Early Christianity faced many social problems related to their societies’ mass worship of Greek mythological gods. Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, and Zeus were all mythological gods steeped in folklore and defined by the worship directed towards them.
Great orators spoke telling of the battles these gods fought and entwined in a massive falsehood were the lives of people who gave themselves to idolatry. This was the cult of “The Twelve Olympian gods.”
To these gods were held great ceremonies sacrificing animals as pigs, goats, oxen, bulls, and lambs. Maidens would carry in baskets of grain or cakes hiding sacrificial knifes. The procession would be accompanied by musicians playing flutes and horns.
Animals which resisted their death march to the alter would be set free; those who did not were looked to for a favorable nod, obliging to be sacrificed. Often water was given to drink to procure a shaking of the head gesture of a nod. These who sacrificed had a skewed ideology of the sacredness of life.
When the knife was produced the animal would be lifted above the alter, its throat slit and the pouring blood would be smeared around the alter.
Butchering the animal the heart and liver with inner organ meat would be placed on skewers to be cooked over the fire. This meat was reserved for the important participants at the ritual feast to the gods.
The bones would be laid out upon the alter in honor of the life of the animal sacrificed and alcohol poured upon them. The intense flames were believed to be the acceptance of the god they worshiped.
The remaining meat was roasted or boiled and ate by the rest of the participants. During these ceremonies drugs and alcohol would be consumed initiating a release of inhibitions to worship life by sexual promiscuity.
Each city in Greece had its own large temple dedicated to these gods and goddesses. In Corinth, Aphrodite, the god of procreation, pleasure and love was served day and night.
Many in the Corinthian church could not understand how they could compete for the hearts of the people when such elaborate myths filled their intellect . These of the Christian church believed more ceremony, more adulation, and more outspoken distain of cultic practices was their only option.
How would the ritual of communion, eating a piece of bread and having a drink from a juice cup, compete with such an elaborate, out of control, society engulfing sacrificial feast? These Christians of Corinth felt fenced in by cultic worshipers who may one day turn violent against them.
Was this Paul leading the church down a path of being slaughtered in the name of the Greek god’s and goddesses?
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”. 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (NKJV)
Paul was the one who first taught the Corinthian church about communion and yet it became a very small part of their church service. It became such a no meaning ritual that some wanted to change it to a larger, more elaborate, feast.
Because the significance was not often taught, the Corinthians did not fully understand what Communion was about; instead these wanted a festival with food and wine.
The church must remember communion is to be a privatized focal point for the church and never should it be a display to the world proving our faith. Jesus waited until the disciples were gathered into an upper room, out of sight and alone with Him to teach communion to them.
This first communion was instituted by Jesus in the face of danger. Jesus knew He would give His own life up to be crucified. Yet, Jesus wanted the church to understand He was not afraid of people and neither should they be afraid.
Communion is to be a remembrance of the significance of Jesus death and the power over sin delivered to people because of it.
Jesus did not want the church to ever forget, nor did Jesus mean communion to become a ritual misunderstood.
The death of Christ, the breaking of His’ body and the spilling of His’ blood has a power to change a person’s life. In communion we remember His body was broken to heal us from sin. Because Jesus was tortured and died faithful to God, Jesus was resurrected again.
In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.. 1 Corinthians 11:25-26 (NKJV)
Jesus’ blood was spilled to forgive our transgressions. Animal blood could not guarantee eternal life; yet, human blood by the sacrifice of God’s own son was once and forever the only sacrifice we would need. Our sins are forgiven forever if we will believe Jesus saves us from them.
How could this not be the most special moment in anyone person’s heart? Though it is a private moment between a person and the Lord, it is the most significant, life changing, life revitalizing, event they could partake in.
If communion does not change your life, the communion with God was in vain. Thus a feast, a precession, the distraction of the crowd, can cause a person to take communion without effect to the soul which God wants to deliver.
We received from the Lord, through Jesus’ sacrificial life, a release from our sin. We no longer need the acceptance of God; for we already have it. Christians need only to be obedient to remembering what our salvation cost God, cost Christ, and how free it is and we are in Him.
Thus the feasts of the Greek temples were not to a God, had no meaning, and were steeped in lies which could not save.
The Corinthian church need only to teach of the perfect one time sacrifice of Christ and to those who will believe in Jesus will be saved.
Communion is to be our special time to recount the salvation we have. Christians are healed by the breaking of Jesus body and his blood covers our sins. In this there is the greatest power; for the same power which raised Jesus from the dead is available to all Christian to raise them out of the grave caused by sin.
