Skip to main content

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SHEW THE LORD’S DEATH?

We are told of ritually “eating the bread” and “drinking of the cup” to shew the Lord’s death till He comes. 1 Cor. 11:23-26.

But the Greek word translated “shew” is “Kataggellete”, and means “you down proclaim” or “you down evangelize” or “you down preach.”
1 Cor. 11:26 should thus be translated:
“For, as often as, if ever, you may be eating the bread this, and the cup you may be drinking, the death of the Lord you are evangelizing down until which He should come.” 1 Cor. 11:26.
Thus the symbol of “eating the bread” and “drinking of the cup” is preaching or evangelizing the death of Christ until when He should come again. This is what Paul did. 1 Cor. 1:18,23; 1 Cor. 2:2.
But how can “eating bread” and “drinking of the cup” ritually, preach the Lord’s death? Since these acts are not symbols of the Lords death, but symbolize man’s response to the Lord’s death, this response can do no other than preach the benefit of, thus the meaning of Jesus’ death (or why He died). The Bible shows purpose that are beneficial to man in His death. 1 Pet. 2:21,24; 1 Pet. 3:18.
To understand the meaning of the Lord’s death is very important, thus it must be understood and preached. Acts. 8: 27-35.
God wants us to understand spiritual things. Eph. 1:18; Col. 1:19; Col. 2:2; 1 Jn. 5:20.
Only when we understand the word of God we can bring forth good fruit. Matt. 13:23.
Ritually eating bread and drinking from the cup is preaching the “meaning” of the Lord’s death, God wants us to give understanding of the meaning of the Lord’s death in our preaching. We must give understanding. 1 Cor. 14:15-20.
The death of Christ can be summed up in two basic points:
a. His sufferings unto death. Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:18.
b. His gift of life. Matt. 20:28; Jn. 10:10,11.
Thus eating bread and drinking of the cup ritually must preach to the people the meaning of the death of Christ; this means it must show the meaning of His sufferage unto death and His gift of life. 1 Pet. 1:10-12.
“Eating bread” ritually can be spiritually interpreted the following way:
a. The bread is the flesh of Christ. Jn. 6:51.
b. The flesh is the word. Jn. 1:14.
c. To eat the bread is to eat the flesh of Christ. Jn. 6:53, 54,56.
d. This means to eat the word. Eze. 3:1-4; Jer. 15:16.
e. To eat the word is to meditate on the word of God or to reason it out. (Ps. 119:148; Isa. 1:18).
Since the word speaks of the death of Christ, we are to meditate on the meaning of His death (this is eating the bread). (Jn. 12:32,33; 1 Tim. 4:15,16).
Drinking of the cup can be spiritually interpreted this way:
a. The cup is the fruit of the vine, the wine in it. Lk. 22: 17,18.
b. Wine symbolizes the blood of Christ. Lk. 22:20.
c. Blood symbolizes life. Lev. 17:11,14.
d. Life is an experience of love. Jn. 17:3.
e. To drink is to swallow or to receive (believe or accept). 1 Cor. 10:4..
Therefore to drink of the cup is to receive the life or experience of love. (Jn. 4:10,14; Jn. 5:38,39; Jn. 6:47).
The life is in the word so when one reasons out the word (eat bread) and understand it, he is to believe or receive the life of the word or the word of life. Jn. 6:63,68.
Thus through receiving the word of life, one has life in him or has an experience of love in him. (Jn. 6:53,54; 1 Jn. 4:16).
But how does all this show the meaning of the death of Christ.
a. First of all, the death of Christ is to rid us of all sin. (Matt. 1:21; Gal. 1:4).
b. The death of Christ is to make us holy and righteous. 2 Cor. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Tit. 2:13,14.
The suffering part of the death of Christ shows us the evil of sin. 1 Pet. 4:1,20.

Thus we can truly repent of sin because of seeing its evil through the suffering it brings to Christ. This is the only true repentance where with God can forgive us. (Lk. 22:39-44; 2 Cor. 7:10-12).
God then takes away the evil experience of sin from our hearts and gives us an experience of His love as a replacement, thus we are changed or made righteous. Eze. 36:25-27; Eph. 4:22-24; Rom. 8:6,9-11.
Thus, in conclusion, the meaning of the death of Christ is implicatively seen to be:
a. Suffering to evoke a proper understanding and genuine repentance for sin that we may be forgiven.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WHAT OUR INQUIRY ABOUT OURSELVES SHOULD BE?

WHAT OUR INQUIRY ABOUT OURSELVES  SHOULD BE? We are in the very last days, we are told that the last controversy will be very short. “We are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecies are fulfilling. The last great conflict will be short, but terrible. Old controversies will be revived. New controversies will arise. We have a great work to do. Our ministerial work must not cease. The last warning must be given to the world. There is a special power in the presentation of the truth at the present time. How long will it last? Only a little while.” Ellen G. White, Selected Messages bk. 3, pg. 419. And in view of the lateness of time, what should be the inquiry of everyone? We are told: “The inquiry of everyone should be ‘whose am I? To whom do I owe allegiance? Is my heart renewed? Is my soul reformed? Are my sins forgiven? Will they be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come?” Ibid, pg. 419. We must needs examine ourselves to see if we are
Post a Comment
Read more

DID ELLEN G. WHITE EVER CALL THE S.D.A. CHURCH BABYLON IN ANY WAY? BY NYRON MEDINA

In the Bible is brought to view the following statement: “And after these things I  saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was  lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,  Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all  nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the  earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are  waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice  from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her  sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:1-4. Of this Scripture  we are told that it speaks about the Church, fallen because of sins. “In amazement  they [the people] hear the testimony that Babylon is the church,
1 comment
Read more

IMPUTED AND IMPARTED RIGHTEOUSNESS EXPLAINED By Nyron Medina

IMPUTED AND IMPARTED RIGHTEOUSNESS  EXPLAINED By Nyron Medina Statement of the case 1. Imputed and imparted righteousness are usually seen as different things in apostate  theology; they are presented as happening either successively or at the very same time,  but they are presented as two different salvific functions.  “In this most illuminating paragraph, the writer traces two distinct phases in the process  of our salvation—two complementary aspects of the plan of redemption—which are in a  certain sense successive, but at the same time simultaneous; two different operations of  the same righteousness of Christ, which alone can satisfy the demands of divine justice  and make saints of us. Let us analyze in outline form these two phases:  A. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST BY WHICH WE ARE JUSTIFIED.  1. It is imputed to us, which is, credited, granted freely without our earning it.  2. It provides our right to heaven. It is the only merit we can claim. 
Post a Comment
Read more