Lords Supper

Lord's Supper the common English name of an ordinance instituted by our Savior in commemoration of his death and sufferings, being one of the two sacraments universally observed by the Christian Church.

I. Name. — It is called "the Lord's Supper" (κυριακὸν δεῖπνον) in 1Co 11:20 because it was instituted at supper-time. Synonymous with this is the phrase "the Lord's table" (τράπεζα Κυρίου, 1Co 10:21), where we also find the name "the cup of the Lord" (ποτήριον Κυρίουv). Many new terms for it were early introduced in the Church, among which the principal are Communion (κοινωνία, a festival in common), a term borrowed from 1Co 10:16, and Eucharist (Εὐχαριστία and εὐλογία), "a giving of thanks," because of of the hymns and psalms which accompanied it. Among the many other Greek and Latin names applied to the Lord's Supper, but for which we have no exact equivalent, we mention Σύναξις, "a collection" (for celebrating the Lord's Supper), Λειτουργία (Liturgy, q.v.), Μυστήριον (Sacrament, q.v.), AMissa (Mass, q.v.), etc. See EUCHARIST.

II. Biblical Notices. —