The Essence of the Lord’s Supper (what it is) The Scriptural and Traditional Lutheran Doctrine of the Means of Grace In order that we may understand this more thoroughly, we propose to discuss the topic under four heads, as follows: This is what we are to be occupied with in the opening period of each of our four sessions during this convention - the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace. One who appreciates that fact, that through the Lord’s Supper, by means of the Lord’s Supper, God gives us His saving grace in Jesus the Savior, is neither going to ascribe to it powers and qualities beyond those named in the Bible, nor is he going to place too low a value on it, for the fact that it conveys the grace of God in Christ will give him a love for it. What is more, both such extremes have a common basis for their error, and that is this: Both fail to appreciate the Scriptural fact that the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace. Of course, both such groups are wrong in their beliefs. On the other hand, some people tend to make too little of the Lord’s Supper, taking away from it qualities and effects which the Scriptures do ascribe to it such people reason that since God deals with us in the Gospel, the written Word, and there assures us of life eternal, therefore we need give little or no attention to the Sacrament of the Altar. On the one hand, some people tend to make too much of this Sacrament, ascribing to it qualities and effects which are unheard of in Scriptures such people speak of this Sacrament as though only through it could one become a mature Christian, as though only through it one could gain assurance of eternal life. This is all the more true because there is so much misunderstanding of the Lord’s Supper among Christians in general and also among us in particular. No one has to instruct us and tell us that we should know and understand (within the limits of our human reason) all that we can of the Scriptural doctrine. When in confirmation class or in a sermon or in a synodical essay such as this one we deal with this or that aspect of the Lord’s Supper, we are dealing with something that is very dear to our hearts.
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