Brother David, the Greek word for "remembrance" is transliterated "anamnesis": it literally means a memorial offering. Compare Num 10:10. See below:
"“Do this in remembrance of me” can also be translated as “Offer this as my memorial sacrifice.” The Greek term for “remembrance” is anamnesis, and every time it occurs in the Protestant Bible (whether in the New Testament or the Greek Old Testament), it occurs in a sacrificial context. For example, it appears in the Greek translation of Numbers 10:10: “On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts, and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; they shall serve you for remembrance [anamnesis] before your God: I am the Lord your God.” Thus the Eucharist is a remembrance, a memorial offering we present to God to plead the merits of Christ on the cross." https://www.catholic.com/tract/the-institution-of-the-mass So Holy Communion is a Memorial Offering of Christ's Passion and Death. That's why the Lord says anamnesis.
Another verse to consider, cited in the Didache and by the early Church Fathers, is Mal 1:11. God says the Gentiles will make pure offerings to God, while in Jerusalem no sacrifice will be offered by the Jews. It clearly foretells the New Covenant. What are the offerings? It is clearly a reference to Holy Communion imho, which Christ told us to offer time and time again till He comes again.
"10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My Name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations (Gentiles),” says the Lord Almighty." (Mal 1:10-11)
St. Justin Martyr, an Early Christian Apologist, in a Dialogue with Trypho quotes this passage: “God speaks by the mouth of Malachi, one of the twelve [minor prophets], as I said before, about the sacrifices at that time presented by you: ‘I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord, and I will not accept your sacrifices at your hands; for from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name is great among the Gentiles . . . [Mal. 1:10–11]." He then speaks of those Gentiles, namely us [Christians] who in every place offer sacrifices to him, that is, the bread of the Eucharist and also the cup of the Eucharist” (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 41 [A.D. 155]).
I've been to both Catholic and Evangelical/Protestant Churches. I respect Protestant churches for their moral conservatism and their pro-life, pro-family, pro-matrimony values. But I disagree with the view that Baptism and Communion are merely symbolic. They are not imho.
In Christ,
N. Xavier.
God Bless.
"“Do this in remembrance of me” can also be translated as “Offer this as my memorial sacrifice.” The Greek term for “remembrance” is anamnesis, and every time it occurs in the Protestant Bible (whether in the New Testament or the Greek Old Testament), it occurs in a sacrificial context. For example, it appears in the Greek translation of Numbers 10:10: “On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts, and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; they shall serve you for remembrance [anamnesis] before your God: I am the Lord your God.” Thus the Eucharist is a remembrance, a memorial offering we present to God to plead the merits of Christ on the cross." https://www.catholic.com/tract/the-institution-of-the-mass So Holy Communion is a Memorial Offering of Christ's Passion and Death. That's why the Lord says anamnesis.
Another verse to consider, cited in the Didache and by the early Church Fathers, is Mal 1:11. God says the Gentiles will make pure offerings to God, while in Jerusalem no sacrifice will be offered by the Jews. It clearly foretells the New Covenant. What are the offerings? It is clearly a reference to Holy Communion imho, which Christ told us to offer time and time again till He comes again.
"10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My Name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations (Gentiles),” says the Lord Almighty." (Mal 1:10-11)
St. Justin Martyr, an Early Christian Apologist, in a Dialogue with Trypho quotes this passage: “God speaks by the mouth of Malachi, one of the twelve [minor prophets], as I said before, about the sacrifices at that time presented by you: ‘I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord, and I will not accept your sacrifices at your hands; for from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name is great among the Gentiles . . . [Mal. 1:10–11]." He then speaks of those Gentiles, namely us [Christians] who in every place offer sacrifices to him, that is, the bread of the Eucharist and also the cup of the Eucharist” (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 41 [A.D. 155]).
I've been to both Catholic and Evangelical/Protestant Churches. I respect Protestant churches for their moral conservatism and their pro-life, pro-family, pro-matrimony values. But I disagree with the view that Baptism and Communion are merely symbolic. They are not imho.
In Christ,
N. Xavier.
God Bless.
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