An Evangelical Theology Of The Lord's Supper

Some evangelical Protestants have reappropriated central elements of the pre-Reformation church's understanding of the Lord's Supper: a memorial of Christ's death that is also a genuine means of grace and Christ's ontological Real Presence. They insist also that God's sovereignty be affirmed and that the Lord's Supper be understood as pointing toward the ultimate banquet in heaven. Laden with such profound meaning and power, this sacrament requires careful preparation to keep it from being trivialized or routinized.

Evangelical Reappropriation of the Catholic tradition With the triumph of Enlightenment rationalism in Western society, evangelical churches in general have tended to discard the sacramental and mystical dimensions of the Lord's Supper, thereby reducing it to a bare memorial rite or an agape meal. But another strand in the evangelical movement is concerned to retrieve the higher view of the sacraments espoused in the magisterial Reformation as well as in early Pietism and Puritanism. There is here a willingness to draw upon the insights of Catholic tradition, though with discrimination. These evangelicals propose a restatement of the Lord's Supper that is firmly anchored in Holy Scripture but respectful of church tradition. From the perspective of evangelical catholicity, the Lord's Supper is first of all an abiding memorial of the atoning death of Jesus Christ. It is a commemoration of his vicarious sacrifice on the cross, not an extension or continuation of this sacrifice, much less a repetition. Instead, the Holy Supper is a sign and witness of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice for sin, made efficacious by the Holy Spirit in faith and obedience. It is also an occasion in which we present our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the living God in gratefulness for God's act of redeeming love in Jesus Christ. Again, the Lord's Supper signifies a participation in the body and blood of Christ and personal communion with the living Christ by the power of his Spirit. Although believers do not contribute or add to Christ's atoning sacrifice, they receive its benefits through hearing and believing, eating and drinking, confessing and celebrating. The Lord's Supper is not simply a testimony of grace but a means of grace by which we enter into Christ's passion and victory mystically and vicariously. In the history of the churches of the Reformation, a conflict arose as to whether the finite can receive and bear the infinite (finitum capax infiniti). Those on the Reformed side argued that the finite in and of itself cannot bear the infinite, but it can be penetrated and used by the infinite to reach sinful humanity with the message of grace. The elements of bread and wine, just as the words of the sermon, or of Scripture, have no power in and of themselves. But they can communicate the grace of God by virtue of being laid hold of by the Spirit in the act of confession and celebration. Real Presence in Light of God's Freedom Those who stand in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation can indeed affirm the Real Presence of Christ in the eucharistic meal. It is not a physical presence, but still a bodily presence, for in the eating and drinking believers make contact with the whole person of Jesus Christ, his body and Spirit. Christ is present not simply in our memories, but ontologically, as the personal Spirit who encounters believers not only in the elements, but in the whole action of the Eucharist. Catholic evangelicals contend that the Lord's Supper should be celebrated in the context of public worship. The sacrament is under the Word, not vice versa. Without interpretation, ritual is reduced to a magical rite believed to work automatically. Preaching is the more fundamental means of grace. Through the power of the gospel proclamation, the visible Word becomes effectual for our salvation. In an authentic evangelical theology, the visible Word is subordinated to the proclaimed Word; at the same time, the proclaimed Word is fulfilled in the visible Word. It is also important to affirm the freedom of God in all his dealings with sinful humanity. God is free to speak God's Word in both sermon and sacrament, but is also free to withhold the Word of God. If believers truly hear the real Word of God, if we meet the living Christ in this holy meal, a miracle has taken place. Since grace does not find its goal except in faith and obedience, the participants' response is necessary if the Holy Supper is to be a means for their sanctification and redemption. Looking toward the Supper Finally, the Holy Supper should be seen as an eschatological banquet. In this celebration, participants look forward to the time when they will eat and drink anew with their Savior—when he comes again in power and glory (Matt. 26:29; 1 Cor. 11:26). They have been buried with Christ in his death; they will be raised with him in his resurrection (Rom. 6:5, 8). With the Reformers, I advocate an open, but not indiscriminate Communion—open to all who confess their sins and believe, closed to those who have not made a public profession of faith or who openly lead immoral lives and show no sign of contrition (see Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 82). Holy Communion presupposes self-examination and repentance. While the ideal is weekly observance, in the present secular milieu I recommend monthly observance to allow for serious preparation for this holy meal. Evangelicals need to steer clear of both ceremonialism, which reduces the Supper to a ritual performance, and rationalism, which confers on the symbols a merely social value. Evangelicals should be alert to the dangers of both sacramental objectivism and mystical subjectivism. The mere performance of the rite does not make it significant for faith, but the personal encounter with the living Christ makes the rite come alive for faith.