There are very few books I can recommend without a single caveat or reservation. Richard Barcellos’ new book, The Lord’s Supper as a Means of Grace: More than a Memory, is one of them. Writing in an incredibly clear, straightforward style (unlike so many other theological works these days), Barcellos spells out exactly what his aims are in this book: to demonstrate how the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace to the faith of believers in Jesus Christ. He then proceeds to do exactly that, presenting arguments based on sound exegesis of several Scripture passages. He then turns to historical Reformed Confessions and Catechisms to show that he’s not presenting a novel idea, but rather perhaps reminding his readers of what has often been forgotten. Key points include the meaning of “communion,” how the Spirit applies Christ’s work to our souls, and how prayer (also a means of grace) is crucial to our understanding of the sacraments.
I heartily recommend this book for the following people: students, teachers, pastors, Baptists who want to understand historic Baptist doctrine, PCA members, Roman Catholics, students of biblical Greek, bloggers, anyone who wants to understand the distinction between an “ordinance” and a “sacrament” (it’s probably not what you think), and basically everyone else.
More than a mem’ry
Grace transcending time and space
All should read this book
You can (and should) purchase the book here!
Listen to an interview with the author (featuring me & Jonathan Tomes from The Confessing Baptist) here!
The Sovereign Logos 