As promised at the end of the last article, written under the above title, we will tackle the day the Lord’s Supper is to be taken! First, there is no commandment that says, “You are to take the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week.” It just is not there! So, is there a day authorized by the inspired writers of the New Testament, that reveals the day the Lord’s Supper is to be taken? The simple answer, “Yes!”
When we, the Lord’s people, understand that the churches of Christ (Rom. 16:16) today, have no more authority to do things, than the churches of Christ did in the first century, under the oversight of the apostles, with their approval, we will stand upon sound ground! Just here, let us call your attention to Paul’s letter to Timothy, they are: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth…” (1 Tim. 3:15). It is my opinion, that a period should be place after the words “the church of the living God.” Otherwise, we have the “church” as “pillar and ground of the truth,” but Paul wrote: “the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness :” This as the reader can see, is the end of verse 15 and the start of verse 16. Why is this so important? Let us look at what is “the pillar and ground of the truth.” It is: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: …” (1 Tim. 3:16). Question: “Does it make more sense, that what follows these words is “the pillar and ground of the truth?” The answer is, yes! So, just what does Paul identify as “the pillar and ground of the truth?” Here is what Paul wrote: “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (verse 16). This makes Christ and all that he was, and is, as Paul wrote: “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” There is “the pillar and ground” of the truth! The church stands or falls on this subject and it deserves more attention but space will not allow it here!
The church under the oversight and the approval of the apostles, the “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20); whatever they did, the churches of Christ today may do the same things! At the same time, the churches of Christ today, have no, and I mean no, authority to do anything else! Yes, they use different methods to do the same things, such as preaching on the radio. In doing this, is the church doing something the church of the century did? No!
With the above thoughts in mind let us get back to our subject! Here we recall the words Luke wrote: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, …” (Act 20:7). The context, as is true elsewhere, must be marked and studied! Here the apostle and his companions, waited, that is “where we abode seven days.” Why the “seven days?” It was so the apostle could be with the church in Troas on the “the first day of the week.” Question: “Do you know of a passage of scripture that says the Lord’s Supper was taken on any other day, than, as Luke wrote: “And upon the first day of the week, “when the disciples came together to break bread, …?” Certainly, all involved here, ate many common meals during their time in Troas, which was at least seven days!! Did I hear an “Amen?” Question: “Why did the apostle and those with him, not take the Lord’s Supper on their first, second, or sixth day, before “the first day of the week? Was there something special about “the first day of the week?” Yes!
Let us conclude this series of articles, by going back to the birth of the church. Luke’s writing put it this way: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” What did those, who were “baptized,” do as their first act of being a child of God, a saved person? They worshipped God, and in doing so, upon the first day of the week (Pentecost was always upon the first day of the week) they did, as Luke put it: “breaking of bread!”
There we have it! Two passages where the disciples of the Lord, did “break bread” upon the first day of the week and never did they do it otherwise! What did we learn? We have learned that the early churches of Christ did take the Lord’s Supper upon, during, “the first day of the week,” and no one can speak otherwise and speak as the word of God! In both passages, Acts 2:42 and 20:7, we can see the church under the oversight and approval of the apostles, that the church did in fact, take the Lord’s Supper on “the first day of the week.”
It is the hope of this writer, that the reader of these nine articles, is able to see that the only correct way to know what “the churches of Christ” may do today, is by knowing what the early church did under the oversight and approval of the apostles, is the only correct way, to gain New Testament Authority, for what we must do, while remaining in the acceptable approval of God! Can you speak with authority and speak of another day? No!
However, I desire to close this last article with Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth “the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (2 Cor.14:37)
Frank R. Williams