Understanding biblical authority: The Lord’s Supper and its weekly significance

We continue our study on how to establish Bible authority for religious practices in three ways with the Bible topic of the Lord’s Supper.

To review, the direct statement or command of Christ, which Paul repeated in 1 Corinthians 11:24-25, authorizes us to partake of the Lord’s Supper since Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me.” The second way to establish authority from the scriptures is by an apostolic example, like the one Paul exhibited in Acts 20:7. Paul tarried in Troas seven days so that he might partake of the Lord’s Supper with the saints on the first day of the week. (Acts 20:6) “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them …” (Acts 20:7) Paul approved of the practice of the saints meeting on the first day of the week, and did not reprove it. We have divine approval today to do the same.

The first day gathering of the church is further proven by the example of the church at Corinth. “Now concerning the collection for the saints … Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)

These two examples of the saints assembling on the first day of the week, harmonize with the special significance attributed to the first day of the week by Christians. This was the day when Christ was raised from the dead (Matthew 28:1), the gospel was first preached, and Christ’s church first began. (Acts 2:1, 4, 41, 47) Almost every religious group believes in assembling weekly on Sundays.

The third way to establish authority from the scriptures is by necessary conclusion. From statements and commands or from approved examples, one can draw necessary conclusions. I don’t mean assumptions. I mean conclusions that can’t be denied. For example, Matthew 3:17 says that when Jesus was baptized, that He came out of the water. Where does the Bible say that Jesus went into the water? It doesn’t. But, if Jesus came out of the water, he must have first gone into the water. This is a necessary conclusion that cannot be denied.

From what is said in Acts 20:7, it can be established that the Lord’s Supper is to be partaken of every Sunday. From the statement in Acts 20:7, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” the necessary conclusion from what is said, is that we should break bread every first day of the week. The first day of the week was when the church assembled, and the purpose of their assembling was to break bread. Why did the church at Troas assemble on the first day of the week? Answer: to break bread. Every week has a first day. Every week, they assembled to break bread. This is the necessary conclusion from Luke’s statement in Acts 20:7.

Exodus 20:8 says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The Jews understood that “remembering the Sabbath day” was to be done weekly. The new moon was observed monthly. Similarly, Christians partook of the Lord’s Supper weekly, since every week has a first day.

In the absence of any other passage of scripture that would authorize another day to partake of the Supper, Acts 20:7 is the sole passage of scripture that authorizes and binds the weekly partaking of the Lord’s Supper on Sundays. (To be continued)

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