communion, which referred to believers’ relationship with the Lord (vertically) and with fellow believers (horizontally). Eucharist, another designation for the Lord’s Supper, is derived from the Greek word eucharistia, “giving of thanks,” as it implies the thanksgiving over the bread and wine (1 Cor. 11:24). Paul referred to it as “the Lord’s table” (1 Cor. 10:21). Augustine, in the fourth century A.D., called the Lord’s Supper a “sacrament,” which comes from a word that originally meant a pledge
Page 4