"COMMUNION EMBLEMS”

By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.

The question was asked about the emblems in the “Lord’s Supper”. However, one must keep in mind an old saying that goes like this, “In the Bible, the main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things”. Thus, if the Lord was interested in us knowing for certain what was to be used He would have seen to it that it was more plain. Until I am corrected, it appears to me the following:

1) The Fruit Of The Vine (symbolic of the blood of Jesus Christ)
a) Greek words used for wine or grape juice were:
1) Gleukos - This was an absolutely unfermented juice or sweet juice. All lexicons list it as unintoxicating, but many commentaries, not knowing the difference, list it as an intoxicating wine. I contend this unfermented juice should be used for “Communion”.
2) Oinos - This was normally an intoxicating wine, but one had to consider the context, when used in Scripture.
3) Sikera - This was always an intoxicating fermented alcoholic wine used in the first century. This should never be used!

2) The Bread (symbolic of the body of Jesus Christ)
a) Normally, it is accepted that the Communion Bread served in the church service should be unleavened or without yeast. This is concluded from the fact that Jesus instituted the “Lord’s Supper” while in the midst of the “Passover Feast” and it was always served with unleavened bread. However, sometimes in the Scriptures “Leaven” is good and not always evil.

Conclusion:
The importance of observing the “Lord’s Supper” or “Communion”, which is a memorial of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was willing to die for sinful mankind is the following. It is plain in the Scriptures and from secular history that the early church shared in the “Communion” at least every Sunday. The manner of participation varied, as well as when it was served in the service. The importance of observing the “Lord’s Supper” on a regular basis is to have our hearts and minds in the correct manner as one eats of the bread and drinks of the contents of the cup.

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