The Lord's Supper an offering to God

[s1n4m1n]

Has anyone come across any coC preacher, teachers or writers proposing to "restore" the Lord's Supper as an offering to God?

[stevehut]

   ?

I don't even understand that question...

[s1n4m1n]

By "offering" I essentially mean a sacrifice or an oblation. But I used "offering" because of the concept of "offering to God" the Lord's Supper.

[James.]

As you know, many teach the opposite, that the the sacrifice was one time for all time, and that the supper is not a sacrifice, but a celebration of a sacrifice already offered by Christ Himself, when He entered into the hagia hagion.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Hebrews 10 KJV)

IOW, nope.

[s1n4m1n]

James,

I'm sure it would be a minority view bordering on infinitesimally small, but I was wondering if it was universally rejected among coC, RM types.

Also I tried to be more vague by using the term "offering", to allow a greater expanse of opinion. Does every "offering" have to be a sin offering? Do we offer anything to God? Does Hebrew 10 say that there are no other offerings at all?

[stevehut]

Last time I checked, the Eucharist was an extension of the Passover meal.  It's something you eat, not something you sacrifice.     And it has nothing to do with petitioning for the forgiveness of sins.

[James.]

James,

I'm sure it would be a minority view bordering on infinitesimally small, but I was wondering if it was universally rejected among coC, RM types.

You asked, I answered from what I've seen.  Sorry it didn't fit the expected mold.  (<--btw, not intended as crankily as it might sound)

Does Hebrew 10 say that there are no other offerings at all?

Nope.  But again, telling what I've seen and known of, which was the question.  Haven't heard a single one call for the supper to be "restored" to an "offering."  There has been a big trend of people quoting JM Hicks to move in the opposite direction from such a thought (altar v. fellowship meal), so it's probably an increasingly less likely probability.

[s1n4m1n]

James,

I'm sure it would be a minority view bordering on infinitesimally small, but I was wondering if it was universally rejected among coC, RM types.

You asked, I answered from what I've seen.  Sorry it didn't fit the expected mold.  (<--btw, not intended as crankily as it might sound)

Does Hebrew 10 say that there are no other offerings at all?

Nope.  But again, telling what I've seen and known of, which was the question.  Haven't heard a single one call for the supper to be "restored" to an "offering."  There has been a big trend of people quoting JM Hicks to move in the opposite direction from such a thought (altar v. fellowship meal), so it's probably an increasingly less likely probability.

James,

No problem. I was hoping there was some work somewhere on it.

Ken

[s1n4m1n]

Last time I checked, the Eucharist was an extension of the Passover meal.  It's something you eat, not something you sacrifice.     And it has nothing to do with petitioning for the forgiveness of sins.

Actually the Passover was something they sacrificed, the Paschal Lamb. Many sacrifices involved eating.

If I recall correctly the Passover wasn't a sacrifice for sins but a memorial sacrifice for God freeing Israel from bondage.

[DCR]

Last time I checked, the Eucharist was an extension of the Passover meal.  It's something you eat, not something you sacrifice.     And it has nothing to do with petitioning for the forgiveness of sins.

Actually the Passover was something they sacrificed, the Paschal Lamb. Many sacrifices involved eating.

If I recall correctly the Passover wasn't a sacrifice for sins but a memorial sacrifice for God freeing Israel from bondage.

Notice that in the Passover, that the sacrifice was done first... then they ate.

The Lord's Supper is in much the same way, isn't it?  The sacrifice was done first (Jesus on the cross).  Then we eat.

I don't know if it's accurate to say that we actually do the sacrifice each time, since that was done once for all.  One difference at work, however, is that they physically sacrificed the lamb each year and then ate the actual meat from the lamb.

Things are a bit different for us in this sense.

[da525382]

I think the more scriptural imagery and centered-ness is that of ourselves being a continuous, "living" sacrifice. 

[stevehut]

I don't know if it's accurate to say that we actually do the sacrifice each time, since that was done once for all. 

Nope.  That's what they do in a Catholic Mass, and it's one of the reasons why John Calvin protested.

[Memphis Dwight]

I think the more scriptural imagery and centered-ness is that of ourselves being a continuous, "living" sacrifice. 

You've nailed it Da, manna to you. 

[notofmyown]

We were studying about communion the past few weeks, its amazing to see the changes in this meal throughout the centuries.... (they don't teach you all this stuff in Sunday School.....thats a plug for your book Ste.) the table being replaced by the "altar"...... we made some serious changes in the way we do this.

[Johnb]

It is my understanding that the LS should be the focal point of the assembly.  Often folks can tell even from the architecture of the building the place the LS has in that assembly.  In some churches It is center and raised to show it importance.  In most denominational churches it is the pulpit that is raised and centered.  In the CoC the baptistery is also raised and centered.  In many denominational churches it is hid in the back and just brought out a few times a year for members only.  I would like to see it back in its rightful place. IMO the focal point of the assembly.