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10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
KEEPING HOUSE FOR
THE LORD
Written by H. Frank Fort
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House for the Lord,
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LESSON # 13
"The
Lord's Supper" No. 2
The
second division of our text, 1 Cor.
10:16,17, which we wish to notice relative to "the scriptural
participant" is "that one bread". Let it be noticed that
"the bread" does not follow "the cup" in the order of
observance, rather, "the bread" precedes "the cup", 1
Cor. 11:24,25, Matt. 26:26,27. In this lesson, I am simply following the order of 1
Cor. 10:16,17, in the discussion of the significance of the elements.
The "flesh"…"blood", to which
Christ referred in his discourse on "the bread of life", in John 6,
were symbols of "the words of eternal life",
Jn.
6:68."The
doctrine of Christ", 2 Jn. 9,
"the gospel of…salvation"
Eph.
1:13, which
are such by reason of the fact that they symbolize "life laid down" or
"soul poured out", that is, death, the reconciling, justifying,
redeeming, fact in the gospel, Rom.
5:9,10, 1 Pet. 1:18,19, Rom. 3: 25,26, Acts 13:38.
"The one bread" in our text, symbolizes the
"one faith", Eph. 4:5, on
the basis of which we are able, and thus commanded, to be "perfectly joined
together in the same mind" 1 Cor.
1:10, and without which "ye cannot eat the Lord's Supper (margin) 1
Cor. 11:20. While one could eat literally "the bread”, and drink of
"the cup", these facts alone do not enable God's people to participate
in his "table". If that which the "one bread" symbolizes,
the "unity of the faith", Eph.
4:13, and thereby "all…be one", Jn.
17:21, "many…one body" Rom.
12:5, "many members…one body" 1
Cor. 12:20, then the coming "together into one place" 1 Cor. 14:23 "to eat" 1 Cor. 11:33, is "for the better"
1 Cor.
11:17. Otherwise, if "there be divisions…heresies" 1
Cor. 11:18,I9, the assembling is "for the worse" 1
Cor. 11:17, that is, "the body" is made worse, instead of being
edified. "The one bread", therefore symbolizing the "one
faith", for the participation of the "one body" assembled in
"one place", to commemorate the "one sacrifice" of the
"one Lord Jesus Christ". Is designed to keep before God's people the
responsibility of "endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond
of peace" Eph. 4:3. It is only as we "do this in remembrance" of him
1 Cor. 11:24, that we scripturally
participate in "the blood…and bread".
"The bread" was "unleavened
bread" Matt. 26:17, used in
"the Passover". Ex .12:15, Lev.
23:6. This bread was made of "fine flour"
Num.
6:15. The
"fine flour" representing the even texture of the humanity of Christ,
of whom it is written "thou art the same", Ps.
102:27, in contrast to "change” vs.
26. "Always…please him" (the Father) Jn. 8:29. Notice in
Lev.
23:10, where
"the first fruits of your harvest" is considered, which is
"Christ" 1 Cor. 15:23.
There was to be only "unleavened bread" Lev.
23:6, in the associated "feasts", but where the "wave
loaves" Lev. 23:17, which
represent God's people, are considered, they are baken with leaven",
indicative of imperfection.
Notice David asks, "How shall a young man
cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word Ps.
119:9. "Thy Word". "The word was made flesh" Jn.
1:14, and thus the Son "led him (the Father) forth" (margin) Jn.
1:18, "and we beheld his glory" Jn.
1:14 "God was manifest in
the flesh" 1 Tim. 3:16.
"God was in Christ" 2 Cor. 5:19.
Then "God spake IN SON" (margin) Heb.
1:2. What God said "in Son" in the matter of "reconciling the
world" 2 Cor. 5:19, constitute
"the words of eternal life" Jn. 6:68, "the gospel of…salvation" Eph. 1:13. Thus:
·
"The
first fruits" (Christ) translated in terms of "unleavened bread" Lev.
23:6,10, for the sake of participation, answers David's question in Ps.
119:9, for,
·
"The
wave loaves…baken with leaven", Lev.
23:17
·
We who
are saved, participate in the sacrifice of Christ when we eat "The
word…made flesh" Jn. 1:14, Jn.
6:54 by means of "the words of eternal life" Jn.
6:68.
·
We who
are saved though "baken with leaven", "cleanse our way'",
when we "walk by faith" 2 Cor. 5:7, whereby Christ "cleanseth us" 1
Jn.1:7 in order to:
·
"Fellowship
1 Jn. 1:7
·
"Joy"
1 Jn. 1:4
·
Service 2
Tim. 2:21,22
·
Rewards Col.
3:24, Eph. 6:8
·
"God's
glory" Jn. 15:8
It
was with this in mind that Christ prayed "Sanctify them (thine own) through
thy truth, thy word is truth" Jn.
17:17. Compare Eph. 5:26.
Paul said, "Let us keep the feast, not with
leaven…but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" 1
Cor. 5:8. When? After we have "purged out the old leaven…as ye are
unleavened" 1 Cor. 5:7. This seems to be a contradiction, notice, "Purge
out the old leaven…ye are unleavened". How could they purge out the old
leaven, if they were unleavened? Notice a parallel truth with the same
instruction, "We are dead to sin" Rom. 6:2. "Reckon ye…yourselves to be dead indeed unto
sin" Rom. 6:11. In both cases
the truth was declared as to the actual status as judged of God, but those, of
whom it was declared, "ye are unleavened", were to practice the truth
commensurate with that state. Notice the words "as ye are unleavened",
that is, be practically, what by grace, you are judicially declared to be. So in
the references of
Rom.
6:2,11,
"ye are", therefore reckon practically, by yielding your members as
righteousness unto God", what God by grace has declared true.
Notice again, "As ye are unleavened".
Although in the type God's people are "baken with leaven",
nevertheless, "in Christ" it is declared that such "sinneth
not", 1 Jn. 3:6; therefore,
"as ye are unleavened" in Christ, so "we should live…in this
present world" Titus 2:12. While
"baken with leaven", Paul said, "I keep my body under", 1
Cor. 9:27, for he knew that "in my flesh dwelleth no good thing", Rom. 7:18. But by "the law of the spirit of life in
Christ" Rom. 8:2, he was
determined that "sin shall not have dominion" ever him Rom.
6:14, but rather, "glorify God in…body" 1
Cor. 6:20. Thus do we "keep the feast…with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth"
1
Cor. 5:8.
The "leaven" which Paul, said "Purge out" is called
"malice and wickedness" in the same verse, in contrast to
"sincerity and truth". To eat "unleavened bread"
practically, means separation from evil. Practical separation from evil in the
cleansing of our way is by means of "the truth" Jn.
17:17, after we have eaten the bread that came down from heaven". The
order of truth,
·
Salvation
·
Separation
from evil, and unto the Lord, and
·
service
Now
Christ "the first fruits" translated into "unleavened
bread", baked without leaven, of "fine flour" in the type, for
the sake of participation, is translated in "words" in the fulfillment
for the sake of comprehension, that is, for our understanding. "Faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God", Rom. 10:17 "without faith it is impossible to please him",
Heb. 11:6.The first reference
concerns "faith" which God "reckoned…for righteousness"
Rom.
4:3,9 the
second reference concerns "faith" by which the "elders obtained a
good report" Heb. 11:1,2, and by
which Christians "walk" 2 Cor
5:7.
·
The first
interprets Christ in order to salvation 1 Jn. 5:20.
·
The
second interprets "the will of God in Christ", 1 Thess. 5:18, for all who have been saved.
·
The
"flesh and blood" of Christ, in Jn.
6:54, symbols of "the words of eternal life" Jn. 6:68, to all that "believe" Jn. 6:47, concerns salvation, in "the bread of God" Jn.
6:33.
·
The
"one bread" of 1 Cor. 10:17,
is a symbol of "the words of faith and good doctrine" 1
Tim. 4:6, unto which Timothy had attained and charged to use in relation to
his ministry to "the Brethren" 1
Tim. 4:6. Participation in: he "one bread" by the "many
members" in a manner which God approves will find them "endeavoring to
keep the Unity of the Spirit" Eph.
4:3, by means of "the unity of the faith Eph.
4:13, thus fulfilling the desire of Christ Jn. 17:21, and convincing the world that Christ was indeed sent into
the world. Love, on the part of God's people, for God, his truth, and one
another, will evidence itself in the fellowship.
Notice Paul refers to the "bread" as that
which "we break" in order to participate in it, but he also said,
"We being many are one bread". The unity of the faith produces that
oneness, and of course, exists in its unbroken state prior to the participation.
If this unity does not exist, then the breaking of the bread in order to
participate makes the divided body "worse". We shall comment on this
state in our next lesson. You may be "joined to the Lord", and you may
have been "baptized into one body”, but what are you doing toward the
unity of that body in all it's parts. So that the "one bread" finds
"one body" in "one mind" ready to break it, and eat "in
remembrance of" the Son of God, on the day which he has appointed "the
first day of the week", Acts 20:7?
Prepared by:
H. Frank Fort,
Minister, Berean Baptist Church,
Houston, Texas.
Oct. 23, 1956.
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"