Methodist Communion Is Idolatry

[Eleanor]

Paul rebuked such a thing and told people to eat at home and not use communion for that purpose.

Was Paul referring to physical nourishment or spiritual nourishment there?
The Lord's Supper is about spiritual nourishment.

 

[ChristB4us]

Was Paul referring to physical nourishment or spiritual nourishment there?
The Lord's Supper is about spiritual nourishment.

What were you talking about here?

And do those who come to participate in the Lord's Supper ever hunger and thirst because of lack of spiritual nourishment?

That comment flies in the face of His words below.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

And so that is not what communion is for.

 

[Eleanor]

What were you talking about here?

That comment flies in the face of His words below.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

And so that is not what communion is for.

Demonstrate my error from Scripture.

 

[ChristB4us]

Demonstrate my error from Scripture.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Jesus is not talking about communion at all in that chapter.

 

[Eleanor]

Demonstrate my error from Scripture.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Jesus is not talking about communion at all in that chapter.

Assertion is not Biblical demonstration.

 

[ChristB4us]

Assertion is not Biblical demonstration.

Then I leave you to God to show you the truth. Better be watching for Him to do it, sister.

 

[Eleanor]

Then I leave you to God to show you the truth. Better be watching for Him to do it, sister.

And I'll leave that to you.

 

[ChristB4us]

And I'll leave that to you.

May God bless you & keep you. May He shine His face upon you & give you His peace.

 

[ChristB4us]

And I'll leave that to you.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

 

[Eleanor]

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

I'm assuming you have done that.

 

[ChristB4us]

I'm assuming you have done that.

I trust Him every day for that. He has aligned the truth in all of His words so that no scripture is opposing the understanding of His words thus proving that He has rightly divided the word of truth for me.

 

[TibiasDad]

The problem with Lutherans is that Martin Luther did not get rid of all things Catholicism. Lutherans may not believe that communion is for making atonement for past sins but still they believe Christ's Presence is in the bread and the wine thus keeping them idols in that regard. So are the Methodists.

There is a huge difference between the concept of the bread and wine becoming the actual body and blood of Christ, and the conception that there is a presence of Christ associated with or in the elements.

We do not make the sacrament a “god”, but acknowledge that there is divine grace and power in the act of taking communion.

As a Nazarene, a throughly Wesleyan denomination, I don’t hold to a Catholic or Lutheran point of view. There is grace offered by means of the sacrament for those whose hearts are seeking a holy “communion”, fellowship, interaction with God, but there is nothing divine in the elements themselves just as there is nothing divine in a man made building called a church.


Doug

 

[ChristB4us]

There is a huge difference between the concept of the bread and wine becoming the actual body and blood of Christ, and the conception that there is a presence of Christ associated with or in the elements.

How can it be different when making the bread and wine for more than it is when it is to be symbolic in doing communion only in remembrance of Him. Making the bread & the wine as the actual body & blood of Jesus is just as much as idolatry as believing His Presence is in them because you are NOT receiving Him again in communion.

We do not make the sacrament a “god”, but acknowledge that there is divine grace and power in the act of taking communion.

Believing that in taking communion in that way is still doing it for more than in remembrance of Him. Nothing else is to be happening at communion or else otherwise; Jesus would have testified to that and lead with that rather than say do this in remembrance of Him.

As a Nazarene, a throughly Wesleyan denomination, I don’t hold to a Catholic or Lutheran point of view. There is grace offered by means of the sacrament for those whose hearts are seeking a holy “communion”, fellowship, interaction with God, but there is nothing divine in the elements themselves just as there is nothing divine in a man made building called a church.


Doug

You should consider dropping terms that has been carried over from Catholicism like sacrament, power, and the word holy from communion.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

@Eleanor

 

[Eleanor]

I trust Him every day for that. He has aligned the truth in all of His words so that no scripture is opposing the understanding of His words thus proving that He has rightly divided the word of truth for me.

Good for you. . .and for me as well.

 

[TibiasDad]

How can it be different when making the bread and wine for more than it is when it is to be symbolic in doing communion only in remembrance of Him.

The elements are just elements, the difference is in what we are doing with them. The element’s never change in any way from what they are or what they become in the process of consummation. The Grace and presence of the Lord is spiritual and recognized by faith in our remembrance and belief of his sacrifice for us.

Doug

 

[ChristB4us]

The elements are just elements, the difference is in what we are doing with them.

Are we doing it just in remembrance of him or are we doing it for more than that/

The element’s never change in any way from what they are or what they become in the process of consummation. The Grace and presence of the Lord is spiritual and recognized by faith in our remembrance and belief of his sacrifice for us.

Doug

Sounds like more than doing it in remembrance of Him and I dare say Catholics, & Lutherans can apply your comment for how they do the Mass too.

Communion is not holy communion and it should be done in remembrance of Him in proclaiming the Lord's death for what He has done.

There is nothing mystical about it. It is just a reminder for our sake.

 

[TibiasDad]

Are we doing it just in remembrance of him or are we doing it for more than that/

Sounds like more than doing it in remembrance of Him and I dare say Catholics, & Lutherans can apply your comment for how they do the Mass too.

Communion is not holy communion and it should be done in remembrance of Him in proclaiming the Lord's death for what He has done.

There is nothing mystical about it. It is just a reminder for our sake.

We are doing it in remembrance of his sacrifice, and he, God, imparts grace who do so rightly, just as Jesus’s sacrifice was an act of grace for all who believe.

Frankly, I feel rather sorry for you that you cannot recognize the grace of God being active in communion. There is little purpose for something that is void of spiritual power and Jesus does not give commands in which there is no power for dynamic effect to occur. God can speak and be acting graciously through anything at any time.

When I administer communion to my congregation, I do so with the conviction that God is speaking to us through it.


Doug

 

[TibiasDad]

Communion is not holy communion and it should be done in remembrance of Him in proclaiming the Lord's death for what He has done.

If it is not Holy, then it is not Godly!

Doug

 

[ChristB4us]

We are doing it in remembrance of his sacrifice, and he, God, imparts grace who do so rightly, just as Jesus’s sacrifice was an act of grace for all who believe.

Frankly, I feel rather sorry for you that you cannot recognize the grace of God being active in communion. There is little purpose for something that is void of spiritual power and Jesus does not give commands in which there is no power for dynamic effect to occur. God can speak and be acting graciously through anything at any time.

When I administer communion to my congregation, I do so with the conviction that God is speaking to us through it.

Doug

Dear Brother Doug,

What grace is being given in communion to be seen as active of what has already been received by faith in Jesus Christ at the calling of the gospel?

What is God speaking to you through communion as if beyond what was already done & thus said by Christ's death on the cross for why it is to be done ONLY in remembrance of Him?

You cannot do anything in remembrance of Him if communion is active thus signifying as more than just doing it in remembrance of Him.

 

[TibiasDad]

Dear Brother Doug,

What grace is being given in communion to be seen as active of what has already been received by faith in Jesus Christ at the calling of the gospel?

The very word communion is about interaction between two parties, God and the believer. It is interpersonal, thus, “this is my body broken for you”, and “this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you.”

There is new grace given, not necessarily salvific, (but that certainly cannot be ruled out as a possibility) yet encouraging grace, strengthening grace.

What is God speaking to you through communion as if beyond what was already done & thus said by Christ's death on the cross for why it is to be done ONLY in remembrance of Him?

To say “do this in remembrance of me” does not say that that is the only thing that happens, especially in terms of what God may do when we remember.

You cannot do anything in remembrance of Him if communion is active thus signifying as more than just doing it in remembrance of Him.

This doesn’t make any sense to me. How does communing with God negate my remembrance of what he did?


Doug