Why should we celebrate the Lord's Supper on Easter Sunday? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have entered an incorrect email address! If it's to remember and re-enact, so to speak, it belongs in a Maundy Thursday service. In studying the New Testament, we find that our Lord instituted the Lords Supper on the night he was betrayed (1 Cor. Should Christians Partake Of Communion Every Sunday? The Eucharist | The Church of England 2:11-12). 1 Peter: How Born Again Christians Should Act, 1 Peter: Love, Being Born Again, and Gods Word, Examining the Gods Grace Will Cover Me Theology, The Danger of an Im Always Right Mindset. First of all, God commands us, Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17). This is surprising because most religious groups partake of it . The Lord's supper is the world's greatest monument commemorating the world's greatest event. We are saved in Christ, and we are the church in Christ. 11:23-25). The expression daily denotes the frequency with which the disciples were meeting in the temple. Dewayne Bryant, Ph.D. Jesus And Same-Sex Marriage Jeffry McGee, Lifting Holy Hands In Worship Jon Mitchell, Editor (Editorial: March/April, 2023). The Catholic term for this is Transubstantiation. The lengthy 1968 debate, however, yielded a different result: "In order to meet special pastoral needs of God's people, under the direction of the bishop, Christians duly baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity and qualified to receive Holy Communion in their own Churches may be welcomed at the Lord's Table in the Anglican Communion." Thank you for your answer Since scripture doesnt state specifically what divide it amongst yourselves means (each take your share from the same cup or split this into smaller cups) would it now be best to err on the side of caution? They met together, at temple daily and in homes, enjoying meals together. How often should the Lord's Supper / Communion be observed? Your reasoning is well articulated. Communion - The Episcopal Church They verify what the Bible teaches regarding its frequencythat the disciples partook of the communion when they assembled (1 Corinthians 11), and that they assembled on the first day of every week (1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 20:7). Therefore, we see that the apostles directed the Jerusalem church to observe communion on the day the church began, which was the first day of the week. Thus, historical accounts from the time period in which the New Testament was written back up the scriptural evidence that the early Christians assembled together to worship and partake of communion on the first day of every week. Revelation 1: 10 speaks of "the Lord's day" as if it existed at the end of the first century as a systematic, organized occasion: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet." Secular historians have regarded "the Lord's day" as Sunday since the days of the prolific first century writer Josephus. Should Christians Partake Of Communion Every Sunday? Some churches call it Communion, or the Eucharist, or the Breaking of Bread. whenever you drink it . 23:15-16. When we are joined to Christ by the Spirit, we come to share in the love between the Father and the Sonthevery same lovethe Father has for his beloved Son (John 17:23). I was surprised not to find a reference to 1 Cor. It is whenever. The immediate context is when you come together as a church (vs. 18, 33), which appears to be at least on the first day of the week, or Sunday (1 Cor. Do we divide the cup into other cups? Heb. We have seen that Gods kingdom came and began its existence on a Sunday, the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Around fifty years after Revelation was written, a Christian by the name of Justin Martyr wrote a defense of Christianity to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, appealing to the emperor to repeal laws which prescribed the death penalty for being a Christian. 30:6; 1 Cor. In chapter 67 of his letter, he wrote: The day of the Sun is the day on which we all gather together in a common meeting, because it is the first day, the day on which God, changing darkness and matter, created the world, and it is the day on which Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead. The day of the Sun is where the English term Sunday comes from, and this Christian who lived very close to biblical times clearly referred to it both as the first day of the week and the day in which Christians gathered together to worship. 16:15-19). That promise was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came upon his disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), which was also the day three thousand souls were added by the Lord to the church (Acts 2:41, 47). 8:1), glorified (8:30), sanctified (1 Cor. 2023 Fortify Your Faith Foundation. Rather than reply in the comments section, I plan on writing another article addressing them. Eucharist - Wikipedia Acts 20:7 "And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread" This verse so clearly proves weekly 1st day (Sunday) communion and worship services that sabbatarians are at a loss what to do with it! Three Reasons Why We Moved the Lord's Supper to Every Sunday Mark 14:25). What About a Saturday night Observance of the Lords Supper? . This is eternal life (John 17:3). However, it is also the day we partake of communion, also known as the Lords Supper. I promise I won't share your e-mail address with anyone. When we are joined to Christ, we receive all of who he is for us. 4:2; Prov. One of the sacraments of the church is communion. He is right. I will share it with more that 100 Nigerian gospel preachers. Are We Remembering or Forgetting the Sabbath? Overall, 77% of Catholics report taking Communion at least some of the time when they attended Mass, while 17% say they never do so. Article Images Copyright , 10 Things You Should Know about Union with Christ. Perhaps the most striking reference to the frequency of the Lord's Supper occurs in Acts 20:7: "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight." Paul, on his way to Jerusalem has stopped at Troas. As such, all . While Instituting The Supper, Jesus Mentioned A Day And A Kingdom. Luther once said that he would take communion hourly if he could because he needed what it offered; forgiveness of sins, life, salvation. 10:24-25 ). It was designed: 1. Acts 20:6), and he was making his way hurriedly to Jerusalem. Communion is a part of worship every Sunday. 14:37; 2 Pet. Scripture The first and most important reason I believe in taking the Lord's Supper every Sunday is the testimony of Scripture. Lewis calls the incarnation of God the Son the central miracle of Christianity. 3:26), and elected (Eph. Baptism, in other words, is a visible and tangible experience of the exceedingly good news (gospel) that we have been crucified in Christs death and raised to new life in Christs resurrection. Why is it, in other words, that the Word became flesh? Each local United Methodist church determines how often to celebrate communion. Why Christians Do Communion It's not about the bread and wine; it's about the body and blood of Jesus. If we want to. 4:19) and dwells in our hearts (Eph. . Paul, here, gives inspired leeway as to when the Lords Supper is observed. Of course, the inspired Luke is not writing liturgical instruction in the text. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Matthew 26:27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. Should the church use a cup or are the mini cups for each person acceptable? But Paul's preaching all night was driven by the fact that he was leaving the next day and had a lot to say. R. We have communion every Sunday (in fact, almost every time we meet) because we need it. Required fields are marked *. 2:10), crucified with him (Gal. Union with Christ is the essence of what it means to be a Christian. 6:10; Luke 11:2). It's not about the ritual or the method; it's about listening to Jesus and doing what He says. He did not tell us how to do it, thus leaving us the freedom to choose for ourselves. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service. He declares that there is no second-century evidence for the celebration of a daily communion (p. 96). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Now, not every service need be a communion service, but for all the reasons stated above, that should be the default when we gather. Notice that he promised them he would not partake of the Lords Supper with them until that day when he drinks it with them in His Fathers kingdom, that it would be fulfilled in the kingdom of God, and that he promised them that they would eat and drink at His table in His kingdom. If you do not mind a bit of positive critique, I find it an eisegetical stretch to claim that the 3,000 new Christians observed communion on the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2. Thus, united to him, we are not only forgiven and accounted righteous, we are also transformed into his holy image. Luther once said that he would take communion hourly if he could because he needed what it offered; forgiveness of sins, life, salvation. With this in mind, let us go back to Christs promises to his apostles on the night he instituted the Lords Supper (Matt. Near the conclusion of his third missionary journey, Paul had departed from Phiippi after the days of unleavened bread which came just following the Jewish Passover (cf. Luke records, for I say to you, I shall never again eat it UNTIL IT IS FULFILLED IN THE KINGDOM OF GODfor I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on UNTIL THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES' (Luke 22:16, 18). since Pauls inspired citation of Jesus indicates that we may observe communion whenever, of course with the proper spiritual mindset. 3:89). Methodist History: Why Isn't Communion Every Sunday? The Jerusalem church, however, came together daily (Acts 2:46). Those who are unfamiliar with the church of Christ, after a few visits with a congregation, have been heard to say, "You know, the one thing I notice about the church of Christ is that they have communion every Sunday.". In the Reformed tradition, it is also a practice in some Protestant churches, as in the Catholic church, to serve communion to home-bound or hospital-bound people. Oct 03, 2018 Share In United Methodist churches, communion is an "open table," bread and grape juice are offered to everyone in attendance. Jesus speaks to us today through the inspired writings of the New Testament (Heb. Look for it next week, Lord willing. Thus, the emphasis of the command is being placed on the drinking of the contents of the container, rather than on the container itself. All rights reserved. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of Communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 3). What is communion and why do we do it? - NewSpring Church As with the Jerusalem church, these Christians gathered together for the purpose to partake of communion on Sunday, and did so with the apostle Pauls approval. 5:19 shows that we are told to sing, to sing in such a way that we speak to one another and to God, that what we are to sing are psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and that we are to make melody (literally psallo in the Greek, which means to pluck an instrument), that instrument being specified in the verse as our heart. 1:30); the church is one flesh with Christ (Eph. 2. Consider another general command, the command to go and evangelize the world (Matt. 1:1-2; 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:32-36), we can learn from their example (1 Cor. Because it was the presence of Jesus Christ in a very real way. 1:30). In this case, cup referring to the contents of the cup. Traditionally, churches of Christ have observed the Lord's supper each Sunday and only on that day. Your email address will not be published. I enjoyed the article very much. Why Sunday for Communion? - Dover Church of Christ Christians believe that the rite was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper, the night before his crucifixion . 2:20), buried with him (Col. 2:12), baptized into Christ and his death (Rom. Acts 20:7 Proof of weekly communion on Sunday - The Interactive Bible Because being joined to Jesus is thewhole point of the gospel: For this is the design of the gospel, that Christ may become ours, and that we may be ingrafted into his body., We are not united to Christ because we have been justified. 3:17); the church is the body of Christ (1 Cor. In a way that gloriously transcends our finite understanding, we are really and truly joinedspiritually and bodilyto the crucified, resurrected, incarnate person of Christ. . religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. According to Calvin, our union with Christ is to be accorded the highest degree of importance. Why? In the Newer Testament we find literally hundreds of references to the believers union with Christ. The Bible nowhere instructs us how often we should take communion. Both would be allowed. 6:15; 12:27); Christ is in us (2 Cor. Thank you so much for your encouragement, Chinedum. If it is left for man to decide how many cups he may use would it not also be true that he can decide if instruments are allowed? Share Young adult, Sekope Fainu (left), waits to receive Communion during worship at Tongan United Methodist Church in West Valley City, Utah. The question here lies in whether what makes it special is how I feel about it or in what God promises is happening there. How Often Can Catholics Receive Holy Communion? - Learn Religions Keeping this in mind, we should note that he told the disciples before his ascension, you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8). First Corinthians 11:23-26 records the following instructions for communion: "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.'In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup . PDF Communion Every Sunday - Marion church of Christ 15:7-9). All this without reference to the Gospel and letters of John! Christ brought us into the eternal life that he is by giving us himself, and he continues to nourish and sustain us through his real presence. Very thorough and well written. 6:3), united with him in his resurrection (Rom. 2:12; Rev. https://www.youtube.com/@EastMainUSChurch. It is the same wonderful gospel. . For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup . 22:18-19). 13:5) and we are in him (1 Cor. Why Christians Should Take The Lord's Supper Every Sunday . Things about the Church of Christ That Surprise People: Communion Baptism is the sacrament (mystery) of our new crucified and resurrected identity in Christ Jesus. 2:12; Rev. They do so undoubtedly out of sincerity, but their practices nonetheless are traditions of men (Matt. 10/27/16 - Worship The very first Christians did not have Christmas to celebrate. This is circumstantial evidence for a weekly (not daily) Lords supper. Therefore, after its institution the Lords Supper was first observed by Christs disciples on Sunday, the day of Pentecost, the day the kingdom of God came. How often do we have communion? - The United Methodist Church It is the same wonderful gospel. 10:24-25). All content appearing on this site is owned and maintained by the Fortify Your Faith Foundation, a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Justin Martyr (c. 152) also speaks of Christians meeting on Sunday and partaking of the communion (Apology I, 67). 28:19; Mark 16:15). So wouldnt one then assume that since scripture is not exact in what should be done with the cup, that it would be best to err or the side of caution and use only one? This historic theological chorus includes the likes of Irenaeus, Athanasius, Augustine, Cyril of Alexandria, Bernard of Clairvaux, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Cotton and Jonathan Edwards (to name but a few). This is because, as Calvin so incisively put it, Christ cannot be divided into pieces. Jesus is not a partial Savior of a piecemeal gospel. 4:2; Prov. In Christ, we really and truly are the sons and daughters of God forever. To do otherwise, is to speak where scripture has not spoken and to go beyond what is written, or intended, in scripture. This is why many visitors from other religious bodies have seen the observance of communion each Sunday when they visit the Lords church and wonder why those in Christs church partake of communion every first day of the week, when they choose to partake of it once a month, once every few months, or even once or twice a year. Here are five facts about U.S. Catholics and Communion: 1 The church recommends that Catholics receive Communion every time they attend Mass, and about four-in-ten Catholics (43%) say they do so. Marcus Peter Johnson(PhD, University of Toronto) is assistant professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute. Therefore, we learn that the kingdom of God came on a Sunday. How Often Should the Lord's Supper/Communion Be Observed? What we can learn from these passages is that the terms church, kingdom of God, and kingdom of heaven are used interchangeably by Christ, thereby proving they are the same thing. The reality is, Jesus didn't mandate that the church gather daily to observe the Lord's Supper. This love is the love of all loves: it is indissoluble, it brooks no opposition, and is endlessly and everlastingly life giving and joyful. 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15), i.e., that it was coming soon. 20:8-11; Num. There is no salvation outside the church, historic evangelicals have always asserted, just exactly because there is no salvation outside of Christ. Bible Q&A: Did Satan Know That Jesus Would Rise From The Grave? Celebrate the Lord's Supper Your donation gift(s) are very much appreciated and may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes. What Should Guide Your Decision in Choosing a Career? Holy Communion. All three terms are always talked about in these passages in the future tense, signifying that at the time Christ was living here on earth they were not in existence but would be in existence soon, and that they would come with power. In giving us himself, Christ will no more leave us condemned and guilty (unjustified) than he will leave us corrupted and depraved (unsanctified). It is the first day of the week. In teaching the disciples to pray, he told them to pray to God that his kingdom would come (Matt. Bible Q&A: Did Any of the Apostles Pastor a Church? The fact that they were continually doing so suggests by definition that it was a fixed habit. Bible Q&A: Are God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit the Same Person? Three Arguments for Weekly Communion - The Gospel Coalition In most mainline churches, especially those who celebrate communion weekly, Good Friday is the only service of the year in which communion is not celebrated. If you look back in your Small Catechism, youll see that Martin Luther explains what Communion is and does. . . 11:26). I have heard a concern among some that communion will lose its specialness if we do it too frequently. Do we pass the cup around? Taking all of the passages into consideration, that day would be the day his disciples would be in his Fathers kingdom, the day it would be fulfilled in Gods kingdom, and the day Gods kingdom came. A full English language worship service from Christ Church in Rye, NY. It is becoming increasingly common to hear Christians argue that the first-century church, under the oversight of the apostles, observed the Lords supper on a daily basis. First, we must remember that the Bible teaches that the church of Christ is described in the New Testament as the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of God. There is no better news than this. Around the close of the first century A.D., at about the same time Revelation was being written, some Jewish Christians put together a book which was kind of a descriptive manual about Christianity. We trust not in our own feelings, but in the command and promise of Jesus. Communion is a part of worship every Sunday. If it's a celebration, it belongs in an Easter service. Christs self-giving is extravagant. Since we have found that before the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 the church was always described as not having come yet, and afterward Pentecost it is always described as having come and presently existing, then the conclusion is that the church of Christ began its existence on the day of Pentecost. Communion services may be held weekly, monthly or as seldom as four times a year. Bible Q&A: How Could The Early Church Stay Faithful Under The Reigns of Roman Emperors? Is it OK that My church doesn't have Communion every Sunday?
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