On what day is the Lord’s Supper to be taken, according to NEW TESTAMENT AUTHORITY? Of course, all who read this article will answer: “On the first day of the week.” Now where did you and others get your authority to answer in this manner? Is there a text that says, Christians are to partake of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week? No! So, the question remains, where did you get New Testament authority to take of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week – Sunday? Can you read the passage, that says so? No!
We need to understand, that the manner that is used to arrive at the conclusion, that there is New Testament authority for taking the Lord’s Supper on Sunday, is arrived by properly using the method that is used for other things as well. How is that? We study and see what the church did, under the oversight of the apostles of Christ, and understand this is New Testament authority for it. It is not true, as Martin Luther and many others today, would tell us that New Testament authority is found in that it does not “forbid” something. Over the years, I have said, “If God had to tell us all the things we are not to do, and to tell us when a thing is to be done, we would need U-Haul truck to carry the New Testament. God in his perfect wisdom, avoided all that, by revealing what we are to do and when we are to do it! This is true of the Lord’s Supper and when Christians are to partake of it. God simply had Luke record the history of the New Testament church; thus, revealing for us, both the things authorized, and the things not authorized.
Therefore, we are able to read the inspired history of the church and in doing so, we read these words: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7). Now, let us notice a few things that gives us the event under study. First, we notice, that some of Paul’s company, went before him and tarried at Troas. Luke even gives us the names of those who departed from Paul and waited for him in Troas: “And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus” (verse 4). Luke, desiring, that his readers understand, what was taking place, filled us in; as he wrote: “These going before tarried for us at Troas” (verse 5). There are things going on here, that are important to our understanding of the text and the event that took Paul and his company to Troas. Something that was important to Paul; thus, important to the Holy Spirit who guided Paul.
What was it? Paul desired to worship with the Lord’s people in Troas! But, in so doing, Luke, guided by the Holy Spirit and as the historian, would write: “…where we abode seven days” (verse 6). Why did they “abode seven days?” Let Luke tell us why they “abode seven days.” The next verse reads: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, …” (verse 7). This would be Paul’s last time to see these good brethren on this earth! The phrase, “to break bread,” is not a common meal, though they would have such a meal following their worship; this is seen in the events, as Luke put it: “Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, ..” (verse 9). But we have overlooked the event which has our attention; that being, that Paul and company waited seven days, so he could “break bread” with these brethren, whom he loved! In this assembly of worship, Paul preached, as Luke put it: “Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; …” (verse 7). We do not know at what hour the church “came together,” but we do know that Paul preached until the midnight hour.
So, I ask you again, “Where do you get New Testament Authority to take the Lord’s Supper, here described as “to break bread,” on the first day of the week?” If we are reading Luke’s words with an honest mind/heart, it is right here in this historical event, written by the inspired Luke! We have not looked for a “thou shall take the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week,” but we have searched the historical record and found what the Lord’s people did! We have not looked for a “thou not take the Lord’s Supper on Friday;” we have not searched for what is “forbidden” but we have searched to see what the Lord’s people did under the oversight of the apostles of Christ!
When you read the New Testament, what are you looking for? Are you looking for: “If it is not forbidden, that is authority for it?” Or on the other hand, are you looking for what the Lord’s people did under the oversight of the “ambassadors for Christ?”
Frank R. Williams