Return to Table of Contents

The Spirit at the Table in the Center

By Steve Phifer

A personal journey to the table

"This Do in Remembrance of Me." The words were cut deep into the wood of the table in front of the pulpit. As a child, they seemed also to be cut deep into my consciousness. As a teen, I asked my father why we didn’t celebrate Communion every week the way some churches did.

"We want it to be special," Dad said. "Anything you do every week becomes ordinary, and this should never be ordinary."

Still, those words stayed with me: "This Do in Remembrance of Me."

Later as a young minister, I learned that the position of the table was significant. Generally, Assemblies of God churches have the pulpit and the Communion table centered in front of the platform, stating publicly that these things were central to our theology. But was it? "This do . . . ."

In my thirties, I began a biblical study of worship, but only recently have I thought of Communion as an act of worship. Through a study of worship, I discovered that the Lord’s Supper is biblically and historically considered to be the central act of Christian worship—the table is at the center of Christian history.

The table was centered in front of the platform in every church I had served. Yet, somehow Communion was just an ordinance, something Jesus told us to do. The table at the center of the platform was not at the center of my life or my public worship.

A journey back to the Bible

I went to the Scriptures to find out what the Lord’s Supper was supposed to be. The things Jesus told us to do are not meaningless. He said His commands were life (John 6:63).

The Lord’s Supper is referred to in the Scriptures by four terms: "breaking of bread," "the Lord’s Supper," "Communion," and "Eucharist."

Breaking of Bread (Acts 2:42,43)

Fellowship was an important part of the Early Church. In this passage, fellowship is listed separately from "breaking of bread," indicating two different meals. "Breaking of bread" is linked with prayer, making it a part of worship.

The Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20–26)

In drawing the distinction between a fellowship meal and the memorial meal Jesus commanded, Paul indicated the prime distinctive of Communion—it is the Lord’s Supper. The Greek words are kuriakon deipnon, a "meal belonging to the Lord."1 Jesus himself, the host of the meal, presides over the remembrance. He is present at His table in the fullness of His resurrection power. When Jesus is the host, His righteousness is revealed. The bread represents His perfect life and limitless love. In the cup His atoning suffering is applied to us—by His stripes we are healed. His sustaining grace and flawless favor flow to us as we partake of His sufferings and His victories, and as we anticipate His soon return.

Communion (1 Corinthians 10:16,17)

The Greek word "thanksgiving" (verse 16, NIV) and "blessing" (verse 16, NKJV) is eulogia and is defined as "fine speaking, i.e. elegance of language; commendation ("eulogy"), i.e. (reverentially) adoration; religiously, benediction; by implication, consecration; by extension benefit or largess."2 Both words express the idea of blessing and thanking the Lord from our hearts.

The word "communion" (verse 16, NKJV) or "participation" (verse 16, NIV) is koinonia and is defined as: "partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: KJV—(to) communicate (-ation), communion, (contri-) distribution, fellowship."3 As host of this Supper, the Lord presides over our participation, binding us to Him and to each other in an intense partnership that blesses Him and benefits us. In this two-way communion, we minister to Him with our sacrifice of thanksgiving and the Lord speaks to us by His Spirit.

Eucharist (Mark 14:23–25)

The Greek word translated "gave thanks" is eucharisteo—"to be grateful, i.e. (actively) to express gratitude (toward); specially, to say grace at a meal: KJV—(give) thank (-ful-s)."4 According to Vine’s, "eu" means "well" and "charis" means "grace" or "thanksgiving."5 So, we can call the "Eucharist" a "good thanks" or a "good grace."

An interesting use of this verb is in a passage on the gifts of the Spirit. Paul pointed out benefits of various types of Spirit-empowered speech. He stated that he who speaks in tongues expresses thanksgiving with a high degree of excellence. "For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified" (1 Corinthians 14:17, NKJV). The word used here is the same one used by Jesus at the institution of the Lord’s Supper. This connection between "good thanks" at the table and "good thanks" as the Holy Spirit empowers our praise is a key to understanding the Pentecostal view of Communion.

Two other words are vital to this discussion.

Remembrance (Luke 22:19)

The Greek word for remembrance is anamnesis and is not easily translated into English. It is "a remembering, recollection to call me (affectionately) to remembrance"6 and " ‘a remembrance’ (ana, ‘up,’ or ‘again,’ and A, No. 1), is used (a) in Christ’s command in the institution of the Lord’s Supper, Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24,25, not ‘in memory of’ but in an affectionate calling of the Person himself to mind."⁷

This is more than a memorial. The past is more than just remembered. Without crucifying Jesus again (the Roman Catholic view) we participate in symbols of the body and blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit takes grace from the Lord Jesus and makes it known to us. We give "good thanks" to God and receive "good grace" from Him (John 16:14).

Covenant (Mark 14:23–25)

Jesus described the Memorial Meal as the renewal of the New Covenant. The thanksgiving that flows from the believer and the grace that flows from God constitute the continuation of the eternal plan of God. The Lord’s Supper is the Passover Meal for the New Testament.8 Just as Old Testament worshipers were reminded of God’s grace through their remembrance of the Exodus through a meal, New Testament worshipers participate in God’s grace to them as they celebrate Communion. The word "covenant" in the Greek is diatheke: "properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a . . . will)."9 The grace at the Lord’s table is as dependable as the character of God himself, as powerful as His promises, and as far-reaching as His love. God keeps His covenant.

From the narratives of the feeding of the 5,000 and the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we learn other important details. In John 6:28,29 Jesus made it clear that the action of believing is what is meant by the eating of the spiritual food—"The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent" (verse 29). From the story of Cleopas and his friend we see that although the Lord’s presence and His words caused their hearts to catch fire, it was in the breaking of the bread that they saw Him (Luke 24:27–32). But, at that instant, Jesus vanished.

Biblically, then, when we receive the emblems of the Lord’s life and death these things are happening:

1. We are giving thanks to Him and doing so with excellence.

2. His sustaining grace is flowing into us as we obey and honor Him.

3. We are communing with Him, participating in His life and victory, eagerly anticipating His return.

4. We are experiencing a renewal of the Lord’s covenant with us. His promises are renewed and we renew our promises to Him.

5. He is revealed to us in the breaking of the bread. The Holy Spirit shows us our Lord in vivid reality.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit at the table, not the spirit of powerless ceremony or empty ritual. This is the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, the Paraclete, the revealer of the things of Jesus to those who believe.

A journey to history and to the future

From church history we see that a weekly Communion quickly became the norm for the Early Church.0 Centuries later the Roman view of the Lord’s Supper was a triggering mechanism for the Reformation. Our 20th-century Pentecostal fathers got the doctrine right. Their doctrinal statement of the Assemblies of God is a masterpiece of succinct, well-crafted theology.11 But have we shied away from Communion because of the errors of others?

In the 20th century, like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we Pentecostals felt our hearts burn as the Holy Spirit set fire to the Word of God in us. Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, will we, with our worship, regularly invite the Lord to dine with us? If we allow Him to break and bless the bread before us, will we suddenly see Him as never before? If so, this time He will not vanish from our sight. Through our participation in His life, death, and victory, He will flow through us by His Spirit to touch and heal a hurting world.

Steve Phifer is worship arts pastor, Word of Life International Church, Springfield, Virginia.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are from the New International Version.

Endnotes

1. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).

2. Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance With Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary, Seattle, Wash., 1994.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985).

6. Joseph Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, [electronic database] (Seattle: Biblesoft, 2000).

7. Vine’s.

8. Robert E. Webber, ed., The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996), 61.

9. Biblesoft’s Concordance.

10. James F. White, A Brief History of Christian Worship (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993), 55.

11. (b) Holy Communion

The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers "till He come!" William W. Menzies and Stanley M. Horton, ed., Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective (Springfield, Mo.: Logion Press, 1993), 110.