QUESTION: Is it more scriptural to use unleavened bread at the Lord’s Supper since leaven in Scripture always typifies sin?
ANSWER: No. The Lord’s Supper was instituted at the close of the Passover feast. Therefore, we could assume that the Lord used the type of bread which was readily available. By necessity, this would have been unleavened bread, the only bread allowed at the Passover feast (Exodus 12:15). However, this fact does not justify the sole use of unleavened bread, the only bread allowed at the Passover feast (Exodus 12:15). The following two reasons explain why it is not more scriptural to use unleavened bread at the Lord’s Supper.
1. We find that two different Greek words are used for bread in the New Testament—artos and azumos. Artos signifies (1) a small loaf or cake composed of flour and water, baked in an oblong or round shape and about as thick as the thumb. Artos means unleavened bread—bread without any process of fermentation. It is used metaphorically of (1) a holy, spiritual condition and of (2) sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:7,8). It is also used when (3) designating the feast of unleavened bread. (Note: The above remarks taken from W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.)
Whenever the Lord’s Supper (often called the breaking of bread) is mentioned in Scripture, the word artos is used. This even holds true at the institution of the Lord’s Supper given to us in the gospels. (See Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16; 1 Cor. 11:23,26-28). If the Lord intended us to use unleavened bread at the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit would have directed the writers to use the word azumos (unleavened bread) instead of artos (bread) in these verses.
2. In the Old Testament, God’s people were forbidden to eat leavened bread or to have it in their houses during the seven days of the Passover feast (Exodus 12:15). For that period of seven days leaven was used as a type of sin and therefore could not be used or eaten. The unleavened bread typified holiness, sincerity and truth which should ever characterize God’s people (1 Cor. 5:8).
In the New Testament, God’s people are never forbidden to eat leavened bread nor to have leaven in their houses. It is important to see that though the physical use of leaven (or yeast as we would call it today) is never forbidden in the New Testament, yet the spiritual value of leaven as a type of sin remains. (See Matt. 13:33; Luke 12:1; 1 Cor. 5:6-8.) Therefore, when leaven is mentioned in the New Testament, I am reminded of the spiritual lessons in leaven as a type of sin but never of the physical prohibitions connected with its use in the Old Testament. I quote from one who has made the following observation about types. “There is a general principle relating to Biblical Typology: what was once typical as to its literal usage retains its spiritual value as a type when the literal usage as a type has passed away with the legal system.”
As a reminder, would add that in the Lord’s Supper the Lord has directed our hearts not to the bread’s composition—leavened or unleavened; nor to its color—dark or white; nor to it’s shape—oblong, round or square, but to what the bread symbolizes—”This is My body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” We can thank Him that His precious body was and is sinless and holy. It is not, however, the physical composition of the bread that would remind us of that blessed truth but the Scriptures themselves!
QUESTION: Does Scripture teach that grape juice rather than wine is to be used at the Lord’s Supper?
ANSWER: No. We believe that the Scriptures teach that wine rather than grape juice was used at the Lord’s Supper in New Testament times and so should be used now. Consider the following points:
1. In the New Testament the word “wine” occurs 37 times and in each case means fermented wine. There are two basic Greek words which are translated “wine” in the New Testament. The word oinos occurs 36 times. Oinos is said to come from the Hebrew word yayin which means “fermented.” The other Greek word is gleukos which occurs once. It is translated “new wine” in Acts 2:13. That this wine was intoxicating is evident from the accusation made by the Jews in Acts 2:13,15.
2. It is also clear from 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 that there were some who had come to the Lord’s Supper in a drunken state. The early disciples had what they called a “Love Feast” just prior to the Lord’s Supper. This took the place of the Passover meal. Here, the abuse of wine had led to drunkenness before the Lord’s Supper had taken place. This definitely could not have been true if the Corinthians were using grape juice. Two things to notice here are:
a. It does not seem probable that they would have wine at their Love Feast and grape juice at the Lord’s Supper, and
b. The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul does not condemn their use of wine but their abuse of it.
3. Nowhere in Scripture do we read about the prohibition of the use of wine. See Proverbs 23:30-32. On the contrary we find in Psalm 104:14,15 that wine (yayin, or fermented wine) is one of the things that God has made to make glad the heart of man. In the Old Testament yayin was used in the drink offerings unto the Lord. See Leviticus 23:13. In the New Testament, bishops (or elders), deacons, and aged women were exhorted not to be given to much wine. See 1 Timothy 3:3,8; Titus 2:3. Timothy was exhorted to use a little wine for his stomach’s sake and frequent infirmities (1 Timothy 5:23). The abuse of wine does not make wine evil. Similarly, the love of money does not make money evil. Adultery and fornication do not make the sexual relationship in marriage evil. It is the abuse of God-given things which is evil and not the things themselves.
4. From reliable sources we find that wine, not grape juice was used at the Passover supper. Mosheim’s Ecclesastical History, A.D. 1694, says: “The Passover is celebrated with bread and wine. The bread is broken after thanks and passed among them. Four cups of wine are required at this feast.” Another historian, Dr. Edersheim, writes in his book, The Temple, Its Ministry and Services as they were at the Time of Christ: “The use of wine in the Paschal Supper, though not mentioned in the Law, was strictly enjoined by tradition. According to the Jerusalem Talmud, it was intended to express Israel’s joy on the Paschal night, and even the poorest must have ‘at least four cups, though he were to receive the money for it from the poor’s box.'” From the above it seems unreasonable to say that the Lord Jesus used wine at the Passover Supper and then chose grape juice for the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Some have claimed, since the Lord Jesus used the words “fruit of the vine” instead of “wine” when instituting the Lord’s Supper, that grape juice must be used. However, both wine and grape juice are the fruit of the vine.
The above facts would lead us to believe that fermented wine was used by the Lord Jesus when instituting the Lord’s Supper. It also leads us to believe that the early Church used fermented wine at the Lord’s Supper. Grape juice does not seem to have been used until the Temperance societies came into existence in the late 1800’s. The main objection raised regarding the use of wine at the Lord’s Supper is that it will expose to continued temptation those who have a craving for strong drink or who formerly were alcoholics. Scripture would reply to this objection that the boundless grace of God which has saved one from a life of sin is fully able to keep one from the power of sin including the sin of drunkenness (Jude 24).
—John D. McNeil