This week on Things Unseen, we've been reflecting on some of the New Testament words that help us to understand and to enjoy the Lord's Supper,

words that help focus our minds when we come to the Lord's table, and we've thought about

proclamation and benediction or blessing.

Today's word is participation, or if you prefer, communion.

You remember Paul's question to the Corinthian Christians, the cup of blessing that we bless, is it

not a participation or communion in the blood of Christ?

And the bread that we break, is it not a participation or communion in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, because we all partake of the one bread. I'm sure you know that the

Greek word that lies behind the word participation or communion is koinoneer. It's the word for

fellowship, communion, sharing in something. So Paul is saying that when we receive the supper, we are sharing

in, we're having communion in the Lord's body and blood. But what does that mean? Well, he's

obviously echoing here what Jesus said when he instituted the Lord's supper. He gave the disciples

the bread and the wine and said, this is my body. This

is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. And what

did he mean by that? I think the best way to think about this is not to leap to conclusions,

something we're tempted to do because this question has proved

to be controversial, but to build up our answer step by step. So first of all, I think it should

be clear at the outset that Jesus wasn't identifying the bread and wine with his body and blood.

His body and blood were present at the table.

The bread and the wine were in his hands.

It must have been obvious to the disciples that they weren't one and the same.

So then what he was saying was something like this.

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