WCF 29: The Lord's Supper: A Meal of Community and Unity in Fellowship and Evangelism or ( The Lord’s Supper Sacrament Number Two)

WCF 29: The Lords Supper: A Meal of Community and Unity in Fellowship and Evangelism or ( The Lord’s Supper Sacrament Number Two)

Chapter 29: Of the Lord’s Supper


29:1 Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto Him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His mystical body (1Co_10:16, 1Co_10:17, 1Co_10:21; 1Co_11:23-26; 1Co_12:13).

29:2 In this sacrament, Christ is not offered up to His Father; nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sins of the quick or the dead (Heb_9:22, Heb_9:25, Heb_9:26, Heb_9:28); but only a commemoration of that one offering up of Himself, by Himself, upon the cross, once for all: and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same (Mat_26:26, Mat_26:27; 1Co_11:24-26): so that the Popish sacrifice of the mass (as they call it) is most abominably injurious to Christ’s one, only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins of His elect (Heb_7:23, Heb_7:24, Heb_7:27; Heb_10:11, Heb_10:12, Heb_10:14, Heb_10:18).

29:3 The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed His ministers to declare His word of institution to the people; to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to a holy use; and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants (Mat_26:26-28, and Mar_14:22-24, and Luk_22:19, Luk_22:20, with 1Co_11:23-27); but to none who are not then present in the congregation (Act_20:7; 1Co_11:20).

29:4 Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest or any other alone (1Co_10:6); as likewise, the denial of the cup to the people (Mar_4:23; 1Co_11:25-29), worshipping the elements, the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ (Mat_15:9).

29:5 The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained be Christ, have such relation to Him crucified, as that, truly, yet sacramentally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ (Mat_26:26-28) albeit in substance and nature they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before (Mat_26:29; 1Co_11:26-28).

29:6 That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ’s body and blood (commonly called transubstantiation) by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant, not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason; overthroweth the nature of the sacrament, and hath been, and is the cause of manifold superstitions; yea, of gross idolatries (Luk_24:6, Luk_24:39; Act_3:21 with 1Co_11:24-26).

29:7 Worthy receivers outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament (1Co_11:28), do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, receive and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of His death: the body and blood of Christ being then, not corporally or carnally, in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet, as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses (1Co_10:16).

29:8 Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament: yet they receive not the thing signified thereby, but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord to their own damnation. Wherefore, all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Him, so are they unworthy of the Lord’s table; and cannot, without great sin against Christ while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries (1Co_11:27-29; 2Co_6:14-16), or be admitted thereunto (Mat_7:6; 1Co_5:6, 1Co_5:7, 1Co_5:13; 2Th_3:6, 2Th_3:14, 2Th_3:15).


Summary statements we are taught:

A. The Lord Instituted The Sacrament OF The Lord’s Supper (WCF 29.1)

B. This Sacrament Is To Administered Until The Return Of The Lord (WCF 29.1)

C. The Lord’s Supper Was Given For (WCF 29.1):

1. The Perpetual Rememberance Of His Sacriface
2. For The Sealing Of The Benefits To All Beleivers
3. For Spiritual Nourishment And Growth
4. To Engage Believers In Their Pious Duties
For A Bond And Pledge Of The Believers Communion With Christ And One Another As Members Of His Body


D. The Supper Is A Commemoration Of The One Sacrifice Of Christ (WCF 29.2)

E. The Roman Doctrine Of The Mass Is An Attack Against The One Sufficient Sacrifice Of Christ (WCF 29.2)

F. The Ordained Ministers Of Christ Are To Administer This Sacrament (WCF 29.3)

G. The Elements To Be Used Are Wine And Bread (WCF 29.3)

H. Both Clergy And Laity Are To Partake Of Both Elements (WCF 29.3)

I. The Elements Are Not To Worshipped (WCF 29.4)

J. The Understanding Of The Representational Sacrament Nature Of Christ Crucified Is Taught In This Chapter (WCF 29.5)

K. The Errors Of The Doctrines Of Transubstantiation And Consubstantiation (WCF 29.6-7)

L. The Unconverted Partaking Of The Sacrament Receives The Sign And Incur Guilt By Their Action (WCF 29.8)

M. Those Are To Be Admitted Only That Give A Credible Profession Of Faith (WCF 29.8)