WHY DO SOME CALL IT THE “EUCHARIST”?
A COMMUNION MEDITATION BY JACK COTTRELL – APRIL 2018

As we are now preparing to take the emblems commemorating Christ’s death for our sins, I have a question: what do we usually call this part of our worship service? We commonly refer to it as the “communion” service. Where do we get that name? It comes from the King James Version of 1 Corinthians 10:16, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” Later versions do not use the word “communion.” Instead, you will find “sharing” (NASB) or “participation” (NIV, ESV). It is actually the Greek word koinōnia, often translated “fellowship.”

A second very common way of referring to this service is “the Lord’s Supper,” a phrase used in most versions of the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 11:20. “Supper” here is the Greek word deipnon, which was the usual word for the main meal of the day, and for special meals such as a banquet. Another Biblical term is “the Lord’s table” (1 Cor. 10:21), sometimes translated as “the table of the Lord.” We should also note the phrase, “breaking of bread,” as used in Acts 2:42.

It is interesting that in some of the earliest Christian writings after the New Testament, a common way of referring to this part of Christian worship was the Greek term eucharistia—“the eucharist.” This term can be found in the writings of Ignatius of Antioch and Justin Martyr, and in the Didache (see chapter 9). In our churches we never use this term, though many groups still do so (e.g., Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran).

One possible reason we do not use this term is that it sounds so . . . so . . . fancy, or “hi-falutin’.” Another reason may be that this Greek noun itself is not used for the Supper in the New Testament. So why did the early Christians use it so much? Where does it come from? It is true that the noun eucharistia is not used in the New Testament for the Lord’s Supper, but the verb form—eucharisteō—IS used in the accounts where Jesus institutes the Supper.

Let’s not prolong the suspense any further: what do these terms mean? The verb means simply, “to give thanks”; and the noun—eucharistia—means simply “thanksgiving.” The “eucharist” is the Christian’s ceremony of thanks, offered up to God for the gift of salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ. The verb (eucharisteō) is found in Matthew 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17, 19; and 1 Corinthians 11:24. It is always used of Jesus’s giving thanks to God for either the cup or the bread. For example, Matthew 26:27 says, “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks [eucharistēsas, “having given thanks”] he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you.’”

Actually, this giving of thanks was something Jews did as part of every meal, and it was an especially important aspect of the Passover meal. And it does indeed take on a special meaning in connection with the institution of the Lord’s Supper.

I am not advocating that we begin calling our communion service “the Eucharist.” But I do think that we need to be more aware of this aspect of the Supper, i.e., the thanksgiving element. What we are remembering here is the most important event in our lives, and indeed, the most important event in all history: the atoning death of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world! We are remembering that He died for all, and that includes us. We are remembering the moment when His atoning blood was applied to us to cover our sins. We cannot give thanks hard enough or often enough for this! We give thanks for this not just in communion service, but we do so ESPECIALLY at this time!

The Jews have long had special prayers they say at meals, and especially at the Passover meal. One of the prayers of thanks that was and is still said during this meal is the following (which I found online): “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has created the fruit of the vine…. And you, O Lord our God, have given us festival days for joy, this feast of the unleavened bread, the time of our deliverance in remembrance of the departure from Egypt. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to enjoy this season.”

When I read this even now, I am drawn especially to the words “in remembrance of,” and to the phrase, “the time of our deliverance.” In the Jewish Passover celebration, these words are meant to call attention to God’s salvation of the Israelites by delivering them from Egyptian bondage. But from the New Testament records we see how Jesus has redirected these thoughts to a different deliverance and a different remembrance. As we take the Lord’s Supper—this time of eucharistia—we are remembering and giving thanks for the most wonderful deliverance of all—our deliverance from sin by the body and blood of Jesus Christ! How can we possibly do this without giving the most sincere thanksgiving we can muster?