Weekly Communion

I don't think we can ever read enough good material concerning the Lord's Supper. The following appeared in the March 1974 edition of the "Christian Courier", published by the East Main Street Church of Christ in Stockton, California and edited by Wayne Jackson.

One of the distinctive features of the church of Jesus Christ is the practice of observing the Lord's supper on the first day of the week. Quite often our religious neighbors cannot understand our strictness in this regard; they feel that the time of such participation is relatively inconsequential and thus an optional matter. What does the New Testament teach?

Jesus instituted the Lord's supper on the night prior to his death (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20). In connection therewith, he said, "This do in remembrance of Me." Later, Paul wrote, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till he come" (First Corinthians 11:26). But is there a specified time for eating the communion supper? It is true that Christ Himself, so far as the New Testament record goes, did not specify a time; but we must remember two things. First, not everything that Jesus taught is recorded in the Gospels (Cf. Acts 20:35). Also, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles (and through them, the entire church) into truth which He personally did not commit to them (John 16:13). So, it is not merely a matter of what the Lord Himself taught, but also what was the practice of the early church under the leadership of inspired men? An understanding of this is of utmost importance.

The first century church observed the Lord's supper with a consistent frequency. Of those early disciples it is said: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). the phrase "the breaking of bread" is a reference to the communion supper. the definite article "the" specifies a particular even, in contrast for example, to a common, daily meal as mentioned in verse 46, "...breaking bread at home, they took their food..." The verb "continued steadfastly" (vs. 42) is in the Greek imperfect tense, suggesting their customary or habitual practice of eating the Lord's supper. Still however, the time is not stated.

Later, Luke writes: "And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread..." (Acts 20:7). Here we do have a time specified. It is upon the first day of the week, Sunday. But why this day? Obviously because it's the Lord's resurrection day! By observing the supper on Sunday, Christ's death and resurrection are intimately connected. Now here is a very significant question: why commemorate the Savior's resurrection each Sunday (by assembling on that day) if one doesn't also remember His death each Lord's day (by partaking of the supper)? For the simple truth is, there would have been on resurrection had the Son of God not died in the first place!

But notice some other important points in this verse. (a) The disciples "were gathered together." The verb is in the passive voice, indicating that the assembly was not of their own initiative; it was a divine appointment! (b) The infinitive phrase "to break bread" (the Greek may be rendered literally, "for the breaking of bread") denotes the primary purpose for which the Christians were assembled. Thus, the purpose of that meeting on the first day of the week was to observe the Lord's supper. Now if we can learn the frequency of their Sunday meetings, we will know how often, under divine guidance, the disciples remembered the Lord's death in the supper. The answer is supplied in First Corinthians 16:2 where Paul admonishes the saints to lay by in store "on the first day of every week." (NASV) Though the King James Version omits the word "every", it is in the Greek text. This demonstrates that the early Christians met each Sunday. Since the purpose of that assembly was "to break bread" it conclusively follows that they observed the Lord's supper each Lord's day. This argument is simply unanswerable, and those who wish to be apostolic in practice will follow the divinely led example of the first century church.