The wearing of a man-made priestly uniform does not alter the matter.

APOSTOLIC EXPLANATION

31. So from what standpoint has Christendom tried to discern the Lord’s body, and with what consequences to the world?

³¹ Noting from the above how the Catholics and Protestants of Christendom are guilty of “not discerning the body of the Lord”, we can appreciate why the whole religious system is infirm, weak, asleep, and sick to death. (1 Cor. 11:29, 30, Dy) Effects trace back to due causes. Christendom has dropped to this low spiritual condition because of centering her attention too much upon the literal flesh and blood of Jesus Christ in connection with her communion or Eucharist or the Lord’s supper. She has not followed the apostolic explanation of the Lord’s evening meal. Of all the Bible writers none offers more information regarding that meal than the apostle Paul does. True, Matthew, Mark and Luke each give us an account of how the supper proceeded, but they offer no explanation. Paul, though, gives both an account of the Lord’s evening meal and also considerable comment explaining it, in his first letter to the Corinthians. In the purpose behind his comments we can understand why, if Christendom had properly discerned the Lord’s body, we should not be threatened with more world war.

32, 33. How does Paul apply Jesus’ words at the Memorial, and so to what “body” does Paul refer?

³² Christendom’s clergy argue that in Paul’s comments he supports the literal application of Jesus’ words, “This is my body,” “This is my blood of the new covenant.” Honest-minded examination of Paul’s comments proves the clergy argument false, forced. According to Moffatt’s translation, Paul said: “Let a man test himself; then he can eat from the loaf and drink from the cup. For he who eats and drinks without a proper sense of the Body, eats and drinks to his own condemnation. That is why many of you are ill and infirm, and a number even dead.” So what “Body” is Paul here speaking about? Why, about “Christ’s Body”, which is composed of the members of his congregation under him as Head: “Now you are Christ’s Body, and severally members of it.” (1 Cor. 11:28-30; 12:27, Mo) This understanding is bolstered by what Paul says again in this same letter. Here it is in Catholic translation:

³³ “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not the sharing of the blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? Because the bread is one, we though many, are one body, all of us who partake of the one bread.” (Cath. Confrat.) “The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? For we, being many, are one bread, one body: all that partake of one bread.”—1 Cor. 10:16, 17, Dy.

34. Hence when a person eats the Memorial bread what must he discern or recognize in order not to incur judgment?

³⁴ So, then, a person who partakes of the bread at the Memorial must discern or recognize that there is such an organization or congregation as “Christ’s body”. More than that, he must by testing or scrutinizing himself prove to himself that he is a member of Christ’s body, that he is a member of that congregation of Christians who are dedicated to God completely, begotten by him as his spiritual children, anointed with his holy spirit to be preachers and joint heirs with Jesus, and faithfully holding to Jesus as the one Head of their congregation or Body. So doing, he then confesses by eating the Memorial bread that he also partakes of the “body of the Lord”, that is to say, he is a member of it. Thus he does not eat hypocritically or without discernment and so does not incur divine judgment against himself.

35. When he drinks the Memorial wine, what does he confess regarding the new covenant?

³⁵ When such a self-scrutinized Christian drinks out of the Memorial wine-cup he confesses that Jesus’ blood was the means to put God’s new covenant in force. Also, that by means of this new covenant the divine forgiveness of sins is gained and a people is taken out of all nations to be a people for God’s name, to act as witnesses of Jehovah.—Acts 15:14; Ex. 19:5, 6; 1 Pet. 2:9, 10.

36, 37. What else does the Memorial wine signify to the person drinking, and what is he therefore determined to do?

³⁶ Another thing: the poured-out blood of Christ signifies death, not merely for a new covenant to be made over a dead victim, but primarily for vindicating Jehovah’s sovereignty, name and word. And in this death for Jehovah’s vindication the “body of the Lord”, Christ’s body-members, share. They are planted with him in the likeness of his death, buried together with him by a common baptism into his death, that they may be raised to heavenly spirit life in the likeness of his resurrection. “Know you not that all we who are baptized in Christ Jesus are baptized in his death? For we are buried together with him by baptism into death: . . . For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”—Rom. 6:3-5, Dy.

³⁷ So to the wine-drinker the cup pictures the sufferings which the heavenly Father has poured like a potion for all the Christ company, the Head and the body. As Jesus said to Peter in Gethsemane: “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” He did, and he also assured those followers who would prove faithful to death and share in the Lord’s blood: “Of the cup that I drink, you shall drink; and with the baptism with which I am to be baptized, you shall be baptized.” (John 18:11 and Mark 10:39, Cath. Confrat.) By drinking of the Memorial cup one confesses that he is determined to suffer with Jesus till death.

What About Those Not Partaking?

1. When did Jehovah’s witnesses celebrate Memorial last year, how many attended it and how many partook?

THE Memorial or Lord’s evening meal is celebrated by Jehovah’s witnesses each year on its anniversary date with the understanding given above. Last year at the Memorial celebration 623,760 of Jehovah’s witnesses and kindly disposed persons attended, but only 21,619 partook of the emblems. Why did so many not partake of them?

2. How many attenders did not partake, and why not?

² The Memorial emblems were passed around for everyone to partake of and each one was at liberty to do so if he wished. Why did 602,141 not do so? Because, by self-scrutiny and after their hearing the Memorial discourse, they honestly acknowledged to themselves and to others that they were not members of Christ’s body, which the Scriptures show is made up of only 144,000 members under Jesus the one Head. Those not partaking may all have been dedicated to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ. But they had no proof within themselves that they had been begotten by God’s spirit to a spiritual resurrection and to spirit life in heaven. They had no proof that they had been