Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup? (2)

This topic was begun in “Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup? (1)”.  Part 2 here is the conclusion.

Part 1 identified the two most-used Hebrew Old Testament (OT) terms for “wine”…yáhyin (Strongs h3196) and tiroshé (h8492).  Yayin was fermented wine.  Tirosh usually referred to unfermented grape juice.  Tirosh is called “new wine” in many Bibles.  (Other terms for alcoholic drink were less-used.)

Part 1 also discussed the customary Jewish practice of using wine to celebrate Passover in 1^st century Jerusalem.  Jesus the man was Jewish, and He observed God’s annual Passover (Lk.2:41-42).

In the Greek New Testament (NT) and Greek OT Septúagint/LXX, the term for “wine” is oínos g3631.  It occurs 33 times in the NT.  However, yayin (fermented) and tirosh (unfermented) were both translated as oinos in the OT LXX!  No differentiation was made.  The context determined its meaning.

The NT writers didn’t identify the type of liquid in the “cup” at Jesus’ Last Supper.  “Cup” is potáyreeon g4221, occurring 33 times.  “Cup” as a drinking vessel is seen at the Lord’s Supper: Mt.26:27; Mk.14:23; Lk.22:17, 20; 1Co.10:16, 21, 11:25-28.  No beverage is specified (not oinos).

In Part 2 we’ll discuss uses, concerns, and symbolism of wine from the Bible; also when Christian churches started using grape juice in communion or the eucharist.  (Part 1 material won’t be repeated.)

In Bible times, wine (mixed with water) was used for other celebrations besides Passover.  Jn.2:1-11 Jesus’ first miracle was, He changed water into wine (oinos g3631) at a wedding celebration.  Probably His miracle wine was undiluted.  In Is.1:22, the Lord had negatively compared debased ancient Israel to pure wine diluted with water.  And Jesus didn’t change the Jn.2 water into grape juice.  Jn.2:10 after the guests had drank, they wouldn’t notice any quality difference if it was grape juice.  But they would notice a difference if it was wine.  Jesus wasn’t opposed to wine (in moderation)!

Lk.7:33-35 Jesus was exaggeratedly even called a glutton and a ‘wino’ (oinopótes g3630), a friend of tax collectors & sinners.  Winos drink fermented wine.  In contrast, John the Baptizer didn’t drink wine.

De.14:25-27 rejoicing with wine (h3196 yayin) to celebrate the Lord’s OT feasts was fine!  Included were Levites too.  But priests weren’t allowed to drink wine while on duty (Le.10:8-9; Ezk.44:21).

Wine symbolized Jesus’ blood!  The 19^th century German theologian Augustus Neander wrote of Jesus’ Last Supper (Lk.22:17-20). “The broken bread was to represent His body. The wine is to represent His blood, about to be shed for them.”  Got Questions: What is the Meaning of the Blood of Christ? “The pouring of wine in the cup symbolized the blood of Christ.”  Answers.com: What is the Symbolic Meaning of Wine? “Wine signifies blood and blood signifies life, ‘the life is in the blood’ (Lev.17:14).”

Fermented wine yayin h3196 (not unfermented tirosh h8492) was called the blood of grapes.  Ge.49:10-12 is a prophecy about the future King Messiah Jesus. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs. He will wash His garments in wine [h3196], His robes in the blood of grapes.”  That’s meaningful.  Henry Commentary Ge.49:11 “He is the true Vine, wine is the appointed symbol of His blood.”  Poole Commentary “The ‘blood of grapes,’ so the wine is called in Deu.32:14.”  (De.32:14 has a less-used term for fermented red wine, chémer h2561-2.  Chemer wine was at the feast of Babylon’s King Belshazzár in Da.5:1-4, e.g.)

Wine also symbolized God’s divine wrath.  Re.14:9-10 “If anyone worships the beast…he will drink of the wine [g3631] of the wrath of God, which is unmixed in the cup [g4221] of His anger.”  Pure wine of intoxication is in His metaphorical cup of judgment.  Barnes Notes Re.14:10 “Without being diluted with water.”  Re.16:19 “Babylon the great’ was remembered before God, to give her the cup [g4221] of the wine [g3631] of His fierce wrath.”  Also ref Ps.75:8; Is.51:17-22, 63:6; Je.25:15-ff; Ezk.23:31-33.

Is.63:1-6 symbolically reflects blood as the wine of His wrath, not as celebration.  v.6 “drunk”.  v.2 “winepress” (gath h1660) is somewhat a misnomer.  As grapes were pressed, it was grape juice, not wine, which flowed down the drain.  (Usually grapes in the upper vat/receptacle were trodden by a team; but interestingly, in v.3 only One solely does the treading.)

{Sidelight: Just before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, He prayed at a place called “Gethsemane”, g1068 (Mt.26:36).  It’s from the OT h1660 gath/winepress and h8081 oil, on the Mount of Olives.  The later olive harvest was perhaps pressed into the same vats as grapes were recently pressed.  Laura Reynolds “Why Are Olive Trees Planted Around Vineyards? “The two crops used a similar processing procedure. As wine press works ends, olive pressing begins.”  Lk.22:42-44 in agony, Jesus sweated drops of blood (cf. hematidrósis) at the place of the press.  Jesus Himself felt so pressed, shedding His blood for us!}

Ex.29:38-42 the twice-daily sacrifice at God’s tent of meeting included a drink offering of fermented wine (yayin h3196).  The drink offering wasn’t grape juice!  In Nu.28:7 this drink offering is called “strong drink” (shekár h7941).  Also see Le.23:13.  ATS Bible Dictionary: Drink Offering “A small quantity of wine, part of which was poured on the sacrifice, and the residue given to the priests.”  It was part of the sacrificial system, prefiguring Christ’s blood sacrifice.

This drink offering libation of wine was poured out (cf. Ezr.7:17), as was Jesus’ shed blood (Jn.19:34; Lk.22:44).  Jesus said in Lk.22:20, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood”.  (The apostle Paul also compared his own life to a drink offering poured out, Php.2:17, 2Ti.4:6.)

1Ch.9:29 Levites had charge over the fermented wine (h3196) kept in the temple.  The tirosh h8492 grape juice firstfruits initially tithed to the Levites (Nu.18:12; De.18:4; Ne.10:37) fermented into wine.

Again, there were restrictions for wine-drinking placed upon Aaron and his sons (the priests).  Priests weren’t allowed to serve God in the tabernacle/temple if they’re intoxicated!  Is.28:7 priests and prophets erred through their misuse of wine (h3196) and strong drink (h7941).  1Ti.3:8 deacons in the NT church aren’t to be heavy drinkers.  (Paul advised only a little wine for Timothy, 1Ti.5:23.)

Jewish Christian historian Alfred Edersheim wrote of Jesus’ Last Supper, held in a large furnished upper room of a house (Lk.22:12).  There Jesus instituted the eucharist.  The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p.809 “Peter and John would find there the wine for the four cups, the cakes of unleavened bread, and probably also ‘the bitter herbs’. The wine was…red, mixed with water, generally in the proportion of one part to two of water.”  Peter, John, and Jesus the man were Jews, here at Passover.

David Stern Jewish New Testament Commentary [JNTC] Lk.22:17a, p.144 “Luke is the only one of the four [gospel] writers describing the establishing of the New Covenant who mentions both a cup of wine before the meal (here) and another after (v.20).”  Wine-drinking was customary at the Lord’s feasts.

The ingathering of the grape harvest occurred in the later summer, prior to the Feast of Ingathering or Booths of the early autumn.  Back then it was something of an ordeal to preserve pure grape juice for 7 months until the Passover next spring!  Joe Thorn A Theology of Wine “Drinking wine was normative.”

However, it was possible to maintain unfermented grape juice (albeit more difficult).  Wayne Jackson Was the Fruit of the Vine Fermented? “It is known from ancient sources, that there were ways of preserving juice, thus preventing fermentation. The ancient Roman statesman, Cato, said: ‘If you wish to have ‘must’ (grape juice) all year, put grape juice in an amphora [narrow-necked jar] and seal the cork with pitch; sink it in a fish pond. After 30 days take it out. It will be grape juice for a whole year.’ (De Agri Cultura CXX)”  Steve Shirley Should Wine or Grape Juice Be Used For Communion? “Heating it [juice] to 150–180° would result in a syrup which could be diluted with water, then drank as unfermented grape juice. Also, keeping it in temperatures below 40° would prevent fermentation.”

Which beverage was used by the church?  Jennifer Tait New Wine, New Wineskins “The early Western church maintained the use of wine and unleavened bread. The Eastern church soon began to use leavened bread. From the 16^th until the 19^th century, the majority of Protestants communed using wine from a common cup and leavened bread. However, in the 19^th century, temperance became teetotalism or total abstinence, moving all alcohol (wine included) into the list of forbidden beverages. Many began to question why a beverage considered dangerous to drink was still used on the Communion table.”

Joe Iovino Methodist History: Controversy, Communion, & Welch’s Grape Juice “In the 1800s, churches faced a dilemma. To combat the epidemic of alcoholism, the temperance movement advocated total abstinence from all alcohol. Raw grape juice stored at room temperature (home refrigerators weren’t available until 1913) naturally ferments into wine. This caused a problem for congregations [taking the Lord’s Supper] not wanting to use anything containing alcohol. ‘Lots of churches just didn’t have communion when grapes were out of season,’ reports Roger Scull.”

Welch Foods, Inc. is named for Thomas Bramwell Welch (1825-1903).  He was a dentist, Methodist minister and “communion steward”, and Prohibitionist.  Wikipedia “In 1869, Welch invented a method of pasteurizing grape juice so that fermentation was stopped, and the drink was non-alcoholic. He persuaded local churches [in Vineland, NJ] to adopt this non-alcoholic ‘wine’ for communion services, calling it ‘Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine.”  It became the well-known Welch’s Grape Juice in 1893.

Thus pasteurization made it possible for churches to use grape juice year-round for the Lord’s Supper eucharist.  Most Protestant churches today use grape juice when serving communion.  Over the past 150 years, this relatively recent deviation from the practice of Bible times has become their church tradition.

However, there is evidence that Jewish religious bread and wine meals were held to honor the Messiah in the decades even prior to Jesus’ human birth and His Last Supper.  JNTC Appendix, p.931 says the Jewish community at Qumrán had regular meals in honor of the Messiah, who they expected soon.  Quoting their Dead Sea Scrolls: “When they gather for the Community table…let no man stretch out his hand over the bread and wine before the priest. He shall first stretch out his hand. And afterwards the Messiah of Israel shall stretch out His hands. They shall process according to this rite at every meal where at least ten persons are assembled.”  These were frequent meals.

These Qumran Community meals weren’t Passover meals!  Yet they partook of bread and wine, not grape juice, to honor the Messiah.  Jesus is the Messiah.  Traditionally, wine celebrated Him.

But the representative bread and wine is much more ancient than the 1^st century BC!  In Ge.14:18-19 “Melchisedek the king brought out bread and wine [yayin h3196]; He was priest of the Most High God.”  He served wine, not grape juice (tirosh h8492)!  He shared a (leavened?) bread and wine meal with the uncircumcised gentile/non-Jew Abrám.  The Ps.110:1-4 prophecy is about Jesus. “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedek.” (also see He.6:20.)

Jesus, the Priest-King, is of the order of Melchisedek (not of the in-between Levitical order)!  So way back in the days of father Abraham, even prior to Jacob/Israel and the Jews, a bread and wine meal foreshadowed Christ’s priesthood and rule.  This is significant…we are of the order of Melchisedek!  The archetypal meal wasn’t tied to a recurring religious date or season of the year, e.g. Passover.  Its timing may or may not coincide with other religious observances.  (see “Melchisedek Order Priesthood”.)

Pr.9:1-5 “Wisdom has built her house. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine [h3196, fermented], she has set her table. ‘Come, eat of the bread and drink of the wine [h3196] I have mixed.”  It is wisdom to partake of (symbolic) bread and wine.  Melchisedek did so with Abraham.

In 1Co.11:20-34, drunkenness was a problem in the Corinthian church (v.21).  They were consuming too much wine while celebrating the eucharist at regular love feasts.  Drunkenness can have bad consequences (cf. Ge.9:20-27).  But wine-drinking in moderation is fine (except for Levites on duty).

To conclude…Jesus and His disciples drank wine with His Last Supper (Passover) meal.  International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [ISBE]: Wine “The wine of the Last Supper may be described in modern terms as sweet, red, fermented wine, rather highly diluted.”  Wine was in Jesus’ “cup”.

As a representation of Jesus’ blood and body, taking wine with bread is scripturally acceptable.  Joe Thorn The Lord’s Supper – Wine or Welch’s? “Regarding children, in most of the United States it is not illegal for children to consume alcohol ‘in the performance of a religious ceremony or service.”

However, conscience matters!  Je.35:5-8, 16-19 Jonadáb the son of Recháb commanded the Rechabites to be nomads, enduring hardship and abstaining from wine.  His descendants obeyed their forefather.  Some Christians abstain from wine, meat, card-playing, etc., as a matter of conscience or from fear of excess.  They only use grape juice, not wine, for communion.  We should respect their consciences.

Recovering alcoholics who become Christians, those with health problems and/or taking medications which could conflict with alcohol…should substitute grape juice for wine when taking communion.

Christians celebrate the Lord’s Supper with either wine or grape juice!  Over the years, I’ve used both.  (Again, the NT writers didn’t specify the beverage in the “cup” at Jesus’ Last Supper.)  When taking the eucharist, more important is our attitude of heart.  Yet division may occur when a perhaps well-meaning church custom/tradition becomes a modern form of pharisaic oral law and promotes exclusivism.  Jesus castigated the Pharisees for their oral traditions that contradicted OT scripture.

For more, see “Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup? (1)” and the separate topic “Bread and Wine in the Church”.  Also related is “Jesus’ Last Supper Timing”.

Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup? (1)

Bread and wine are symbols which represent the body and blood of Jesus the Savior.  The partaking of these symbols as the eucharist or communion in the early New Testament (NT) church is addressed in the topic “Bread and Wine in the Church”.  Little of the material covered in that topic is repeated here.

At Jesus’ Last Supper before His crucifixion, He instructed His disciples in the symbolic ceremony. Mt.26:26-28 “Jesus took some bread…and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body’. And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the [new] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  This became the eucharist.

Accordingly, after Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, in the 30s AD a communal sharing of consecrated bread and wine became a regular practice or sacramental rite at church gatherings.

However, there is controversy among church denominations (mostly since the 1800s AD) about what form of beverage should be in the communion “cup”.  This topic addresses the contents of Jesus’ “cup”.

Wikipedia: Sacramental Wine “The majority of mainstream liturgical churches require that sacramental wine be pure grape wine. In most liturgical rites, a small quantity of water is added to the wine when the chalice [cup] is prepared. However, some Christian churches disapprove of the consumption of alcohol, especially by children, and hold that it is acceptable to substitute grape juice for wine. These denominations include Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists, some Churches of Christ, and other evangelical groups. In this case, generally only pasteurized grape juice is used. In some Protestant churches each communicant drinks from a small individual cup.”  Well-known liturgical churches using wine for communion are the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic.

What is wine?  Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s present definition of wine: “The alcoholic fermented juice of fresh grapes used as a beverage. From Latin vinum.”  If it’s unfermented, it’s not actual wine.

Steve Shirley Should Wine or Grape Juice Be Used For Communion? “Juice becomes fermented when yeast is added to it and it begins to break down the sugars that are present in the juice, producing carbon dioxide and alcohol. However, grape juice does contain small amounts of naturally occurring yeast, and can ferment naturally over time.”

In our Greek NT, “cup” is potáyreeon, Strongs g4221.  It occurs 33 times.  In the NT, cup g4221 refers to: a drinking vessel; or metaphorically, one’s lot or experience, joyous or adverse.  “Cup” as a drinking vessel is seen in: Mt.26:27; Mk.14:23; Lk.22:17, 20; 1Co.10:16, 21, 11:25-28.  What was in Jesus’ cup?

Wikipedia: History of Wine “Consumption of ritual wine was part of Jewish practice since Biblical times and, as part of the eucharist commemorating Jesus’ Last Supper, became even more essential to the Christian Church.”  Reid Mitenbuler What Did Wine Taste Like Thousands of Years Ago? “Priests, monks, and nuns cultivated vineyards to make wine an everyday drink in places where it hadn’t existed before.”  Christian religion actually promoted and increased the knowledge of wine (production)!

In the NT and Old Testament (OT) Septúagint/LXX, the Greek term for “wine” is oínos g3631.  It occurs 33 times in the NT.

In the OT, the most-used Hebrew term for fermented wine is yáhyin h3196.  It occurs 140 times.

But OT “wine” prior to the fermentation process, grape juice, is tiroshé h8492, occurring 38 times.  Tiroshe is translated as “new wine”, in many Bibles.  This “new wine” was unfermented, or less fermented.  Grape juice.  (A half dozen less-used Hebrew terms also relate to wine or alcoholic drink.)

Rex M.D. Russell What the Bible Says About Healthy Living “Some Biblical commentaries suggest that yayin is wine fermented from the previous year, and tirosh is a somewhat less fermented drink from the recent harvest. Others concede that yayin is a fermented and intoxicating beverage, but tirosh is simply freshly squeezed juice from grapes.”  (Ho.4:11 may indicate a fermented tirosh.)

Tirosh would naturally ferment into wine, unless (impractical) steps were taken to preserve it as juice.  Mitenbuler op. cit. “Preservation efforts are the most noticeable culinary difference between ancient and modern wine.”  Wine was a valued product of agriculture.  Let’s compare tirosh and yayin in the OT:

Pr.3:10 “Your vats [yéhqeb h3342] will overflow with new wine [tirosh h8492].”  Ellicott Commentary Pr.3:10 “Vats, into which the newly pressed [grape] juice flowed.”  ref “wine vat” in Mk.12:1.  Cambridge Bible Pr.3:10 “The wine-press of the Jews consisted of two receptacles or vats placed at different elevations; in the upper the grapes were trodden, while the lower one received the expressed [grape] juice.”  (cf. Joel 3:13 “The press [gath h1660] is full, the vats [h3342] overflow.”)  Unfermented grape juice, not wine, flowed from the “winepress” (so called).  Mic.6:15 ESV “You shall tread grapes [or new wine h8492], but not drink wine [h3196].”  Is.65:8 the Lord says new wine (h8492) is found in the cluster of grapes.  Fermented wine/yayin h3196 isn’t found in grapes.  Quora What is Tirosh? “It’s literally grape juice in Hebrew.”  However, word meanings in languages can change over the centuries.

University of Chicago Biblical Notes, 1891, p.181 “Tirosh and Yayin denote not two kinds of wine but the same wine at different stages, before and after fermentation. The juice of the grape is tithed as tirosh [ref 2Ch.31:4-5] but drunk as yayin. At first it is a simple product of husbandry and valued for the promise that is in it. Finally it is treated as a drink, and praised or condemned as it is used or abused.”

Right use of fermented wine can be of benefit.  Ps.104:15 “Wine [yahyin h3196] makes glad the heart of man.”  De.14:25-26 “Go to the place the Lord chooses. You may spend the money for…wine [h3196] or strong drink [h7941 shekár], or whatever your heart desires…and rejoice.”  God encouraged wine-drinking (in moderation) to aid Israel’s rejoicing at His pilgrim feasts.  In Is.25:6 KJV, the prophetic banquet the Lord prepares includes aged wine on the lees h8105 of yeast sediment (from fermentation).

The Jews mixed wine in their water.  2Mac.15:39 “It is hurtful to drink wine or water alone. Wine mingled with water is pleasant, and delights the taste.”  In Bible times, water by itself was often dirty, contaminated with pathogens.  Charles Swindoll Dirty Water, Prohibition, and the Bible “Pure drinking water was often unavailable.”  Mitenbuler op. cit. “Ancient wine provided valuable nutrients and was used to sanitize water well past the Middle Ages.”  Also, Israel would water down their wine.

Paul told Timothy in the NT, 1Ti.5:23 “No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine [oinos g3631] for your stomach’s sake and your frequent ailments”.  But excessive alcohol consumption could worsen ailments, and lead to drunkenness.  Paul also wrote, Ep.5:18 “Be not drunk with wine [g3631]”.  Due to its alcoholic content, drinking wine to excess can cause intoxication.  Moderation is key.

Professor R. Laird Harris wrote, “All the wine [of Bible times] was light wine, i.e., not fortified with extra alcohol. Concentrated alcohol was only known in the Middle Ages when the Arabs invented distillation (‘alcohol’ is an Arab word) so…20% fortified wines were unknown in Bible times. Probably ancient wines were 7–10%. To avoid the sin of drunkenness, mingling of water with wine was practiced.”  The blend of water and wine was 50/50–65/35?  Prior to Is.1:22, 700s BC…wine undiluted?

Alfred Edersheim described 1^st century Jewish practices. The Temple, p.187 “Red wine alone was to be used at the Páschal [Passover] Supper, and always mixed with water.”  Cups containing wine were customary at Passover in Jerusalem.  Benson Commentary Pr.23:31 “Red, the color of the best wines in that country, which therefore are called blood, Ge.49:11; De.32:14; and used by them in the Passover.”

Mishnah Pesachim 10:1 “Even the poorest person in Israel must not eat (on the night of the Passover) until he reclines [cf. Lk.22:14]. And they must give him no fewer than four cups of wine.”  Even the poor who couldn’t afford the cost of wine at other times were given wine at Passover.

The Biblical expression “fruit of the vine” (ref Mt.26:29; Mk.14:25; Lk.22:18; Is.32:12; Hab.3:17; Zec.8:12) referred to grapes from the grapevine, common in Palestine.

Wayne Jackson Was the Fruit of the Vine Fermented? “There is considerable historical evidence that the common Passover beverage used in the 1^st century was wine.”  Jesus kept Passover (Lk.2:41-42).

Dr. Jack Lewis states, “Wine was ordinarily used at the Passover and is called ‘fruit of the vine’ in Berakoth 6:1 [Talmud].”  Berakoth 6:1 “Over wine one recites: Who creates fruit of the vine.”

And Jesus’ Last Supper was also a Passover meal celebration!  Jesus told His disciples to prepare it.  Mk.14:12 “On the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, ‘Where do want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  Lk.22:7-8 “Then came the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb must be killed. ‘Go and prepare the Passover for us to eat.”  This would be His Last Supper.  (see the topic “Jesus’ Last Supper Timing”.)

In the OT the Lord didn’t command wine or any drink at Passover.  But we read from the above sources that wine was the “fruit of the vine”, and was customarily consumed in 1^st century Judea at Passover.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [ISBE]: Wine “The wine of the Last Supper may be described in modern terms as sweet, red, fermented wine, rather highly diluted.”

The annual Passover was 6 months after the grape harvest in the Land.  Grape juice would’ve naturally undergone some fermentation during that time, even if yeast wasn’t added.  David C. Hopkins Life on the Land, p.186 “Stored [new] wine naturally fermented unless it was boiled down or kept cool.”

Again, in the Greek NT, “wine” is oinos g3631, occurring 33 times.  In the OT Greek LXX, oinos g3631 was used to translate the Hebrew yayin h3196 in 130 of its 140 occurrences.  And the LXX also used oinos to translate the Hebrew tiroshe h8492 in 37 of its 38 occurrences (all except Is.65:8)!  Therefore, we see that the Greek oinos g3631 in the LXX referred to either fermented or unfermented drink.

{Sidelight: The Greek term for vinegar and “sour wine” is óxos g3690.  It occurs in 6 NT verses, all relating to Jesus’ crucifixion (Mt.27:34, 48; Mk.15:36; Lk.23:36; Jn.19:29-30).  Oxos/sour wine g3690 was a variety, quality or adulteration of oinos/wine g3631, such as acrid wine or vinegar.  This cheap “wine” was a common beverage.  It was a stimulant, and had standard wine/oinos and water as a base.  “Wine” and “sour wine” and pure vinegar differed.  (see the topic “Jesus’ Death – the Physical Cause”.)

Vinegar was made by the oxidation of wine or fermented fruit juice, or a mix of barley and wine.  It is highly acidic (acetic acid), and harms the teeth (Pr.10:26).  It wasn’t drank straight.  Livestrong.com What Are the Dangers of Drinking Vinegar? “Drinking vinegar can have unpleasant and dangerous side effects.”  ISBE: Vinegar “Undiluted vinegar was of course undrinkable, but a mixture of water and vinegar makes a beverage that was very popular among the poor.”  It was also popular among soldiers.

The Hebrew OT term for vinegar is chométs h2558, occurring 5 times (Nu.6:3; Ru.2:14; Ps.69:21; Pr.10:26, 25:20).  Nu.6:3 has both chomets h2558 vinegar and yayin h3196 wine.  They’re different Hebrew terms, representing different things.  (Nu.6:3 LXX has oxos g3690 and oinos g3631).  There’s no indication that oxos “sour wine” or vinegar was in the cup at Jesus’ Last Supper Passover meal!}

Also, in Ac.2:13 disciples were mocked, supposedly full of sweet wine (or ‘must’?), g1098 gleúkos.  In the OT LXX, this term is found only in Jb.32:19.  Bible linguists differ regarding what gleukos meant back then.  Callixenus wrote (300s BC), “They were trampling on the grapes and the new wine (gleukos) ran out over the whole road”.  Greek Bible scholar Dr. Spiros Zódiates, “Some believe that it [gleukos] is what distills of its own accord from the grapes which is the sweetest and smoothest. It was mentioned at Pentecost (Ac.2:13) indicating that the ancients probably had a method of preserving the sweetness, and by consequence the strongly inebriating quality of the gleukos for a long time.”

In the NT, oinos g3631 usually referred to fermented wine.  Lk.10:33-34 the good Samaritan poured oil and wine (oinos)…not grape juice…into the traveler’s wounds!  Red wine is an antiseptic.  Mt.9:17 Jesus said new wine (g3631) would cause brittle old wineskins to break (due to the fermentation process).

This topic is continued and concluded in “Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup? (2)”.  In it, we’ll discuss concerns and symbolism of wine in Bible times, and when the use of grape juice for communion began.

Church Meetings of the Apostolic Age

In Christianity today, there are many church denominations.  Also there are non-denominational believers.  Churchgoers engage in different activities or proceedings in their church meetings.  Modern group practices vary.

What did the Holy Spirit inspire early Christians of the Apostolic Age to do in their services, according to the New Testament (NT)?  The Apostolic Age was the period of time from when Jesus called His original 12 disciples/apostles until the death of the apostle John near the end of the 1^st century AD.  What Was the Apostolic Age? “The foundations of the Christian church were established then.”

In the decades (and early centuries) after Jesus’ death, diverse Christian groups developed.  The seven churches of Revelation 2-3 definitely had their differences!

{Sidelight: One branch of (marginal) Christian Gnostics reportedly had a very unorthodox approach to their meetings.  Members would draw lots at every service, and let those lots determine which persons that day would perform the various functions within the meeting.  For example, whoever drew the lot for the sermon would give the sermon that day.  Next meeting when they drew lots again, the mix of functions among those present would change.  This approach seems unorganized or haphazard, compared to more usual and orthodox church formats.}

The church at large belongs to Jesus.  He’s building it.  Jesus said in Mt.16:18, “I will build My church”.  Ep.4:11-13 Jesus provides diverse giftings & abilities for His church, His figurative “body”.  These are distributed in each congregation and area (there is some overlap within a group).  1Co.12:1, 18, 27-31 it is thought that every Christian has received at least one spiritual gift.  Some Christians, like the apostle Paul, are given several such gifts.  (also see the topic “Spiritual Gifts and ‘Tongues”.)

Here we’ll look at NT examples that reflect what was done during Christian worship services of the Apostolic Age.  (also see “Synagogue Influence on the Church”.)  Some functions are more visible at meetings than others are.  God’s Presence in the meeting is a priority!  The primary purpose of church meetings is to meet with God!  From scripture, following are four main components of services:

1) Praise/hymns and songs.  This is very important.  Many Old Testament (OT) Psalms were probably songs.  Ps.100:4 enter in to God’s Presence with thanksgiving & praise.  Paul exhorted in Ep.5:19, “Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord”.  Ps.144:9 “I will sing a new song to Thee, O God, upon an instrument.”  Also ref Col.3:16.  If we meet in services, but don’t enter into the Lord’s Presence, the meeting could possibly proceed according to personal agendas.

2) Prayers.  1Ti.2:8-9a reflects men and women unitedly lifting up holy hands in prayer (and praise).  David wrote in Ps.63:4, “I will bless Thee, I will lift up my hands in Thy Name”.  The Levitical priests in the synagogue or temple lifted up hands to their shoulders or head for benedictions.  Lk.24:50 Jesus too lifted up hands in blessing.  Ac.12:12 reflects an early house church prayer meeting, “Where many were gathered together praying”.  In Ac.16:13-14 while Paul was traveling in Europe, he and Luke found a group to pray & worship with on the sabbath day.  (see “Evangelism in the Apostolic Church”.)

But it seems too many Christian groups ignore fervent prayer in their meetings.  For that matter, Paul said we should try to remain in a continual attitude of “pray without ceasing” (1Th.5:17), whether in church or out.  The NT church did much prayer!

3) Teaching/Preaching from scripture.  Perhaps this component is second in importance.  In 1Ti.4:13, Paul exhorted Timothy to “give attention to the public reading of Scripture”.  The scriptures Timothy had in those days were almost entirely from the Old Testament.  2Ti.3:16-17 “All scripture is inspired by God”, according to Paul.  Yet in many churches today, little is read other than the gospels and Paul’s own writings, or one springboard text.  2Ti.4:2 “Preach the word…rebuke, exhort with patience and instruction.”  In the Apostolic Era church, the scriptures were read as teaching and exhortation!  (That’s not to say the speaker shouldn’t devote time to relating personal anecdotes or storytelling from the pulpit to make a point.)

The above three components could take a while to complete.  In Ac.20:6-8, Paul gave a long discourse until past midnight.  The Hebrew term for a scriptural discourse or sermon was derásha.  Ac.15:32 Judas and Silas encouraged the brethren with a lengthy message.  Ac.13:15-41 is Luke’s synopsis of the discourse Paul gave in the synagogue at the Roman military colony of Pisidían Antioch.

The classic example for the long church service is found in Ne.8:2-6, when Ezra read the book of the law “from early morning until midday”!  (As an aside, when hearers learn and do the word in their daily lives, less pastoring is needed.)  My personal preference is for a speaker to say his sermon in a maximum of 60 or perhaps 75 minutes.  On occasion, the Holy Spirit (HS) may inspire a longer talk (such as Paul’s Troás discourse in Ac.20:7).

1 Corinthians 14 may be viewed as a type of model for church meetings.  1Co.14.1-3 prophecy wasn’t restricted to only predictions or words of knowledge (like the OT seer/see-er).  Prophecy includes edification, exhortation, consolation, besides encouragement & spiritual strengthening (Ac.15:32).  It is speaking the inspired words of God through the HS, via scripture reading and otherwise.  1Co.14:26-30 let 2 or 3 speak (this glimpses the 2 or 3 witnesses pattern, e.g. Mt.18:16).  It seems Paul didn’t view Christian services as a discussion forum or chat format to just share opinions or speculations.

Teachers, preachers, Bible expositors may welcome others’ revelations, insights, comments, or questions from the group (this will lengthen the meeting).  Some object to services that are too formal or inflexible or too long.  The HS should be allowed to guide the meeting.  But if preaching or teaching isn’t inspired by the Spirit, merely speaking our own words is of less value.

1Co.14:31-32 over the months, all so moved by the HS can share their testimony, sermonettes, or sermons…whether topical, expository, extemporaneous, doctrinal, historical Bible incidents, etc.  All sermon types can be spiritually uplifting, pertinent, informative, when prepared through prayer in the Lord’s will.  We want to experience the HS in the meeting…and learn God’s word and God’s character.

1Co.14:33 there should be no confusion or disorder at church services.  It’s not the place for the person who doesn’t come in peace, or who has a personal agenda which may be disruptive.  There should be a sense of holiness present.  v.37 these instructions written by Paul were “the Lord’s commandment”, not Paul’s own words!  Paul concludes the passage in v.39-40. “Let all things be done decently and in order.”  Orderly structure is important.  (also see “Female Roles in the Early Church”.)

4) Food (with the Lord’s Supper).  Ac.2:46 these Jewish Christians were “taking their meals together”.  Spiritual ties can be made stronger by sharing meals.  Jude 1:12a regular lovefeasts were common.  Historically those meals included bread & wine communion.  (see the topics “Bread and Wine in the Church” and “Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup?”.)

The financially more well-to-do Christians brought food to share (perhaps potluck style) with the poorer saints.  But there were problems at the lovefeasts in Corinth.  1Co.11:20-34 Paul admonished them to be considerate of one another at their lovefeasts & eucharist.  The intent is to commune with God’s Presence!  This communion is part of meeting with God…at the Lord’s table (1Co.10:21).

Also at church meetings there’s a place for: praise reports, prayer requests, anointing for healing and laying on hands (Ja.5:14-16), inspirational special music/poetry/dance (David danced, 2Sm.6:14), spiritually meaningful personal experiences, giving to others, etc…all done in an orderly manner.

We probably have our favorite portions of the services, and also components we like less (for example, speculative ‘prophecies’ so-called and conspiracy theories may engender skepticism).  Some fellowships seem to ignore various parts of the above NT meeting guidelines, preferring to do more their own thing.  Although I don’t think form/order is greater than substance, it is nevertheless beneficial to do the components which the Spirit led them to do as recorded in the Bible.

The NT is not just about our “life in Christ” of Romans, Ephesians, Colossians…it is also the structure of Acts, Corinthians, Timothy.  (see “Church Structure and Member Functions”.)  Generally, group practices engaged in during meetings should be modeled upon NT examples & doctrine.  Yet….

God can do what He wants through the Holy Spirit!  2Ch.5:12-14 “The house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so the priests couldn’t stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.”  Even at the OT Temple dedication, the praise was magnificent!  The Shekínah glory/kavód (Hebrew) cloud was so heavy, the priests were unable to stand up to minister!

Also people have testified of their miraculous healings at church meetings!  Although the Spirit doesn’t contradict the Spirit or violate God’s word…God is in charge.  God’s will be done.

To recap, the essential components at church meetings from the Bible are: 1) Singing praise/hymns; 2) Prayers; 3) Scriptural teaching/exhortation; 4) Fellowship meal/Lord’s Supper.

Ro.12:4-8 this passage reflects prophecy/inspired preaching, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, acts of mercy.  These gifts enable the local church to function harmoniously in love and peace/shalóm.

He.10:24-25 “Let us consider how to motivate one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together.”  Believers with the Holy Spirit are to assemble together.  Assembling can include online Christian chatrooms and livestreaming services, especially for the elderly or infirm.  Let’s all take this verse to heart and regularly gather together somewhere, whether in-person or not.

Commonly, the NT meeting place was house churches.  ref Ac.2:46, 8:3, 20:20; Ro.16:5; Col.4:15; 1Co.16:19; Phm.1:2; 2Jn.1:10.

Lastly…in many nations today, Christian worship services take place with little or no persecution.  But that’s not the case in all nations.  Reportedly, there are 150 million Christians in China, many or most of them meeting ‘underground’ in house churches.  We pray for Christians who are persecuted, that they will be granted favor and positively impact their society with the gospel.

The Lord has given us guidelines in the NT for church meetings.  Thanks be to God for the opportunity and privilege to meet together in fellowship with the saints!

Bread and Wine in the Church

Bread & wine are the symbols of the body & blood of Jesus the Savior.  The partaking of these symbols is called communion or the eucharist by many churches, and is considered a sacrament by some.

At Jesus’ Last Supper, He instructed His disciples regarding bread & wine in Lk.22:19-20. “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me…This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”  Accordingly, a communal sharing of the symbolic bread & wine became the practice of the church after His sacrificial death and resurrection.

A few churches believe the bread & wine actually becomes Christ’s body & blood in substance.  This is called transubstantiation.  But communion isn’t transubstantiation.  If communion were transubstantiation, then it would contradict the Holy Spirit’s decree for the church to abstain from blood (Ac.15:29)!  Christ had already forbidden human consumption of blood in the Old Testament (OT).  ref Ge.9:4 & Le.17:10.  Although Jesus is the figurative ‘bread of life’, human flesh (cannibalism) is unclean for food (Le.11:1-3, Ezk.4:12-14)!  Furthermore, at His Last Supper, Jesus was standing there in His physical body at the time He said the bread on that table “is My body” (e.g. Mt.26:26)!  Jesus then ate the bread; He didn’t eat His own body or drink His own blood.

The Christian faith isn’t magic.  The above verses help make it clear that the symbolic bread & wine don’t become in substance Christ’s body & blood; rather they represent His body & blood.  For example, Jesus said in Mt.13:38, “The field is the world and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom”.  But what Jesus meant was, the field and the seed represent the world and the sons.  It’s not literal.  Jesus said of the bread & wine in Mt.26:26-28, “This is my body…this is my blood.”  Likewise, the bread & wine are symbolic representations, not to be viewed literally.  We believe God is present in Spirit, yet not as physical food.

These symbols of bread & wine weren’t entirely new to those Jews in the 1^st century AD.  The earliest believers in Jesus/Yeshúa were Jews.  The practice of taking bread & wine has a long history.  Jews today call it kíddush, usually taken on the sabbath.

Religious bread & wine meals predate Jesus’ Last Supper.  David Stern Jewish New Testament Commentary (JNTC) Appendix, p.931 has a quote from the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). “And when they gather for the Community table…let no man stretch out his hand over the bread and wine before the priest….he shall first stretch out his hand….And afterwards the Messiah of Israel shall stretch out His hands. And they shall process according to this rite at every meal where at least ten persons are assembled.”  This is evidence that Jewish bread & wine meals at Qumrán anticipated the Messiah in the decades before Jesus’ human birth.

But the representative bread & wine is much more ancient than the 1^st century BC!  Back in Ge.14:18-19, “Melchisedek brought out bread and wine”.  He shared a (leavened) bread & wine meal with the uncircumcised gentile/non-Jew Abrám.

The Ps.110:1-4 prophecy about Jesus. “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedek.” (also ref He.6:20.)  Jesus, the Priest-King, is of the order of Melchisedek (not of the in-between Levitical order)!  So way back in the days of father Abram/Abraham, even prior to Jacob/Israel and the Jews, a bread & wine meal foreshadowed Christ’s priesthood and rule.

Recognizing this celebration as a Melchisedekian meal and order is significant!  (see the topic “Melchisedek Order Priesthood”.)  The archetypal meal wasn’t tied to a recurring religious date or season of the year.  Its timing may or may not coincide with other religious observances.

In Jn.6:51-54, 66, 31-33, Jesus’ flesh & blood are symbolized prior to the Last Supper.  (And Qumran was having their Community bread & wine meals prior to the Last Supper date.)  Jesus said in Jn.6:54, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life”.  Many early Jews thought bread & wine related to the coming Messiah…but not as His (literal) body & blood.

In Christianity today, there are various views about how often communion should be taken.  Some Christians now keep this (Melchisedek order) New Covenant bread & wine memorial annually, only at Passover time in the spring.

Since Jesus’ Last Supper occurred at Israel’s Passover, some (especially Jews) have tied the Lord’s Supper to Passover with unleavened bread.  1Co.5:1-9 is Paul’s mídrash about suspending the sinner, typified as “old leaven”.  v.7 “Christ our Passover”…it was Christ who ‘passed over’ the firstborn of Israel in Egypt (Ex.12:23).  He was the “Rock” who followed them in the wilderness (1Co.10:4 & De.32:3-4).  Perhaps some Jewish Christians in Jerusalem continued to customarily keep Passover at the temple (cf. De.16:5-6), as had been commanded in the old Levitical order.  Christ is the Passover of Jewish Christians, as Paul indicates.  (also see “Passover and Peace Offerings“.)

In Ex.12, Israel had been commanded to keep the Passover (from the flock) with a lamb or kid, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs.  The traditional custom of drinking wine at Passover was added centuries later.  But in all Last Supper passages, the Greek term for bread is always ártos (Strongs g740), never ázumos/unleavened (g106).

Jesus didn’t say bread & wine replaced Israel’s Passover meal, nor did He specifically call the bread & wine “a Passover”.  Even though Jesus’ last meal before His death coincided with their Passover meal, the bread & wine meal is a new covenant/ceremony in the order of Melchisedek.  It’s part of Jesus’ last will & testament (He.9:15-17)!  Therefore this communion wasn’t instituted until Jesus’ final meal before His death (which was also a Passover meal).

There was no Passover wine commanded to Moses/Israel in the Old Covenant.  Else Nazarites like Samson and Samuel would’ve been continually disobedient, ref De.16:1-2, Nu.6:2-3 & Jg.13:4-5…or cut off from Israel, ref Nu.9:13!  God had forbidden Nazarites to drink wine or grape juice, Nu.6:3.  Talmud Pesachim 10:1 it became a custom at Passover for each man to drink four cups.  That custom wasn’t commanded by God.  It was a Roman Empire custom for banquet type celebrations to include four servings of wine (cf. Lk.22:17, 20).

In 1Co.11, Paul shows that the Lord’s Supper is more than a Passover meal.  v.2 this Supper remembrance had become an authorized church practice.  In several verses Paul instructs them for when they “come/meet together”: v.17, 18, 20, 33, 34, 14:23, 26.  Paul is referring to regular gatherings in these verses, not infrequent occasions.

The celebrating of the Lord’s Supper was a main festive component of those church gatherings.  Frank Viola Pagan Christianity, p.239 “For the early Christians, the Lord’s Supper was a communal meal…a Christian banquet…called a love feast.”  Continuing with 1Co.11….

Paul reproved the Corinthians, saying their attitude was unfit for the Lord’s Supper.  1Co.11:20-22 it seems their mindset was the eating of their own supper.  A.T. Robertson “Selfish conduct…made it impossible for them to eat the Lord’s Supper.”  The hungry poor and the intoxicated rich there together.

1Co.11:23-24 Paul referred to the time Jesus instituted the observance as, “The night in which He was betrayed”.  That’s not an OT holyday emphasis.  Paul doesn’t tie bread & wine to the Passover.  Jesus had said, “Do this in remembrance of Me”.  v.25-26 “As often as you eat and drink…you proclaim the Lord’s death.”  The Greek for “as often” occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Re.11:6…as often as they smite the earth with plagues.  “As often” doesn’t indicate only once-a-year.

Jesus’ death was foreshadowed by all temple sacrifices each year, for that matter, not just the Passover.  e.g. Ro.3:25 Jesus is the Atonement (although He didn’t die in October on the date of Yom Kíppur).  Throughout the year, many churches will often proclaim Christ died for our sins, partaking of bread & wine.  (The DSS Essene meals at Qumran were often too.)

1Co.11:27 taking the Lord’s Supper meal selfishly was doing so unworthily.  They were ‘desecrating the Lord’s Table to satisfy personal cravings’.  v.28 “Let a man examine himself, and eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”  We should “examine” ourselves regularly, not just spiritually cram once-a-year!  David Stern op. cit. (JNTC), p.227 “The early believers were to recall Yeshua’s death for them as they began their meal. Then, after that, the entire meal time was to be devoted to fellowship.”

It was a full meal!  Were the poor brethren in Corinth “shamed” only once-a-year (v.22)?  It’s likely that for many of the poor and slave participants, the (weekly or bi-weekly) Lord’s Supper was their one real meal…a sacrificial banquet, if you will!

These were regular gatherings/meetings.  v.29-30 some saints, failing to discern the Lord’s body, were sick and passing away.  There’s healing in it also!  1Pe.2:24 “By His wounds you were healed.”  After Jesus suffered wounds on His body, figuratively the bread, we’re healed.  Is.53:4-5 emotional healing too!  McLaren Expositions Is.53:4 “Hebrew thought drew no sharp line of distinction between diseases of the body and those of the soul.”  People have testified to the healing!  It’s not magic.

1Co.11:31-34 Paul said to eat more at home if need be, so sufficient food for the poor would be available on the Lord’s Table.

The traditional full fellowship meal with bread & wine occurred often in the apostolic church.  (Gentiles in the church don’t recall any one-time Passover exodus from Egypt anyway.)  Jude 1:12 indicates these love feasts were common.  Writing of the early church, Samuele Bacchiócchi God’s Festivals, p.74 “During the course of the year the Lord’s Supper was celebrated as part of a religious service.”

1Co.10:16 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”  Their ‘breaking bread’ referred to Christ’s body.  v.3-4, 11 Israel had received food & drink all those days in the wilderness (an OT type).  v.21 commune with the Lord at His Table.  The expressions “cup of blessing” (v.16) and “fruit of the vine” (Lk.22:18) are common in Jewish blessings.  Ac.20:6-7, 11 Paul was breaking bread at a Christian love feast in Troás (a couple weeks after Passover was held in Jerusalem; communion isn’t tied to it).

Archaeologists have discovered banquet halls within several excavated ancient synagogues.  In primitive church congregations, bread & wine may well have been taken weekly (as part of a Christian banquet or memorial).  Le.24:5-9 the priests in the ancient tabernacle/temple had eaten the showbread at the Lord’s table weekly on the sabbath.  The objection of some men that partaking of the eucharist elements too often will result in them losing their meaning…isn’t in the Bible!  He.13:10 but the disbelieving Levites at the temple in the 1^st century AD had no right to eat the Lord’s Supper meals.

Over time, three noted factors leading to a morning communion service were: #1 Roman legislation prohibited Christian meal gatherings.  #2 The growing gentile church (clergy) avoided the Jewishness link of common bread & wine meals (a practice carried-over into the church from the synagogue).  #3 Abusive behavior, as Paul warned in 1Co.11, led to abandoning the bread & wine full meals.  The general practice became, Didache 14:1 (ca 100 AD) “Eucharist on the Lord’s Day”.  A communion consisting of only a wafer & thimble of grape juice/wine became a Sunday morning custom.  No shared meal.  (see “Sabbath Day Became Sunday in Rome” and “Wine or Grape Juice in Jesus’ Cup?”.)

{Sidelight: Steven Shisley cites: “The apologist Tertullian (c 155–240 CE) recounts how his community in Carthage began to assemble in the mornings to participate in a separate Eucharistic ritual at an altar (De Corona 3). According to Cyprian, a 3rd-century bishop, Christians in Carthage regularly gathered as one large assembly in the morning at an altar for a Eucharistic sacrifice in buildings devoted to religious activities (Epistle 62.14–17; Epistle 33.4–5).”  Clergy changed the apostolic love feast meal.}

Did children participate in the early church love feasts?  Jesus said in Mt.19:13-15, “Let the children come to Me”.  Here Jesus didn’t exclude children.  Children had been included, not forbidden, in OT family meals at the Lord’s pilgrim feasts.  Mt.14:21 feeding the 5,000 included children.  And the Jn.6 account of the 5,000 (v.10) also specified His “flesh and blood” symbols (v.53).  However, children should be able to conduct themselves appropriately if they take the symbols.  At the Last Supper, Jesus’ 12 disciples/apostles hadn’t received the Holy Spirit yet either, as most children today haven’t.  (cf. Jn.20:22 & Ac.2:4, which were after the Last Supper.)

1Pe.2:5, 9 Christians are a royal priesthood.  OT priests ate the showbread weekly!  Manna, the bread from heaven, was gathered by the people daily (Ex.16:21-32).  It’s important we take communion thankfully with a good conscience.  Some may use leavened or unleavened bread, with wine or grape juice.  (Recovering alcoholics are advised to use grape juice.)

Some modern Christians partake only annually, yet throughout the year they are daily able to remain mindful of the Lord’s death for them (1Co.11:24-26).  Others feel they should partake more often to remain so mindful.  Consciences do matter.  Let’s not unfavorably view others who conscientiously observe the symbols at a different time, whether very often or infrequently…or in a different manner, part of a meal or a leavened/unleavened wafer & thimble cup.  It’s a holy celebration of what Jesus has done for us.  Let’s rejoice in it!