A Comprehensive Ordinance: A Biblical, Theological, and Formational Case for Threefold Communion

Abstract

The night before Jesus died, the Lord presided over three important aspects in the upper room with his disciples. The Gospel accounts tell that Jesus ate a meal with the disciples, washed their feet, and shared the bread to represent his body and the cup to represent his blood. These three elements constitute the full representation of what Jesus did with his disciples and directed to their later followers. Together, their practice communicates unique spiritual truths that together form Threefold Communion.

Communion is packed with far richer spiritual truths than what is commonly thought. This project demonstrates that the practice of Threefold Communion—consisting of the love feast, footwashing, and bread and cup—is the best application of the Lord’s Supper in light of the biblical evidence, theological symbolism, and formational benefit. I maintain that Threefold Communion is the biblical, best, and most beautiful way to picture the multi-dimensionality of the triune God’s redemptive work in history, his ongoing refining work in our lives, and his promise of coming renewal and consummation. Threefold Communion gives us the best practice because it contains past, present, and future dimensions, revealing its multifaceted nature. Finally, this process is formational because the Holy Spirit is working through Threefold Communion to transform and unite the church.