In the process of going from theistic hopes to atheistic life view, I had been pondering over the memorial. I wrote a few ideas down and forgot about them. Blondies comments brought some things back. One of the things I had sone was compare the 4 gospels in terms of what they had to say about the memorial. I would like to request your input of the follwing things:
Luke has the the follwing to say:
(Luke 22:14-34) 14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with YOU before I suffer; 16 for I tell YOU, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And, accepting a cup, he gave thanks and said: “Take this and pass it from one to the other among yourselves; 18 for I tell YOU, From now on I will not drink again from the product of the vine until the kingdom of God arrives.” 19 Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: “This means my body which is to be given in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 20 Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in YOUR behalf. 21 “But, look! the hand of my betrayer is with me at the table. 22 Because the Son of man is going his way according to what is marked out; all the same, woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!” 23 So they started to discuss among themselves the question of which of them would really be the one that was about to do this. 24 However, there also arose a heated dispute among them over which one of them seemed to be greatest. 25 But he said to them: “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those having authority over them are called Benefactors. 26 YOU, though, are not to be that way. But let him that is the greatest among YOU become as the youngest, and the one acting as chief as the one ministering. 27 For which one is greater, the one reclining at the table or the one ministering? Is it not the one reclining at the table? But I am in YOUR midst as the one ministering. 28 “However, YOU are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; 29 and I make a covenant with YOU, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, 30 that YOU may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 “Simon, Simon, look! Satan has demanded to have YOU men to sift YOU as wheat. 32 But I have made supplication for you that your faith may not give out; and you, when once you have returned, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Then he said to him: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both into prison and into death.” 34 But he said: “I tell you, Peter, A cock will not crow today until you have three times denied knowing me.”
If you accept Luke to have really looked deep into the matter, you have to conclude at least three things here:
1) the new covenant is about forgiveness of sins, hence any "christian" would be part of it by neccesity. If you accept this, it would make explaining Galatians 3 etc a bit easier.
2) the covenant for a kingdom has nothing to do with the symbols of wine and bread
3) the covenant for a kingdom was made with jesus immediate disciples i.e. the twelf/ eleven however you want to view it.
John however is completely silent on the matter of the memorial or even the institution of a new covenant or a tridition to remeber him by. Instead it focusses on Jesus example in order to attract believers: John 20:30,31:
30 To be sure, Jesus performed many other signs also before the disciples, which are not written down in this scroll. 31 But these have been written down that YOU may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that, because of believing, YOU may have life by means of his name.
So, considering that the canon of the bible had not yet been established (early 2nd century and all) and I would only have in my possession the Gospel of John. Were I then able to become a believer? Gain everlasting life, yet not celebrate the memorial?
Another issue is this:
(1 Corinthians 11:23-26) 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also handed on to YOU, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf 24 and, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: “This means my body which is in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup also, after he had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as often as YOU drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.
What I find staggering is that neither Peter, James, John or any other apostle has written extensivley about the need for participation in or even the celebration of the memorial. Yet, in the letters atrtributed to Paul, he seems obsessed with the idea. (1Cor 5, 11, Hebr 10, etc) He claims to have received it miraculously from the Lord. Yet the ones who were allegedly there are completely silent on the matter......
Galatians even seems to say he has a different good news than those who belonged to the chruch in Jerusalem:
(Galatians 1:8-10) 8 However, even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to YOU as good news something beyond what we declared to YOU as good news, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said above, I also now say again, Whoever it is that is declaring to YOU as good news something beyond what YOU accepted, let him be accursed. 10 Is it, in fact, men I am now trying to persuade or God?. . .
Trying to persuade God? Of course a rethorical question.....but why such a rethorical question. Does he seems to think that the Galatians somehow are thinking of him as.....a persuader of God with new......ideas?
I don't know, but these are the things I found quite interesting. How would you guys comment on that?
Cheers
Borgia