“Faith Facts” is a series of short write-ups (approximately 350 words) that can be used in church bulletins or as brief explainers during Christian worship.
Download: Bulletin insert (5.5″x8.5″).
Faith Facts
The Lord’s Supper is called by many names.
1. The earliest way of referring to the Lord’s Supper was simply “the breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7). When Jesus instituted the Supper, he broke bread and blessed it (Mt. 26:26). When the early Church observed the Supper, the ceremonial breaking of bread (the “fraction”) became a characteristic act of the service.
2. The name “Lord’s Supper” highlights that this it is a meal which the Lord Jesus instituted. It is his command and ordinance. It also indicates that it is a meal with Jesus that is served by Jesus.
3. The Lord’s Supper is also called “communion,” which comes from a Greek word (koinōnia) that means “sharing” or “participation.” Paul says that the cup that we bless and the bread that we break is a “participation” (koinōnia) in the blood and body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16), a sharing in Jesus himself and in the benefits of his atonement. The word “communion” also highlights the sharing of life that we enjoy with one another as we feed on Christ together.
4. The Lord’s Supper is also called “the Eucharist,” which comes from a Greek word that means “thanksgiving.” Some people have only heard Roman Catholics use this term, but it was also used by the Protestant Reformers and goes back to the very early church. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, Luke 22:19 says that he took bread and “gave thanks” (eucharisteō). The Lord’s Supper is a thanksgiving meal where we express gratitude for our dear Savior.
5. The church service in which the Lord’s Supper is shared is also called “the Mass” (even by Protestants like Martin Luther), which comes from a Latin word that means “sending.” The Church in the West spoke Latin for centuries and the service ended with the words “Ite, missa est” (“Go, it is the sending/dismissal”). Applying this word to the whole service emphasizes that we share in Christ so that we can share Christ with the world. Communion leads to mission.
