Doctrinal Teaching

• The Doctrine of the Lord's Supper
• The Institutional Church

Dominical Institution:
These words state that the church's instructions for observing the Lord's Table originated in Christ's own commands (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). While the commands of Christ's apostles carry His divine authority, Christians always have cherished this sacrament which Christ instituted personally the night before His crucifixion for our sins. We observe the Lord's Supper mindful that our Lord Himself commands us to do so.

Eucharistic Celebration:
The word Eucharist is often associated with high church ceremonial observance of the Lord's Supper. However, the word Eucharist simply means thanksgiving and comes directly from the original text of the New Testament (Matt. 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17, 19; 1 Cor. 11:24). At the Lord's Table believers assemble together to give thanks to God for His salvation through Jesus Christ. On behalf of the communicants the minister gives thanks to God for both the bread and the cup as did Jesus.

Holy Communion:
The Authorized Version of 1 Corinthians 10:16 states, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" Other versions translate the word communion as "sharing" (NASB) or "participation" (NIV). While Christian interpretations differ, the Reformed view of this doctrine is described in the Westminster Confession of Faith 29-7. Christ is spiritually present to the faith of believers in this sacrament. Communicants feed inwardly and spiritually on the saving benefits of Christ's body and blood in receiving the bread and the cup. Jesus' figurative language in John 6:54 is vividly portrayed when we commune with the Lord at His table: "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

Memorial Supper:
The Lord's Table is both a memorial and a supper. In biblical culture meals had a familial, covenantal, and religious significance best illustrated in the Passover meal. The Lord's Supper is the Christian family's feast of the new covenant accomplished in His blood (1 Cor. 11:25). At this meal Christ instructs His people to remember both Him and His sacrificial death for us.

Proclamation of the Gospel:
"For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Cor. 11:26). Often (mis)understood to be a tool of evangelism, the Lord's Table is actually a proclamation of Christ's accomplished salvation to assembled church. Rightly called by St. Augustine the Word made visible, observing the Lord's Table presents to our senses (sight, touch, taste) the symbols which represent the body and blood of Christ whereby believers are saved.

Foretaste of Final Redemption:
While the Lord's Supper recalls the past, it also reminds the church of the coming Kingdom of God and final redemption. Jesus promises to feast with His people when the kingdom comes in its fullness (Matt. 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). We joyfully anticipate this event when we observe the Lord's Table (Matt. 8:11; Rev. 19:7).

Self-Examination and Biblical Government:
The apostle Paul teaches that Christians should prepare for receiving the Lord's Supper by examining themselves with regard to the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor. 11:28). Paul's teaching in this section is also the basis for church discipline effected by suspending one from the Lord's Table (1 Cor. 11:31; Book of Church Order 30-3).

1. CONTINUING
1. Past: Jesus' use of the word ekklesia (translating the theological rich Hebrew word qahal) indicates essential continuity between His Church and the required covenantal assemblies of the Old Testament. Thus, while Christ's Church is a new entity she is organically related to the spiritual Israel of the Old Covenant (Rom. 11:16-17; Gal. 6:16)
2. Future: The words "I will build" promise Christ's initiative and action in the construction of His ekklesia. The promise that "the gates of Hades shall not overpower it" guarantee the ultimate triumph of God's Church over the powers of darkness and death (Matt. 16:18; Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 15:24)
2. CONFESSING
1. Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God: This initial confession (necessary for entrance into the ekklesia) is the supernatural revelation by the Father to the believer of Christ's divine Sonship and the saving accomplishment of His messianic work (cf. Matt. 11:27-28; 16:17)
2. No one is able to make an authentic confession of Jesus Christ as Lord but by the enabling grace and authority of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3; 1 John 4:2,3)
3. Christ requires of His Church an open and public confession of His Lordship (Matt. 10:32-33; Luke 12:8,9)
4. The Scriptures of the New Testament teach other confessional standards (revealed by Christ to His apostles) requisite to continuing in the ekklesia of Christ
3. SPIRITUAL
1. John 20:28 describes a true giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples
2. Acts 2:1-4 records the fulfillment of the promise of Christ and His Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell His Church (John 14:26; Luke 3:16; 24:49; Acts 2:33)
3. Properly understood, the Church is the Spirit-filled body of Christ which is to conduct her ministry through the grace gifts (charismata) of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:11
4. SACRAMENTAL
1. Baptism: By dominical command the Church is to baptize all who confess Christ as Lord (Matt. 28:19). The book of Acts records that all believers were baptized immediately. Household baptisms were common reflecting the apostolic teaching that children of believing households in Christ's Church receive the sign of the covenant (Acts 2:39; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 1 Cor. 1:16)
2. Lord's Supper: The night of His betrayal, Christ instituted that His Church observe His table until the time of His second coming (Matt. 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13; 1 Cor. 11:26)
5. ONE (the first of the four Nicene attributes of the Church: "one, holy, catholic, apostolic")
1. The Church is one by virtue of her union with Christ accomplished by the baptism of the Holy Spirit
1. regeneration, incorporation (1 Cor. 12:13)
2. social, racial, and gender distinctions are not obliterated, but all true believers are united in one body with water baptism as the outward sign of the believers union with Christ and His body (Gal. 3:27-28)
3. believers are commanded to be diligent in preserving the unity of the body established by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:1-6)
2. The expressed will of Jesus: the unity of His people (John 10:16; 17:20-23)
1. broken by heretical teaching (1 John 2:19)
2. broken by unbiblical conduct: the acts of the sinful nature (Gal. 5:19-20; WCF 25.4)
3. The theory of denominationalism (different categories of belief/practice within the catholic church)
1. no group has full, final grasp of all biblical truth as men are unable to see all God's truth clearly in this life
2. the forming of separate denominations is often based on matters of conscience regarding God's word and, therefore, may not be schismatic
6. HOLY (sanctified, set apart unto God)
1. Christ's Church is holy before God because of the blood which He shed for her (Heb. 10:10; 13:12; some refer to this as positional sanctification; I Cor. 1:2; 6:11; her members are saints, "set apart ones" Rom. 1:7; note the Israel analogy 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10)
2. Christ's Church is holy because she is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Eph. 2:22)
3. Christ's Church is to be holy in all her manner of living (1 Peter 1:15-16; James 1:27; 4:4)
4. The world hates the Church of Christ because she is holy and not of this world (John 15:18-19; 17:14; 1 John 3:13)
7. CATHOLIC (We must not jettison historically rich, significant Christian vocabulary)
1. Everywhere in place: Wherever-space, geography WCF 25:2 ("Not confined to one nation, as before under the law"); Ignatius: "Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church." Note BCO 3-5; 14-1; Caution: modern para church groups
2. Continuing in time: Whenever (Matt. 28:20; WCF 25:1). We are not to look for another institution
3. Orthodox in doctrine (conformity to established, apostolic teaching)
1. heretical, sectarian groups are not of the catholic church (Gal. 1:6-9; 1 John 4:1-3)
2. the necessity of creeds which detail doctrinal orthodoxy; 1 Tim. 3:16; e.g., Nicene Creed
8. APOSTOLIC
1. While Scripture identifies Christ by the name rock (1 Cor. 10:4) and states that He is the cornerstone of the Church (Eph. 2:20), Peter and the other confessing apostles are the rock-like foundation upon which Christ will build His Church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14)
2. Based upon the predetermined will of God revealed in the gospel, the apostolic church has the authority to declare to men and nations both the forgiveness and the retention of sins (Matt. 16:19; John 20:22-23)
3. The continuing, apostolic church through representative elders may decide her internal affairs (e.g. Acts 15:6, 22, 30)
4. By Christ's delegated authority and by the rule of Scripture the government of the Church is responsible to provide both oversight and discipline for her members (Matt. 18:15-18; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2)
9. COMMISSIONED
1. The Command: "make disciples of all nations" (in Matthew 28:18-20, the verb "make disciples" is the explicit command; however, the responsibility to go may be inferred from other passages [Luke 24:47, John 20:21; Acts 1:8])
1. the world: "all nations" reflects the purpose of the Abrahamic covenant that in Christ God would bless all the nations of the earth (Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:16)
2. His authority: "all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" recalls His ascension and reminds the Church of His universal lordship
2. Baptism and Teaching (the attendant requirements of making disciples)
1. baptism: outward sign of entrance into Messiah's assembly and acknowledgment of submission to His lordship
2. teaching: comprehensive teaching to be obeyed
3. Christ's Presence
1. the promise of continuing presence: "lo, I am with you always" (cf. Immanuel, "God with us". Matt. 1:23; 18:20)
2. every day until the end: (lit. "the whole of every day", D. A. Carson "not just the horizon is in view, but each day as we live it.")