The Living Body
The Communion is the spiritual meaning behind the memorial act of breaking bread and drinking wine at the table of the Lord, and it is a union of body and blood that is so wonderful it can only be described as communion.
G.W. North emphasizes the profound significance of 'the communion' as more than just a ritual, but as a deep spiritual union with the body of Christ. He explains that the act of breaking bread and drinking wine symbolizes a vital connection, akin to the relationship between blood and body, where both are essential for life. This communion represents a glorious union of believers, each part contributing to the whole, and highlights the sacredness of the observance. North urges the congregation to appreciate the spiritual meaning behind this ordinance, recognizing it as a vital expression of their faith and unity in Christ.
Text
This being so, when we use the term 'the communion' as a name for the ordinance, we must not let the simplicity of Paul's words rob us of the great truth he is revealing here. He is not just speaking of 'the communion' in order to introduce an alternative name for the ordinance, lest through sentimentality we lose esteem for a sacred observance; he is directing our attention to a far more wonderful thing than that: 'the communion of the body of Christ'. He is explaining what the Communion really is.
Well-considered, this is a most amazing statement. Luke's homely title, 'Breaking of Bread' is descriptive of 'manner', and Paul's later title, 'the Lord's Supper' lays a much-needed emphasis, but here he spells out what it is actually taking place when we engage in breaking bread and drinking wine at the table of the Lord. He is revealing to us the spiritual meaning lying behind the memorial act. Most basically of all, the feast is the Communion. This is the real reason for doing it.
There is scarcely a better figure by which we could learn the fact and result of Communion than a living body with blood flowing through its veins. The human body is a universe of its own; it is a marvellous entity, a glorious union of many co-ordinated parts, each one of which, if studied for its own sake alone, would enthral and hold our rapt attention. Yet of all these systems and organs within the human frame, the most vital is the blood's union with the flesh. Blood without a body cannot live, nor can a body live without blood. Body and blood are so completely one that it is normally impossible to think of one without the other, nor does it ever cross our minds to do so. Except by the discoveries of modern science, it is quite impossible to preserve life in either the blood or the body if these two be separated, and to attempt to do so would be most unusual and abnormal. The union between body and blood is so wonderful that no better non-scientific word could be found to describe their oneness than this word communion.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to the Communion
- A. Paul's explanation of the Communion
- B. The simplicity of Paul's words
- C. The spiritual meaning behind the memorial act
- II. The Living Body as a Figure
- A. The human body as a universe of its own
- B. The union of body and blood
- C. The impossibility of separating body and blood
- III. The Communion as a Union
- A. The oneness of body and blood
- B. The use of the word 'communion' to describe their union
Key Quotes
“The union between body and blood is so wonderful that no better non-scientific word could be found to describe their oneness than this word communion.” — G.W. North
“The human body is a universe of its own; it is a marvellous entity, a glorious union of many co-ordinated parts, each one of which, if studied for its own sake alone, would enthral and hold our rapt attention.” — G.W. North
“Body and blood are so completely one that it is normally impossible to think of one without the other, nor does it ever cross our minds to do so.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- The Communion is not just a memorial act, but a spiritual experience that reveals the oneness of body and blood.
- The human body is a good figure for understanding the Communion because it is a union of many co-ordinated parts, each one of which is vital to the whole.
- The Communion is a reminder of the complete oneness of body and blood, and it is a union that is impossible to separate.