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What Is The Lord's Supper? (2013)

by R.C. Sproul(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Reformation Trust Publishing

series

Crucial Questions

review 1: In the height of the Reformation, there was perhaps no more difficult or divisive issue preventing complete unity among the Reformers than that of the Lord’s Supper. Today I’ll be reviewing What is the Lord’s Supper? by R.C. Sproul, an entry in the Crucial Questions series.Communion, the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist: All these terms refer to the ritual instituted by Christ on the eve of his crucifixion. In this short work, R.C. Sproul explores the history of the Lord’s Supper, its connection to the Passover, and its eschatological significance. In addition, he discusses various theological issues that have bearing on the topic.As someone who has studied this topic extensively I didn’t find the book terribly helpful. However, like most entries in the CQ series, this... more would make an excellent book for a membership course, or to prepare a Christian who will be taking communion for the first time.Like other books in the series, Dr Sproul takes a distinctly Reformed position on the subject, which may be off putting to members of other traditions. Chapter 5 in particular carries the unique understanding of the Incarnation (see Extra calvinisticum) into the discussion. I don’t find this chapter to be particularly helpful for the intended audience of such a book (nor do I find the theology particularly helpful).As I said, this book would make an excellent addition to the library of a youth pastor or pastor who would like a go to resource to give to someone with questions. If attempting to explain the basics without a particular denominational lean, chapters 1-3 and 7 are universally helpful. For a Reformed congregation, chapters 4 and 6 should be added. I would suggest skipping 5 in most cases, as it is likely to simply confuse the issue at early stages of theological inquiry.Please note: Reformation Trust / Ligonier Ministries has provided me with an electronic version of this book for review purposes, and will be providing me with a hard copy edition in exchange for this review. They do not require positive reviews, nor have they edited or modified this review in any way.
review 2: Best quotation: “Of course, the point is not to exclude people from the table. Nobody is worthy, in the ultimate sense, to come and commune with Christ. We, who are unworthy in and of ourselves, come to commune with Christ because of our need.”Unfortunately he negates this by his surrounding paragraphs, mentioning some churches exclude non-member Christians, yet with no condemnation thereof but rather appeals to (misapplied) warnings in 1 Cor 11. And he also turns the examination inward and leaves it there, alone from consideration of the body as those gathered together to eat as one body without division (Christ's divided flesh and blood body unites us as his undivided body). No mention of including baptized infants and mentally impaired. Many citations of the WCF. Frankly I don't care about which of Christ's two natures (human and divine) and body and/or spirit are present in substance and accident if children are excluded from eating bread and then drinking wine. Include the mentally incompetent and messy children in both, and the idolatry of either the elements or His humanity will be insignificant.He also states Rev. 19:6-10, the marriage supper of the Lamb, is still future, and does not mention that many reason (correctly) the supper started in the First Century. less

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