Theology of the Church, Mentor's Guide, MG03

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T H E O L O G Y O F T H E C H U R C H

C. Baptism is equally important in both sacramental and ordinance traditions.

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Baptism is given and commanded by Christ himself. It is never optional or dispensable. Therefore, both for those who see it as a sacrament and those who see it as an ordinance, baptism is the defining mark that a person has committed themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

IV. The Lord’s Supper

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There is in the Lord’s Supper a constant renewal of the covenant between God and the Church. The word ‘remembrance’ ( anamnesis ) refers not simply to man’s remembering of the Lord but also to God’s remembrance of his Messiah and his covenant, and of his promise to restore the Kingdom. At the Supper all this is brought before God in true intercessory prayer. ~ R. S. Wallace. “Lord’s Supper.” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology . Walter A. Elwell, ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984. p. 653.

A. Common terms:

1. The Lord’s Supper is a common name for this act of worship.

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2. You may also hear it called the eucharist (which means “thanksgiving meal”), Communion, or the Lord’s Table.

The Lord’s Supper was given to the Church by Jesus himself on the night before he was arrested.

B. Established by Jesus Christ

1. Matt. 26.26-29

2. 1 Cor. 11.23-26

C. Observed regularly from the earliest days of the Church onward