In Celebration of Threefold Communion
Proper understanding of the significance of a celebration is necessary to fully appreciate it. So it is with Communion. Without knowing the historical context of why we do it, the spiritual significance for our lives now, or the implications for the church, our practice of Communion would lack some of its meaning and could be viewed as a spiritual practice to add-on only if it is convenient to do so. However, a rich understanding of the elements and what the Lord is doing in us and in our churches through Communion gives us the context to celebrate it properly.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Since the Charis Fellowship began in 1708, there has been a consistent conviction of practicing Threefold Communion — the love feast, footwashing, and bread and cup. When the early Brethren fled persecution in Germany and settled in America, they brought with them their commitment to practicing the three elements of Communion as one celebration, as they believed was outlined in Scripture. The Brethren’s strong commitment to biblical truth and the authority of God’s Word led them to continue practicing Threefold Communion, even when debates of other matters arose and caused divisions. Threefold Communion has been a rich and beautiful identity marker of the Charis Fellowship for more than three hundred years and remains a committed practice today. Recognizing this historical context provides a framework to understand the biblical and theological foundation for Threefold Communion.
SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
For a deeper appreciation and understanding of Communion, one can look at the Passover. Both Passover and Communion symbolize God’s act in the past (memorial), His ongoing work in the present (consecration), and His future work yet to come (anticipation).
Memorial
Memorials matter because they serve as a place to tell a story and point back to the historical reality of a given event. God instituted Passover as a memorial for the Jewish people to remember His redemptive work when He set them free from their bondage in Egypt. Jesus instituted Communion for His followers to remember His substitutionary death on the cross.
Consecration
The best memories inspire present change and restoration. The Passover was an opportunity for God’s people to consecrate themselves in light of His ongoing work. Communion is both an act of consecration and a covenant. Through the practice of Communion, transformation takes place in two ways. First, believers are transformed through self-examination, repentance, and renewed faith. Second, the church renews its commitment to the Body of Christ through reconciliation and humility before spiritual brothers and sisters.
Anticipation
Passover’s past and present dimensions led participants to anticipate their future hope. When later generations celebrated the Passover, they simultaneously remembered how God acted on behalf of their ancestors and looked forward to a new exodus and ultimate deliverance. Jesus instituted Communion so that His followers would remember His substitutionary death on the cross, while anticipating His future renewal. Every time a church celebrates Communion, believers confess their collective hope in Jesus’ return.
CHURCH IMPLICATIONS
Threefold Communion is truly a comprehensive ordinance for the whole Christian life as believers celebrate their justification and sanctification while anticipating their glorification. Partaking in the three elements as one cohesive event not only follows the model Jesus set with His disciples, but also fuels unity in the church through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Love Feast
The love feast is a celebration and opportunity for believers to gather outside of the corporate worship service. The love feast allows for local churches to imagine the great marriage supper of the Lamb where they will be one with one another, one with Christ, and wholly made new. Jesus will one day restore all things, and this meal serves as a consistent reminder of that.
Footwashing
Despite footwashing no longer being a common cultural practice, the biblical evidence and the theological significance of it give the symbol ongoing meaning. Jesus commands footwashing as a reminder to believers of His present ministry through His Spirit to sanctify them. This act helps believers consider the present work of Christ in their lives and unites the church. Jesus uses footwashing to foreshadow the arrival of the Holy Spirit, who is the agent of sanctification. While a unique and potentially awkward practice, it’s difficult to deny the beautiful symbol this is for believers.
The Bread and Cup
The Bread and Cup carries a unique role and precedent within Threefold Communion. Without the death of Christ, ongoing change and the hope of consummation lose their significance. Justification by faith alone is at the heart of the Christian Gospel, and Jesus instituted the bread and cup as signs associated with His finished work on the cross.
Threefold Communion is an appropriate and beautiful application in light of the past, present, and future work of Christ. It is also a rich symbol for the Christian life as the love feast symbolizes glorification as the church gathers together. Footwashing symbolizes sanctification as believers examine and humble themselves. Finally, the bread and cup symbolizes justification as it causes believers to remember and proclaim the death of Christ. The Holy Spirit uses this ordinance to transform and unite the church. Understanding these things will help us better appreciate, enjoy, and celebrate Communion as bodies of believers.
Our hope in discussing Threefold Communion is to strengthen those in the Charis Fellowship to remain committed to the practice as our comprehensive conviction of the ordinance. Note that application questions regarding the frequency of participation, the order of the service, or the advantages and disadvantages of practicing one element without the other two were not addressed. Those decisions should be left to local church elders to decide. However, there is an expectation that Charis Fellowship pastors and churches commit themselves unashamedly to the practice. A mutual commitment to Threefold Communion will build unity within our fellowship of churches.
Adapted and edited for the Year in Review 2023–2024 by Zac Hess and Randi Walle from “A Comprehensive Ordinance: A Biblical, Theological, and Formational Case for Threefold Communion,” a thesis by Zac Hess, lead pastor at Grace Polaris Church in Columbus, Ohio. For a more comprehensive look at Threefold Communion, see the full thesis at here.