The Lord's Supper
As taught in the Reformed / Presbyterian tradition
Understanding the spiritual presence of Christ and the nourishing of the soul by faith during the meal.
What actually happens when a believer approaches the Table of the Lord? In the Reformed tradition, this question is not merely a matter of ritual preference or ecclesiastical tradition; it is a question of how the New Covenant is sealed and how the risen Christ continues to nourish His body, the Church. The doctrine of the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist, stands as one of the most distinctive and deeply articulated pillars of Reformed theology.
By the end of this lesson
- **Distinguish** between the Reformed view of "Real Spiritual Presence" and the views of Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation, and Memorialism.
- **Articulate** the role of the Holy Spirit as the "link" that unites the believer on earth to the ascended Christ in heaven during the administration of the Supper.
- **Explain** the concept of "Sacramental Union" and how the signs (bread and wine) relate to the thing signified (the body and blood of Christ).
- **Trace** the biblical development of the covenant meal from the Passover to the Upper Room and finally to the Eschatological Banquet.
- **Identify** the requirements for "worthy partaking" as outlined in the Reformed confessions, specifically focusing on the role of faith and self-examination.
- **Defend** the Reformed insistence on the "finished work" of Christ against the notion of the Supper as a propitiatory sacrifice.
- **Compare** the "feeding" in John 6 with the "feeding" in the Lord's Supper, noting the nuances of spiritual manducation (eating).
- **Apply** the doctrine of the Lord's Supper to the life of the local church, explaining how it fosters communal unity and personal assurance of salvation.
Scripture
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