Discover how the early Christians understood and practiced communion. Explore questions about the Lord's Supper, its meaning, frequency, and how believers today can honor this sacred ordinance.

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Course Content

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What did Jesus mean by "eat my flesh and drink my blood" in John 6?
Is There Early Church Precedent for Withholding Communion from Visitors with Differing Beliefs and Practices?
Is it Necessary to Use Unleavened Bread and Wine, or Can Any Kind of Bread, Food, and Juice, Any Beverage Be Acceptable for Communion?
Who Are the Saints, and is the Lord's Supper Only for Them?
How Important Was the Eucharist Cup with the Dravidic Kingship of Christ to the Early Church in the Didache？
Is there a precedent from early church writings for withholding communion from Christian visitors?
What early Christian Lord's Supper practices were most edifying to the church today?
Free Course Guide

What This Free Course Covers

This free course gathers seven question-and-answer lessons on communion, also called the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. The lessons begin with Jesus' words in John 6 about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, then connect that passage with Matthew 26, 1 Corinthians 10, and 1 Corinthians 11. Rather than reducing communion to a bare symbol or defining every detail beyond Scripture, the course presents a careful middle ground:

receive the words of Christ and Paul with reverence, while avoiding additions that are not found in Scripture or early Christian practice. Other lessons address practical church questions: who should participate, how visitors were received, what kind of bread and cup should be used, and how early Christian habits might help churches today. The course also notes the early practice of guarded communion, regular participation, and a reverent spirit without worshiping the bread and wine.

John 6 and communion Body and blood of Christ Early Christian practice Guarded communion Letters of communion Bread and fruit of the vine Saints and church discipline Reverence without adoration Frequent communion Mystery and restraint

What You Will Study

  • How John 6 relates to communion and the words of Jesus about His flesh and blood
  • The four main New Testament passages discussed in connection with communion
  • How the early Christians are presented as receiving these passages at face value
  • Why the course warns against both over-defining communion and reducing it to only a symbol
  • Early church precedent for letters of recommendation or communion when visitors came from another fellowship
  • Questions about leavened or unleavened bread, wine, grape juice, and the fruit of the vine
  • Who the New Testament calls saints and why baptized believers in good standing were expected to participate
  • Early Christian practices of frequent communion and reverent treatment of the Lord's Supper

Questions This Course Helps Answer

  • What did Jesus mean when He said to eat His flesh and drink His blood in John 6?
  • Which New Testament passages speak directly about communion or the Eucharist?
  • How did the early Christians handle Jesus' words about His body and blood?
  • Is communion only a remembrance, or is something more being described?
  • What concerns are raised about worshiping the consecrated bread and wine?
  • Is there early church precedent for withholding communion from unknown visitors?
  • What were letters of recommendation or letters of communion used for?
  • Should communion be closed, open, or closely guarded?
  • Must communion use unleavened bread, or can leavened bread be used?
  • Is wine required, or can the fruit of the vine include grape juice?
  • Can ordinary food or another beverage be substituted for bread and the cup?
  • Who are the saints, and is the Lord's Supper only for a special group of Christians?

Lesson-by-Lesson Guide

What did Jesus mean by "eat my flesh and drink my blood" in John 6?

This lesson compares John 6 with Matthew 26, 1 Corinthians 10, and 1 Corinthians 11, treating them as the main New Testament passages on communion. It presents the early Christians as receiving these passages at face value, while cautioning against both explaining away Jesus' words and adding fixed definitions or practices not found in Scripture.

  • How does John 6 relate to communion?
  • What are the main New Testament passages about the Eucharist or Lord's Supper?
  • Did the early Christians treat communion as only symbolic?
  • Why does the lesson avoid both transubstantiation and a merely symbolic view?

Is There Early Church Precedent for Withholding Communion from Visitors with Differing Beliefs and Practices?

This lesson addresses whether churches should admit visiting Christians to communion without knowing their standing. It points to New Testament examples of recommendation and early Christian references to letters of communion, while warning against being too loose or too strict.

  • Is there precedent for checking a visitor's standing before communion?
  • What do letters of recommendation show about early Christian practice?
  • How can communion be guarded without becoming unnecessarily closed?

Is it Necessary to Use Unleavened Bread and Wine, or Can Any Kind of Bread, Food, and Juice, Any Beverage Be Acceptable for Communion?

This lesson considers what elements should be used in communion. It argues for following the scriptural pattern of bread and the fruit of the vine where possible, while recognizing some flexibility on leavened bread and possibly grape juice in unusual circumstances.

  • Does communion have to use unleavened bread?
  • Can leavened bread be used for the Lord's Supper?
  • Is wine required, or can grape juice be used?
  • Can another food or drink replace bread and the fruit of the vine?

Who Are the Saints, and is the Lord's Supper Only for Them?

This short lesson explains that Paul addresses whole churches as saints, not only a special class of Christians. It says baptized believers were entitled and expected to participate in communion unless they were under church discipline.

  • Who are the saints in the New Testament?
  • Is communion limited to a special group of Christians?
  • Should baptized believers in good standing participate in communion?

How Important Was the Eucharist Cup with the Dravidic Kingship of Christ to the Early Church in the Didache？

This lesson responds cautiously to a question about the Didache, the communion cup, and the Holy Vine of David. The answer connects the language chiefly to Jesus and His blood, while noting that the speaker did not have the Didache text in front of him and was not certain about the exact wording.

  • What might the Holy Vine of David refer to in the Didache?
  • Is the Eucharist cup directly tied to the Davidic kingship of Christ?
  • How does the lesson connect communion with Jesus?

Is there a precedent from early church writings for withholding communion from Christian visitors?

This lesson gives a fuller answer on early Christian letters of communion for visitors from other congregations. It argues that communion should not be sectarian, but also should not be so open that anyone unknown can participate without evidence of baptism and good standing.

  • How did early Christians receive visitors for communion?
  • What were letters of communion meant to protect?
  • Why should communion not be used in a sectarian way?
  • What does closely guarded communion mean?

What early Christian Lord's Supper practices were most edifying to the church today?

This lesson highlights two early Christian practices the speaker thinks would edify churches today: frequent communion, especially weekly communion, and a reverent attitude toward the bread and cup. It distinguishes reverence for the Lord's Supper from worshiping the bread and wine.

  • How often did early Christians celebrate communion?
  • Why does the lesson commend weekly communion?
  • What kind of reverence should surround the Lord's Supper?
  • How is reverence different from worshiping the elements?

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Course Includes

  • 7 Lessons
  • 0 Quizzes
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