Lesson 4
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
Intro:
Paul begins by saying we give thanks to God.
Paul uses the word Eucharisteo for thanks; this word literally means to say grace at a meal. The reference I believe is to the Lords Supper.
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Grace at
a meal:
(Mat 15:36) And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
·
Grace at
the Lords Supper:
(Mat 26:27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
(Mat 26:28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Paul draws on the idea of the importance of Christ dying on the cross. He is setting the stage. And that he is partaking in the memorial the solemn feast of the communion.
In other words he is thankful that Christ died for him. And is provoking them to remember how important it is for them to reflect on what Jesus did for them on the cross.
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Partaking in that solemn memorial that feast.
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Eucharistos means grateful or well favored.
Why are we grateful or well favored it is because of what
Jesus has done on
There are many different views on the Lords Supper: And we will examine some of those views held by different religions.
The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek noun εὐχαριστία (thanksgiving). This noun or the corresponding verb εὐχαριστῶ (to give thanks) is found in 55 verses of the New Testament. Four of these verses (Matthew 26:27, Mark 14:23, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24) recount that Jesus "gave thanks" before presenting to his followers the bread and the wine that he declared to be his body and his blood.
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The
Catholics believe in the communion as a Theophagy:
It is part of their
sacraments for salvation. Sacredotolism
Theophagy is the practice of eating the body of a god. This is sometimes performed symbolically through the eating of a food or material symbolic of the god.
Roman Catholics believe they are no longer bread and wine. This doctrine holds that the elements are not only spiritually transformed, but are actually (substantially) transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The elements retain the appearanceof bread and wine, but are indeed the actual Body and Blood of Christ, the true, real, and substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist
And this is called:
Transubstantiation is the belief held by the Roman Catholic Church that the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus during Consecration.
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They hold
to this belief system because:
The Roman Catholic Church holds that Christ directly instructed the Apostles in belief in the real presence, that the elements of the Eucharist become the body and blood of Christ. The Synoptic Gospels present the words of Christ concerning the bread and wine at the Last Supper: "This is my body... This is my blood" (Matthew 26:26-28).
The Gospel of John records that Jesus said(John 6:53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Many of those who heard Jesus's words appear to have taken them literally, .
Paul implies an identity between the apparent bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ when he writes: (1 Cor 11:27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
We as Baptist believes that the Lords Supper is an ordinance, Law for the Local Church as a memorial: symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus, the feast being primarily a memorial meal.
(Luke 22:19) And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
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He then
ends Col 1:3 with praying always for you;
Paul was not only reflecting on what Christ had done for him in the crucifixion but was thankful for what the Lord had done for the Church at Colosse.
Ø Their Testimony went on to show in verse 4
Col 1: 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
· Their Faith
· And love of the Saints
Jesus outlined the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments into two commandments.
Matt 22: 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
The Church at Colosse followed the Lord fully.