LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 255

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THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

255

Proper Administration of the Lord’s Supper

of pre-packaged elements invites confusion and can encourage bad practices. As
noted above, such usage seems to invite some churches to adopt specific practices
that undermine or prevent the practice of closed Communion and may also create

SUBSTITUTION
OF NON-WHEAT BREAD
FOR WHEAT BREAD

questions about what has or has not been consecrated. Consequently, such a practice may under some circumstances create doubts that may cause communicants
to be unsure that they are receiving Christ’s body and blood and therefore to refrain from reception. For these reasons, we believe the Synod should discourage
their future use.
This judgment does not in any way seek to condemn those pastors and congregations that, according to their best judgment during the confusion of the COVID-19
pandemic, made use of the packets. Nevertheless, we believe that the potential for

Biblical and Historical Background

confusion and bad practice outweighs any potential benefit. The great treasure

The question of the propriety of using bread made from grains other than wheat is

that is Christ’s Holy Supper should not be discounted in place of uncertain at-

largely a result of requests by individuals who suffer from celiac disease or another

tempts to avoid disease. Moreover, if we emphasize worries about the potential for

form of gluten intolerance. Although celiac disease was diagnosed as early as the

disease transmission, public worship itself would be viewed as a possible threat to

second century AD, it was given little study or medical treatment until the 1800s.27

physical well-being because of the constant presence of influenza, continuing out-

Both celiac disease (CD) and non-celiac gluten intolerance (NCGS) have garnered

breaks of COVID-19, and other contagions. Our deepest concern as Christians is

increasing attention in recent years. The World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG)

not threats to the body, but threats to our soul. Jesus rightly admonishes us about

says that “currently, 1% of the United States population holds a diagnosis for celiac

the danger of living in fear of this world’s threats and ignoring God (Matt. 10:28).

disease (CD), however, a more recently recognized and possibly related condition,

A risk to the spiritual well-being of those who would be uncertain of the Sacrament

‘non-celiac gluten sensitivity’ (NCGS) has been suggested to affect up to 6% of the

should rank above the unlikelihood that Communion will endanger us physically.

United States public.”28 In addition to those with such diagnoses, a significantly
higher number of Americans—about 20% of the population—have chosen to
adopt a gluten-free diet without either a CD or NCGS diagnosis.29 This has led to
concerns about the Sacrament, since wheat hosts or bread have been used almost
exclusively for generations. By the late twentieth century non-gluten hosts were
offered to churches as an alternative to wheat hosts for use in cases of CD or other
gluten intolerance. Significant numbers of LCMS churches offer non-gluten hosts

21
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

27

See “History of Celiac Disease,” Beyond Celiac, https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/
celiac-history/ (accessed September 17, 2024). The death rate for untreated celiac children is about
30 percent. Because of high rates of child mortality, the fact that celiac victims tended to be children
may have prevented scientific attention until more recent times.

28

Samuel O. Igbinedion et al., “Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: All Wheat Attack Is Not Celiac,” WJG 23,
no. 40 (2017): 7201–10, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29142467/.

29

Igbinedion, et al.

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Proper Administration of the Lord’s Supper

to those who request them. Hence the question of their propriety has been raised

usage of a word in the ancient world during both the period of Classical Greek literature and later, more common (Koine) biblical and early church literature. The
definitions for artos vary somewhat in the dictionaries but can be summarized: In
Classical Greek when artos appears without a modifier it seems to have referred to
wheat bread almost exclusively; however, the definition broadened to become the
general term for all bread in the Koine period.30

in 2023 Res. 5-15.
Regarding the bread of the Lord’s Supper, this is what we have been given
in Scripture:
Matthew 26:26 – “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after
blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is

The Bible knows different grains and breads. Wheat and wheat bread are most frequently mentioned (over fifty times), but barley and bread made from barley are
also mentioned frequently (more than thirty times). As for other types of grain,
the only certain reference of bread made from them is the passage in Ezekiel 4:9,
where the Lord commands the prophet to make bread from a mixed flour containing wheat, barley, beans, lentil, millet, and emmer. The term “bread” (lehem in
Hebrew, artos in Greek) is far more common than specific terms such as “wheat
bread” or “barley bread.” It is used over two hundred times in the Old Testament
and nearly one hundred times in the New Testament. “Bread” can mean a loaf, a
cake, or a wafer—although when the wafer is unleavened bread in the Old Testament the term matzah rather than lehem is typical.

My body.’”
Mark 14:22 – “And as they were eating, He took bread, and after blessing
it broke it and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is My body.’”
Luke 22:19 – “And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He
broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body, which is given for
you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:23–24 – “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took
bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My

Bread is further used in ways that go beyond the literal. Since bread was the staple
in the diet of the biblical world, the Bible also can use “bread” as shorthand for
food or nourishment (e.g., Prov. 6:8; Lam. 1:11; Ezek. 18:16; Matt. 6:11; Luke 14:15;
15:17; 2 Thess. 3:12). Reference to bread being broken is connected with the blessing of the meal by the head of the household and the subsequent distribution of
food. This is also, of course, the sense in the four Lord’s Supper narratives. The
combination of breaking and bread in Luke and Acts seems to indicate partaking
of a meal in some cases (Luke 24:35; Acts 2:46; 20:11), but it may refer to the Lord’s
Supper (Acts 20:7). Certainly “the bread that we break” in 1 Corinthians 10:16 refers to the Supper.

body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’”
In each of the passages, the text shows that Jesus took “bread” with a blessing or
thanksgiving, and distributed it to the disciples with the words “This is My body.”
The concern the CTCR has here been asked to address is whether it is consistent
with our Lord’s “Do this” for congregations to use “non-wheat hosts” in the Lord’s
Supper. That is, since the Lord took “bread” as one of the elements of the Lord’s
Supper, is bread made from something other than wheat a valid earthly element?
The Confessions simply describe Christ’s instruction: “For Christ gives this command at the table and at supper. There is certainly no doubt that He speaks of real,

There is further usage of the term “bread” beyond any reference to normal grain
bread. Note the connection with manna, “bread from heaven” (Ex. 16:4, 8; Psalm

natural bread and of natural wine. Also, He speaks of oral eating and drinking” (FC
SD VII 48). Therefore, consistent with our response in the matter of substituting
grape juice for wine, we should state at the outset that using something other than

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“natural bread” would not be in keeping with our Lord’s words.
The Greek word translated as “bread” in the four passages cited is artos. For biblical studies, Greek lexicons (dictionaries) provide definitions by summarizing the
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Several dictionaries can be consulted: Henry George Liddell et al., eds., A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th
rev. ed. (Oxford University Press, 1996); James Diggle et al., eds., The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, vol.
1 (Cambridge University Press, 2021); Johannes Behm, “artos,” in Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament, eds. Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Eerdmans, 1964);
Walter Bauer et al., eds., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature, 3rd ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2000).

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2026 Convention Workbook