What Is the Scriptural Teaching on the Lord's Supper or Communion?
1) Direct answer
The Lord’s Supper is a simple, holy ordinance given by Jesus for born‑again believers to remember His death until He comes. It is not a saving act, not a ritual that changes the elements, but a memorial and a fellowship of the Body. It is to be observed with unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, in self‑examination, with feet‑washing as a companion ordinance of humility and cleansing.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Instituted by the Lord: “This do in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23‑26). We “show the Lord’s death till He come.”
- The elements: bread and the cup—“the bread…His body,” “the cup…New Testament in His blood” (Matthew 26:26‑29; 1 Corinthians 10:16‑17; 11:23‑25). Leaven typifies sin, so the figure is unleavened—“Purge out therefore the old leaven…let us keep the feast…with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7‑8).
- Who may partake: believers who judge themselves in the light of the Word (1 Corinthians 11:27‑32). The pattern is: repent, believe, be baptized, then continue in the apostles’ fellowship and breaking of bread (Acts 2:41‑42).
- How to approach: in unity and discernment of the Body—making wrongs right first (Matthew 5:23‑24; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 11:29).
- Feet‑washing: joined to the Supper as an example and command—“Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet… I have given you an example… If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:14‑17).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- It’s a memorial, not a re‑sacrifice. The Bible says, “Do this in remembrance.” He died once for all; we do not repeat His sacrifice—we remember it.
- The bread remains bread and the cup remains the fruit of the vine. The Bible says they are “symbols” or “communion” of His body and blood (1 Corinthians 10:16). If it literally became His body, why would we still be “remembering” instead of re‑crucifying? The Scripture never says it turns into His flesh.
- Unleavened bread fits the symbol because Jesus was sinless. Leaven marks corruption; Christ had none. You see, the type must match the antitype.
- The table belongs to the Lord, not to a denomination. “Let a man examine himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28). The door is not “closed” by men; it is guarded by the Word in each conscience—walk in the light, judge yourself, and come reverently.
- Frequency is “as oft as ye do it” (1 Corinthians 11:25‑26). The Bible sets no fixed schedule; it sets a right heart.
- Feet‑washing is not optional tradition but a commanded example tied to the Supper. It keeps us small, cleansed, and in brotherly equality.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice: the Lord’s Supper is the Gospel in simple tokens—His body broken for us, His blood shed for us—and our lives must match what we take. Come clean, come believing, come discerning the Body, and “show the Lord’s death till He come.”
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Communion
65-1212 §13
Now, we find out today that this great thing that we're fixing to do tonight in commemoration of His death; and His body that we believe that we eat daily---or just got through eating, as our brother preached to us, taking the Word of God... We believe it with all of our heart. We see it manifested; we see it given to us; we see it vindicated; we feel it in our lives. And we must come to this with a deep conscience of what we're doing, not just because it's an order. You go in a church, and many times they got out...
Respects
61-1015E §43
A man told me the other day, he said I... Poor man, sweeps up over here in the market for a living. He's had a breakdown, in very bad shape. He's Lutheran by faith, and they had had communion. He's unable to walk to the church, so he took a cab. Said it cost him eighty cents to go down and eighty cents to come back. His neighbor, very ungodly, seen him praying the Lord's prayer one morning, and laughed at him, made fun of him. He said to this neighbor, he said to this man, he said, "Where'd you go in a cab this mor...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-87
And that is what the church has constantly done through the ages. She has left the Word of God and taken her own creeds and dogmas; she has organized and joined herself to the world. Thus is she naked, and God is judging her lewdness. The only way she can get out of this dread situation is by obeying the Lord to come back to His Word. Revelation 18:4, "Come out of her My people." II Corinthians 6:14-18. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness...
Communion
65-1212 §27
...r the same manner also he took the cup, and when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as oft [remember, now] For as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord's death till he come. [How long? Until He comes, see], Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Let me stop just a minute. The reason he said t...
Questions and Answers
59-0628E §36
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Now, you see there? Comes right back to the Christian that's trying to take communion, that's not in Christ, not fellowshipping in the Spirit; he isn't worthy of taking it. And when he does take this communion, he's eating and drinking damnation to himself, if he's going out smoking, lying, stealing, committing adultery, or something like that, or not living a Christian life. And people see the kind...