 |
Summaries
|
|
Regarding the cross, the meaning of the bread and the cup of Communion can
be summarized as follows:
|
BREAD OF COMMUNION
1Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:10; 1Corinthians 5:6-8
|
CUP OF COMMUNION
Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:9
|
|
The bread means Deliverance from sin
|
The cup means Forgiveness for sin
|
|
The bread means Deliverance from the power of sin
|
The cup means Deliverance from the penalty of sin
|
|
The bread means Sanctification
|
The cup means Justification
|
|
The bread means that the believer is Crucified with Christ
|
The cup means that the believer is Forgiven in Christ
|
|
The bread means Deliverance from sin
|
The cup means Deliverance from death
|
|
The bread means Deliverance from sin and self
|
The cup means Deliverance from death
|
|
The bread means Authority over sin and self
|
The cup means Authority over curses (death)
|
|
The bread means Authority over the devil and his ability to keep us in
bondage to some sin
|
The cup means Authority over the devil’s ministry of death and curses in some
area of our life
|
|
The bread means that He bore our grief and sorrow, our infirmities and
sicknesses in His body. Our bodies are now free to function right. (Isaiah 53:4, Matt.
8:17)
|
The cup means that He broke the curse of sickness. (Isaiah 53:5, Mark 2:5-12,
James 5:14-15) Sickness seen here as a penalty for sin. The blood paid the price
|
|
Bread of Affliction (Duet. 16:3) (the pain of making an abrupt change and
coming out of Egypt and sin)
|
Cup of Blessing (1 Corinthians 10:16) (the blessing that follows
obedience)
|
|
The bread relates to Deliverance out of Egypt (sin)
|
The cup relates to Deliverance from the judgment of the Egyptians (penalty
for sin)
|
|
The bread relates to the Feast of Unleavened Bread
|
The cup relates to the Feast of Passover
|
|
The bread relates to the Parting of the Red Sea (picture of the
cross)
|
The cup relates to the Angel of Death passing over the blood on the door
posts (picture of the cross)
|
|
The bread relates to the Scapegoat (Day of Atonement) He bore our iniquities
away. Lev.16:21-2
|
The cup relates to the Goat of the sin offering (Day of Atonement)
|
|
Regarding the resurrected, Spirit-filled life, the meaning of the bread
and cup of Communion can be summarized as follows. At the cross, we were delivered from sin and
death into the following.
|
BREAD OF COMMUNION
1Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:5-7; 1Corinthians 12:18
1Corinthians 5:6-8
|
CUP OF COMMUNION
Deuteronomy 12:23; Leviticus 17:14; John 3:16; John 10:10
Romans 8:2,6,10,11
|
|
The bread means Righteousness
|
The cup means Life
|
|
The bread means Obedience
|
The cup means Blessing (Cup of Blessing)
|
|
The bread means Walking in Love
|
The cup means God meeting our needs
|
|
The bread means each member of the body of Christ has his unique calling
and what he is suppose to do
|
The cup means God's provision for each member of the body of Christ
|
|
The bread means Character development
|
The cup means God meeting our needs
|
|
The bread stands for the commands (in the Word)
|
The cup stands for the Promises (in the Word)
|
|
The bread means a particular command in the Word
|
The cup means the corresponding promise for that command
|
|
The bread means Sowing good seed
|
The cup means Reaping a wonderful harvest
|
|
The bread relates to Right Action
|
The cup relates to Wonderful Consequence
|
|
The bread means Being good
|
The cup means God’s goodness to us
|
|
The bread relates to the Leading of the Spirit
|
The cup relates to the Spirit of life
|
|
The bread relates to the Fruit of the Spirit (the fruit displays God’s
character)
|
The cup relates to the Gifts of the Spirit (The gifts meet desperate needs;
they impart life)
|
|
The bread means that obedience is a gift from the Holy Spirit
|
The cup means that life is a gift from the Holy Spirit
|
|
The Body is for doing
|
The Blood is for life (Life as in nourishment, support, sustenance)
|
|
The bread means Eating the doings of Jesus
|
The cup means Drinking the abundant life of Jesus
|
|
The bread means Doing what Jesus would do
|
The cup means Seeing Jesus as my source for all of my needs (source of
life)
|
|
The bread relates to Taking a step of faith for your healing (action lead by
the Spirit)
|
The cup relates to the Spirit who will give life to your mortal body (the
Spirit of Life will minister power for healing in response to action and faith)
|
|
The Feast of First Fruits relates to the resurrection message of the bread
(celebrated on Sunday after Passover)
|
The Feast of First Fruits relates to the resurrection message of the
cup(celebrated on Sunday after passover)
|
|
The bread relates to The Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil (obedience
issues)
|
The cup relates to the Tree of life
|
|
The bread relates to Righteousness in Heaven
|
The cup relates to Eternal Life in Heaven
|
The bread means that the believer was delivered from sin at the
cross, so that he can now live for righteousness (1Peter 2:24). The cup means that the believer was delivered
from death at the cross (forgiven), so that he can now experience life (John 3:16, John 10:10). The above
charts show how these two great themes harmonize and relate to each other. Together, they summarize and
symbolize the entire Christian walk and faith.
Now, imagine if you separated someone’s blood from his or her
body. A body without blood would wither and die. A bucket of blood without a body to flow through would
be useless. Similarly, the basic theme of the body of Christ and the basic theme of the blood of Christ, would
each be useless without the other. These two great themes “need” each other to give us the whole gospel that
Paul preached; and to give us the whole counsel of scripture. Today, we tend to have the cup without the
bread.
Also, the message of the cross that the unleavened bread represents
(top chart) is usually completely omitted from our preaching. That is, we preach the forgiveness for sin found at
the cross but not the deliverance from sin found at the cross. It will take great wisdom to preach both
messages of the cross to this generation; being that deliverance from sin involves the pain of dying to sin and
self. But, on the positive side, the cup of blessing speaks of God’s limitless provision and life to meet
every need (spirit, soul, emotions and body) completely and forever. What more could one ask for? The cup
of blessing gives us the incentive to endure the sometimes difficult demands represented by the unleavened
bread.
Another important observation to be made relates to the order of the
elements; i.e., the bread is eaten first, then the cup is taken. An entire article is devoted to this fact in
this web site. One could conceivably write volumes and volumes of books elaborating on the importance of this
one fact. The point here is that action leads to consequences. Right action (the bread) leads to positive
consequences (the cup). The cup stands for the blood of Christ which is all of the provision, blessing and
life, any one would ever need or want. Obedience to the Lord or righteousness (bread) is required first in order to
experience God’s abundant provision (cup); just as the bread is eaten before the cup is drunk. Also, it should
be noted, obedience (bread) is a gift from the Lord just as His provision (cup) is.
One might object that the above paragraph sounds like works. The answer to this
objection is that God saved us out of our sin and dead works into good works (bread), as well as having saved us
out of death into life (cup). Our good works are a gift from the Lord just as our blessings are, which is why
we eat the bread. Also, the gospel has two basic goals: righteousness (bread) and life (cup), not just life
(Romans 5:12-21; etc.). We have the privilege to walk in God’s ways (bread) as well as see His miraculous
blessings (cup). And finally, action leads to consequences for all people, Christian and non-Christian; this
is God’s plan (Galatians 6:7, Romans 2:5-11).
Regarding the order of the bread first and then the cup, we have a picture of true, book of
Acts, Christianity. With the bread we see the members of the body of Christ doing (the body is for doing; Hebrews
10:5-7) God’s word and seeing God miraculously provide (cup). We each eat the bread to proclaim that we will step
out and act like Jesus and do our part to be His body in this world, and then we drink the cup with the full
expectation that He will be there with us to back us even with miraculous help
Click here to get this page in a printer friendly format
Click on icon to email
us
To Order This Book
| 
