Be Ye Doers. . . Of The Word!

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22-NIV)

Put It Back!

By: Dave Fagan

Put it back ! Put the Lord ' s Supper back on the Lord' s Day! As our drift away from the New Testament pattern continues in the Restoration Movement, the Lord's Supper has popped up in all kinds of unexpected places. Serving the Lord's Supper on week-days at church camps, conventions, and inter- denominational union services has become common practice. The Lord's Supper has become a traditional part of many wedding ceremonies. These deviations from the New Testament pattern have not come about because critical Biblical studies have shed new information on the Scriptures. Rather, these "Lord's Supper libertines" have diverged from the New Testament example because in their words, "I don't see anything wrong with weekday Lord's Supper". Rest assured, they have not looked very hard at the Scriptures to try and find anything wrong with taking the Lord's Supper on any day other than Sunday! We have even reached the point where "any day" Lord's Supper is openly advocated and taught (see "Saturday Evening Worship? Try It!" Christian Standard 1991).

If we are to practice New Testament Christianity, and if we are bound by New Testament command or precedent as our source of doctrine and practice, then we need to put the Lord's Supper back on the Lord's Day! Let's bring to an end doctrines based on majority opinion, convenience, and popular fads. Let's replace these doctrines of men with diligently studied and applied Bible teaching. We need to stop the wrongful practice of having the Lord's Supper on any old day of the week, and put the Lord's Supper back on the Lord's Day.

Since there is no direct command from Christ about when the Lord' s Supper must be taken, we turn to the practice of the New Testament Church. Jesus promised the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into "all truth", that is infallibility (John 16:13). The Apostles directed the Church by the authority of Christ. Jesus commissioned the Apostles in Matthew 28:20—"...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." Thus the direction the Apostles gave the New Testament Church fulfilled this command. New Testament precedent is a valid and authoritative pattern for our churches today.

The Churches in the New Testament met for the purpose of taking the Lord's Supper. In Acts 20:7, the Greek is a past tense, perfect participle indicating completed action. The correct translation is " And on the first day of the week, having been assembled, to break bread..." The reason the Church at Troas came together was to take the Lord's Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11:20, Paul reprimands the Church at Corinth for abusing and distorting the purpose of their weekly meeting. This was the reason they met. But on which day did they meet?

The Churches of the New Testament met on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day. This was true of Troas (Acts 20:7), and Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:2), and the churches in the province of Galatia. Paul could not have given the churches of Galatia and the church at Corinth the same instructions unless they were also in the habit of assembling on the first day of the week for the purpose of taking the Lord's Supper. This must have been the uniform practice of the New Testament churches as directed by the Apostles.

We know that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper on a weeknight. The meeting with the twelve in the upper room to take the Lord' s Supper was on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday night (depending on which explanation is taken). Despite this clear fact that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper on a weeknight, the church of the New Testament universally took the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day! In fact, after the death of Christ, there is no record or mention of the New Testament church ever taking the Lord's Supper on a weeknight. How did they know to do this? Who told them to change from a weeknight to the first day of the week? Why didn't they observe the Lord ' s Supper once a year at Passover? How did they observe know the Lord's Supper was to bed on the Lord's Day and not during the week? Obviously, because the Lord's Day Lord's Supper was universally practiced, the church observed the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week at the direction of the Apostles.

The Lord's Day is important for several reasons. The foremost reason for worship on the first day of the week is that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, Mark 16: 1-7. The Church began with Peter's sermon and the invitation to "repent and be baptized" in Acts 2:1-38 on the Lord's Day. Christ's Revelation was given to John on the first day of the week, Revelation 1:10. Will the Lord come back on the first day of the week? We have ample reason to worship on the Lord's Day.

The Old Testament shewbread, which was a type or shadow of the Lord's Supper was renewed once a week, Leviticus 24:5-8; 1 Chronicles 9:32. The Old Testament priests ate the shewbread weekly. Today priests (Christians, 1 Peter 2:9) should also take the Lord's Supper each week on the Lord's Day.

Convincing evidence is found in the account of the two on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. Some commentators believe that one of these disciples was Dr. Luke (a fascinating idea since he penned Acts 20:7!), but that is only speculation. The conversation these two men had with Jesus took place on the very same day that He had arisen from the dead, Luke 24:9- 13. After walking along with Jesus they stopped for the night since it was nearly evening, Luke 24:29. When they were ready to eat, Jesus took over and followed the same routine He had used with the Apostles in the upper room when the Lord's Supper was instituted. At this point the two disciples recognized their companion was Jesus, but He vanished from their sight. Immediately they made the 7 mile trip back to Jerusalem to report to the Apostles that Jesus was alive. They told them "...how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread." Is this not an example from our Lord himself to take the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week? An article is included with "bread"-in the Greek. This indicates that the bread Jesus broke was not any old loaf but "the bread" of the Lord's Supper. The New Testament Church observed the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day because Jesus did! Admittedly there are some problems with this idea that must be addressed. 1) How did the two disciples recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread when only the 12 were in the upper room? Had they been told by others what transpired? 2) We teach that the New Covenant began on the Day of Pentecost when the church began. But see Hebrews 9: 16-17. Perhaps we have the New Covenant beginning 50 days too late! 3) Doesn't "kingdom" of Matt 26:29 refer to heaven? Consider these facts. Of 65 occurrences of "kingdom of God" in the New Testament, 12 clearly refer to heaven, 17 clearly refer to the church, 32 could refer to either, 4 refer to something else. Is the "kingdom" heaven, or the "new covenant/church"?

I believe the New Testament Church observed the Lord' s Supper on the first day of the week because Jesus Himself set that example for us. For these reasons, no one today has the authority to deviate from this clear pattern of the New Testament.

Some common objections.

Some, especially denominationalism, have used the King James phrase "as oft as" in 1 Corinthians 11:25-26 as an escape hatch to avoid weekly Lord's Supper. The Greek word used here is a relative adverb best understood as "when". This word shows the purpose for taking the Lord's Supper, not the time for taking the Supper. In other words "when" we take the Lord's Supper we are to take it remembering Christ. Sadly, our own people of the Restoration Movement have dredged up this old denominational argument to justify the practice of having the Lord's Supper on weekdays or including the Lord's Supper at weddings.

Some falsely teach that because the church at Troas took the Lord ' s Supper after midnight, thus they took it on Monday morning. This is incorrect for these reasons. 1) The church at Troas was clearly on Jewish time. McGarvey, in his Commentary on Acts, states, "There is no reason to assume that Troas was on anything but Jewish time." p. 182. The fact that the day is described as the "first from the Sabbath" is Jewish terminology, not Roman. Perhaps this chart will help:

Sabbath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Day. . . . . . . Second Day
*----------*----------* *--------*---------* *--------*---------*
Darkness Daylight. . . . . Darkness Daylight. . . Darkness Daylight
6:00 pm -- 6:00 am. . . . 6:00 pm -- 6:00 am. . 6:00 pm -- 6:00 am

It makes no difference whether Troas took the Lord's Supper before midnight or after midnight since in either case it was still the first day! They definitely could not have been taking the Lord's Supper after midnight on Sunday because anytime after 6:00 p.m. would have been Monday, the second day and not the first day as the Scriptures clearly state!

The practice of taking the Lord's Supper on weekdays, and at weddings is completely without a Scriptural precedent! In fact, such practices represent a departure from the clear pattern of the New Testament set by Christ, the Apostles, and the first century church. Our doctrine and practice can never be based on fads and opinions, but must rest on the solid foundation of the Bible. We must stop expressing what "I think" and begin digging for what the "Lord thinks"! So put it back! Put the Lord's Supper backon the Lord's Day!