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A
Brief Paper on: The
Lord's Supper and the Use of Leavened Bread by
Rev. Christopher C. Arch, MA Pastor of the Good News Bible Church May
11, 1998 Introduction: Good
News Bible Church was compelled to examine the Biblical appropriateness
of the use of leavened bread (bread with yeast as an ingredient) in the
Lord's Supper on the morning of May 3, 1998.
It was at this time that a visitor to the congregation stated his
inability to partake of "leavened bread" in the Supper due to
the fact that leaven represents sin in the Old Testament and Seder Supper,
and its use would be "hypocritical" for the Christian partaking
in communion. Therefore,
it is my intention as the teaching elder and pastor of Good News Bible
Church to research this matter in this paper and review the appropriateness
of the use of leavened bread in the Lord's Supper.
I.
The Purpose and Practice of the Lord's Supper Before
one considers the appropriate use of various elements within the Lord's
Supper (or commonly referred to as "Communion") attention must
be given to the purpose and practice of this memorial or ordinance in
the Church. First it must
be stated that Christians are not in agreement on what to even call the
Lord's Supper or its spiritual value.
Some traditions refer to the Supper as a "sacrament",
a term that has popularly come to mean "a conveying of grace",
rather that an event that
helps men to relate through faith to Christ. ( 1) This view is most commonly seen in the Catholic Church's
view of communion known as "Transubstantiation",
as well as the Lutheran Church's similar view known as "Consubstantiation".
Aside from most Lutheran and Anglican groups, Protestant Christians
view the Lord's Supper as either: a memorial,
a view popularized by Ulrich Zwingli during the Reformation, or an ordinance,
which was the view held most in keeping with that of Reformer John Calvin.
It was Zwingli's and Calvin's influence on the Protestant Church
which attempted to reject the Catholic notion of the Christian eating
the physical body of Christ and drinking the physical blood of Christ
in the Supper. Calvin further
clarified this position by stating that Christ's presence in the Supper
was "by contemplation of faith" and not "in essence and
reality" (2) As a Protestant congregation, Good News Bible Church
thoroughly rejects the notion of our Savior's body and blood being physically
present in the Supper elements. These elements are symbols.
Communion is an experience in which the Christian partakes and
is strengthened in his or her faith by contemplation and reflection, not
in essence and reality. The
Importance of the Communion Elements: Understanding
the purpose and practice of communion is foundational for further study
with regard to this subject. If
one sees the Supper as a sacrament or means of grace, then there can be
no variation from the use of the original elements since the elements
themselves confer grace regardless of the spiritual receptivity of the
participant. If however,
one sees the event as a memorial or ordinance in which he or she willingly
and joyfully participates (under the restrictions of I Corinthians 11:
23-34), then the importance is placed on the participant's heart attitude,
contemplation of the Savior's meritorious sacrifice, and spiritual receptivity,
and not the strict and inflexible use of certain elements. The
Use of "Leaven" in
the Old Testament: The
issue of objection raised in the communion service of May 3, 1998, was
that "leaven" is seen as a type of sin in the Old Testament,
and therefore must not be used in the New Testament service of the Lord's
Supper because it would correlate our Lord's body with sin (which according
to II Cor. 5:21 was in fact the case).
This is a good and sincere question which must be examined in light
of the evidence of Scripture, and not one's personal bias or tradition.
Therefore one must give attention to the occurrence and usage of
the term "leaven" in the Old Testament in order to either support
or disprove this statement. The
New American Standard Bible
uses the term "leaven" eight times in the Old Testament, while
it uses the similar term "leavened" thirteen times. The use of "leaven" is seen in a negative light in
verses: Ex. 12:15; 12:19; 13:7; Dt. 16:4 in specific relation to the Passover. "Grain Offerings",
Lev. 2:11; 6:17; were also not to be made with leaven.
However, it must also be clearly stated that the wave
offering used in the Feast of
Weeks or Pentecost, was specifically commanded to be made with
leaven (Lev. 23:17). Also,
the peace
offerings of Lev. 7:13 were specifically stated to be made with
leaven(ed). Therefore,
it is inappropriate to emphatically state that leaven is always sin, or
else the Lord God Himself would have caused the nation of Israel to sin,
a notion know to be patently false (James 1:13).
It should also be clearly stated that the Jews commonly used leavened
bread in their daily diet, and traditionally only set this aside for the
period of seven days surrounding the Passover
celebration (Ex. 12: 17-19). Next,
one should examine the occurrence and usage of the term "leavened"
in the Old Testament to further confirm or disprove this assertion.
This term is used thirteen times in the first thirty-nine books
of the Bible, with the vast majority of its use found in Exodus 12 and
13, all passages relating to the observance of the Passover. Hosea uses the term in an obscure manner in 7:4, which places
no real focus on the use of the term except as an illustration.
Amos also uses this term in 4:5, by way of illustrating the unfaithful
heart of the people of Israel, who although sacrificed in the prescribed
manner, and with apparent zeal, was far from God in their hearts. Thus,
it must be clearly stated that although the term "leaven" or
"leavened" can be seen as a "type" of sin in the Old
Testament, this typology must not be overstated. It is hermeneutically incorrect to do so in a blanket statement.
It is apparent, however, that in certain occurrences, most notably
the Passover celebration, that leaven can be labeled as a type of "sin".
The
Use of "Leaven" in
the New Testament: Having
considered the usage of the term "leaven" or "leavened"
in the Old Testament, an examination of the use of the term in the New
Testament must be made. The
New Testament uses the term "leaven"
thirteen times in the NASB.
Of these instances, six times the term is used in connection with
the teaching of the Pharisees (Mt. 16:6, 11, 12; Mk 8:15( 2 times); Lk.
12:1). The next major usage
of the term in a negative fashion is found in I Corinthians, where Paul
uses the term four times in the space of three verses (vv.6-8).
Although a strong connection can be made between this passage and
Christ and the Passover, it is obvious that the first use relates to boasting
or the immorality spoken of in I Cor, 5:1-5.
The second use of the term is found in verse seven. This use is
clearly a figure of speech used to exhort the Corinthians to remove the
wickedness from their lives. Finally
the term is used two (or three if "unleavened" is counted) more
times in verse eight as a figure of speech or analogy for the malice and
wickedness of the Corinthians. The
"unleavened" bread spoken of herein is certainly not physical
bread, for Paul states with all certainty that it is a figure of speech employed for his desire to see
sincerity and truth manifested in the lives of the believers at Corinth.
Again,
it must be stated that not all of the uses of "leaven" in the
New Testament are negative. In
both Mt. 13:33 and Lk. 13:21, Jesus specifically states that the Kingdom
of Heaven/Kingdom of God can be compared to leaven, in that a relatively
small amount has a great impact on a much larger body. It would be a terrible misinterpretation of Scripture to state
that since leaven is sometimes used as a type of sin in the Old Testament,
that therefore the Kingdom of God is to be seen as a Kingdom of Sin in
the New Testament! The
Institution of the Lord's Supper:
The
Bible records for us that the Lord's Supper was instituted on the night
before His crucifixion (Lk. 22:19-30; Mt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-25).
This event took place at the celebration of the Passover dinner,
which was the most important celebration in the Jewish faith.
It was a deliberate and sovereign part of God's plan that Christ
be so intrinsically identified with the Passover celebration, especially
as the Paschal Lamb.
Yet, it is also unmistakable that during this celebration, which
obviously used unleavened bread, Christ was beginning something new.
Lk. 22: 19-20, sees Jesus establishing a "new
covenant" with His followers.
The power and importance of this statement cannot be overestimated
for He was making a definite break with the Jewish system in favor of
that which would be accomplished in His bodily death, burial, and resurrection
in the three days to come. Thus,
although the Seder, or Passover Supper, has clear spiritual significance
in its fulfillment in Christ's death, it is ultimately a different celebration
or event from the New Testament practice of the Lord's Supper, with the
one seen foretelling while the other seen fulfilling.
Conclusion:
The
Scripture makes no appeal as to the specific elements that must be used
in the celebration of the Lord's Supper (Lk. 22: 19-30; Mt. 26:26-29;
Mk. 14:22-25; ICor. 11:23-34). It
can be accurately inferred that the type of bread Christ used in the initial
Lord's Supper, was the unleavened bread of the Passover meal.
However, there can only be inference from Scripture as to this
practice from that point onward.
As
a symbol, unleavened bread would serve the typology of the Passover and
Christ's fulfillment thereof. Also,
it would be most in keeping with the bread Christ apparently used in the
initiation of His Supper. Yet,
a symbol is ultimately only important in what it represents, and not in
and of itself. The merit
of the symbol does not reside in the symbol, but rather in what the symbol
represents. Also,
there is substantial evidence in the New Testament that no food is to
be seen as either sinful or unclean.
Peter was taught this lesson in Acts 10:9-16; and the Church as
a whole was reminded of this at the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15.
This monumental conference of the Church decided not to lay upon
the Gentiles the law of the Moses, but only exhorted the Greek believers
to "abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things
strangled, and from fornication." v. 29.
Again, the argument of an appropriate symbol in relation to the
Lord's Supper can be used, but an attempt to legalistically imply a specific
food item being "sin" is not in keeping with the teaching of
the New Testament. If
someone has a legitimate objection to the use of "leavened"
bread during the communion services of Good News Bible Church, that individual
should be encouraged to study the whole counsel of the Scripture with
the pastor or elders of the congregation.
If this issue continues to be a stumbling block for an individual
desirous of fellowship within the congregation, then the principle from
Romans 14, especially verses 13-21, which commands the pattern for our
behavior in this type of matter, could be applied, not as a result of
any sin inherent in the elements, but rather for the sake of the "weaker
brother".
End
Notes 1.
Erickson, p. 965 2.
ibid. p. 656 Bibliography Erickson,
Millard, The
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, (Baker Books: Hants, UK
1985). *All
Scripture quotes are from the New
American Standard Version, the Lockman
Foundation, copyright 1979. |