The Lord’s Supper, by Jonathan Black  

'A readable series of meditations on the importance of the Lord's Supper and what the real presence of Christ means'

The Lord’s Supper - Our Promised Place of Intimacy and Transformation with Jesus
By Jonathan Black  
Chosen (Baker)
ISBN 978-0-8007-6321-3
Reviewed by Pieter Lalleman

 
Jonathan Black is a tutor in theology at Regents Theological College in Malvern, where he leads the Communion services. He is a Pentecostal believer but most Baptist will largely agree with the theological principles set out here. Black argues that the Lord’s Supper is – or should be – at the heart of Christian worship: ‘The Lord’s table towers over testimony, praise and miracles in its centrality and importance.’
 
The book is written in a warm and simple style. It is more a series of meditations than a logical argument. Black quotes much from the Bible but he also refers to many theologians, most of them unknown luminaries from the entire history of the Church.
 
There are chapters on meals in the Bible, on the words ‘for you’, on Isaiah 6, John 6 and Hebrews 12:22-24. Black discusses what the real presence of Christ means and argues that the bread and wine remain bread and wine. It’s all about Jesus, not about a form of magic.
 
Black also considers life, holiness, healing and fulfilment with the Holy Spirit in relation to taking Communion. This listing probably makes it visible that he also connects elements of the Bible to the Supper in which it is not mentioned. In doing this, the book forms a useful antidote to a rationalistic reading of the Scriptures.
 
An important idea I picked up is that the words communion and fellowship are translations of the same Greek word. So far from the individualism of our age!
 
I will use parts of this book to enrich the celebration of the Supper in my church. Those who do not minister at the table can read a chapter of this book in preparation for such a celebration.
 

The Revd Dr Pieter J. Lalleman is the minister of Knaphill Baptist Church