Eating the Lord’s supper, as presented in 1 Corinthians 11, is mainly for our remembrance of the Lord. Partaking of the Lord’s table, as presented in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and 21, is mainly for our fellowship with the saints. First Corinthians refers to the matter of bread-breaking two times. In chapter 11 it speaks of the Lord’s supper with the focus of remembering the Lord. In chapter 10 it speaks of partaking of the Lord’s table with the focus of fellowshipping with the saints.
The apostle says, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ? Seeing that there is one bread, we who are many are one Body” (10:16-17). He then explains that to have fellowship in the Lord’s blood and the Lord’s body is to “partake of the Lord’s table” (v. 21). Since partaking of the Lord’s table is for us to share in His table, the focus in this aspect is not on remembering, receiving, and enjoying the Lord but on having fellowship with all the saints in the Lord. There are many things a Christian can do individually; he can pray, read the Bible, and even preach the gospel. But he cannot break the bread and drink the cup by himself at home. The reason for this is that the bread-breaking meeting has an aspect of eating the Lord’s supper to remember the Lord and an aspect of partaking of the Lord’s table with all the saints. The Lord’s table is for all the saints to partake of together. Having mutual fellowship with all the saints in the Body of Christ is not an individual matter. There are three points for us to consider related to the Lord’s table.
First, in the aspect of eating the Lord’s supper, the bread on the table signifies the Lord’s body that was given for us on the cross. However, in the aspect of partaking of the Lord’s table, the bread on the table signifies the Body that is comprised of all the saints who have been regenerated through the Lord’s death and resurrection. Hence, the apostle says, “Seeing that there is one bread, we who are many are one Body” (v. 17). This Body is different from the Lord’s physical body that hung on the cross. The Lord’s physical body died on the cross for us. The Body in verse 17 is His mystical Body produced by the Lord’s death and resurrection, and it is composed of all the saints. Therefore, each time we break the bread, we come to enjoy the Lord, remember Him, and receive the body that He gave for us on the cross. In addition, we also enjoy His mystical Body that was brought forth through the Lord’s death and resurrection. This indicates that we have fellowship with all the saints in the Body.
Therefore, from the aspect of partaking of the Lord’s table, the breaking of the bread is our fellowship in the Body of Christ, testifying of the oneness of the Body of Christ. This concerns our relationship with all the saints and our relationship with the Lord Himself. Today Christians pay attention mainly to remembering the Lord but neglect the fellowship of the Body of Christ.
Second, in the aspect of partaking of the Lord’s table, the bread and the cup are the common portion that we enjoy in fellowship with all the saints. The apostle says, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ?” (v. 16). Therefore, the bread and the cup are the common portion that we enjoy in fellowship with all the saints.
Third, in the aspect of eating the Lord’s supper, the focus is on eating, drinking, and enjoying the Lord. In the aspect of partaking of the Lord’s table and having fellowship with all the saints, the focus is on having mutual fellowship in the blood and in the Body of Christ.
The Lord must be the goal of our singing, praying, speaking, meditating, and fellowshipping in the first section of the bread-breaking meeting. We must also have a focus. Every bread-breaking meeting should be focused. If we touch the Lord’s love in the atmosphere of the meeting, our focus should be the Lord’s love. The focus may also be the Lord’s name, His death, His humbling of Himself, His living on the earth, His sufferings, His ascension and glorification, His splendor, or His sweetness. Regardless of the focus, the selecting of hymns, praying, giving of thanks, praising, and sharing should point toward this focus. After singing a hymn on the Lord’s love, we should not follow with a prayer on the Lord’s suffering and then with a word on the Lord’s ascension. Such inconsistency confuses people. Therefore, each meeting should have a focus.
In order to be focused in a meeting, everyone must coordinate and cooperate. For example, after singing a hymn on the Lord’s love, I may offer a prayer on the Lord’s love in order to digest the hymn. A brother may follow by reading some verses from the Bible to strengthen this feeling. Another brother may then select a hymn to strengthen the singing on the Lord’s love. This is our coordination and cooperation. There should never be a situation in which one brother selects a hymn without considering the general feeling in the meeting, then another brother prays without considering the feeling of the hymn, and still another brother stands up to speak, not caring for the feeling of the prayer. Such a situation would indicate that everyone is acting individually. This will cause the meeting to be chaotic. Therefore, in the bread-breaking meeting we must learn to coordinate and cooperate with one another. When we coordinate, cooperate, and have a focus, the spirit of the meeting will be sweet.