2 ace Journal Volume i Number 1 Summer 1983 A journal of theology for the Apostolic Christian Church Premier Issue Editorials — page 2 Challenges to the Church in the Information Age — page 4 Perceived Truth — page & Suffering in 1 Peter — page & The Meaning of the Lord’s Supper — page 15Editorials Editor’s Note: The Prospect of the ACC Journal fs we comsend this first issue of the @¢0 fournal to its readers, we must give an account of ourselves and our venture, Baite siaply, our aia is to gather a boty of Christian people who are prepareé to join together in those great aatters which unite us in faith, dur Sntention is not to ignore or conceal our differences which, in sose cases, are not insignificant) but to iscuss thee freely and intelligently in these pages. For ven people of faith have opportunity to ainister freely ‘and openly to each other, they are less litely to quench the Spirit. One of the central ains of the ACC Journe!, therefore, is to aid the work of the Holy Spirit in sinistering to us through other aeahers of the sane body by providing # vehicle for communication and interaction, AL too often our spiritual leaders are tempted to spose definitive answers to all questions of faith and rorals on their quiescent constituency, However, we need ‘ta reckon with the danger of sliding inte the supposition that our particular understanding and practice of the Christian life is the only right way. When this occurs, the concera for deepening our onn spiritual life serves conly to deepen our separation and isolation froe others, including also often other fellow believers as well. It is true that the Christian life has a definite and norsative character, but it is something else if we exalt ur preferences, experiences, and lifestyles, and clais thes as normative for everyone else. This would be to ignore the resaining imperfection and continuing quest for saturity in the Christian life (cf. Phil. 3:12), a3 aell as the wide variety of different situations in which Ohristians and the church are called to live responsiily in relation to God. A second ain for the ACC Journal, then, is to help guard against the seaningly inherent tendency anong Christians to carry on as if the ord oF God case either fron us or unto us alone icf. 1 Cor, 14:38), Finally, and perhaps eost urgently, the overricing concern of the OCC Jouraal is the unity of believers in sith throug 1 the preaching exposition of the scriptures the consideration and discussion of the practital pastoral issues that arise in everyday church life 3. expanding the Logical outwarking of our faith in the Introductory Editorial: Today's Challenges for the Church The only unchanging thing in Life is change itself. Hat only life, but the world and the church change tec. Historically, the prablens our Church faceé were quite different than those of today, yet such of the recent fiscussion is lite arguing over the arrangesent of deck chairs on the Titanic. The great spiritual challenges of ur tine lack eaters with @ vision big enough to respond Instead of @ eighty aray, the Church often operates as a spiritual convalescent hone. A tronpet needs be blown clearly in cur tine. fe see this meet - and iis publication is our response to it, it say contribute to a revival withia the Church - a "catching up* to the thallenges of this generation - or it aay fall ty the wayside. Gly tise will tell. boldly to thes, hat are the challenges? Sove I see aret discovery and recovery of 4 Biblical habit of sind. Much progress has been sade in biblical stuties. in the Test fen decodes, yet such of our theology is sore reek thin Hebron and eedieval thay, farst-century, Hitlicel interpretation macs to) developed by trustoorthy aethodology than left to the © understanding our culture as Christi be Lord of all of Life, not only church activity and personal conduct, things under hie Will require of us estensive re-thinking of all areas of life - the social, econonic, political, education}, tific, artistic, and occupational as vell as the "religious", for to Christ, it is all to be religious, is. Christ is to Te subject all © ‘beconing avare of the larger whole of Christendom of which we are a part, and developing ature attitudes tovard the rest of | Christ’s ve yet to develop attitudes beyond the and sectarianise in search of our identity Church Christians? Me ha eaes of ecunenise ur tistinctive call © learning tc coamunicate the gospel to our society in sodern Tanguage —and-——_‘thaught-~forer. Hineteenth-ceotury evangelise nas well-suited for its tine, The tiees have rapidly changed but cur abili to speak aeaningfully to our generation has not ker > 2reales of culture and the arts, the natural and senbers are not yet aware of the wider social sciences, eéucation, shilosophy, history and aodern people wrestle with, The probles sthice of truth and how it can be known is a central issue, yet auch ‘evangelisa" assures those we evangelize ‘lready think Lite we do, 4A eres 9 incur readers and in ou af the theological clinate of the day, so that we aay atisin to 2 spiritu poreciation of what Me hope to provide = good eizture of vision and is good and evil in andern thectog ng, and sacouragenent a5 well as incisive critique ané analysis in feveiog an apologetic abich raed and the ACC Journal, Our goal in all of this is to glorify fod onvincing, fy edifying Church embers. S0, as St. Paul reaarked, but hy the grace of Sod, we proceed ... ur hopes are for a éistinctiee journal, aiding and encouraging the believer to deepen his/her faith Dennis Feucht, co-editor while stinvlsting the thinking Christian, dhether xe attain co asbitious an objective is not for us to say. Jin Fodor, co-editer The ACC Journal is published quarterly by the editors. The Views expressed in articles or letters published in the Journal are those of the authors and are not necessarily ay those of the editors, regular contributors, reviewers, or other members of the Apostolic Christian Church (ACC). The articles and letters selected by the editors are believed to be relevant to ACC members and generally helpful in improving the quality of church thought, discussion, and practice. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $5.00/year, which Pays fer printing and mailing costs. Requests for subscriptions should be sent to: AEE Journal 5275 Crown St. West Linn, OR 97068 Regular Contributors/Reviewers: Rollen Easter; Tremont, IL Aaron Hughes} Portland, OR Dennis Feuchts Portland, OR David Kapusinskis Norton, OH Jim Fodor? Vancouver, B.C. Dan Simons Seattle, WA Joseph Haring: Pasadena, CA John R. Swinford; Pasadena, CAChallenges to the Church in x the Information age Joe Haring The world has entered the Infarnation Aye, according to modern historians, and it will present four aajar challenges. to the church: 1, inforestion overload 2, hard tines 3. new work patterns 4, a new “unknown god These challenges are said to grow cut of the eounting rush te introduce coaputers in the hones, offices, and factories of America. Electronic computers linked by telephone lines provide instant access to huge data banks vf personal, financial, political, and other public data, sone of which is secret and auch of which is utterly cvershelsing Inforaation Overload ‘As every reader of Sunday editions of big city newspapers learns, excessive quantities of infaraation only frustrate and befuddle; one sust be selective. it is even worse with nassive listings and other bits of information cossonly found in computer nesories. Without well-defined prograns to select, structure, and seaningfully organize coaputer data, computer users receive sore inforsation than they can understand or deal with. The inforaation industry has developed ponerful sethods of using cosputers and telephone wires to transnit carefully chosen aessages. [eleaail provides instantaneous letter delivery to ane, one hundred, or one thousand persons nased by the authors. Voiceseil provides computer-assisted voice nessage storage and retrieval, with tining of sending and receiving chosen separately by ‘the sender and the receiver, They need never speak while the other Listens, yet they get and give every azssage in their oun voices at ther oun convenience, Call forwarding is a computer-assisted sethod of saking calls follow a person wherever be goes, Selected call acceptance aakes it pussitle to shunt ost telephone calls to a computer enory, while allowing calls fron pre-selected persons ‘wife, boss! to cone through the nonent sent. Videoter is a linkage oF computers, television, and telephones to exchange inforaation between two or sore persons, The challenge to Christ’s church is strat ghtforvart we must get ready to ainister to a public thet has auch fore inforastion available than ever hefore, Soe will be better inforeed; others will be overwheleed by the consiaught of words and need help in choosing what they vill listen to fros what needs to be shut aut. Te sinister to these people, we must help then be selective, We aust search out the good news of the gospel as it apolies to ankind's probless, and eaphasize it, crowding out the negative and destructive thoughts that are bora aut of indiscriminate acceptance of avery bit of inforsstion that cones over computer terainals, television, newspapers, or agerines, Even the telephone can becone an instrunent of evil, if we use it to listen to gossip or sean thoughts. Son telephone calls should be avoided altogether, particular! here the conversation creates anger or despair. Many Phone calls should be shortened to cover only helpful, constructive, upbuilding thoughts. Hard Tines ‘The Inforaation Age is bringing hard tines for those those jabs are replaced with computers, word processors, or electronically controlled robots. Yast cost retuctions hrough eechanization, conputerization, and the increased use of aicrowave technology have already displaced warkers autonobile and appliance factories. High-speed communication has nade it easy to design and build consuner Products roa abroad, where lower lator costs and/or ‘atvanced robotics increase the cospetitive advantage over éoxestic wanufacturers. Middle Snerica’s autoncbile and steel industries have laid off hundreds of thousands of varkers, aany of whos have Little realistic hope of being recalled to their ald jobs, The eessage to aankind is clear: to survive we aust learn new skills and new ways of working, The Inforaation fige is rendering factory work obsolete even as the factory itsel# nade hand Labor on fares chsolete in the Industriel fae. indeed, the revolution of industrialization is beings overshadowed by the revolution in inforeation. iznge and adjust’ is the watchaord for workers ‘ntering the Inforsation Age, and it is likewise a call to action by the Church in ainistering to uneaployed aesbers and friends. Church embers aay be called upon te hel those laid off to learn tow stills. Surely we will all te Hed upon to cs assist those discouraged and depressed by the enational and spiritual upheavel that es mith replaced by a computer or a riven sechanisa, being Christ hisself preached change, He called us to turn anay (ices, repent) from old thoughts and habits into a newness of life. He esphasized cur spiritval relatiorstip with God, and our brotherly relationships with each other, Christians ought to be better able to convert to new things and nex ways of Life than non-Christians, precisely because they have experienced the profound changes of conversion, and are being steadily changed as they grow in grace and in understanding of Bod’s ¥ay5. New Work Patterns Computers connected by telephone lines are changing the work patterns of soae technologists already, and the flood of hone computers is a precursor to eore change. Hore and aare conputer-oriented people are working at hone, They take their portable terainals hone at night, via the fanily telephone tos distant sainfrane cos and work for hours. Sone of these people go into the office only ino or three days aveek. The day aay cose when aany people work three or four days a week at hose, communicating privately and frequently with fellow workers over wires, fiber-optic cables, and other telecosaunication circuits, Sone are the days when a worker could just forget about his job the aceent he walked cut of the factory doori his work will follow hia hore and consuse his private tise. Even when they do. go to mork, they will participate in any task-force efforts, where each aeaber is a respected participant and aust cooperate bareoniously with other team neabers, Noone will be *boss" in the old-fashioned sense tf absolute control. Instead, each will perfors his own function and depend on others to do theirs. The sux of al! their joint work will be like the “diversities of aperations* referred to in { Corinthians 12:6 falsp verses 155 and 7: Fanily life is being profoundly inpacted by the new work patterns of the [nforaation Age. Wives may have their husbands underfoot during the day, and the regularity of the eight-to-five workday may disappear. Fanily hreadwinners eay be required to work longer days at tines} at other tines, there say be auch greater freedos of action, Simultaneously, workers may have to please several supervisors, and say even feel that avery seater of the work team is a kind of boss at tises, The absence of clear lines of authority say spill over into fanily life, leading to confusion and irregularity. Disputes about abo is boss at hose aay arise unless the fasily is well-grounded in the Word of God and being led by the Spirit of God. Seon, fanilies nay not survive the social, econoeic, and spiriteal preseures cf new work patterns. Divorce is already common asong well-aeaning people. The Church is challenged to seet these fanily pressures by teaching what the Bible has to say about loving one another, and especially about lovieg shile undergoing grosth and change. ‘Wen Unknown fod The history of Western civilization is replete with examples of new technology being treated as if it were a god. Sutoeobiles vere virtually worshipped by teen-aged boys, and many fathers too, Airplanes, telephones, and radios have each in their tine been regarded as najor saviours of social and business life, Even today aany people spend hours bowed dosn before their televisicn sets. They spend so auch tine with the object of their attention and affection that it becones first in their Lives. Alaast without recognizing it, they substitute an sbject for Sod. Coaputers have becase a god for sone people already. Called ‘coaputer freaks", they spend day and night sitting before 2 computer terminal, working, playing computer gases, and designing computer forsats, They seldos speak to husan beings, and they appear to forgotten God altagether. Ainirers of cosputer technology seep gore willing to believe cosputer printouts than the (husenly) written word, and surely regard the spoken word as a lesser fore of conmunication. Although computers aay be an ‘unknown god" to aany tofay, the problen of uninown gods is as old as the Bile itself, Paul told the Atherians that they were too superstitious, and he declared to the the unknown god of that day, His words are as appropriate in the Inforaation ‘ge as they were thent * God aade the warld and all things in it vs. and ss. we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold ... or ss. sade by nan’s design and skill." hcts 17:28 #4)Perceived Truth Rollen Easter Fach of us has a truth system which we believe and to which we subscribe. However, we are unable to itferentiate between what we perceive to be the truth and vhat is actually the truth, Yet ae often speak and act as ‘though there was no difference between the truth and cur perceation of it. It seess to we we thus assure for ‘ourselves Sod-like powers of knowing wich we do not deserve and which grieves fod. We this place ourselves on ‘the ‘throne* of truth in the sage way, before becosing Christians, we placed ourselves on the throne of cur om lives. hy is it inportant to consider this subject? Everyone who has traveled life's journey with any degree of success lor failure, for that aatter) has a message they would like to share with others, — Encauraging thea to speak about Life should show that! But, s36 to say, cany have disqualified theaselves fron that sort of Aiscoursey tea large a disparity exists hetneen what they propcse for the truth and what others, just as able ta judge on given satter, perceive to be true. Hon do we acquire our (perceived) beliefs? Most of vt of the ways are not well thought cut. Many cose rig fur rosts. le are sore like our parents and their than we even dare to think. The ressinder are gathe over a long period of tine fros vhat we read and hes Those in whos we have confidence contribute significantly to cur systen of truth, Many of aur beliefs are based on previous presises. Because I believed sosething last week or last wont, I now hold it to be true also. Much of hat ve believe is based on basic prenises that we 40K 10 longer believe, but we have failed to up-date the systen, This eight well be called "instant theology" - believine without subjecting new beliefs to analysis based on what has been believed before. 1 jed here of a incident that occurred between a sother and her adult daughter. They had just cone hose fron a diner with a utual friend when the daughter resarked, sosevbat critically, that the hostess had not renoved the shank end of the hae before preparing it. They each either had or were ready to teach the succeeding generation that to remove the end of the shank was proper, The daughter asked, almost 2s an after-thought, why her other taught her to do so, The anther ansvered that she dié not know but that her aather always had done so. Fortunately, her other was still living and on their next visit to her asied her why - only to find out that she ever had a pan large enough for an entire han including the shank. Thus, it de iapartant that we fold right beliefs for the right reasons because we will base future belisfs on thes, We do not old all beliefs of our truth-systee with equal confidence. If we think about it, @ belief aust be based on the evidence which supports it. To believe sorething because we already believe it is certainly not a sign of intellectual maturity. The Apostle Peter tells ur to be reaty to tell anyone about the hope that Lies within tus (1 Peter 3:15), This principle should apply to all our beliefs, fs adcitional inforaation becoses available to us, soe present beliefs will vary in the confidence we have in thes. As an inforsstion source, the Bible, it sess to se, fas. tho Tenenies': those wo believe if and refuse to risk its claias against other claias and those who do not believe it ané refuse to risk their om claiss against it. The world we live in has distorted the grounds or establishing confidence. Professional athletes and sovie stars are paid to tell us about some product atovt which they Have Little coapetence. How can we rightly expect 2 fasous football player to know what car we cught to rent, for example, Wouldn't a businessaan who soerds most of his tise travelling probably know better? Or, should 2 fovie star knox sore about the nourishsent in a dog food than 2 dog trainer? Nevertheless, the sedis is convinced that we will pay sore heed to the athlete or star than soneone better qualified. 1 an act opposed to absolutes; however, all oF sur beliefs cannot be nade absolute or each of thes will tale con the ieportence of the weakest of thes, stat I would encourage is to individually review our treth-syster. 45 we accept one person's opinion and reject another's or voice opinions se tnow 1ittle about, ve should ourselves why xe are daing this. Are our thoughts, actions, and words based on what is probably true? He shaulé base our choice of beliefs on the best qualified sources rather on popularity. Finally, what isa perhaps sore inportant is to know why me believe tat we & eibelieve. part fron differences in understanding between us and ‘others, shat aay be even a greater gap is that of nat even Understanding what the differences theaselves are in the First glace. Sussane has said that in every conversation there ere four azssages! 1, That which the speaker spake, That which the speaker thought he spoie, That which the Listener heard, and 1, That which the Listener thought he heard. It takes tine and effort to really listen and to en what we hear in our own words, (The ability to do this shows that we understand the speaker.) It is warth the effect though, in all aur relationship As we speak to those closest to us, ne cuoht to share wr concepts of the truth accaspanied by our reasons for then and the degree af confidence we have in thes. At the saee tine, we should realize that they too cannot tell the difference betweer what they perceive to be the truth and what is actually the truth. Give thes roe to be different than corselves without teing sade to feel inferior, They love us and probably place sore confidence at we say than they ought, To others toc, we should cate cur perceptions while allowing thee to different. If they do not agree, it is counter-productive to force then to believe as we do. In fact, it is often hen people around us disigree with us that our credibility is established. If we are right, they ill Tater reresber and listen better the next tiae ( provided there is still a relationship after the encounter), Jesus Christ is the source of all tr ae vants as becose acre like hia and be aore intisate with the ts us to lave and certsialy Others sre not going to to what is actually true Therefore, nay x2 gach work harder to resolve this gap in areas of iaportance, te understand what we reaily aelie and to believe right tn the process, he The” ACC Jeuroal welcones for consideration (a) contributed tutorial and/or reviex papers in all areas of theclogy, tb) contributed research papers on subjects of broad interest to ACC weabers, and {c) Letters. A copy of ‘the manuscript, conplete with any illustrations, should be subsitted to one of the editors: Jia Fodor 3513 W. 29th ave. Vancouver, 8. Canada, v6S 172 Dennis Feucht 5275 Crown St. West Linn, OR U.S.A, 97068 Manuscript Preparation: The manuscript should be typenritten, using double spacing throughout, on one side of the paper. This includes the abstract, references, and figure captions. Bod office-aachine copies are acceptable, Length and Presentation There is no established length liait for papers, but they should deliver their aessage without verbosity, Since the Journal is read by people of various backgrounds ané specialties but with road interests, papers aust be on subjects of general interest and aust be written to sake ‘then accessible to the nonspecialist. They should always tontain background and tutorial inforastion necessary for this purpase. fin author is urged to have his or her aamuscrigt scrutinized by colleagues who are not experts in the field discussed so that their suggestions can lead to a aanuscript sore understandable to nonspetialists, futhors should ebear in ainé that letters should be likited in Length to five double-spaced pages, with each illustration counted as half a page, All correspondence received by the editor is deesed suitable for the Letters category, unless the writer expressly requests that his or her letter be not published.a Suffering in 1 Peter Jim Fedor An overview of the theme of suffering in I Peter is considered. Even though one cannot be entirely convinced of the form-critical theory that 2 pre-existing baptismal document underlies this epistle, form criticiss alerts us to the vital link between baptism and suffering in NT thought. of the three primary reasons Peter gives for Christian suffering - that suffering purges and steels and attests the character: that suffering unites the sufferer with Christ who suffered for uss that suffering is 2 prelude to the glorious recompense to come - the effect that suffering has in unifying the believer with Christ points to the immediate association of baptism and suffering for the early church. As cautionary note, to expect of the Apostle Peter a philosophy of suffering would be to sistake tis It has been renarked that aessianic glory resained the Chara Wonetheless, 2 good part of the task of central thought of the apostle Peter throughout his detersining Peter”s theology of suffering is closely tied eerie ee ease up with the whole issue cf the composition of { Peter, In isficult to deteraine conclusivelys however, the r other vards, how the First Epistle of Peter wis conposee @) of that alory to. suffering sens nore spprertly bis MS. 2 rest, an sioificant bearing on how Peter's principal probes, In the first period of his life, teaching is te be understood and interpreted. represented by the gospel records, it was ispossible for Peter to reconcile the tuo ideas. hen Jesus had predicted Paptisa and Suffering his coring suffering and death we reads Introduction A notable trend in recent New Testanent studies is the increasing interest in the liturgical backgrounds and structures that possibly fie behind the gospels and 1h epistles, ving particularly to the application of the ae eet principles of fors criticise (that area of study which “if rot suff nthe second #80EE to recover the oral or pre-literary bacigroun of perc repreented by lvesesrses fa Acty betas ate (ME MEV Teste), 4 wath anerial posing the ‘an effort to combine the ideas of suffering and glory. The © Uerlying fora of a aa eel Did festanent foretells the Messiah's, sufferings, Tt had COM@SSionS of faith and catecheses has) cone to. the been a part of the divine plan that he should suffer (cf, SU'face, The First Epistle of Peter is na exception, fcts 2:23), but the two opposing ideas are rather externally combined. They aust sosshow belong together, but the inner ground of their unity seens not yet apparent to Peter. It is only in the third period, represented by hhis epistles, that the tuo ideas are 90 longer regarded as incompatible, It is to this third period of Pater’s find Peter took his and began te rebuke hie, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen te you." The traditional position on the literary forast of 1 Feter accepts it as a genuine epistle, written by a single inGiyidual and adéressed to various Christian cossinities in Asie Minor, However, this view does not preclude the possibility that, inserted into such 2 docuaent, are thought - to the sature apostle - that we aust go to tap fragments of early Cristian hymns, creeds, and the profound truths on this enigsatic area of hunan confessions, or even that bits and pieces cf se suffering, It seeas 6 ray af light is cast upon the until faterial aay have heen eabodied in the letter. Pee eee tbe ee Censenuetly, 2 great variety of underlying sources ta SS Feter have been detected by New Testanent scholars, the @ chiet af which is the theory that the letter stess largely from a pre-existing baptisaal dacusent, 89) 7) y Probably ne Christian rite has received sore attertion fron the fora critics than that of Bantise and due te their efforts the relation of baptise and suffering in 1 Feter has been elucidated considerably. However, it is striking that the word baptisne Cbaptise) eppears only once in the entire letter (cf. 3:21) in spite of the fact that the action and/or geaning of the rite is widely assueod to be the fundanental background for the understanding of the whole. {21 On the other han¢, in every chapter there is reference at sone point i actual or potential suff the part of the Asian Christians addressed (cf. ! 1944; HL 5M), Te would see, just ty the rosinence of the these of suffering over that of baptisa, that the baptissal actif is quite incidental, io the aain purgose and aeaning of Nonetheless, even though the baptisnal thane 7 compared ta that of suffering, they are not unrelated. It would seen probable that we should be able ts. c thenes of baptise and suffering in such unity and cogency to the authar’ accomplished by considering both the Old Testanent and the Men Testanent setting of bapti context ‘The word water is offen used in the Old Testanent in 2 test of suffering, which is frequently connected vith judgenent. We find evidence of this particularly in the Psales icf. for e.g., Ps. 18:18; 42:75 921-3, 13-154 68:7, lei 1 Furthorsore, shen tire is Linked with water it is almost certain that the idea of an ordeal of rigenent is present icf. Isa, 43:25 Ps. Sb:10-121, The Sane notion is expressed in 1 Peter in reference to being “tested by fire" (1:7) and experiencing ‘the fiery ordeal* i8:12), Again, Eaptisn corresponds to the Flood (3:20-21) which suggests a parallel between God's deliverance of his people then and his deliverance nov, [3] In the Noahic Flood they were brought safely threagh the water but it would also. be true that at the Flond, as at the Exodus, the people were brought safely through by water, for it vas water which overwhelned their enesies. Consequently, it seers that the writer refers to the suffering of those he addresses as being their Saptiss. The insediate thing is their suffering! the thing in the background is their sacrazental —_baptisi They sust resesber that the suffering is something for which they have been baptised, This appears to be auch sore plausible than to see their sacranental _baptisa in the foreground with suffering as @ consequence of it. The references to suffering are too vivi6 ané too insistent te fit that picture, With regard to the Mew Testanent understanding of baptise there is Little doubt that Jesus, in referring to his passion and death in a aetepharical sense used the word baptisn (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:49-50), A the sane tine be alse was inviting his disciples to share in his passion and death, Jesus, of course, was Likening his, death to a baptise as a divinely appointed tribulation or judgenent, in reference to the Suffering Servant satif of Isaiah 42-5. Therefore, the obvious congruity between the these of baptisa and that of suffering resides in the fact that ‘there is no contest where Christian thought sore naturally twkes baptisnal shape than the context of persecution.” {42 Since baptisa xas the occasion and the sign of volurtary seif-conmteent to the Christian those who offered thenselves for the rite were through their knowledge of what Christians endured, t this vay on which they sere estarking would inevitably suffering. Acceptance of the consequences of beconing and being trom as a Christian was inplied in the acceptance of baptism, ft would quite naturally appesr then that when a ariter seeks to strengthen and encourage a body oF Christians in distress, his exhortation should from tine to tise recall or inply that critical aonent of their cossitaent to Gof to live uprightly and tunashenedly in his service, It is one of the chief concerns of the author of 1 Peter, therefore, te give instructions to Asian Christians, who have been baptised into this new ay of life, about how they ought to conduct theaselves under aHfliction ané suffering, It is the and spiritual adjusteent to suffering which is Peter’s main concern. The picture here is one of sinority groups Living in an environgent charged with dislike, sisrepresentation, and positive hostility. [5] The trials besetting these Christians were aust probably spasmodic and and particular rather than organized on a universal stele, a aatter of indictaents rather than policy, at ance ubiquitous and incalculable, These ecstatic explosions of violence sees sot to have necessarily invalved a judicial cedure against a legally constituted offense, but rather police adninistration which couleé be tightened or relared at any tiee as the authorities saw fit, Nevertheless, action by loral aagistrates cannot be excluded, for any fisorders resulting from conmunal squabbles were bound to attract their attention; and Christians, popularly regarded as haters of mankind and guilty of every conceivable snorsity, could not took for auch syapathy if involved, Hence, the fear of the Christians of the first century was riot the Ronan law court as auch as it was the Rosan police and the ebb and flow of public feeling which sight precipitate its action, The Meaning of Suffering The concept of suffering runs throughout the whole istle of 1 Peter, sosetines overtly expressed but never far below the surface, Suffering is central to. the overall tone and intent of the Letter but to fully understand its significance we aust zlso consider the background in which the word was used, 2In Hellenistic use (the conan Greek culture of the day) the ward pascho basically neans ‘to experience sonething™ which cones fron without and which tas to be suffered. For esanple, "sosething encouaters s2° or ‘cones upan ae", {6} The forensic {legal! use of the word conveys the notion "to suffer puristaent’, “to be punished" and refers to a fine or corporal or capital punisheent. Mainly, the word was used — in the Hellenistic world to convey the essential ides of suffering aisfortune, blows of fate, the disfavor of sds and generally exbraces a multitude of seanings describing the experiences which can overtake people, In the Septuagint {2 Greek translation of the Olé Testanent - about 200 B.C.1 the ord pasche (suffering) occurs twenty-one tikes, It is suitably used inthe sense “to be oppressed by" or ‘to suffer under*. 172 As opposed to its secular or forensic usage, the biblical writings generally refer to suffering as a aeans of instruction. ever, sufferings are still regarded as a ¢ivine chastisonant, but since the serited punisheont bas been aeted out, they are positively estiaated as transitory, In Rabbinic use the word is incorporated and used quite extensively in what is known as “passion theclogy". Strong emphasis was laid on the atoning over of suffering when the sacrificial cultus (the Jerussles Teaple ad its elaborate sacrificial system) was ended andthe posibilities of expiation were thus lost. Even though inneasurable sufferings fell on the Jexish people, the idea of rejection by God was net by the thought that the possibility of purification and expiation whichSod had given even in this age was in fact a sign of election, Even ore frequently this explanation of suffering was applied to the individual, the ungofly are spared sufferings because God will give then no chance of expiation, whereas the righteuos cen be certsin cf acceptance ty Sod precisely Secause Sod allows ther to suffer. In the Wew-Testasent writings, the word pasche is found ferty-two tines and ost of those references are to the sufferings of Christ and Christians for his sake. In the Gospels and Acts the word, when used of Jesus, seans "to die’, Gpart fron these writings the word is used in this sense of Christ only in Hebrexs and 1 Peter. In Peter the word is esployed both with reference to the death of Jesus (2:21,231 and the sufferings of Christians, {81 Particularly, when it is agplied to Christians it never neans “ta die") nevertheless, the relation between the sufferings of Christians and the death of Jesus is prinary. They are act derived here fron the passion of Christ or the necessity of participating in this experience, What is stated is rather that Christians, as sufferers do in fact follow in his steps {4:19) Suffering refors to slaves who have faithfully cone their Guty and yet are undeservedly punished, and also to the auperience of faithful Christians who have undergone public condesnation and punishaert that has taker the fore oF abuse, threats, disadvantages at work ané cther foras of persecutions. The author of 1 Peter gives his readers gallant and high-hearted exhortation. His aessage breathes a spirit ‘of undaunted courage. However, he does not atteapt any Hind of speculative solution te the prablee of suffering but incuicates instead a practical attitude and activity of the will towards it, for it is not only people who do wrong things wha suffer the consequences of their actions, Pepie ho do the right things suffer, and not incidentally but specifically for doing those right things. He tells his readers, tbe surprised” (4:42) ~ Literally, ‘stop thinking that this fiery ordeal isa thing alien to you". (91 The surprise, of course, is sot one of paralyzing shock, but sieply the beviléeraent wich decent people are bound to feel when all efforts to fulfil God’s will are act with uncospr brutality. Truly this perplexity is not foreign to the Apostle Peter vho has hisself witnessed the sufferings of Christ. He too has seen and experienced the coatratictory nature of iti he too was ‘surprised’ (Matt. However, Peter has sare adequately resolved this nd and is nox attespting to resolve it in the hinds of his readers, The very pivotal point of his rgusent is the life example of Jesus hinself, Christ iived the prototypical life for the believer. fiowhere is this prototype aore concretely and seriously expressed than in the correlation Peter aakes. betneen the passion of Christ and the sufferings cf the church, The person who confesses Christ, who is baptized into his baptisn, is taken up into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings; indeed, bis destiny is conforsed to the death of Christ (2:21). The argument is very sisple and straightforward, If one claias to be a Christian then be @ hristian! A Christian is one who follows Christ. fr Ohrist suffered. Sa toa the Ohristian ust suffer. Therefore, whatever else suffering is, it cught not to be align to the Christian life, (102 Christians are called to suffer just as Christ was called to suffer. It aes his ‘aission, not just soaething he happened to experience, but sorething he actively and consciously did. 10The question now arises as to whether, how far, and in vat sense the duty of following the exanple which Chr gives us should we follow? The Greek word translated *aranple’ has tuo basi first, it is used sonctines of an outline design or sketch or sone wort of art, as it sight be a painting or an embroidery, which the raster dree and left for his pupils to fill in. (11 The second seaning can be seen in the phrase “leaving you an exagple’ (literally: leaving bebind), The word. seans ariting under and is used of words given to children to copy, both as a writing practice and as a acans of impressing a aoral. (121 Thus, it also is used with reference to the act of tracing over sritten letters. Suffering in Peter’s sind does nat by ay seans necessarily extend to death, even when it is spoken of in innediate connection with the death of Christ. [131 Suffering need not imply the loss of life, So the Christian’s suffering and eventual death is not vicarious (effective ‘or others) as that of Christ's, In this respect, Christians cannot initate the exanple or ‘pattern® traced by Jesus; but that which ties the sufferings ané death of the Christian to thet of Christ is the identity of active and of the principle underlying it; and these we aay assuredly copy. Despite this clear-cut affiraation of how Christian fought to view suffering, Peter does not azke Light of the issue. It is certainly not an easy undertaking. In fact, Peter is claining just the opposite - the righteous person is scarcely saved: For the tise has cone for judgesent to begin ith the household of Gods and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gosgel of God? find "IF the righteous aan is scarcely saved, where will the iapious and sinner appear? Sv) The serantic function of fulfilled by fores from by strength" and thence to “only with difficulty’, Hence, the fore of the argurent is found essentially in ve 18, applies nat to salvation, but te the difficulty OF salvation and its un and the question “Where Will the wicked appear?” is an exter augeentation of this difficuity, Salvation can anly be achieved through this path of suffering. ty, 18) appears to be Why Christians Suffer Yet, why is this the case? hy aust Christians have to suffer if their sufferings are not efficacious as vas Christ’s suffering and death? For Peter there are several reasons why it is necessary, indeed expedient, that Christians suffer. Firstly, Peter says that persecution and affliction Js an indication of the fact that he has ceased fro sin (cf. 4:l-i1), The Christian suffers becaase he has ceased fron sin} he has not ceased from sin because he has suffered. Again, not only is suffering an indication of a spiritually prosperous life, but also the indication that the Holy Spirit is resting upon a Christian (4:14). find finally, suffering is a perfecting process (5:10): Pad after you have suffered a little while, the Bod cf all grace, who has called you to bis eternal glory in Christ, will biaself restore, establish and strengthen you. The notion tere is ‘to sate spiritually nature and complete’ with the predominant idea being adjustaent, the putting of parts into relationships and connections with ‘one another. (14) This perfecting is aat only the result of the process but it is the process itself. The ‘trial* 6} or the “fiery ordeal* (4:12) which a Christian must go through refers to the act of putting soseone or sorething to the test to deternine whether it is vorthy of being approved or aot, the test being aade with the intention of approving i possible, [15] Consequently, Peter is saying that it is not the testing of our faith that is to the glory of Goé, but that our faith has net the test and has been approved that redaunds to his glory. It is oot the approved faith but the approval itself that is in the apostle’s nind} for the fact that God finds our faith to be one which he can approve is of far sore value te hia than the ‘actual* approved f2ith, for then he has sorething to xork xith. Secondly, Christians are to suffer for Jesus in the sense that by their gatient endurance of unjust punishment they are bearing a powerful testiaony of his saving grace and are winning others to God. For it was with just such a sotive that Christ hieself suffered and died in cur behalf. doing, Christ is re-enacted or re-lived in the "s ovn life, Hence, the subsission cycle besine ff. wnere the adel is the governed to the governers, servants to their asters, wives to th husbands, and hu AML are to subsit with tre seee a st to take up his cross. it is adox of jay in ter, suffering and joy ot opposites. They are not like pain and pleasure, fo eebrace suffering as a Christian is to exbrace Jesus that naved here that the true ring can be experienced, Fe aaChrist hi Thus, shat sen: {for exanple, the and other thar asceticise, elf and Thirdly, the eschatological {having elenent of hope. Ethical te definitely related in i Pater tu! rnteria ethics’. (That is, the will, proclaiaed by Jesus, could have validit brief tine in Licht of the insedtate «: of Bod, sa.as to accoint for the character of Jesus? ethical denards,) content of his soral teach than by the based on the "new situation’, the prosised Hessish has It is because of the hope of salvation rejoices to suffer for and with his Lord, To joicing Peter adds the further quality of serenit both alike have 2 thenlogical ground in the eschatological hope which the Christian church took over fron Judaisa, to do ¥i ar sne thing, the sore ty the ceaing judgenent. £161 fe eschatological now wher se to bring tion to aan that the Christi this The sufferings yanence of the th, they thenselves are 2 proof of the Endi and, in the Light of that satisfy both the moral and religious iapulses of san. They satisfy the soral inpulses in that the divine Judgenent which they betoter will infallibly involve the execution of justice upon the ungofly and cruel en who seek te betray ané destroy, They satisty the religious iepuises in the sure and tertain hope of a blessed iazortality and a crom of Life which they guarantee to those who cleave to their Redeener, C171 Thus, the three-fold ground of rejoicing in suffering is ests the c 1, suffering purges and steels and cter 2, suffering unites the sufferer with Christ who suffered for us suffering is a prelude to the oloricus reccepense hich is to hat Christianity then ives to those who suffer in Ohrist’'s nane is a perspective in which they can feel and see the contrast between the shortness of tine and the Lightness of their affliction here, and the infinite ty and overnheleing glery beyond, Conclusion attractive and Testazent, has not aie in the cross of fering, our hopeless despair ost ike first ever cri fundanent God is act only a hidden object to whos he very personal vith hia and in hie end his eisery grows silent, into cthoet Fer the most dent In conclusion, ¢ Fetery vigorovsy c pasterally in the te the lives and witing of aen like Dietrich or Jurgen Moltnene the idea of Christian suffering has has in the twentieth century. For nen GoG cails a nan, he bids bin cone and U8) For Maltaann, to recegnize the Sed- Christ means to recagrize cur inet jet at the sane tine to nthe imardly 52 shoever ‘thet he is ta God yin the death-cry oF Jesus and the Father ere abandonsent, yet are united through the spirit of sacrifice. suffers without ¢eason alvays feels at abandoned by Gad and all good thin epest the cone tie this suffering, however, joins ‘ut then for his sense, he is rather the intercedes foi The suffering gerson thus enters situation of God, He cries with the the full Fest a 15) Edvard Sordon Selnyn, The first Epistle of St. Peter Eds, 1988) p72, ( The Machi lan Pres David Hill, "On Suffering and Boptise in 1 Peter", Hoven Testesentan, vol. WHIT, July 1978, p. 181. Fabs Gross, “The Meaning of "Paptisa’ in 1 Peter 3:21" in Studia _fsangelica, International Congress on New Testanent Studies, vol. IV, (Berlin: Akadesie-Verlag, 1965), pe 438, David Hill, p. 163. IND, Kelly, The Epistles of Peter and Jade, tendon ‘dans and Charles Black, 1989), p. 10. Dictionary of and Gerhard Wilhela Richaelis, *pascho", Theatogcal the few Testenent, Gerhard Kittel 12Friedrich (editors), vol. ¥, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: tn. B. Eerdeans Pub. Co., 1987), 9. 904, im ay po 907, 18} ibid, p. 918, [51 Kemeth 8, Muest, tore Stadies 1, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdaans, in the Greek HI, vel. 19661, ps M11, 1107 Janes H. Burtness, "Sharing the Suf fod in the Life of the World", few Testanent Studies, 1963, Ds 283, 113 Eeward Gordon Selwyn, p. 9%. 1121 Kenneth 8, Wuest, p. 64, Charles Rigg, S¢. Peter and St, Jede, international ri ry Series, (E¢inburght T.4T. Clark, (181 Hemneth 8, uest, p. 131. un a 1 Bs 2be (463 Ronald fussell, “Eschatology and Ethics in I Peter’, The Evangelical duarterly, val. XLVI, no. 2, p. 83. LIT] Etvard Gordon Seluyn, p. 303, {181 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Bisciplesbip, First Macmillan Paperbacks Eéition, {Mex York? Maceillan, 1983), ps 8, {19] duergen Holtmana, "The Crucified God", Todas, April 1974, 9, 16, Theciogy The Meaning of the Lora’s Supper Dennis Feucht Introduction The Lord’s Supper history. As an Christians, ith is one of the ironies in church activity intended to foster unity bees a chief cause of division i The meaning of the Lord’s Supper and the character of the presence in it of Christ vere eventually to secose to of the aost controversial questions atong Christians. (11 Perhaps part of historicaliy the probles in coving to in the church on the aaning that sose recent devel available to the church fathers or th Jy, such progress hes been asce ard recovering the Rebrex frase of that New Testazent theology is as Hel ac the Old Testanent (OT). The Language and sore isages ay be Greek, as in Paul's writings, bet the cortent thoroughly Hebrew, creecent the bord’: in theclopicl Also, progress in non-theoiogical fields o Light on stalenated issues in study veal ogy. sonetiaes cast God's truth in creation can soretines Recent work in aetaphysics has been concerned it syibol to the thing second issue of the Supe however, we need illuninate his Word. i computer science research arablets of the relationship of a grified, which pertains to the Before that can be corsidered, to esanine the OF basis of the in surveying its seaning for Obrist’s presence in ite Old Testanent Backgroun¢ of the Lord’s Supper brew baoki its forss of thought to tand the meaning which the author of a biblical beak had in wind, it is necessary to recreate cur own aind 2 Hebrew persnective, and to interpret the ‘ox that viewoaint, Otherwise, what vill probably retation of a biblical text which is ‘ur destern thought-fores than of the fg, Specifically, the Scaper aust be covenastal background, The OT basis for Life aas that Yahash aes their Sod and the Israelites were his peoples The grounds for this relationship was the covenant God aade with Israel. The 13covenant was the oly basis upon which Sod would enter into a relationship with husunity. Life itself had no agsning apart fron this covenantal basis for fellovship vith Sod, Death reduced a person to Gust, asking hunan existence otherwise aeaningless. 121 Une of the ost significant features of the covenant was that It established the tingtoe of Sod, for to be covenantally related to God was to te apart of tis Kingdon (Ex. 19:58) and, consequently, to be under bis, rule. The covenantal obligations of Israel were expressed as Gof’s lan, God too was bound to protect and provide for his people under the covenant. To Israel, this was 3 grand relationship. The Hebrews were aoved to heights of great joy as they celebrated the wonder of f their King. [51 Several Psalas sroper response of Israel was to. be: 78} 5, % 984-65 100). Israsl celebrated the ‘anthronesent af Yahweh in the clikactic feasts of the seventh sont ~ Truapets, Atonesent, and Tents: The seventh ronth opened with the feast of loving cf trumpets, which lasted ten days ev.23:26; Mun.29:1; cf. Ruz, 10:40), Gn the tenth ay, which was the Tay of Atonenent, the jubilee truapet was sounded (Lev, 25:9), The expression ‘blowing of trumpets" {(V) is fron the Hebrew word teruab, which is also translated joy, jovful sound, Jubilee, rejoicing, shouting, kigh sounding. Teruab is preeninently used for the acclasation given at the appearance, presence, or enthranenent of the king (Kings 1254, 195 2 Kings 9:35). Israel's unbounded jay in God their King is expressec in the following psalns, which are a sesple cf the .T. spirit cf celebration: Peale 95:1-3; Psala 9. ro) Israel had so many of these occasions that one wonders when they ever had tine to do auch else! his book, Covenant, Robert D. Brinsaeed has dk at length with covenantal celebration. The allowing quotes are excerpted éros the chapter, The felebretion of the Covenant ¢ The whole texture of O14 Testenent religion was narked by the spirit of joyful celebration. Covenantal life was a life of celebration, If Israel didnot serve the Lord "joyful in the tine of prosperity" (Deut, 28:47), she did serve the Lord in 2 way acceptable to Hin, God had loved his people freely, fervently, and fay insipié response saulé be an insult to divine love, The nuserous Hebrew festivals were to be grand occasions of celebration. Israel was to call to ind God’s marvelous acts in electing ané saving His people, She was to renesber and give thanks (Ps. 105, 106), In the feast of Tabernacles, at the end of the year the people were consanded to put aside their work. God had said, "You are to s+» rejoice before the Lord your Sod for seven days* (Lev. 232405 cf. Deut, 142261. The sabbath was 2 weekly covenantal celebration. ft Creation, when Gods work was Finished, "The sorning stars sang together and all the sons of God Cnargin} shouted for joy.* ~tob 3a. The Old Testanent spirit of catebration is not unclouded, however, It wa disrupted when the covenant was broten, The people of Gad can celebrate only in covanantal union with Sod. $0 when ‘the covenant was broken and the great disaster of the captivity overtook the Jews, they had nothing to celebrate (Fs, {5721-0 igh is koown as the weeping prophet. His doieful task sas to pronounce God’s judgenent. Yet with e prophetic spirit of unspeakable joy, Jerenich foretells that the tine would come hen God would renew His covenant (er. 3117-17, 31-34. Chapters of Isaiah tate up the same grand theae of The nost subline titeratere af ail tine appears in Iseiah’s inspired poetry. beyond the restoration of the postexilic pe ght the inspiration of that great cov which would take place in the cosing of God's Messiah. The old sangs of celebration wouid never de, nen song of unparalteled joy aust acconpe God’: ultiaate act of intervention = an act whic vould renew His covenant with the remnant of Israel and provide salvation for the Gentiles unto the uttermost bounds of the earth. Jesus” anncuncesont of the Kingdon was "ola 14 i}tidings* or “good nevs.* He had coee to fulfill all that was pronised by the prophets ‘Acts 15:52, 33) 2 for. 1:20). With Hia and in Hie the hour of G08"s: uitinate act of intervention and salvation had arrived. Christ declares: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Ne, because the Lord has anointed fe to preach vod news to the poor. He has sent we to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclais freedom for the captives, and release for the prisoners. - isa, 1 OF course, Isaiah goes op to declare that this day of Yahweh would also be a "Say of vengeance of cur Gad" (sa, 61:2), But Christ did not quote this portion of the scripture in sounding the good sews (Luke 4:18, 19). He cane to bear God's wath Hiaself 50 that sinners sight bear Ged’s favor. He would endure the curses of the covenant so that His people could have its blessings, Jesus refused to allon sen to acie His disciples fast when He was with then (Hark 2:18, 19). In Hie vere all the blessings of God’s covenant. iis presence was therefore an occasion of celebration. The gospel vas likened to an invitstion to = great banquet. Jesus went about eating and drinkiag. Bad’s gift had cone down to nen, It vas tive to celebrate, is the Master stood in the shadow of “the cross, Ho did not invite His disciples to soura tut te rejoice (ohn 16:33). His death was not to be ‘sgurned as sone disaster. True, it was a baptisn of infinite suffering for the Son of God, But this vas the Father’s gift and Ohrist’s own gift to. sinful fan. fs 2 true gift, it was poured out with a fullness of divine joy. Christ's death was to be the sealing of the new covenant the prophets had Therefore it aust be celebrated (Hatt. The Oid Testanent’s spirit of celebration was great. The New Testanant’s surely tust be greater. God's act of redemption in Jesus has been conpleted. AL things necessary for our full and free acceotance with God have been worked out and settled. Me cannot contribute or add anything to what fod hat done on Calvary anynore than Adan could add anything te Bots original creation. hat can we do but rest in that copleted work, give thanks and celebrate the glorious benefits of this grand covenant renewal? We can only go on in the Christian Life as we Tesenber what has hagpened and what has been given to us. (5) Early Church Practice in the early church the Lord's Supper was central to the worship service and it as atcospanied by much thanksgiving: The Eucharist was the central and chief fora of Christian vorship developed in these early centuries of the Christian faith. {53 The nae Later given to the Supper - the. Eucharist ~ coves Fron the Greck word for thanksgiving. (71 Kenneth 5. Latourette explains the practice of the early church: Two sonoehat deteiled descriptions of the fashion in which the Lord's Supper was celebrated in the second century have core down to us. The one, in the Héache was intended —prisarily for Christians, The other, in one of the apologies of Justin Martyr, was designed to be read by non-Christians. The two show variations fron each an indication that unifornity had by ac aeans, eee attained, but they also display striting sinilarities. Both, for example, speak of the rite asthe Eucharist, evidence that this designation had becone very widespread. (6) Justin Martyr also reports thet the Eucharist was observed regularly on Sunday. The early church, therefore, rezenbered and rehearsed the gospel in the Lord’s Supper as a sajor activity, The spirit of the Eucharist apparently was ore of joyous thanksgiving in praise of God through Christ, slthough early sources of inforaation on it are Linited, The Neaning oF the Supper Today The most significant departure 1 recognize fpostolic Christian (AC) practice 0 ord’s Supper today from its biblical and early church eeaning is the shift in eaphasis fron rehearsal and celebration of God's sighty acts of salvation for his people in Christ to an ‘spective arenccupation ith the believer's om soral state-of-affairs, It would be difficult indeed _ to celebrate fellowship with Sod while being out of that. fellowship, Te be sure, the right ust be 1scelebrated, and Pauls ataonition to the Corinthian church vas nat because they were celebrating Ch but because they ere conducting thenselves atc aeeLings in 2 disorderly and je sanner attenpted to nove back toward the Christ was available to all The Reformers earlier avaning of the Supper. Christians directly through partaking of the Supper and as not “received only syabolizally by lay sesbers through the activity of the priest. In this way, the Supper as ‘de-syabolized’ and ade nore direct and concrete to lay persons. A "eyabolization™ is present in our observance of the Supper toc. It is not the one the Reforners recognized but it is sisilar in character. Originally, to partate of the bread and wine as a neal was to partate of Christ in a spiritual way in eating the weal. But now, 2 syabol of ‘the zal has replaced the neal. (You wouldn't call what we aye at communion a aeal at howe, would you?) if to partake of the bread and wine is to partale of Christ, what we now partate of (in partaking of = synbol of the neal} is a sysbol of Christ rather than Christ hiaself. Is such partaking significant? I believe 2 return to a real Lord's Supper would te a return to a nore genuine fore of church practice, To. sussarize: supper) is faeaning as the Supper. presented here are: the sign {the bread and wine of the indeed physical but it takes on a spiritual ‘The to deviart netaphysical views te consider, as the medieval church did, the spiritual and physical aspects of the Supper to be identical, ‘ani consequently keep the all-iaportant ‘spiritual’ aspect while downplaying the sign by dealing with it nly in syabolie fore. 2, separate the sign and ite syebolic significance to the extent that they are thought of as independent realities, related not by necessity out ty buting to the sign its syabolic significance itrarily. In the first case, there io sais prover distinction where in the second cate, proper union is Jacking, It 1s 2 curious irony indeed that an exaeple ci each of these deviations is found in our pri Lord's Tt is suggested at the sare tine practice of the Supper that the > the physical ~ is sat isportant ty replacing it wi is and yet net attributing to the signa stronger, necessaril spiritual reality. The astephysics of the Lords Supper is a difficult subject. I hope these renarts will conritute to the ongcing, dynanic activity in the church of thinkiag through our beliefs on the aeaning of the Lord?s Supper. Notes (11 Kenneth Scott Latourette, 9 fistory of Christianity, Revised Edition, Yel. 1, San Fransisco: Harper & Rox, 1975, che 7, 9. 172. 121 Robert 9. Brinsoead, fovenzat, Fatlbrook, Ch: Verdict Publications, 1973, che 11, p. 10. (SE ibid., pe 102, 181 ibid, p. 103. bids pps E114, 18 Latourette, p. 203, [7] Louis Herkhof, The History of Christian Boctrines, Brand Rapids, MI: Baker House, 1997, 9. 292. (8) Latourette, ap. 199-200 (91 Robert. Brinsnead, The Pattern of fedenptive History, Fallbrook, C8: Verdict Pub., 1979, ch. 7, pp. 1+. ue nsaead, Covenant, 5. 116. (111 Berkhof, ps 251, 254, 17PEE Fournel Subscription Form Please send me the ACC Journal. Enclosed is $5.00 to cover printing and mailing costs. Please print or type: NAME ADDRESS _ CITY/STATE _ ZIPCODE RCE Fournesi Subscription Farm Please send me the AC Journal. Enclosed is $5.00 to cover printing and mailing costs. Please print or type: NAME ADDRESS _ CITY/STATE _ ZIPCODE