord’s Supper.
1.
“…this is
(represents) my body.” Matthew 26:26c
2.
“For this
is (represents) my blood of the new testament…” Matthew 26:28
3.
“The cup of
blessing which we bless, is it not (does it not represent?) the communion of
the blood of Christ?…” I Corinthians 10:16a
4.
“…Take eat,
this is (represents) my body which is broken for you.” I
Corinthians 11:24
5.
“…This cup
is (represents) the new testament in my blood…” I
Corinthians 11:25a
The expression “for the forgiveness of sins” in Matthew 26:26 is the same as Peter used in Acts
2:38. Jesus gave His life’s blood for the
remission of sins and when one believes and repents and is baptized, he
receives what the new covenant promised would be available.
Listen to the promise.
Jeremiah 31:31-34, “31 Behold, the days come, saith the
LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the
house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt;
which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the
LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward
parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be
my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every
man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the
least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin
no more.”
Forgiveness is what we have under the new covenant. When we commune we are partaking of the
memorial or remembrance which He gave that represents what He paid for our
sins.
Since
Jesus used a metaphor and said, “this is my body” and “this is my blood,” rest
assured we are only partaking of representative things, not the actual body and
blood of Christ They are in fact emblems.
Simply because those two words are not used in English does not mean
they are wrong to use to describe what Jesus said. The old covenant commemorated the deliverance from Egypt. The Lord’s Supper now is a memorial where
the emblems represent the price paid for our forgiveness under the new
covenant.