on the Lord's Supper

Statement by the Supreme Church Council of the Pentecostal Church in Poland on the Lord's Supper

1. By celebrating the Lord's Supper in the two forms of bread and wine, the Church commemorates the death of Christ. This act is described using the following terms:

• the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:20)

• The Breaking of Bread (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7; 1 Cor 10:16, 17ab; 11:23, 26–28)

• The Lord’s Table (1 Cor 10:21)

• The cup and the bread (1 Cor 10:16, 17, 21; 11:25–28)

• Communion in the sense of fellowship (1 Cor 10:17, 21, 30; 1 Cor 10:16, 18, 20)

• The Eucharist in the sense of thanksgiving (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22ff; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24).

The term “the Lord’s Supper” is used in this statement.

2. The institution of the Lord's Supper is described by the first three Evangelists (Matt 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–26; Luke 22:19–20) and the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 11:23–32). The Lord’s Supper has its roots in the Passover meal (Ex 12; cf. Luke 22:15). To better understand the intentions of the Lord Jesus, one must reflect on the events of the Last Supper in relation to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, and in particular on everything concerning the Passover lamb and the course of the Passover feast itself. Israel was to celebrate the Passover in remembrance of this salvific event (Ex 12:14). The observance of the Passover was one of the commandments imposed by God upon Israel (Ex 12:14; cf. Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24–25), and breaking this commandment was punishable by expulsion from the community (Num 9:13). According to apostolic teaching, “our Passover lamb” is Christ (1 Cor 5:7), which makes the Lord’s death and resurrection the central event in the history of salvation. For this reason, too, the remembrance (anamnesis) of the event of the Cross is an essential element of Christian service.

3. Taking part in the Lord's Supper is to participate, through faith, in the one, saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, offered on the cross.

4. Christ’s presence in the Lord's Supper is real, but spiritual, not physical.

5. The Lord's Supper is not the offering up of Christ, nor does it involve any sacrifice other than the sacrifice of worship and thanksgiving (Heb 13:15), which Christians continually offer to God through Jesus Christ.

6. Christ commanded that the bread and wine be blessed, so as to consecrate them as visible signs of His invisible Body and Blood.

7. The elements of the Lord's Supper, bread and wine, are so closely related to Christ that they may be called His Body and Blood (1 Cor 10:16), although in their essence and nature they remain true bread and wine.

8. Eating bread and drinking wine during the Lord's Supper must be accompanied by faith, for these elements have no power in themselves, but become a judgement upon those who approach these holy signs without faith.

9. The Lord's Supper is the visible Word through which the Church proclaims the Lord’s death, His resurrection and His second coming in glory; it is also a testimony to the unity of the Church.

10. The Lord's Supper consists of:

• reflecting on relevant passages from the Scripture (including the words of the Institution in 1 Cor 11:23–26),

• a prayer of thanksgiving and the blessing of the individual items,

• breaking and eating bread and drinking from the cup.

11. The elements of the Lord's Supper are bread and wine.

• The bread may be either unleavened (in remembrance of the matzah eaten at the Last Supper) or ordinary, i.e. leavened (in remembrance of Christ, who became the new leaven).

• The wine must be made from grapes. In justified cases, the use of grape juice is permitted.

12. The Lord's Supper is generally celebrated as part of a congregational service.

13. The Lord's Supper should be administered with dignity by the pastor or another authorised person.

14. Only those who have been converted and baptised are entitled to take part in the Lord's Supper.

15. Those who have been deprived of this right as a result of church discipline may not take part in the Lord's Supper.

16. Once the service has ended, the blessed gifts should be treated with respect.

17. The Lord's Supper may also be celebrated in places where the sick and infirm are staying. Care should be taken to ensure that the ceremony is conducted in a fitting and dignified manner.

Warsaw, September 2002