--- title: "What Does Communion Mean? The Last Supper, What Each Church Teaches, Who May Receive, and Romans 15:13" description: "Invited to a service or a First Communion and unsure what the bread and cup mean? The Last Supper, what each church teaches, who may receive, and Romans 15:13." url: "https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-does-communion-mean" lang: "en" published: "2026-09-28" modified: "2026-09-28" author: "Cal Hewitt" tags: ["communion","eucharist","lords supper","last supper","first communion","romans 15","1 corinthians 11"] image: "https://biblenudge.com/og/blog-what-does-communion-mean.jpg" alternates: es: "https://biblenudge.com/es/blog/que-significa-la-comunion.md" --- # What Does Communion Mean? The Last Supper, What Each Church Teaches, Who May Receive, and Romans 15:13 [Cal Hewitt](https://biblenudge.com/about/cal-hewitt)Published September 28, 2026 - communion - eucharist - lords supper - last supper - first communion - romans 15 - 1 corinthians 11 ![What Does Communion Mean? The Last Supper, What Each Church Teaches, Who May Receive, and Romans 15:13](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-does-communion-mean/featured.jpg) Maybe you watched someone you love walk up the aisle and wondered what the bread and the cup were meant to be, or a wedding, funeral or First Communion is coming and you would rather know before you walk in. Churches use different words for the same meal, communion, the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, the Mass, the Divine Liturgy, and they understand it in different ways. Each church's understanding is given in its own words below. ## If you only have a minute ### A passage to begin with [Romans 15:13](https://biblenudge.com/context/romans-15-13), a prayer for hope as something given. ### Same meal, many names Communion, Eucharist, Lord’s Supper, Mass, Divine Liturgy. ### What Jesus said “This is my body” and “Do this in memory of me,” as the accounts record it. ### Who may receive It differs by church; the priest or minister is the person to ask. ### One step Send your church one practical question before the day. ## Romans 15:13, to begin > Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 15:10-16, Paul closes a call to a patient, welcoming community with this prayer for hope, joy and peace. It gives words for hope as something received, not produced, which is also how many churches describe the bread and the cup: given to a person, not earned. A question goes with it: where do you most need hope to be given rather than generated? You can read it [with the verses around it](https://biblenudge.com/context/romans-15-13), and if you are afraid of taking communion, [what the Bible says about doubt](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-does-the-bible-say-about-doubt) may help. ![A pressed white shirt on a hanger hooked over a closet door](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-does-communion-mean/the-invitation.jpg) *Getting ready a day ahead.* ## The words, and where they come from [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communion) gives “an act or instance of sharing” and “intimate fellowship or rapport,” and for the Christian meal, a sacrament with bread and wine. The [Catechism of the Catholic Church](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM) lists names for it, including “Eucharist, because it is an action of thanksgiving to God,” “The Lord’s Supper” and “Holy Communion, because by this sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ.” The [Orthodox Church in America](https://www.oca.org/questions/divineliturgy/the-divine-liturgy) calls the service “Holy Communion, called the Eucharist” and the Divine Liturgy. The roots are in Passover. Exodus 12:14 calls it “a memorial,” and verses 26-27 have children asking, “What do you mean by this service?” The [Didache](https://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sshoemak/321/texts/didache.html), probably late first or early second century, already calls the rite “the Eucharist,” and [Justin Martyr](https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0126.htm) (about 155) describes a Sunday gathering with bread, wine and thanks. Later divisions are dated 1054 (East and West), 1529 (Luther and Zwingli at Marburg, who agreed on much but not the Eucharist) and 1551 (the Council of Trent). ## What Jesus said, and why people take it Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, generally dated about AD 53 to 55 and earlier than the written Gospels: “the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread... ‘Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.’ In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.’” John 13 has no words over bread and cup; it tells of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Luke 22:19-20 has a longer and a shorter form in the manuscripts, which commentators weigh differently. Reasons given: remembrance (Luke 22:19). Proclamation: “you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Sharing: “we, who are many, are one body” (1 Corinthians 10:17). Anticipation of the feast to come (Matthew 26:29). In Acts 2:42, “the breaking of bread” sits among teaching, fellowship and prayer, and commentators differ on whether it means an ordinary shared meal, the Lord’s Supper, or both. ## What each church says, in its own words - **Catholic:** the [Catechism](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM) (1374) says the whole Christ is “truly, really, and substantially contained,” and 1413 speaks of transubstantiation. - **Orthodox:** the [OCA](https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-sacraments/holy-eucharist) says “the real presence of Christ, His true Body and Blood mystically present in the bread and wine.” - **Lutheran:** the [Augsburg Confession](https://bookofconcord.cph.org/en/augsburg-confession/chief_articles/article_x/) calls it the Lord’s Supper and says the body and blood “are truly present and distributed to those who eat.” - **Anglican:** [Article XXVIII](https://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/109014/Thirty-Nine-Articles-of-Religion.pdf) (1563) calls it “a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christ’s death,” the Body of Christ given “only after an heavenly and spiritual manner.” - **Reformed:** the [Heidelberg Catechism](https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/confessions/heidelberg-catechism) describes spiritual nourishment through faith. - **Baptist and Pentecostal:** the [Baptist World Alliance](https://baptistworld.org/) describes an ordinance, a memorial and an act of fellowship; the [Assemblies of God](https://ag.org/Beliefs/Our-Core-Doctrines/Statement-of-Fundamental-Truths) call it “a symbolic expression of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” - **Quaker, Salvation Army and Latter-day Saints:** [Friends](https://www.quaker.org.uk/faith) hold to inward communion with Christ, the [Salvation Army](https://www.salvationarmy.org/) does not require sacramental communion, and Latter-day Saints call it the sacrament. The [Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/08/05/transubstantiation-eucharist-u-s-catholics/) asked U.S. Catholics in 2019 what they personally believe: 28 percent said the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ, and 69 percent said they are symbols. ## If you are afraid of taking it in an unworthy manner 1 Corinthians 11:27 says “in a way unworthy of the Lord,” and the setting is a church meal: “each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken” (verse 21), and “when you come together to eat, wait for one another” (verse 33). Many commentators read the unworthy manner as that division at the table, not as a test of personal perfection. Verses 27-30 also speak of the weak and sickly, and commentaries differ on what that meant. Churches speak of preparation in their own words. Catechism 1385 to 1389 links self-examination with reconciliation and reverence, Luther’s Small Catechism names faith in the words “given and shed for you,” and Heidelberg 81 welcomes those who are displeased with themselves for their sins and trust they are forgiven. If the fear does not ease, the [International OCD Foundation](https://iocdf.org/faith-ocd/what-is-ocd-scrupulosity/) describes scrupulosity as religious or moral obsessions, and the [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/) points to a GP or mental-health professional. ![A child’s polished black shoes on a hallway mat beside a folded jacket](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-does-communion-mean/ready-for-sunday.jpg) *Preparation for a First Communion is often a few weeks of classes.* ## Who may receive The [OCA](https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-divine-liturgy/the-divine-liturgy) reserves participation to members “fully committed to the life and teachings of the Orthodox Faith.” The [LCMS](https://www.lcms.org/worship/communion) explains close communion through altar and pulpit fellowship, while the [ELCA](https://www.elca.org/faith/faith-and-society/social-statements/holy-communion) practices an open table grounded in Christ’s invitation and baptism. Open-table churches often cite Mark 2:15-17, where Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. Stricter traditions read the meal as a sign of unity already there. For children, practice differs: Orthodox churches generally give Communion to baptized infants, the [Church of England](https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/children-and-holy-communion) supports admitting baptized children where a parish prepares them, and Baptist churches normally wait for a profession of faith. Whether you may receive is a decision for a priest, minister or parish, so ask; [going to church for the first time](https://biblenudge.com/blog/going-to-church-for-the-first-time) and [how to find a church](https://biblenudge.com/blog/how-to-find-a-church) cover a visit. ## Gluten, wine and recovery The Vatican’s [2003 letter](https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_risposta-2003_07_24_proteine-glutine_en.html) says completely gluten-free hosts are not valid matter and low-gluten hosts can be; the [2017 circular letter](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/07/08/170708a.html) says the bread must be wheat and permits low-gluten hosts; and Catechism 1390 says Christ is received whole under either kind. Many Protestant churches use rice or corn alternatives, varying by parish. [Coeliac UK](https://www.coeliac.org.uk/), the [Celiac Disease Foundation](https://celiac.org/) and the [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/) are the health information routes, and the parish is the first call. For wine and recovery, see [whether drinking is a sin](https://biblenudge.com/blog/is-it-a-sin-to-drink-alcohol). On Reddit’s r/Celiac, posted April 12, 2026, a Catholic with celiac disease wrote ["I’ve yet to take the risk and it weighs on me."](https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/comments/1sjnupe/catholic_communion/) On Reddit’s r/Christianity, in a September 3, 2021 thread, one poster wrote ["I’m afraid I’m taking communion wrong."](https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/phwwxu/taking_communion_in_an_unworthy_manner_1_corinthians/) and another commenter replied “You took it wrong,” one person’s words and not a church’s. On Reddit’s r/OrthodoxChristianity, posted May 30, 2026, a poster wrote ["I feel too dirty, unworthy to receive the Holy Gifts."](https://www.reddit.com/r/OrthodoxChristianity/comments/1try43e/not_worthy_of_eucharist/). Better lines, if you want them: “What does your church teach about who receives, and how do I take part if I’m not sure?” “Is there a gluten-free option, and how is it kept separate?” “I’d like to come forward for a blessing, if that’s offered here.” Churches describe stepping back, taking only the cup or the bread where allowed, or receiving a blessing, and none of these shames anyone. ## A heavy night, and one small step Fear like this can sit heavy. In the United States, call or text 988. In Canada, call or text 9-8-8. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans is on 116 123. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. Anywhere else, [Find A Helpline](https://findahelpline.com/) lists services by country. Tonight, read Romans 15:13 once aloud, then send your church one practical question: who receives, what the cup contains, whether there is a gluten-free option, or how a child is prepared. [Bible Nudge](https://biblenudge.com/) gives a person one passage with the story around it, and [Find a passage](https://biblenudge.com/nudge) is where to start. ## Words that come up here Tap a term to see what it means. **Transubstantiation.** The Catholic teaching that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. **Scrupulosity.** Religious or moral obsessions, described as a subtype of OCD. ## Share this page If somebody you know is carrying this, the link goes straight to the passage and what surrounds it. Nothing here asks them to sign up for anything. [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-communion-mean)[Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-communion-mean&media=https%3A%2F%2Fbiblenudge.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-communion-mean%2Ffeatured.jpg&description=What%20Does%20Communion%20Mean%3F%20The%20Last%20Supper%2C%20What%20Each%20Church%20Teaches%2C%20Who%20May%20Receive%2C%20and%20Romans%2015%3A13) ## Related Articles - [Is It a Sin to Drink Alcohol? How Christians Differ, What the Bible Records, and Psalm 103:8-12 for the Worry](https://biblenudge.com/blog/is-it-a-sin-to-drink-alcohol): Had a drink, or too many, and wondering where you stand? Nobody is condemned here. How Christians differ, what Scripture records about wine, and Psalm 103:8-12. - [Going to Church for the First Time: What to Expect, What to Wear, and Psalm 56:3 for the Nerves](https://biblenudge.com/blog/going-to-church-for-the-first-time): Nervous about your first time in a church? What to expect, what to wear, what a visitor can do at Mass or an Orthodox liturgy, and Psalm 56:3-4 for the front door. - [Why Do Christians Get Baptized? What the Bible Says, How Churches Differ, and Romans 15:13 for the Night Before](https://biblenudge.com/blog/why-do-christians-get-baptized): A baptism tomorrow? Romans 15:13 to say tonight, why Christians baptize, how churches differ, and what a guest or nervous candidate can ask.