Nattvardssyn i den svenska pingströrelsen. En undersökning av nattvardssyn i den svenska pingströrelsen över tid

Abstract

This paper describes the tradition of the Lord’s Supper in the Swedish Pentecostal Movement. In order to make a comparison with the traditions in other major churches, it briefly describes the different ways of celebrating the Holy Communion in the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Church and the Baptist Church. The paper then goes on to describe how traditions have developed over time, and the study and conclusions are all based on written articles in periodicals and available literature by Pentecostal preachers and theologians. It has been observed that the structure of the Swedish Pentecostal Movement, built on free independent congregations, affects the ability to establish common ground. Further, reflection has been given to the influence that the Pentecostal Hermeneutics have on the way of interpreting the Lord´s Supper. The Pentecostal approach, when celebrating the Lord’s Supper, is simple, almost minimalistic, based mainly on the scriptures such as Matt. 26:26-28. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper is viewed as a ceremony solely for baptized believers. The belief in Christ’s presence, as represented by bread and wine, is determined by the individual Pentecostal christian. Accordingly, the most important part of the Holy Communion is to remember and preach the death and resurrection of Christ, and to proclaim God´s reconciliation with mankind.