In the first century context, the Lord’s Supper (Greek : kuriakon deipnon, “the Lord’s meal”) was a full communal meal, not just a symbolic ritual with a wafer and wine. It was deeply relational, not just liturgical. Paul’s rebuke in 1 Cor 11:20-22 wasn’t about how sacred the elements or symbols were – but how selfishness ruined the unity and love the meal was meant to build. Therefore the Lord’s Supper was a shared meal of love, unity and remembrance of Christ’s sacrificial death. The “remembrance” was not just symbolic, but lived out in mutual care, fellowship, and spiritual oneness. It was part of what was later called a love feast (Jude 1:12), a love meal to build up the body.
The early church “devoted themselves…to the breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42) – not just a ritual, but a shared life. So a regular Christ-centred feast that bonds believers in love, humility and remembrance can also be a meaningful and valid expression of the Lord’s Supper.
