Is Weekly Lord's Supper Necessary? | Conversations with Dan

Churches of Christ have traditionally taken part in the what we call the Lord's Supper or Communion every Sunday. Is this because it is commanded in scripture or through example? You may have heard the suggestion that having it less often would make the Lord's Supper more special. Does that feeling line up with scripture?

[@JohnRobenault]

Why would we not want to participate in the communion of Christ every week? It's such a blessing to be invited to the very table of the Lord and nourished by His body and blood.

[@kelle0285]

Some people might be concerned that they're eating unworthily.

[@Sugarput1]

God Bless!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@johngordon1175]

Communion as done by most Europeans does not reflect the complete communion but omits part 2 of the teaching by Jesus and it says as often as you do it, not every week! So do they not eat on Sunday? Collection is to give the help to the members of the church the reading in this video is not from the proper Bible we have opinions here!

[@minionforgiven]

No offense here. But this sounds like eisegesis to me. Apostles examples are not commands. That really throws out half the reasoning. Jesus doesn't instruct when, just how to perform His supper. They broke bread, meaning they gathered and had a meal while gathering, or being an expression of fellowship while gathering. If this was a command, don't you think Jesus, or at least one of the authors of the new testament would have included it?

[@aniebietudoh9176]

does the time of the day to observe the lord's supper matter?

[@Broadwaycoc]

The scriptures only specify "on the Lord's Day" or "on the first day of the week."

[@aniebietudoh9176]

@@Broadwaycoc In a known congregation, the church is divided into two groups. Some partake in the morning, while the other in the evening. Is this to be tolerated in the church or if at all it should be, which part is on the right side and which is on the opposite?

[@Broadwaycoc]

@@aniebietudoh9176 Not knowing the particular congregation you are referring to, we can only speak to our own congregation and a typical reason for offering communion more than once during the Lord's Day. Some congregations offer it during separate services because their congregation has outgrown their building and can not fit all at the same time. Others offer it during a morning and evening service to accommodate those who are unable to attend the morning service due to work or other constraints. This allows them to still participate in the communion, even if it is with a smaller gathering. Either way, they are remembering the Lord and his sacrifice. It does not become less than because of the time of day.

[@seanrathmakedisciples1508]

Amen we break bread daily in our house in the morning and before bedtime. I’ve subscribed to your KZbin channel and I now have started a youtube channel with 31 videos to date Kindly subscribe and share and comment and watch in Jesus name

[@heatherpeacher263]

What if I work every Sunday?

[@Broadwaycoc]

Heather, that is a difficult situation that we have to walk through with individuals from time to time. We would encourage you to have that conversation with your local congregation to see how they can support you with your need. Maybe there are others in your situation (maybe even your workplace) who you could commune together with in some way outside of the worship times available in your congregation.

[@seanrathmakedisciples1508]

Everyday is the Lords day for spirit filled believers The early believers broke bread daily from house to house daily. I’ve subscribed to your KZbin channel channel and I now have started a youtube channel with 31 videos to date including 3 videos on the Lords Supper Kindly subscribe share and watch and comment in Jesus name

[@luismijares2005]

simple take in home before o after work...

[@Catdadonamission]

Does CoC believe in the real presence?

[@ArchDLuxe]

What would you say to the counter examples of both Acts 2:46 (daily by your logic) and that of Christ and his disciples referring to it as "Passover" (thereby a continuing annual feast)?

[@Tennishangman]

It’s referred to as Passover because it was first done at a Passover meal - in fact, it seems that Passover was primarily intended as a foreshadowing of communion. Retaining its name to show the shadow-fulfillment relationship does not necessitate retaining its practices. The Acts 2:46 question is more challenging. It appears they were meeting daily in the temple because the Jews were meeting daily in the temple. Separately, they broke bread in their homes. I’ve heard it argued that the breaking of bread isn’t necessarily “daily” in the original Greek (that is, that “daily” only modified the meeting in the temple), but this seems like a stretch to me. A second interpretation is that they met and broke bread each time they met to worship God. At this point, they hadn’t been kicked out of the Temple yet. By Acts 20, they had. Hence the change in frequency as the Church adopted practices unique from its Jewish roots (meeting weekly by Acts 20 rather than daily in Acts 2). A third interpretation which is also reasonable is that “breaking bread” just means having a meal. In Acts 20, that meal is the love feast that accompanied communion (see also 1 Cor. 11:20-22). We know Acts 20 has to be church gathering related because the context of Acts 20:7 talks about meeting on the first day of the week, and other places in Acts refer to the Church meeting on the first day of the week at that point. The fourth possible interpretation is that “breaking bread” *always* refers to common meals rather than communion. This seems like a far stretch from texts like Acts 20:7, Acts 2:42, and Luke 24:35. In short, I think the most scripturally consistent reading would be the second or third interpretation. In either case (whether communion switched from a daily to weekly occurrence upon the Christians being kicked out of the Temple or it was always a weekly occurrence), we should have communion weekly when we gather. Note also that the Didache (the first writing we have on early church practice, likely predating most if not all of the New Testament) pretty strongly prescribes weekly communion.

[@ArchDLuxe]

@@Tennishangman when you say, "...it was first done at a Passover meal." What is "it"?

[@Tennishangman]

@@ArchDLuxe Whoops, should’ve made that more clear, my bad. The first communion (or at least Christ’s example of communion). Luke 22:14-19 clarified that it was Passover when Christ demonstrated communion for the first time: “14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”

[@ArchDLuxe]

@@Tennishangman What verse calls it communion?

[@Tennishangman]

@@ArchDLuxe None. The name itself is a later invention, just like the name Eucharist for the same thing. However, there’s a clear command in Luke 22:19-20 to “do this in remembrance for me” (the “this” being eating bread and drinking fruit of the vine that symbolizes Christ’s body and blood, as stated in Luke 22:19-20). We needed a word for the practice, so we call it communion.