Photo by Lisa Pound Peddy |
What about the Lord's Supper? |
The Lord's Supper is partaken each first day of the week as a memorial to Jesus Christ. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 said, "For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." In 1 Corinthians 11:26 we are told, "For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death until he come." Each time we partake of the Lord's supper we are to examine ourselves and remember that Christ died for us on the cross and that he will come again. How often should we take the Lord's supper? Many denominational churches choose to observe the Lord's supper monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. The church of Christ partakes of the Lord's supper each first day of the week. Acts 2:42 says of the church in Jerusalem, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers." Acts 20:7 says of the church in Troas, "And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow." By these and other verses, we can see the importance the breaking of bread had in the early church. The Jews were told in the Old Testament inExodus 20:7 to "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Were they told to remember the Sabbath only quarterly or annually? No, they understood that this meant the Sabbath of each week. We are told in 1 Corinthians 16:2, "Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come." Are we to give only quarterly, annually, etc.? Does this not say to God that giving is more important to man than remembering Christ through the taking of the Lord's supper? Most people understand that we are to meet on the first day of each week and give on the first day of the week. Does man have the right to decide to limit the the observance of the Lord's supper as commanded by Christ to just a few times a year? Christ said in 1 Corinthians 11 , "this do in remembrance of me". The church of Christ would never choose to exlude this beautiful remembrance of Christ from our worship services each first day of the week. |
