ADDevo
August 16, 2006, Av 22, 6006
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Communion:
A Pagan Ritual?
Genesis 14:18-20. And
Melchizedek king of
{Right
after I composed this article I received three other articles about this
subject from the few groups I subscribe to.
After reading some of these articles, I felt that I needed to release
this article as soon as possible.}
Many
Messianic groups offer Communion once per year - sometime during the Feast of
Unleavened Bread as a memorial to Yahshua’s death, since Yahshua served it as a
prelude to his suffering. We believe it
was Yahshua’s intention to institute a new
and unique commemorative meal based on the Feast of Unleavened Bread but separate from it. This meal would be for intimate believers in
Yahshua’s words and mission, and could take place anytime based upon the Congregation’s longing for him and obedience
to him. We hope to make that the first
point in this lesson.
Many Messianic and Christian groups believe
that the Communion is merely a memorial meal: that there is nothing essentially
spiritual about it; rather, that the Congregation does it to remember Yahshua’s
death and memorialize it occasionally.
Besides the annual “eaters,” some groups – particularly fundamentalist
groups – serve it infrequently or on a set schedule: say, on the first Sunday
(or Sabbath) of the quarter or month. We
believe that the Communion, in addition to its availability, is meant to be
more than just a memorial. We believe
that Yahshua is actually present in
the unleavened bread and wine in a spiritual but very real sense.
Certainly one reason why many Messianic groups do not seem very
spiritually-oriented is because they do not participate in the fullness and
power of Communion as it was meant by our Anointed Yahshua and practiced by the
early Hebraic / Nazorean Assembly. And
their lack of understanding of Yahshua’s desire that the supper be prepared
often has not given the congregation the opportunity to receive.
Another
reason is because so many “Nazarene” ministers and rabbis came out of the
Worldwide Church of God or some other fundamentalist group, and they’ve never
believed in the spiritual power of Communion in the first place. I am sure they could experience something very set-apart if they would just allow
themselves to try it.
Let us join
in a very short survey and at these matters through Scripture, tradition and
experience in order to gain a new and better understanding of Communion’s
importance for our spiritual lives. At
the end we provide a link to the earliest Nazorean Communion liturgy (siddur, service) to be found in the ancient writings.
1. Communion is separate from Passover.
1
Corinthians 11:26. For as often as you eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the Master's death until he comes.
The New
Covenant (Testament) is not put together
in chronological order. The writings
of Paul predate the Evangelists’ accounts of the supper. Also, we know exactly who wrote this letter.
We don’t know the identities
of the final editors of the evangelists.
Paul prefaces this comment by saying that the reason the people came
together in the first place was to partake in Communion. He says that these people ought to eat at
home and not be gluttons at the Master’s table when they come. He also admonishes them in harsh terms about
acquiring a set-apart heart before partaking.
He then says that what he received from the
Master he was passing on. Speaking of
the cup, he says, “Do this, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
“Often” (‘osakiV) is the key word
here. The implication in text and context is that this supper is done often; indeed, it seems to say that every time they come
together they do receive it. Paul does not condemn this at all. Instead he advises them that in the very
practice of Communion, they are proclaiming in themselves the Master’s death
and resurrection. It is a dangerous
thing to do Communion unprepared is committing profanity, judgment and
death. This could hardly be describing a
once-a-year-act.
Again, we find these words, “as often as you
drink it,” to be from Yahshua’s lips, if we are to believe Paul. (And we do believe him in this matter. As a Pharisee, would he not otherwise advise
these often-eaters to refrain until Passover?)
As in some old-line Christian denominations
today, the ancient Nazorean congregation celebrated Communion every time they
got together for corporate worship. This
is amply demonstrated by their ancient documents, including Scripture. The Communion was the centerpiece of the
service (as is the Massin Catholicism and the
Eucharist in Anglicanism today). It was less than 200 years ago that the
sermon became the hub around which the service revolved. Before that, it was Eucharist (which means
“Thanksgiving”).
This authentic tradition of weekly or daily
Communions still held by some Christian groups have been tainted by use of
pagan language in the Communion liturgy and the power of administering the
Communion stolen by bishop and priest.
However, there has been some reform among the Catholics, Anglicans and
Orthodox in these regards, as liturgies using the True Name do now exist and lay people are being trained and
trusted to administer home Communions.
Communion should be administered often in
the Authentic Assembly of today, it should be offered by lay people at home,
and there should be made available short, simple but Scriptural liturgies for
use wherever two or three are gathered together. This leads us into the second point, that:
II.
Frequent Communion may lead to greater, stronger spirituality.
John
6:66,67. After
this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Yahshua said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”
Do you
remember why all these followers left the company of Yahshua? Because they simply would not believe a very
elementary supernatural concept that Yahshua taught – the same teaching that
very few so-called “true worshippers” will not believe today.
Here is that concept:
John 6:51 - 58. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any
one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give
for the life of the world is my flesh. Amein, Amein: I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son
of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he
who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true
drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
abides in me, and I in him. … He who eats this bread will live for ever.”
My friend, have you “gone away” from this
“hard saying”? Look: Yahshua emphasizes
the absolute literality of his saying by (1) using the equivalent of the True
Name, “I AM.” In the ancient language,
the pronoun “I” is not necessary to
say “I am.” The word eimi means “I am.” However, the manuscript has Egw eimi.
The egw (ego) is
the emphatic and repeating way of speaking of oneself. (Another example of similar emphasis is found
in Luke 22:15 KJV where the word desire
is repeated.) I AM in this of case is
identical to Exodus 3:14. “Elohim spoke to Moses, saying, I AM THE ONE (Egw Eimi ‘o Wn, LXX). Thus shall you say to the children of
Some prescribe receiving communion (or
self-serve) for at least six months in order to start the process of “the
revelation of the body and blood.” I
would suggest that if you have the freedom, to Commune every day for a couple
weeks, or whenever you have your devotions.
If you read some of my other material on Communion
(see instructions below), you will discover that miracles often happen while
abiding in HIM in this fashion.
(2) And what he is saying is that “my flesh and blood are
real foods; eat to abide in me and live forever.” He defines his body and blood
for us as literal bread and wine, and he exemplifies the consuming of his very
person by the paradigm of the Communion Supper.
(3) In addition, he uses the word true
to describe his flesh and blood, a well known word from the Bible language alhqhV (alêthês), which (of course) means “true – THE REAL THING,”
and not once, but twice. I,I. Amein,
Amein. True, true. “My flesh
is true food and my blood is true drink.”
We need to change
our thinking entirely about the Communion in order to abide in him and gain
life not only in his name but in his body and blood.
By
the way, so many want to “plead the blood” to get them out of trouble or out
from under demonic authorities.
The question we would ask is, “Where do you think the blood
resides? In the air
someplace? In
space?” Yahshua tells us exactly
where the blood is – at the table awaiting you to take it up – not in the
spiritual wonderworld. As a means of grace, consecrated consumption
brings infinitely more grace, even unto the healing of the body or rescue from
the torment of devilish spirits.
III. Is Communion Outside of Passover Pagan?
Communion is
neglected because this precious ceremony has been heavily paganized by the hosts of Belial. We mentioned already the use of pagan
names. Besides those, some Communion
services contain ideas that are nothing more than Roman and Greek mystery religions
cloaked in Christian terms. One such
doctrine is that after an administrator (priest, bishop) blesses the Communion
elements and breaks the bread in half, he/she proclaims that we sacrifice Yahshua (who is in the
bread) afresh. And that every time Communion is received, we
execute Yahshua again, and Yahshua willing becomes our victim time after time.
This may seem wacky
and it is definitely pagan. But this
form of Communion is practiced more often
throughout the world than any other.
However, we have excised the nose to spite the face! We have learned how to correct the pagan and
devilish influences of other aspects of our faith! We should absolutely do the same in a
Communion that he commanded us to observe (as though we needed to be
commanded). And we can.
IV. Communion in Practice – Two or Three, or ONE
Matthew 18:16,19,20. “If he does not listen, take one or two
others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two
or three witnesses. Again I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them
by my Father in heaven. For where two or
three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Maybe through this
short study you have decided you would like
to follow Yahshua in frequent, spiritual Communions; in fact, you feel called to heed the true worship in
frequent Communion, but you know your church, synagogue or congregation will
never go for this, understanding Communion outside of Passover as a Roman
paganism.
We have, over the years,
learned the preciousness of solitary Communion, or Communion with just two or
three others. It may seem a little
awkward at first, but after a few months (maybe less), you will begin to feel
an increasing hunger for the real presence of your Savior, and your body will
begin to crave his healing properties.
I have received
Communion alone hundreds of times. I
have served it with no paganism involved whatsoever, explaining it all first
off. When I do it alone, I use The Book
of Common Prayer liturgy. I read it out
loud. I have trained myself to replace
any pagan words and concepts automatically as I read: I no longer even see the
paganisms.
However, that
service is long and difficult. I have
retranslated several very ancient but short Communion services for use with a
small group. I have one service from a
very early, Hebraic source document used by the very earliest Nazorean
disciples of Yahshua. It is recorded in
the manuscript Teaching of the Twelve
(or Didachě
for short). Noted scholars date this
text to the first generation after Yahshua – for the service itself is very
Hebraic, containing reference to King David and the Vine, and containing
numerous Aramaic worship words.
I have run out of
space here, but I have retranslated the Communion service from the Teaching of the Twelve for you to use by yourself or with your family. If you can, try it daily in your devotional
time. You will find great spiritual
encouragement in it as your journey further and further into him.
Here is the link to the Teaching
of the Twelve service.
www.jacksonsnyder.com/yah/articles/eucharist_from_didache.htm
Other short Communion services for home use,
plus lots of very special prayers to use with them can be found at this page.
www.jacksonsnyder.com/arc/Indices/quotes.htm
More wonderful
essays on frequent Communion, its meaning and how to do it at home are found by
going to www.jacksonsnyder.org, putting the words “real presence” into the site
search engine, then selecting “Find EXACT Phrase” from the menu.
Here is
a fine Communion song from our first CD, “Arise, O YAH!” available at www.yahpop.us.
You may
download the
accompaniment track and the lead sheet
(pdf) if you’d like to sing it.
John
6:54 Food and Drink Indeed
CHORUS:
My flesh is food indeed; My blood is drink indeed.
You have no life in you unless you eat my flesh!
My blood is drink indeed; My flesh is food indeed.
You have no life in you unless you drink my blood!
1.Once you ate bread upon the desert sands you did.
You ate your fill, but still you died.
Now you have bread descended from the heavens
Just eat this bread and live like me, at my Father's
side!
2.Once you drank water from a desert rock; you did.
You drank your fill but still you died;
now you have wine descended from the heavens,
now you may live and live like me, at my Father's side!
You have no life in you unless you under stand my word!
If you
get this far and would like to know more about home Commuion,
please contact me at (801) 605-1715 or jackson@jacksonsnyder.com .
I have received several teachings on Communion
lately. Some of you surely subscribe to
the same ezines and mags that I do. As a matter of fact, these came in as I was
writing on the same topic. I understand
Communion to be not only Scriptural, but "set apart" from
Passover.
So I have a very short but important teaching on
this subject for you. It contains some
Greek fonts, so you'll have to read it online or order a CD. Here's the link to the ADDevo
on "Communion: A Pagan Rite?"
www.jacksonsnyder.com/yah/devo/add081606.htm
If you think Communion is a Pagan Ritual, you had
better THINK AGAIN.
This month's BLOG is "Pilgrimage to
As we finish up EloHymns
Volume II, "I Stand for Peace (but they are for war)", we have just
learned that Volume I, "Arise, O YAH" is doing quite well. You can download some samples from baoth volume I & II at www.EloHymns.com. You can purchase "Arise, O YAH!"
from there, too.
The primary purpose of EloHymns
is to give us a library of Scripture Songs, mostly from the Psalms, that are of
a Hebraic flavor but contain no pagan names, titles or references. They are for congregational use and for
choir. Arrangements are available for
part singing and the lead sheets can be downloaded free of charge.
The secondary purpose is to help support this
ministry. Therefore, we hope you will
purchase "Arise, O YAH!" though many of you know I give them to those
who either can't afford it or wouldn't know about it otherwise. I've found it to be a very useful evangelism
tool when teamed up with Rab Dan Rendelman's
sermon CD "Identity."
Please pray for
Finally, we need CAMERAS for the
If the saints there can take good pictures, we can
put them up a website so that they can raise funds for the least of the little
brothers and sisters of
You may already know that the leader of this
ministry is providing sermons for The Snyder Bible www.jacksonsnyder.org while
I have been working on EloHymns and set-apart
websites.
Spiritual Gifts - the massive course in the Gifts
that some of you have taken with me is finally being published, and we are
desperately working to meet editing deadlines.
But the courses are fast becoming available through Flex Training thanks
to
Finally, a word on
In his wonderful name,