COMMUNION/EUCHARIST***
Communion, like baptism, is based on literal interpretations of the Bible. Religious people, therefore, believe that there is spiritual significance to eating and drinking if Bible characters also did those same things. That this is wrong thinking is confirmed in these scriptures:
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
COMMENTARY: Most christian doctrines include communion/eucharist in their list of “must do” rituals. They base this belief on certain scriptures that seem to prescribe such activity. The problem is that Christians do not understand the symbolism of bread, wine and blood. If they did, they would understand that Jesus is symbolically referring to the spoken word of God — not to physical bread, blood and wine.
STUDY TIP: See Bread, Food and Wine for understanding of the symbolism of these physical things.
Only in people who hear God’s spoken voice understand Biblical symbolism. The ability to understand symbolism is evidence of being born again.It is God’s voice that brings righteousness, peace and joy, and these inner spiritual qualities are only available through the medium of the holy spirit. They are not accessed through physical food or drink or physical activity. Righteousness, peace and joy in the spirit all happens in the heart, and are not expressions of anything that is accomplished with the physical body (i.e. flesh).
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. 17These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
COMMENTARY: All religions have doctrines about foods that are permitted and forbidden. Prohibition of eating pork is one, good example. And all religions have festivals and holy days that are observed year after year. Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, Hanukkah, Yom Kippur, Shabbat and Ramadan are examples of religious holidays.
This scripture says clearly that these and all other religious activities are only shadows of spiritual activity in the heart.All religions are known by their doctrines about food and holidays. It is impossible to be a member in good standing of a religion without observing those doctrines. It is impossible, for example, to be a good Christian (whether Catholic or Protestant) in the eyes of other Christians without taking communion/Eucharist with some regularity. And it is impossible to be a good Christian (whether Catholic or Protestant) in the eyes of other Christians without observing Christmas and Easter. And it is impossible for people who eat pork and do not observe Shabbat to be considered real, legitimate Jews.
If people who claim to be members of a particular religion do not observe all, or most, of that religion’s major doctrines, and if they do not believe what others in that religion believe, the Pharisees of their religion will judge them (i.e. make a legal determination) that they are not true members of the religion. In the words of Colossians 2:16, the Pharisees pass judgment on them and find them guilty of blasphemy with respect to the religious beliefs and laws by which the religion is known. ***
STUDY TIP: See Sixth Commandment for more about judging.
1 Corinthians 8:8 But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
COMMENTARY: Traditions of eating or not eating certain foods do not bring people closer to God. Following such traditions brings people closer to other people who follow the same tradition, but not closer to God. It is all the same to God if people eat certain foods or avoid certain foods.
However, when people eat or avoid certain foods as a matter of obedience to religious traditions made by men, they sin because what they do is not a matter of faith that cannot be seen. God searches the heart and is not concerned with what people do and do not do with their bodies.
The only thing worth knowing about communion is that the picture of the last supper symbolically refers to hearing God’s word (i.e. his spoken voice). This event is not a picture of people eating natural bread and drinking natural wine. It is a symbolic picture of people eating good spiritual food served by a true prophet (i.e. Jesus).
Followers of Jesus should see themselves in this picture. Here we have Jesus teaching his disciples. All true followers of Jesus should have disciples. If they don’t have disciples, they are followers in name only which means they are useless to God. If they don’t have disciples they have not fulfilled the commands to “go make disciples and baptize them in the name (i.e. character) of God” and to feed God’s people (i.e. sheep).
When Jesus was teaching his disciples he was actually baptizing (i.e. washing) them with God’s spoken word. Those who listened to Jesus were actually hearing God’s word because Jesus spoke for God.
Jesus and all other true prophets are anointed messiahs whom God sends to speak his laws into the hearts of Old/First Covenant religionists. Those who hear and see God’s spoken word have their spiritual eyes and ears opened and become new creations (i.e. New Covenant disciples). They are spiritually born again, when they eat the good spiritual food served (i.e. spoken) by a true prophet. Their ears are spiritually circumcised and they are washed in Jesus’ blood (i.e. God’s spoken word.)