Required reading
Institutes of Christian religion by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 17 of Book 4.
My summary
Today Calvin continues teaching us about the Lord's supper.
This week Calvin discusses:
(i) our spiritual communion in the blood and flesh of Christ;
(ii) whether the wicked eat the body of Christ;
(iii) adoration of the elements;
(iv) special rites for the administration of the sacrament;
(v) the ends of the Lord's Supper;
(vi) the need for the Supper to be accompanied by the preached word;
(vii) the need for communicants to examine themselves;
(viii) the external form of the ordinance (passing the cup etc);
(ix) the frequency of communion;
(x) the restriction of wine from the laity.
What grabbed me
Calvin gave a good summary of the purposes of communion in today's reading: 'Here, again, we see what the aim of the sacrament is—namely, to keep us in remembrance of Christ’s death. When we are ordered to show forth the Lord’s death till he come again, all that is meant is, that we should, with confession of the mouth, proclaim what our faith has recognised in the sacrament—viz. that the death of Christ is our life. This is the second use of the sacrament, and relates to outward confession. Thirdly, The Lord intended it to be a kind of exhortation, than which no other could urge or animate us more strongly, both to purity and holiness of life, and also to charity, peace, and concord. For the Lord there communicates his body so that he may become altogether one with us, and we with him.'
Amen.
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 18 of Book 4.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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