QUESTION:
How should the bread for the communion be made? 
Is it wrong to use white flour, oil or salt?  

ANSWER:
The above question is worthy of serious study. In the opinion of this writer, in 
some places at least, insufficient care is given to the making of the loaffor the 
communion service. The scriptures dealing with the Lord's Supper tell us that Jesus 
took 'bread" or "a loaf'. Mt. 26:26; Mk. 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:23. There is, 
however, no detailed description of the kind of bread or the ingredients used to 
make it, included in these scriptures. For this information we are forced to rely 
upon what we may deduce from them and the teaching of the Old Testament. We know 
that the Lord's Supper was instituted during Passover. (Mt. 26:17-26) Since no 
leaven was permitted in their houses during this feast, we must conclude that the 
bread Jesus used was unleavened bread. (Ex. 12: 15) Leavened bread is obtained by 
exposing dough until it is fermented by yeast. The Israelites would usually save a 
small lump of this fermented dough and use it as a "startern when making more
bread. Unleavened bread was made by leaving the old lump out. Even with the old 
lump out, it was possible that some yeast might be in the dough, however it was 
killed by the heat of baking before it could cause the bread to rise. Yeast in 
itself is not fermented, but can cause fermentation. The fermentation process in 
bread occurs when glucose (a sugar) is converted to ethanol (an alcohol). During
the procedure, a gas (carbon dioxide) is released, which, when trapped by the 
dough, causes the bread to rise and become leavened. Jesus used unleavened bread, 
by necessary implication, in the establishment ofthe Lord's Supper, and we should
do the same. The overriding principle that must be considered when preparing the 
loaf for the communion is to use nothing as an ingredient that will cause the bread 
to become leavened. Such agents as yeast, baking powder, baking soda etc. etc.
should not be used. A necessary ingredient of bread is flour. Bread was made from 
several kinds of flour in Old and New Testament times e.g. wheat, barley, speltz, 
rice, and rye. Some authorities indicate that the best bread was made with wheat 
grain, while the ordinary or most commonly used was barley. (Unger Bible Dictionary 
p.154) Barley generally made a coarser bread. Since the grain used did not make the 
bread leavened, and in the absence of specification from the scripture, we must 
conclude that we are not restricted to a certain kind or type offlour in preparing 
the loaf for the communion service. Some have argued that we should use whole grain 
flour instead of refined (white) flour. Unless it can be shown that refined (white) 
flour contains a leavening agent, or causes the bread to become leavened, there is 
no basis for such a contention. Another ingredient necessary for bread making is a 
liquid. Regarding this the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says that "The 
flour was then ordinarily mixed simply with water, kneaded in a wooden basin or 
kneading-trough. (Ex. 8:3; 12:34) Thayer says in his definition of artos 
(loaf) "Food composed of flour mixed with water and baked." (p.75) It would
appear that, generally speaking, bread both leavened and unleavened was made by 
using simply flour and water. In addition to the passover bread, the bread used in 
the sacrificial meat offerings was to be unleavened. Lev. 2:4 "And if thou bring an
oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine 
flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil." From this verse it 
can be seen that oil was not considered a leavening agent, since it was mingled
with the fine flour in baking. We must conclude then, that bread made with either 
water and flour or oil and flour is unleavened bread. In the absence of exclusive 
instruction, in either the Old or New Testament, as to the exact ingredients used in
making unleavened bread, I cannot presume to speak for the Lord in this matter, and 
bind a particular recipe. It should be noted that Jesus took bread. He did not take 
dough. The dough had been baked and was thus called bread. Of late I have been to 
several places where the loaf used in the communion service could hardly be called
bread. In fact it was closer to dough than bread. Let me encourage everyone charged 
with preparing the communion loaf to do so with great care. Bake it until it is 
thoroughly done. If necessary practice over and over until it is right. Surely 
something to be used as a representation of the body of Christ deserves our very 
best effort.