Guess Who's Coming to Supper?

Christ ate the “Last Supper,” with his apostles the night of the Passover. It has become an epochal event in Christianity perhaps best known by Leonardo Da Vinci’s popular painting, “The Last Supper.” The painting itself has become the focus of many intriguing stories. However, it is best to keep in mind, Leonardo did not make the painting in the first century. He was fifteen centuries too late for that. The painting is a fiction, Leonardo’s contemporary interpretation, nothing more.¹ But like so many things, the most intriguing story is what really took place that night as related to us in the Biblical record.

Some people go so far as to claim Christ did not eat the Passover meal. Yet Christ said to his disciples, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'the Master says, ‘My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” [Mat. 26:18]. “And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat." [Luke 22:8]. Christ would have done so as this was a requirement under the law covenant. The last meal with the apostles before his crucifixion was a Passover according to Christ. However, the "Last Supper" portion of this evening took place after the required Passover meal was eaten. It was a separate event meant only for the apostles in attendance.

Much confusion arises because the difference between the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread is not clearly understood by many reading the New Testament. [See the Feature article, The Relevance Of The Holy Days In The Plan Of God In The Last Days]. The Passover was not a holy day, but a preparation day as we read above. It was the day preceding the first Day of Unleavened Bread, which was the first high, or annual, holy sabbath day of the sacred year. The Passover meal was eaten beginning at sunset the day before. [See Lev. 23:5-8]. The Passover began on the 14th day of the first month, Nisan. The 15th day, beginning at sunset, was the first annual sabbath of the sacred calendar year.

For example, if the Days of Unleavened Bread began at sunset on a Wednesday, then Tuesday at sunset would begin Passover. While the Passover is not a holy day, it came to be included with the Days of Unleavened Bread in common usage. As we read in Luke 22, “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.” However, in Mark 14, we see the distinction of the two days. “After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.” The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days, with the first and last days being high holy days or annual sabbaths. Unlike the weekly sabbath day, annual holy days can occur on different days of the week, but always on the same date each year.

Christ eating this Passover meal with the apostles also has come to be commonly known as the "Lord's Supper." However, these were two separate events with the "Lord's Supper" taking place after the Passover meal. It was a tipping point. The old covenant was about to be broken [See Zec. 11:10-14] that day by Christ's death, and the new covenant was shortly to be instituted. But is the "Lord's Supper" of today a scripture sanctioned practice of the first century event?

As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Therefore when you come together in one place [as in a church building], it is not to eat the Lord's Supper ... What? don't you have houses to eat and to drink in? or do you despise the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." [1 Cor. 11:20, 22]. This is a rather harsh condemnation regarding a common "Christian" tradition. As the scholarly commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown states it, “ … there is no such thing as eating the Lord’s Supper.” This appears to be the more accurate translation. These are very strong words from the apostle Paul concerning this common practice. Yet, those churches "eating the Lord's Supper" never seem to quote these particular verses, 20-22, but always start in verse 23.

Isn’t it odd, then, that Paul would tell the Christians in the Corinthian church in the first century, “there is no such thing as eating the Lord’s Supper” when churches all over Christianity today practice communion, or "eating the Lord’s Supper?” This greatly misunderstood non-Christian, non-Biblical tradition is so entrenched that the pope recently proclaimed the communion wafer used by the Roman church can't be gluten free. [No Gluten Free]. With many denominations, communion or eating of the "Lord's Supper" is a point of doctrine. Was the apostle Paul wrong? Did Christ institute a Christian practice that Passover night or not? Not. We've totally missed the mark. Modern Churchiantity has no clue about what Christ was doing with his apostles after the Passover meal. The Passover meal included eating meat, a sacrificed lamb.

Christianity’s practice comes about from the example in Matthew 26, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then He took the cup [wine], and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Christians usually take this to mean they should do this too until Christ's second coming. But Christ was addressing his remarks only to those in attendance as we'll read.

The key to understanding what Paul meant by “there is no such thing as eating the Lord's Supper” is the word "lords" in the Greek. Lord’s, in the King James English translation, is a possessive noun. It has an apostrophe “s” at the end of the word. This would infer it is Christ’s supper. But that’s not what Paul meant. He didn’t use a possessive noun. The King James translators got it wrong no doubt due to the Roman church tradition.

The King James translators and/or scribes made a serious mistake. The word Paul used in 1 Corinthians 11:20 is the Greek word, kyriakos. "Συνερχομένων οὖν ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἔστιν κυριακὸν δεῖπνον φαγεῖν·" [Nestle Aland Novum Testamentum Graece]. Kyriakos is an adjective. It is not the noun, kyrios. Thus, Paul was describing the type of supper, not whose supper it was. It was a supper attended by lords, plural. 

The only other use of this word in the Biblical record is Revelation 1:10. John also uses the adjective. It reads, “I was in the Spirit on the lords day [or day of the lords, the adjective kyriakos, the imperial or royal day, which in the context of Revelation is correct, see 1:6 “ … made us kings … ” or in Greek, basilieus, leaders of the people, lords], and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet ….” John is referring to the Feast of Trumpets, the day that marks the return of Christ to establish the kingdom, or government, of God on Earth. It is the day of the first resurrection. It is the day those called and chosen at the first resurrection will become "... kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." [Rev. 1:6]. Therefore, it is the day of royalty, lords, the resurrection day of royals if you will, according to the plan of God.

This commemorative annual holy day usually occurs in our September or rarely very early in October. It is not a Sunday, as in the "Lord's day," which is the common mistake in Christianity. But this is what happens when we don't know our true Christian heritage as the House of Israel, or the plan of God. FYI, we're not destined to trot off to heaven. [See the Feature article, Mirror, Mirror On The Wall and the Book Excerpt, Christ's Return].

The word lords is the same use of the word in England's Parliament. It isn't the Lord's House, but rather the House of Lords. No one would mistake this as referring to a house belonging to a lord as in the lord's house. It is described as a House comprised of lords. Paul was saying the same thing. The portion of the evening in question, after the Passover meal, was comprised of lords. Christ told the apostles that night, “ … that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Christ made them royalty, lords of Israel. They got promoted from apostles to lords. It's the same principle as the Queen of England making a commoner a lord. [See Mat. 19:28].

Therefore, the only ones present at that supper were lords, Christ being the Lord of lords. [See Rev. 17:14]. This is why Paul said, “there is no such thing as eating the Lord's supper,” because it was a one time event in the early part of the first century, meant only for those lords in attendance. We can’t travel back in space-time to join them. And we weren’t invited. John's mention in Revelation of the lords day describes the future day when Christ returns, and with his lords, kings and priests, will rule on the Earth.

Yet Christians generally believe they should take communion or eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ. But as we just learned, the lords supper was for a specific group of lords, the twelve apostles, who ate with Christ that night. It was not the Lord’s supper implying it is a commandment for every Christian to observe. Paul condemned this practice, " ... do you despise the church of God? ... shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." Who of us will presumptuously step forward to tell Christ he or she is worthy to sit on the thrones of Israel judging them along with the other lords? Anyone? If we partake of “communion,” that’s exactly what our actions are saying.

We should heed these words of Paul. “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you … Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” [1 Cor. 11:27]. These are strong words to be heeded. Unless we are one of the lords chosen and invited by Christ, we are guilty as charged.

So when did this alleged "Holy Communion" first come into practice? Was it in the first century? Other than what these Corinthians were doing, apparently not. According to the Roman Catholic Encyclopedia, " ... the Church has practically determined the Divine precept by the law of the Fourth Council of Lateran (c.xxi) confirmed by Trent, which obliges the faithful to receive Communion once each year within Paschal Time." That's one reason why Catholic churches are packed at the Roman church festival of Easter. [See the updated Feature article Easter, Babylon, And The Antichrist]. The Fourth Council of the Lateran was called by Pope Innocent III in April 1213. The Council gathered at Rome's Lateran Palace beginning in November 1215. So one can hardly claim communion as an ordained first century Christian practice for many reasons. It's another false carryover into Protestantism from the Roman Church.

Another reason why Paul said, “there is no such thing as eating the lords supper” is that there was a timing element to it that Christ gave the lords, the apostles that night. It wasn’t a forever commandment. Remember, Christ ate the Passover meal after sunset the night before his crucifixion. And as he said to the scribes and Pharisees, he would be in the grave three days and three nights. With this in mind, Paul tells us, “In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup [wine], you make known the Lord's [kyrios, the possessive noun in this case] death till He come.” [1 Cor. 11:26].

Remember, the day after Passover began the first holy day of the sacred year, the first Day of Unleavened Bread. The bread the apostles would be eating often until Christ returned from the dead was without leavening or flat bread. It was not a normal leavened loaf of bread that we use to make sandwiches. The unleavened bread symbolizes removing leavening, or sin, out of our lives, which Christ was about to do with his flesh and blood sacrifice on our behalf. [See the Feature article, Three Temple Ages Make A Plan].

The new covenant only came into effect after Christ’s death and resurrection from the dead. Thus, this Passover was still under the authority of the Old Covenant. And the "you" Paul references Christ directing his remarks to are the lords in attendance after the Passover meal with Christ, not Christians millennia later. Unless, of course, we believe Christ hasn't been resurrected and is still dead. And then we'd need to do this as often as we eat bread and drink wine, not just on Sundays. Modern day Christianity has corrupted the supper Christ had with his lords before his crucifixion. "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” This really is not a good place to be.

In essence, Christ’s command was a homework assignment for the apostles, the lords. Christ did this to keep the lords in remembrance of him. While in hindsight, we take his resurrection for granted, this would be the first time in years that the apostles would be without Christ in their daily lives. He realized their faith would be put to the test. So Christ gave them a simple repetitive task to help keep them in remembrance. As often as they ate bread and/or drank wine, from after the Passover meal until he came back from the dead, the lords were to do just that.

At the time, the apostles thought this would be a daily lifelong practice, implying that Christ would return during their lifetimes because the apostles did not know Christ would be resurrected in three days and three nights. As John noted, when the apostles first showed up at Christ's tomb, they saw it was open. "For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." What was their assumption? Christ's body had been stolen and moved someplace else, not that he was resurrected. [See John 20:9-19].

After the Passover meal, Christ gave the lords a repetitive task to perform in his absence or until he returned from the dead, to keep them in remembrance of him. Repetitive reinforcement is a technique used by companies and individuals in business and education. And in case you were wondering, it’s the same technique employed today in informercials.

How long did the lords have to do this? Given that Christ was 72 hours in the grave, and that their Passover meal likely finished by midnight, the lords did this for about three and a half to four days. Beginning from that Wednesday Passover morning until they saw Christ alive later in the day on the Sunday after his resurrection, or "till He comes back from the dead," the lords ate each and every meal, and drank each glass of wine in remembrance. This practice ceased when again they ate a meal with Christ after his resurrection. [See Luke 24:36-49]. They no longer needed to be in remembrance of Christ's death, for he was now resurrected from the dead and stood before them. [See the Feature article, The Good News Colour Revolution, v.31 in particular].

However, they still had to wait to drink wine with Christ again. As Christ said on that Passover night, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” [Luke 22:18]. If the "Lords supper," including the drinking of wine was a forever commandment for all Christians, then why is Christ himself waiting to drink it new again with the lords in his Father's kingdom? If anything could be gotten from this, it is that Christians should abstain from drinking wine until Christ's second coming. Perhaps we should call it the last wine tasting? But this is not necessary either. Christ's remarks were to his lords only. Whew!

So who was commanded to eat and drink in remembrance of Christ, to make known the Lord's [the possessive noun, kyrios] death till he come? The apostles, the lords. And how long were they to do this? Until Christ returned from the dead. And as we know he was resurrected three days and nights from being put into the grave on a Wednesday before sunset. Therefore, the lords ate and drank in remembrance of our Lord for about three and a half days to four days. Is it now possible for any of us to partake of the lords supper? Nope. “For there is no such thing as eating the lords supper.”

When we look at the “Last Supper,” the supper of lords, describing the type of supper, we should view it in its proper context, respect it for what it was, and focus on those things Christ said Christians should be doing lest we be guilty of the body and blood of our Lord.

¹ The Passover meal eaten by Christ and the apostles would not have included any food considered unclean according to the Old Testament. "And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you. They shall be even an abomination unto you; you shall not eat of their flesh, but you shall have their carcases in abomination." [Lev. 11:10, 11]. According to Walter Isaacson in his book, Leonardo Da Vinci, he says in reference to the food on the table in Leonardo's painting of The Last Supper, "Two little serving platters have eels garnished with fruit slices. They have no obvious religious or iconographic meaning, however, river eels were popular in Italy at the time ..." [p. 290, 2017]. Eels have no scales and are considered unclean food by Biblical standards. Anyone who partook of them would be considered unclean as well until that day's sunset. They never would have graced the table of the Passover meal in Jerusalem in the first century, especially as Christ was the sacrifice for our sins offered without blemish that day before sunset. 

Italics, underline and [ ] are the author's.

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"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace unto you ... Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have you here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them."