Topic(s): Bible Authority, Worship

Paul tells us that on the night He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, “and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:24-26).

Jesus instituted this supper to be done in remembrance of Him. Paul said, “as often” as Christians partake of this memorial supper, they “show the Lord’s death till he come.” There is no question that the church should partake of the Lord’s Supper, but how often? Is the frequency of communion just a matter of opinion?

It would be strange if the Lord instituted a memorial and gave no guidance as to how often it should be done. The Jews received explicit instructions as to when they were to observe the Passover, Pentecost, and other memorials. The New Testament is clear that the early church assembled each first day of the week [Sunday] for worship. First Corinthians 14:23 speaks of the whole church “come together into one place” and Hebrews 10:25 warns against “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” The first day of the week was the time for the early church to assemble and partake of communion.

Paul came to Troas “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). The verse before states, “we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days” (Acts 20:6). Thus Paul and his group had waited a full seven days at Troas so that they could meet with Christians on the first day of the week, “when the disciples came together to break bread.” Their stated purpose in coming together was “to break bread,” meaning to partake of the Lord’s Supper. The writings of many ancient writers such as Pliny, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and others show that the universal practice of the early church was to meet each first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

But was it every first day? When God told the Jews to “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8), they understood that it was every Sabbath day that was intended, even though God did not specifically say to remember every Sabbath day. A man who violated only one sabbath was stoned to death (Numbers 15:32-36). When Paul wrote, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him . . .” (1 Corinthians 16:2), didn’t he mean that each first day of the week Christians were to give? Each first day of the week [the day of the Lord’s resurrection, and the day the church was established], is the day Christians are to observe communion. No other day or frequency is authorized by command or example of Scripture.

—Bob Prichard, P. O. Box 3071, Oxford, AL 36203