What is the purpose of the communion?  We call it “Nattverd” (this question was received from the Netherlands – AYP).  I know it is to connect and participate in Jesus’ sufferings, but could you please tell a little more?

Sincerely,
Natt-Sure About Nattverd

Dear Natt-Sure About Nattverd,

Christ told us that whenever we take the Lord’s Supper, we should do it in remembrance of Him (Lk 22:19).  In the book of Acts, we see how often the church observed the Lord’s Supper.  In Acts 20:7, we see that christians ‘broke the bread’ in remembrance of Christ on Sundays.  That is when they did it, so that is when we do it.

In 1 Cor. 11:26-29, we are told that we should use the Lord’s Supper to contemplate and examine whether our lives are genuinely dedicated to Christ.  We can know whether our lives are faithful by the fruits we are bearing (Matt 7:16-20).  When you get ready to take the Lord’s Supper next Sunday (Acts 20:7), ask yourself what kind of life you have lived this week.  Examine your life and whether or not it genuinely belongs to Christ, and you will have fulfilled the commandment of 1 Cor 11:28.

Paul says that we are to take the Lord’s Supper when the church is gathered together (1 Cor 11:20).  Taking the Lord’s Supper each Sunday is an act of worship done by every congregation of the Lord.  Christ commands that we do it in remembrance of Him (1 Cor 11:23-28), the church gives us the example of doing it on the first day of the week, and Paul teaches that we should examine ourselves during the Lord’s Supper.

     We offer the Lord’s Supper in the evening to those who choose to miss morning worship for whatever reason, be it their job schedule, illness, or just to sleep in.  It seems to me that, as was done in the early church, the Lord’s Supper should be offered once on the first day of the week.  If a congregation chooses to have an evening Bible study, at least some, like myself, might not wonder whether I am, in fact, forsaking the assembly by not attending evening services.  What is your position on this matter?

Sincerely,
Two Too Many

Dear Two Too Many,

Let’s deal with the “job schedule, illness, or just to sleep in” statement first.  If a congregation is actively saying that it doesn’t matter if you wish to skip part of the services on Sunday, they are wrong.  God tells us that Sunday is “the Lord’s Day” (Rev 1:10), and the pattern we see is that faithful congregations emphasize attendance and emphasize prioritizing classes, services, and active involvement with the brotherhood.  That certainly is the pattern we see in the early church (Acts 2:46-47).  If a congregation has moved into the “multiple services, come if you feel like it and it is convenient” mentality – there are already bigger problems than whether or not you offer the Lord’s Supper twice.

Now having said that, a second offering of the Lord’s Supper is an issue that many good brethren wrestle with.  Does a congregation have the right to offer the Lord’s Supper twice on Sunday?  Is it biblical for a local church to offer communion in the morning and then offer it again at a Sunday evening service?  We believe so, but we also believe that there is room for disagreement on this issue, and if a brother or sister doesn’t feel comfortable with a second serving of the communion, they should abstain.  We must all seek to serve God with a clear conscience (1 Tim 1:19), and if you can’t do something in faith, you shouldn’t do it (Rom 14:23).  Having said that, here are our thoughts on the subject of offering the Lord’s Supper twice on Sunday.

The Bible never tells us the amount of times that a congregation must offer the Lord’s Supper; it only tells us that it must be taken by the saints sometime on Sunday (Acts 20:7).  This leaves us a twenty-four hour period in which a christian can gather with the church and fulfill this command.  The specific times we choose to meet are an expediency… simply a matter of preference.

1 Cor 11:33 says that a congregation must “wait for one another”.  1 Cor 11:21-22 clarifies that the problem in Corinth was that they were eating the Lord’s Supper as a common meal and not waiting to do it solemnly together.  The problem in Corinth was that they were eating communion for the purpose of filling their bellies instead of remembering the Lord’s death (1 Cor 11:34).  The goal of waiting for one another was to provide a scheduled time to fulfill this command together.  It didn’t mean that every christian needed to be present (otherwise, a congregation couldn’t partake of the Lord’s Supper unless every member was accounted for), and it didn’t mean that they couldn’t schedule multiple times to wait for one another.  It simply meant that they had to treat the Lord’s Supper as a holy and spiritual meal of remembrance.  The church is responsible for doing things in a decent and orderly way (1 Cor 14:40).  Offering the Lord’s Supper in the morning and evening fulfills that command for order and decency.  The congregation is providing specific orderly times for members to fulfill their command to gather with the church and take the Lord’s Supper.

The church is commanded to provide opportunity for christians to take the Lord’s Supper with the church, but the individual is responsible for taking it.  If a congregation offers the Lord’s Supper in both the morning and evening, it is doing its job – providing opportunity.  It is the same as the command to take up a collection.  Most congregations provide opportunity for individuals to give financially at both the morning and evening services – which matches exactly with the command in 1 Cor 16:1-2.  No one bats an eye when a congregation offers the collection basket twice.  In fact, we would probably be shocked if a congregation refused to take someone’s contribution because they missed morning services.  Yet, this is exactly the same as offering the Lord’s Supper twice.   It is a matter of expediency.  When a congregation offers the collection and the Lord’s Supper at both services, it is simply trying to provide opportunity for all (even those who were unable to attend in the morning) to fulfill God’s commands to give and take the Lord’s Supper on Sunday.

     I am happy to write to you.  I am wanting to know how you conduct your worship on Sundays.

God bless you.

Sincerely,
Looking For Order

Dear Looking For Order,

The Bible gives us examples and commands for five different elements to the public worship.

1. Teaching/Preaching (1 Cor 4:17)
2. Singing (Eph 5:19)
3. Prayer (Acts 12:5)
4. Taking A Collection – Sunday only (1 Cor 16:1-2)
5. Lord’s Supper – Sunday only (Acts 20:7)

Of these five elements, two of them are specifically allowed only on Sundays.  The others can be done any time the brethren get together.  The congregation here in Monroe, WA is a simple New Testament congregation, and our worship is just what you find in the Bible.

Why do we take the Lord’s Supper?

Sincerely,
Not Hungry

Dear Not Hungry,

Christ told us that whenever we take the Lord’s Supper, we should do it in remembrance of Him (Lk 22:19). In the book of Acts, we see how often the church observed the Lord’s Supper. In Acts 20:7, we see that christians ‘broke the bread’ in remembrance of Christ on Sundays. That is when they did it, so that is when we do it.

Paul says that we are to take the Lord’s Supper when the church is gathered together (1 Cor 11:20). Taking the Lord’s Supper is an act of worship done by every congregation of the Lord each Sunday. When we take a look at all the teaching on the Lord’s Supper, we get the truth (Ps 119:160). Christ commands that we do it in remembrance of Him (1 Cor 11:23-28), the church gives us the example of doing it on the first day of the week, and Paul teaches that we should do it when we are assembled as a church.

The Corinthian church had a lot of problems that Paul had to correct.  One of their deviations from the truth was the way they were taking the Lord’s Supper (or communion).  1 Corinthians 11 tells us they weren’t treating it as the holy memorial that it is.  In verses 21 and 33 of that chapter, they were rebuked for not waiting for each other or, in other words, for taking it at different times.  It seems like a tradition in the church to have communion more than once on the first day of the week.  Is this a scriptural practice we have authority for, or is this a problem we should change?  I hope my question was clear.

Sincerely,
Multiple Problems?

Dear Multiple Problems,

This is an issue that many good brethren wrestle with.  Does a congregation have the right to offer the Lord’s Supper twice on Sunday?  Is it biblical for a local church to offer communion in the morning and then offer it again at a Sunday evening service?  We believe so, but we also believe that there is room for disagreement on this issue, and if a brother or sister doesn’t feel comfortable with a second serving of the communion, they should abstain.  We must all seek to serve God with a clear conscience (1 Tim 1:19), and if you can’t do something in faith, you shouldn’t do it (Rom 14:23).  Having said that, here are our thoughts on the subject of offering the Lord’s Supper twice on Sunday.

The Bible never tells us the amount of times that a congregation must offer the Lord’s Supper; it only tells us that it must be taken by the saints sometime on Sunday (Acts 20:7).  This leaves us a twenty-four hour period in which a christian can gather with the church and fulfill this command.  The specific times we choose to meet are an expediency… simply a matter of preference.

1 Cor 11:33 says that a congregation must “wait for one another”.  1 Cor 11:21-22 clarifies that the problem in Corinth was that they were eating the Lord’s Supper as a common meal and not waiting to do it solemnly together.  The problem in Corinth was that they were eating communion for the purpose of filling their bellies instead of remembering the Lord’s death (1 Cor 11:34).  The goal of waiting for one another was to provide a scheduled time to fulfill this command together.  It didn’t mean that every christian needed to be present (otherwise, a congregation couldn’t partake of the Lord’s Supper unless every member was accounted for), and it didn’t mean that they couldn’t schedule multiple times to wait for one another.  It simply meant that they had to treat the Lord’s Supper as a holy and spiritual meal of remembrance.  The church is responsible for doing things in a decent and orderly way (1 Cor 14:40).  Offering the Lord’s Supper in the morning and evening fulfills that command for order and decency.  The congregation is providing specific orderly times for members to fulfill their command to gather with the church and take the Lord’s Supper.

The church is commanded to provide opportunity for christians to take the Lord’s Supper with the church, but the individual is responsible for taking it.  If a congregation offers the Lord’s Supper in both the morning and evening, it is doing its job – providing opportunity.  It is the same as the command to take up a collection.  Most congregations provide opportunity for individuals to give financially at both the morning and evening services – which matches exactly with the command in 1 Cor 16:1-2.  No one bats an eye when a congregation offers the collection basket twice.  In fact, we would probably be shocked if a congregation refused to take someone’s contribution because they missed morning services.  Yet, this is exactly the same as offering the Lord’s Supper twice.   It is a matter of expediency.  When a congregation offers the collection and the Lord’s Supper at both services, it is simply trying to provide opportunity for all (even those who were unable to attend in the morning) to fulfill God’s commands to give and take the Lord’s Supper on Sunday.

Should we take communion every Sunday?  Acts 20:7?

Sincerely,
On A Schedule

Dear On A Schedule,

Taking communion is a weekly thing – no more, no less. Christ told us that whenever we take the Lord’s Supper, we should do it in remembrance of Him (Lk 22:19), but He never said how often. It isn’t until the book of Acts that we see how often the church observed the Lord’s Supper. In Acts 20:7, we see that christians ‘broke the bread’ in remembrance of Christ on Sundays. That is when they did it, so that is when we do it.  You are very wise to cite this verse in your question because it is the only example we have in the Bible of the timing of the Lord’s Supper.

Paul says that we are to take the Lord’s Supper when the church is gathered together (1 Cor 11:20). Taking the Lord’s Supper is an act of worship done by every congregation of the Lord each Sunday. When we take a look at all the teaching on the Lord’s Supper, we get the truth (Ps 119:160). Christ commands that we do it in remembrance of Him, the church gives us the example of doing it on the first day of the week, and Paul teaches that we should do it when we are assembled as a church.

Thank you so much for this wonderful site!  It is a blessing and a great tool for Bible study!  My question is: how exactly are we supposed to examine ourselves before and while participating in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:26-29)?

Sincerely,
Looking In The Mirror

Dear Looking In The Mirror,

When Paul told us to examine ourselves before taking the Lord’s Supper, he used a very unique word.  ‘Examine’ means ‘to try or test for genuiness’.  The Greek word for ‘examine’ is sometimes translated ‘prove’, ‘discern’, and ‘test’.  It is a word that was used when someone examined precious metals to see whether or not they were genuine.

God doesn’t give any specific method for examining ourselves.  We are supposed to contemplate and use introspection to examine whether our lives are genuinely dedicated to Christ.  We can know whether our lives are faithful by the fruits we are bearing (Matt 7:16-20).  When you get ready to take the Lord’s Supper next Sunday (Acts 20:7), ask yourself what kind of life you have lived this week.  Examine your life and whether or not it genuinely belongs to Christ, and you will have fulfilled the commandment of 1 Cor 11:28.

Based on your response regarding the authority to interpret the scriptures under the heading “Going for Pope”, I was hoping you could clarify a few things.  How can two local congregations, relying on Scripture alone for all matters of faith and practice, still be diametrically opposed doctrinally?  This is from my father-in-law’s local independent Baptist church under the “what we believe” section of their website:

• The Bible (KJV) to be the infallible, inerrant Word of God (II Peter 1:20,21)(I Peter 1:23-25)
• The Bible is to be the sole source for all matters of faith and practice (II Timothy 3:16)
• There is one true and living God revealed to us as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three separate personages in one divine being (I John 5:7)
• The only way of salvation is by grace through faith in the atonement and righteousness of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8)
• It is the duty of all to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:9)
• Nothing can separate true believers from the love of God and they are kept by His power through faith unto salvation (I John 5:10-13)
• In the pre-millenial return of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous unto life eternal (I Thessalonians 4:15 18) (Revelations 21:8)
• In the autonomy of the local church, and that it is to be self-supporting, self-governing, not dependent on any ecclesiastical organizations; solely dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:16-19)
• The church is the divine means of spreading the gospel and it is our duty to support missions at home and abroad (Matthew 28:18-20)

The pastor of that congregation has studied the Bible for over forty years and can provide scriptural support for every doctrine that he teaches.  They consider themselves a model New Testament church and believe they are lead by the Holy Spirit when interpreting Scripture.  They rely on no creeds or traditions and go as far as teaching that any other congregation that doesn’t hold similar beliefs are not truly “saved” christians.  In direct opposition to what your local church of Christ congregation teaches, they believe baptism is symbolic only and not necessary for salvation.  Once a believer is saved, they are always saved. You must tithe ten percent or be cursed by God.  They practice communion once every four months.  They use musical instruments in worship service.  They believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. They use all the same criteria you mentioned in your previous responses (Bible as the sole rule of faith), and yet, you would disagree with them (using the very same Scriptures)!  Can you elaborate on your previous answer given this scenario?

Sincerely,
Needing More

Dear Needing More,

We will admit that Baptist churches are much more Bible-centered than most of the denominational world, but just because they say that they do exactly what the Bible says doesn’t make it true.  Many of the things that your father-in-law’s congregation believes are right, but there are some glaring practices that simply ignore Scripture.  Remember, if you avoid or ignore verses, that is just as bad as adding creeds (Rev 22:18-19).  We have to take every Bible teaching, no matter how unpopular, and accept it in order to truly call ourselves a “Bible-only” congregation.  We don’t disagree with your father-in-law when he uses Scriptures; we would disagree with him when he ignores or avoids Scripture.  So let’s take a look at a couple of areas that this Baptist church is ignoring obvious Bible text.

1. Baptism is necessary for salvation.  This is one of the clearest teachings in the New Testament.  Peter literally wrote, “Baptism saves you” in 1 Pet. 3:21.  Mark 16:16 teaches that when you believe and are baptized, you are saved.  There is not a single example of someone becoming a christian without baptism.  If a church is teaching that baptism is only symbolic… it is ignoring the text.  In fact, the Baptist church’s manual (which is a lot like a creed) specifically says, “Baptism was the door into the church; now it is different” (Standard Manual for Baptist Churches pg. 22).  Feel free to read our article “Baptism” for further Scriptures on this topic.
2. The Bible openly teaches that you can lose your salvation.  Gal 5:4 says that people can be “severed from Christ” and “fall away from grace”.  1 Tim 4:1 also warns that people will fall away and follow false teachings.  Heb 3:12 also mentions falling away because of an unbelieving heart.  The clearest verse on this topic is Heb 6:4-6 because it talks about someone who was “enlightened” and had “tasted the heavenly gift” and yet were “crucifying Christ again”.  Once again, these are simple verses with clear and direct implications.
3. The Lord’s Supper.  Your father-in-law’s congregation only takes the Lord’s Supper every four months.  Where is the Bible authority and support for that?  Where in the Bible does it show christians taking communion every four months?  Acts 20:7 mentions christians taking the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week.  Once again, this is a plain teaching with a simple consequence.  If we want to be like the first-century christians… we take communion every first day of the week.

This is hardly an exhaustive answer to everything that your father-in-law’s church does, but it should be enough to give you an idea that there are some clear verses that are being avoided by this Baptist congregation.  God tells us to test all teaching against the Scripture (1 Jn 4:1).  No congregation advertises that they are ignoring parts of the Bible, but many churches do exactly that.

Due to the lengthy nature of these answers and our backlog of questions, if you have further questions on this topic, please include your e-mail address, so we can contact you in a timely manner.

I’m a new christian, but there is so much that I do not understand; one of the things that I need to know is: when I was in the Baptist church, I learned to take communion every first Sunday.  Now, I’m in a different church, and there is no communion… just once a year washing of the feet as Mary did for Jesus, so when I heard that one of the ministries on TV was giving communion last week, I also took part while at home.  Was I wrong, or should I only do feet washing?  Thank you for taking the time to answer.

Sincerely,
Clean Toes

Dear Clean Toes,

The church should take communion every Sunday.  In fact, the subject is so clear that it is an evident sign that a congregation isn’t biblically sound if they don’t take it every Sunday.  In Acts 20:7, we see that the church, including the apostle Paul, gathered on the first day of the week to take the Lord’s Supper.  We are told to follow the example of the apostles (1 Cor 11:1).  In the New Testament, the church took the Lord’s Supper on Sunday, and we should, too.

On a separate but related note, we never see feet washing as a part of the worship service of the church.  Though there are examples of feet washing in the Bible, none of those examples are a part of congregational worship.  The church you are attending is failing to take communion when the Bible says to, and it is adding feet washing as worship when the Bible never teaches that… God warns against adding or subtracting from His Word (Rev 22:18-19).

While on vacation, I had heard other christians say it’s okay to take the Lord’s Supper in their hotel room.  My concern is when checking out places to take vacations, shouldn’t a christian go where they know a church exists?  It seems you’re not putting God first – but your vacation.

Sincerely,
Travel Agent

Dear Travel Agent,

There are some issues that it would best not to be too dogmatic about – this is one of them.  Some brethren feel that you can take the Lord’s Supper and hold services in your hotel room on a Sunday because God says that “where two or three are gathered together, there I am” (Matt 18:20).  Others feel as you do, that all vacations should have a congregation to visit planned into the trip.  It is impossible to say that one brother is right and the other is wrong in this sort of situation.  Paul tells us that when the Scriptures leave room for personal choice, that we should allow each christian to independently decide because we all must face God independently (Rom 14:3-4).  You have a very valid point in your view of this issue and should make sure to never offend your own conscience by vacationing where there is no church (Rom 14:23), but don’t be too judgmental with those who feel differently.

The people at my church are quite hostile… and there are a lot of problems in the congregation.  It has come to the point where it’s hard to go, due to all the backbiting.  Is there any way to take communion at home until I can find a new church?  I do not have a car available to search at the moment.  Thanks for any help!

Sincerely,
Fed Up

Dear Fed Up,

Communion is something the church is supposed to do when it is all together (1 Cor 11:33).  Offering the Lord’s Supper is a congregational activity (1 Cor 11:20), not an individual one.  We can really appreciate your frustration and concern over the state of your congregation.  We can also understand the difficulty of your transportation problem.  If you would like, we would be happy to help you contact a faithful local congregation that could provide you transportation to services.  Our e-mail is askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

What is the proper way to take the Lord’s Supper if you are taking it by yourself because usually I find that an elder is administering it after the service, and I thought proper verses were to be said while taking it?

Sincerely,
Solitary Contemplation

Dear Solitary Contemplation,

The Lord’s Supper isn’t intended to be taken alone.  Communion is intended to be taken on the first day of the week with the whole church (Acts 20:7).  In fact, the Corinthian church was condemned for not taking the Lord’s Supper in an orderly fashion (1 Cor 11:20-22).  The solution to the disarray of the Corinthian church was for them to patiently wait for one another before taking the communion and to do it in an orderly fashion as a group (1 Cor 11:33).

There are no specific verses that need to be said before taking the Lord’s Supper, but it is important that we reflect upon Christ’s death and examine ourselves before and while participating (1 Cor 11:26-29).

I have been reading through your archives and saw many people who asked about Christians keeping the Sabbath day.  Since Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament when He died on the cross, why do Christians still go to church on Sunday?  Many act like it is required, that you MUST go to church, but is that true?

Sincerely,
Do I Have To Go?

Dear Do I Have To Go,

Christians do not need to keep the Sabbath day… but the Sabbath isn’t Sunday.  The Sabbath was an Old Testament day of worship – it was on Saturday (Ex 16:26).  Christians are commanded by God to meet on Sunday.  We know this because there are two things that the church has to do every Sunday.

1. The church is supposed to gather together and take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:18-20).
2. The church is supposed to take up a collection every Sunday to further God’s work (1 Cor 16:1-2).

While those two acts are commanded for Sunday and Sunday only, there are plenty of other things the church needs to gather to do.  The church needs to be praying together, studying God’s Word together (Acts 2:42), and singing praise to God on a regular basis (Col 3:16).  Heb 10:24-25 says that it is a sin for a christian to forsake the assembly.  Every christian needs to make it a clear and consistent priority to set Sunday aside to serve and worship God.  Sunday worship is a part of a christian’s duty.

Why are there some churches that do not believe in serving communion?

Sincerely,
Where’s The Bread?

Dear Where’s The Bread,

There are lots of churches that don’t serve communion because there are lots of churches that don’t serve Christ.  False teaching is rampant in this world, and not all churches are equal.  Peter warned that there would be lots of false teaching in this life (2 Pet 2:1-2).  John said that it is our job to test all churches and teachings against the Bible (1 Jn 4:1).

The Bible teaches that the Lord’s Supper is to be taken every Sunday (Acts 20:7).  Any church that doesn’t do that isn’t paying attention to the Scriptures.

I’ve heard people say that they don’t take communion because they are still living too worldly, and they either don’t come to church on Sunday… or if they do, they leave before communion is served because they don’t want to cause damnation upon themselves.  When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.  I guess my question is: should a person partake even if they know they are still living worldly, engaging in things that are ungodly, but have the understanding of the Lord’s Supper?  I’ll be waiting for your response as this is a question, believe it or not, that many are struggling with today.

Sincerely,
In Remembrance

Dear In Remembrance,

The answer is in 1 Cor 11:27-30.  When people take the Lord’s Supper while actively living ungodly lifestyles – they only make things worse.  Paul specifically said that people who do this put themselves into a spiritual coma which eventually leads to spiritual death (1 Cor 11:30) because they pretend to be godly but are not.

The answer isn’t to never take the Lord’s Supper – it is to stop living unfaithfully.  Everyone sins (Rom 3:23), but when we are actively pursuing a lifestyle of sin, it is like we are crucifying Christ all over again (Heb 6:6).  If someone knows the importance of the Lord’s Supper but fails to repent of their old and ungodly ways, they are only making things worse by taking the Lord’s Supper.

Is there any particular order that church services are to occur in?  In some congregations I’ve been to, the Lord’s Supper is at the end of the sermon, but most other congregations I have attended have it prior to the sermon.  Is there an example of how church services should be conducted down to this detail in the New Testament, or is this up to the leaders of the congregation?

Sincerely,
Out Of Order

Dear Out Of Order,

There is no particular order that services must occur in – only particular elements that need to be included.  The Bible gives us examples and commands for five different elements to the public worship.

1. Teaching/Preaching (1 Cor 4:17)
2. Singing (Eph 5:19)
3. Prayer (Acts 12:5)
4. Taking A Collection – Sunday only (1 Cor 16:1-2)
5. Lord’s Supper – Sunday only (Acts 20:7)

Of these five elements, two of them are specifically allowed only on Sundays.  The others can be done any time the brethren get together.  God is specific that these are the things He wants us to do, however, He never stipulates what order He wants them done in.  Every Bible command has specific elements and general elements to them.  For example, Noah was told to build the ark out of a specific type of wood – gopher wood (Gen 6:14) – but he was free to use whatever tools or procedures he liked to collect that wood because God wasn’t specific about that detail.  In the case of worship, God is specific on what elements He wants, but He leaves what time of day to meet, arrangement of pews, order of services, which songs to lead, and other details up to us.

The following is a follow up to the question “Almost Home Alone”:

Does it not also say, “Where one or two are gathered in My name, so shall I be there also”?  When you come together, you are assembled.  I do appreciate this site.  My friend (name omitted-AYP) showed it to me.  The first churches were small and met in homes.  In Alaska, sometimes there were only there or four people in our churches.

Sincerely,
Home Bound

Dear Home Bound,

Yes, it does say that where “two or three are gathered in My name, there shall I be” (Matt 18:20).  However, that is simply to point out that size doesn’t matter for fellowship with Christ.  If you are saying that you and your mother are forming your own church in your home – that is one thing.  However, what you said was that you were unable to join the church on most Sundays but still considered yourself a member of that congregation.  Many congregations do meet in homes, and that is completely appropriate (Philemon 1:2).  However, your situation is not one of a congregation forming in a home… but of two un-well people who cannot attend and be with the church.  There is a distinction between those two situations.  Two sick and homebound individuals do not have the responsibility of taking the Lord’s Supper, but a church gathered together on the first day of the week does (1 Cor 11:20-21).

I’m taking care of my 93-year-old mother.  This morning she did not feel up to going to church.  I’ve had back surgery and often have to take medicine at night; I don’t want to get behind the wheel.  We drive twenty miles to services.  Is it okay if we study together on Sunday and have the Lord’s Supper?

Sincerely,
Home Bound

Dear Home Bound,

The Scriptures are clear that we should not forsake the assembly of christians (Heb 10:24-25), but if you are unable to leave your house, you are unable to leave your house.  There are always individual cases with extenuating circumstances that don’t conform to the standard rule.  The average person is able to get out and attend services, but if you are sick, socked-in by a blizzard, in the military, etc. – then your situation isn’t average.  God only holds us accountable for what we are able to do (2 Cor 8:12).  If you are ready and prepared to attend services as normal, but health problems don’t permit you to fulfill the desires of your heart, God understands.  The key is that you aren’t making empty excuses or rationalizations to avoid going to services.  As long as your reason for missing is legitimate (and your case certainly sounds that way), you can in clear conscience know that you did your best.

By all means, stay home and care for your elderly mother.  When you can make it to services, do so… but don’t feel bad when your or her health prevents you.  There is no need to take the Lord’s Supper when you can’t attend services.  The Lord’s Supper is taken by the church when they assemble together (1 Cor 11:20-21).  It is an act of the group to partake together in unity, not individually (1 Cor 11:33).  Because you are unable to leave your home to be with the church, it is not a sin for you to not take the Lord’s Supper.

What was God’s purpose in specifying unleavened bread as opposed to leavened? Did leavened bread have bacteria in it that could harm?

Sincerely,
Health Conscious

Dear Health Conscious,

Unleavened bread was eaten during certain Old Testament feasts (like the Passover) and during the Lord’s Supper for symbolic reasons, not for medical ones. Aside from the days of Unleavened Bread, leaven was allowed in homes during the rest of the year (Ex 12:19). Certain sacrifices even required leavened bread (Lev 23:17). So yeast was not considered bad or good, but it was considered an additive.

The idea of unleavened bread is that it is bread that hasn’t been tainted by anything. Unleavened bread is pure bread. The symbolism of unleavened things representing holiness can be found throughout the Scriptures. The false teaching of the Pharisees was called ‘the leaven of the Pharisees’ (Matt 16:12). Herod’s worldliness was considered ‘leaven’ that could harm godly people by its influence (Mk 8:15). The christian that had fallen into the horrible sin of sleeping with his father’s wife was considered ‘leaven’ that could spoil the whole congregation (1 Cor 5:6). On the other hand, life in Christ is considered unleavened (1 Cor 5:7). Unleavened bread is compared to a life of sincerity and truth… while leaven is compared to a life of malice and wickedness (1 Cor 5:8). Paul compares false teaching to leaven that can destroy the whole church (Gal 5:9).

It isn’t yeast that we need to be wary of. What christians should fear is a world that will tear them away from God’s Word and leaven their lives with corruption (Jas 4:4-8).

In your previous post, Divided We Stand, you wrote, “When we take the Lord’s Supper, we use Christ’s example as our guide.  Christ took the bread first and then the juice (Matt 26:26-27), so we do it in the same order.” I understand this, but would this not also mean that we should only use one cup?

Sincerely,
Cupbearer

Dear Cupbearer,

We should only use one cup… unless the Scriptures give us a reason to think that the one cup was an unimportant detail – which they do. Jesus states that it is what is in the cup that matters, not the cup itself (Matt 26:29). When Jesus took the cup, He gave thanks for the grape juice inside of the cup (Mk 14:23-24). The grape juice represents Christ’s blood; the cup does not. In fact, Jesus told the apostles to divide the juice among themselves (Lk 22:17). We don’t know how the apostles went about doing that. They may very well have poured the juice from Jesus’ cup into twelve other individual cups. When we use multiple cups to distribute the fruit of the vine in the Lord’s Supper, we are doing what Christ did… dividing the juice among all the believers who are going to remember Christ’s death.

I am a Christian and recently visited a local congregation where I noticed they were using different unleavened bread than is used at my home congregation. It was sort of homemade-looking, flaky and crusty, more like pie crust, and not the normal saltine-type of crackers. Is there some reason that they would use this other bread versus the crackers? Is it more like the original unleavened bread used by Christ and the apostles than the cracker style?

Sincerely,
Store Bought

Dear Store Bought,

The only thing that matters is that the bread is unleavened. See this post for why the bread must be unleavened. The saltine-type crackers that you are used to are a mass produced, manufactured type of unleavened bread. The pie crust type was probably baked by a member of that congregation. It is doubtful that they baked it themselves for doctrinal reasons. Someone probably made it to be kind or frugal. Since Jesus didn’t have a Safeway or Costco to shop at, I’m sure the homemade type is closer to what He ate, but it really doesn’t matter. The only qualification is that the bread be without yeast.

What do you think of taking holy communion in our homes on a daily basis?

Sincerely,
Regular Remembrance

Dear Regular Remembrance,

Taking communion is a weekly thing – no more, no less. Christ told us that whenever we take the Lord’s Supper, we should do it in remembrance of Him (Lk 22:19), but He never said how often. It isn’t until the book of Acts that we see how often the church observed the Lord’s Supper. In Acts 20:7 we see that christians ‘broke the bread’ in remembrance of Christ on Sundays. That is when they did it, so that is when we do it.

Paul says that we are to take the Lord’s Supper when the church is gathered together (1 Cor 11:20). Taking the Lord’s Supper is an act of worship done by every congregation of the Lord each Sunday. When we take a look at all the teaching on the Lord’s Supper, we get the truth (Ps 119:160). Christ commands that we do it in remembrance of Him, the church gives us the example of doing it on the first day of the week, and Paul teaches that we should do it when we are assembled as a church.

When taking the communion, should you physically “break the bread”?

Sincerely,
Not Enough Crumbs

Dear Not Enough Crumbs,

We must break the bread like Jesus did, by sharing it with others who are also taking the Lord’s Supper. The term ‘break the bread’ can mean two things:

1. Physically separating a loaf of bread (Acts 27:35)
2. To have a meal, share food (Acts 2:46)

When we take the Lord’s Supper, we use Christ’s example as our guide. Christ took the bread first and then the juice (Matt 26:26-27) – so we do it in the same order. Jesus used grape juice, so we use grape juice (Matt 26:29). So if Jesus physically broke the bread as part of the Lord’s Supper, we should to. The example we see is that Jesus gave thanks for the bread and then broke the bread to share it with the disciples (Matt 26:26). So when we take the Lord’s Supper, we are to do the same thing… share the bread with the other christians assembled. Without being too dogmatic on the point, the bread gets broken, by default, every time other christians take some from the loaf. The emphasis isn’t on who breaks the bread – but on us all sharing the meal together (1 Cor 10:16-17).

Should communion bread be unleavened?

Sincerely,
Kneading An Answer

Dear Kneading An Answer,

The Bible only uses unleavened bread in the Lord’s Supper, and therefore we should only use unleavened bread. The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ during the Passover when the Jews only ate unleavened bread (Mk 14:12, Ex 12:19). Paul alludes to the unleavened bread used in communion and in the Jewish Passover in 1 Cor 5:8.

If the church disregards the example of using unleavened bread in communion, it might as well disregard using bread altogether. Why not orange juice and bacon? Or potato salad and diet Coke? It is very important, vital even, that we always use Bible examples as our guide (Php 3:17), that we imitate the faithful who have gone before us (1 Cor 11:1). Only when we follow Biblical examples can we be confident that we are God’s church and not just another man-made religion.

Thanks for tackling this question earlier. You gave a good explanation of how offering the Lord’s Supper twice is consistent with the command to “wait for one another” in 1 Cor 11:33, but your answer left me with a few more questions. We often talk about how we need to have a command, example, or necessary inference for everything the Church does. In this case, I’m not aware of a command or example to have the Lord’s Supper twice, and the inference doesn’t seem necessary to me. Where is our authority to do this?

Many of the exhortations in 1 Cor 11 imply that communing with our brothers and sisters in Christ is an important aspect of the Supper. Why is it that when we come together we all sing, we all pray, we all meditate on the Scriptures together, but only some of us take communion? It seems like we all should participate, or none of us should. What if only one person comes forward to take communion in the evening? Who are they communing with?

Sincerely,
All or Nothing

Dear All or Nothing,

If one person takes the Lord’s Supper, they are communing with the Lord (1 Cor 10:16), the same as if a hundred people took it. The point of the Lord’s Supper is:

1. Proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Cor 11:26).
2. Examine ourselves (1 Cor 11:28).
3. Remember His suffering on our behalf (1 Cor 11:25).

All three of those items are an individual command. The Lord’s Supper is taken individually and offered collectively. In this case, we have to split hairs. A congregation is responsible for offering the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) and to offer it in an orderly way (1 Cor 11:18); the individual is responsible for taking it when it is offered.

The issue of command, example, and necessary inference for all Biblical practices still holds true in this case. Christians are commanded to take the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:24). We have an example of the church offering the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). We necessarily infer that if the churches partook on the first day of the week, we also should do so. The question comes down to how to logistically make that happen. Every congregation must offer the Lord’s Supper in an orderly way, so that all members have opportunity to fulfill the command to partake of it. One congregation offers it only in the morning; another offers it in the morning and at night… both fulfill the Lord’s wishes. As long as it is offered every Sunday, a congregation has the freedom to organize this particular part of worship as they see fit.

Why is the Lord’s Supper offered on Sunday nights as well as Sunday mornings? They didn’t offer it in the 1st century. If it were available twice, then why are we commanded to “wait for one another” 1 Cor 12:33? If they had a second offering, wouldn’t they have no need to wait for each other?

Sincerely,
One Too Many

Dear One Too Many,

Waiting for one another has nothing to do with only offering communion once.  We are commanded to take the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of Christ (1 Cor 11:24-25).  We are given the example that the church took it on the first day of the week, i.e. Sunday (Acts 20:7).  We are also commanded to wait for each other before partaking (1 Cor. 11:33).

So the question is, what does waiting for each other look like?  Does every member have to be there?  Is it still waiting for each other if someone is sick that day, and we take communion without them?  What if people are traveling?  Of course, we could never take the Lord’s Supper if we waited for each other in this manner!  To understand what Paul meant when he commanded the Corinthian church to wait for each other, you have to see the context that he said it in.

The Corinthian church was treating the Lord’s Supper like a common meal (1 Cor. 11:20-22).  They were eating it in a common, disorderly, unholy manner.  Paul reprimanded them for that – and rightfully so.  The solution was to wait for each other, to do it in an organized fashion.  They were to set aside a time to take the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week, so that all could be there.  By offering it twice, you aren’t violating the command to wait for each other – in fact you are upholding it!  The Lord’s Supper is being taken in a organized fashion, so that all can remember and examine themselves as God intended.