Following the birth and institution of the Church on earth, there is no record of the communion meal being repeated between the time of the actual Passover at which Christ died and rose again and the occasions referred to as 'breaking of bread' in Acts chapter 2. The reasons for this are: (a) the feast is only for the Church, (b) the Lord had first to complete and crown the system of atonements under which Israel had for centuries existed as a redeemed nation. By His superior death He fulfilled atonement and replaced it with Reconciliation, He then entered into the Holiest in heaven and poured forth the Spirit. By this He promulgated that Reconciliation and installed the Communion in the Church. Until this was done there could be no Communion, for it was not yet established for men.
Communion is referred to by Paul as 'of the Holy Ghost', who, John tells us, was 'not yet given' while Christ was on earth. The Communion was therefore impossible for men until Pentecost. Because this is so, the fact arises that just as the Communion is impossible outside of the Spirit, so also is it impossible outside of the Church. Therefore, of all things that could possibly happen to a person, excommunication is to be the most dreaded, viz, to be refused the symbols of communion because cut off from the Communion. The sentence symbolises being cut off from God and the Church — damned.
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.