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What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER FORTY THREE

WHY WE USE WINE IN THE LORD'S SUPPER
I CORINTHIANS 11:20-34

We believe wine is to be used in the observance of the Lord's supper. Although there is more evidence to support the validity of this position than will be offered here; there are three simple Bible reasons why we believe wine is the correct drink to be used in the supper.

I. We use wine because that is what Christ used when He instituted the supper:

A. The Bible teaches we should follow Christ's example:

1. I Pet. 2:21 teaches us to follow in His steps.

2. Lk. 9:23 teaches us to follow Him.

B. If we can prove what Jesus used in the first supper, then it would be scriptural and right for us to use that element today.

C. It is a fact that Christ used the same ingredients to institute the Lord's Supper that had been used for centuries in observing the passover:

1. Mt. 26:17 says that on the night Jesus instituted the Lord's supper, they had come together to eat the passover and according to Mt. 26:19-21 they did observe the passover.

2. Mt. 26:26 says that "as they were eating" Jesus instituted a new order, what we call "The Lord's Supper. "

3. Mt. 26:26-27 Note well that the same ingredients which had been used in the passover were used in the Lord's Supper. By scriptural order, whatever these ingredients were, they are what we should now use in the Lord's Supper.

D. Wine and unleavened bread were always used in the passover:

1. When they had seen the passover back in Egypt (Ex. 12) God had commanded them to prepare for it with "only" unleavened foods and beverages.

2. Ex. 12:18-24 God told them to keep this as a memorial feast yearly and always with unleavened foods and beverages.

3. Lev. 23:5-8 This feast became known as "the feast of unleavened bread."

4. During this feast all leaven was to be put off them personally (Ex. 13:7). and even out of their dwelling places, Ex. 12:15, 19.

5. Wine is the only unleavened state of the fruit of the vine, thus Christ in the observance of the passover (and the following instituting of the Lord'sSupper), had to use wine:

a. Grape juice (the ingredient used by so many today) is full of leaven as the impurities and leaven are only thrown off through the process of fermentation.

b. For centuries B.C., during Christ's day, and Jews since, even today, always use wine in their observance of the passover.

C. Had Christ used any less than this God ordained ingredient, He'd have violated not only Jewish tradition, but God's mandate on the subject.

d. Only those who ignore the evidence can fail to see that when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, He had wine in the cup.

E. Since we believe Christ used wine in the supper, then we believe to follow in His steps, we must use wine too.

II. We also use wine because wine is what the early Bible churches used:

A. In considering this subject, the question arises, "Did the Bible day churches practice using wine in their observance of the supper?"

1. The one Bible case, where we have a church observing the supper and the elements mentioned, is in I Cor. 11:20-34:

a. Notice in this text that this church was assembled together making a merry meal of the Lord's Supper ingredients; not for the purpose of communion, but for a common meal, Vs. 20.

b. Paul reprimands them for this and tells them to eat common meals at home (Vs. 34) and how to properly observe communion. (Vs. 23-33).

C. Bear in mind that Paul does not reprimand them for the ingredients being used, but rather for the way they were using them.

d. The ingredient they were using in the cup was capable of making them "Drunken." Vs. 21:

(1) Grape juice will not make one drunken.
(2) But, the ingredient which Christ used and this church was using could make one drunk.

2. We do not submit these as part of our proof, but we would mention the fact that the pages of history on the subject always record early churches using wine in the Lord's Supper, for the most part, up until the great temperance movement of the 19th and 20th centuries.

B. As we believe we should follow Christ's example, we also believe the early church examples, which God smiled upon, are for our example too:

1. Timothy was to be an example, I Tim. 4:12.

2. Early Israel was an example, I Cor. 10:6.

3. And, the Thessalonnians are our example too, I Thes. 1:7.

4. The Bible not only teaches by commandment, but by examples too.

III. We use wine because only wine could accurately portray the truths of the Lord's Supper:

A. Whatever is in the cup portrays Jesus' blood. I Cor. 1 1:25, Mt. 26:27-28.

B. I Pet. 1:19 Jesus' blood was perfect, without blemish or spot.

C. Scientifically, grape juice is a mass of impurities. Only through fermentation does it purge itself and throw off the impurities. That which is left after fermentation has thrown off the impurities is called wine, or "the pure blood of the grape", Deut. 32:14. The pure wine above the purged impurities is called "wines on the lees", Isa. 25:6. The truth of these points can be proven by a simple household chemical experiment of uncooked grape juice left alone.

D. Why should we use such an impure ingredient as grape juice to represent the blood of Jesus? Why not use the pure state of the fruit of the vine?

E. We believe the pure fruit of the vine should be used to represent the pure blood of the Lamb.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"