by Danny Pettus
The Bible answers this question. God has not left it up to men, or to churches, to decide how often they choose to observe it! The Bible teaches that the early church observed communion every Sunday.
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper, he said, “I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God (Mark 14:25).
Notice the words, “That day,” and the phrase, “In the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:18 says, “Until the kingdom of God shall come.” What was “That day”? What day did “the kingdom of God” come?
Acts 2:1 shows it was “the day of Pentecost.” The day of Pentecost always came on Sunday (Leviticus 23:15-16). In spirit, Jesus took the Lord’s supper with the early church on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
What about the next Sunday? Did the early church take the Lord’s supper the very next first day of the week, or did they just take it when they wanted to take it?
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 clearly shows that the Lord’s supper was a regular part of the worship of the early church. They were doing what the Jerusalem church did. “They continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
Years later, Paul and the church at Troas were still observing the Lord’s supper on Sunday. The Bible says, “And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them …” (Acts 20:7).
This should be continued today, because Paul said, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:9).
The day we call Easter occurs at the same week as the “days of unleavened bread” mentioned in the Bible. Most all denominations break bread on Easter Sunday, but few if any, break bread the next few Sundays after Easter.
In Acts 20:6-7, Paul and the church at Troas broke bread after the time that we call Easter. The church at Troas assembled for the very purpose to break bread. Paul stayed at Troas seven days so he could take the Lord’s supper.
Some have pointed out that the Bible does not say, “Every first day of the week.” The Bible does not have to say, “Every first day of the week,” and most all denominations understand this when it comes to giving. Why not understand the same when it comes to taking the Lord’s supper?
Since the Bible does not use the word “Every” when it mentions giving (1 Corinthians 16:2), does this mean we do not have to give every Sunday?
In regard to giving, it seems that most everyone understands that every week has a first day, and we are to give on the first day of the week. In regard to taking communion, it is also true that every week has a first day, and we are to take the Lord’s supper on the first day of the week.
Acts 20:7, which mentions the disciples breaking bread on the first day of the week, also says the disciples came together on the first day of the week.
Where does the Bible say, “Every first day of the week the church must come together”? If we do not have to take the Lord’s supper every Sunday, then we do not have to come together every Sunday. However, if we do indeed have to come together every Sunday (Acts 20:7), then we do have to break bread every Sunday (Same verse – Acts 20:7).
In Numbers 15:32-36, God ordered a man stoned to death, because he did not keep every sabbath day holy. Yet one of the ten commandments said, “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).
Exodus 20:8 did not say, “Remember every sabbath day,” but God still ordered the man put to death for working one sabbath day. Why? Because every week had a sabbath day and the sabbath day was to be kept holy.
What if we started to work for an employer who said, “You will be paid on Friday,” but when Friday came, he said, “I’m not paying you today, and I may not pay you next Friday; I did not say I would pay you every Friday.” Would we not remind our employer that every week has a Friday, and that he said he would pay us on Friday?”
May we not find ourselves standing before the Lord on the Judgment Day, and hear him say to us, “Every week has a first day. Why didn’t you do everything I taught you to do on the first day of the week”?
Do not let this happen to you, because then it will be too late! Now is the time to obey God. Why not take the Bible and try to do as those godly men and women did in the first century church (1 Corinthians11:1)?