The Essentiality of The Lord's Supper

Ben F Vick, Jr

Essential to physical life are air, water, and food. Man cannot survive long without these elements. Likewise, essential to spiritual life are certain items, one of which is the observance of the Lord's supper. Just as the elements essential to physical life are needed continuously, so also is the need to celebrate the memorial of Jesus' death regularly. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church:

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed 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 shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (I Corinthians 11:23-29).

There is nothing in the passage or the context that indicates how often this act was observed. Paul does say, "For as often as ye eat this bread....". The Jerusalem church had been observing this memorial feast regularly, for Luke records, "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42). Notice that the expression "breaking bread" is found within the context of worship. Thus, it is not a forced interpretation to say that "the breaking of bread" alludes to the Lord's supper or communion.

Paul on his third missionary journey was trying to get back to Jerusalem for the feast (possibly the Passover feast). This may have has as much to do with the many Jews who would have been present at that time and because the seas in the early spring would not have been navigable. Regardless, Paul, though in a hurry to get to Jerusalem, stopped in Troas where he and company remained for one week.

Does it seem strange that he would delay his trip for one week, if he was in a hurry to arrive at his destination. Why would he do that? Luke by inspiration answers: "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). Paul delayed his journey for one week in order to meet with the church to break bread on the Lord's day. This apostolic example puts the Lord's stamp of approval on the observance of the Lord's supper on the first day of the week, the Lord's day.

Questions: Where is the authority for observing the communion on any other day? Is the observance of the Lord's supper on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis from heaven or men? If one desires to call Bible things by Bible names, and do Bible things in Bible ways, would not he partake of this memorial feast on the first day of the week as the early church did? This is one mark that distinguishes the Lord's church from the denominations.

Someone may ask: "How often should one partake of the Lord's supper?" The New Testament teaches that the early church did it on the first day of the week. But someone responds: "Well, how often is that?" I answer that since every week has a first day, then it is to be observed every week. Israel of old was commanded to "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). Do you suppose anyone had to ask: "How often is that?" Since every week has a seventh day, then Israel of old was to observe the Sabbath every week. If the contract for the loan on your car states that the payment is due on the first day of the month, one would understand that his payment is due every first day of the month. Try skipping a month or two, and see how long you keep your car.

Years ago Foy E. Wallace wrote: "If it should be announced in a community that on a certain day all patriotic citizens would come together to unveil a monument -- how would it appear, if when they came together a few patriotic songs would be sung and a patriotic address delivered, and a patriotic collection take -- then the gathering dismissed and dispersed without unveiling the monument? It would, indeed, be an unusual procedure; it would be leaving off the thing they had come together to do. Precisely so, with reference to the first day of the week. The disciples came together to break bread—to eat the Lord's Supper. But when the denominational churches of today come together on the first day of the week—they sing, they pray, teach classes, take up a contribution, listen to a sermon, and go away without unveiling the monument—without doing the thing that the disciples in the New Testament came together to do. If people must pick out something to leave out—why leave out the thing they came together to do? Baptists do this, as do also other religious bodies, and they are,

therefore wrong, in their usage pertaining to the frequency of observing the Lord's Supper." (Bulwarks of The Faith, Vol. II, pp 388-9).

The observance of the Lord's supper each first day of the week is essential to one's salvation. Are you observing this memorial each Lord's day?