Eating the Supper in a Second Assembly on the First Day of the Week 1 Cor. 11:17-22

2 The Issue is Not… Whether or not Christians must eat the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week in the worship assembly – we must, 1 Cor. 11:18, 20 –Matt. 18:18-20 does not approve individual worship services apart from the assembly of the local church –Authority of the apostles to bind and loose what heaven has bound and loosed Whether or not Christians must eat the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week in the worship assembly – we must, 1 Cor. 11:18, 20 –Matt. 18:18-20 does not approve individual worship services apart from the assembly of the local church –Authority of the apostles to bind and loose what heaven has bound and loosed

3 The Issue is Not… Whether or not the church “serves” the Lord’s Supper; the church does not “serve” the Supper; it eats it The local church does not perform a ceremony called the Lord’s Supper The local church provides the occasion for the disciples to eat and drink in memory of the Lord’s death Whether or not the church “serves” the Lord’s Supper; the church does not “serve” the Supper; it eats it The local church does not perform a ceremony called the Lord’s Supper The local church provides the occasion for the disciples to eat and drink in memory of the Lord’s death

4 The Issue is Not… Christians “drink the cup of the Lord” and “partake of the Lord’s table” when we eat the Lord’s Supper, thus having communion with the blood and body of Christ, 1 Cor. 10:21 (16-17); 11:20 “Serving” the supper is incidental to eating it Christians “drink the cup of the Lord” and “partake of the Lord’s table” when we eat the Lord’s Supper, thus having communion with the blood and body of Christ, 1 Cor. 10:21 (16-17); 11:20 “Serving” the supper is incidental to eating it

5 The Issue is… Does the local church have scriptural authority to provide an opportunity for saints to eat the Lord’s Supper at a second assembly on the first day of the week when some or most of the saints have eaten the Lord’s Supper during an earlier Lord’s day assembly? (Col. 3:17; 1 Cor. 4:17)

6 The Issue is… Put another way… Does the local church have Bible authority to prevent a Christian from eating the Lord’s Supper during a Lord’s Day assembly? 1 Cor. 11:28, 33 Put another way… Does the local church have Bible authority to prevent a Christian from eating the Lord’s Supper during a Lord’s Day assembly? 1 Cor. 11:28, 33

7 “When you come together to eat” 1 Cor. 11:33 Correct Realm: Kingdom, Lk. 22:18 Correct Realm: Kingdom, Lk. 22:18 Correct Arrangement: Assembly of the church, 1 Cor. 11:18, 20, Correct Arrangement: Assembly of the church, 1 Cor. 11:18, 20, Correct Time: First day of the week, Acts 20:7 Correct Time: First day of the week, Acts 20:7 Correct Elements: Unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, 1 Cor. 11:23-25; Lk. 22:18-20; Matt. 26:26-29 Correct Elements: Unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, 1 Cor. 11:23-25; Lk. 22:18-20; Matt. 26:26-29

8 “When you come together to eat” 1 Cor. 11:33 Correct Participants: Christians who have not eaten the supper Correct Participants: Christians who have not eaten the supper – –A stated purpose of assembling, Acts 20:7 (1 Cor. 14:26, 15-16; 16:2) – –Necessarily implies those assembling who have not eaten the Lord’s Supper bear the responsibility to do so

9 “When you come together to eat” 1 Cor. 11:33 Correct Participants: Christians who have not eaten the supper Correct Participants: Christians who have not eaten the supper – –Although eaten in the assembly, the Lord’s Supper is an individual act of worship that each Christian is commanded to obey, 1 Cor. 11:27-29

10 “When you come together to eat” 1 Cor. 11:33 Correct Participants: Christians who have not eaten the supper Correct Participants: Christians who have not eaten the supper – –The opportunity to eat at a second assembly allows them to obey the Lord’s commandment to eat – –Also commands to give, to sing, to pray and to be edified by hearing the word Correct Conduct of Participants, 1 Cor. 11:23-29 Correct Conduct of Participants, 1 Cor. 11:23-29

11 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 Abuse of the Lord’s Supper Abuse of the Lord’s Supper –Being associated with a common meal, 11:18-21 Class divisions arising among them Class divisions arising among them –Apparent as they abused the purpose of the Lord’s Supper, 11:20-22

12 1 Corinthians 11:22-34 Properly distinguish between the practice and purpose of the Lord’s Supper and a common meal, 11:22-32, 34 Properly distinguish between the practice and purpose of the Lord’s Supper and a common meal, 11:22-32, 34 –Assemble for worship, 11:22 –Nature & purpose of supper, 11:23-27 –Proper heart, 11:28-32

13 1 Corinthians 11:22-34 Be united in your eating of the Lord’s Supper Be united in your eating of the Lord’s Supper –Do not despise one another, 11:22 –Wait for one another, 11:33 Individual responsibility is fulfilled when the church comes together, 11:27-28 (18, 20, 33) Individual responsibility is fulfilled when the church comes together, 11:27-28 (18, 20, 33)

14 “Wait for one another” 1 Cor. 11:33 “Wait for one another” (ekdechomai) (wait, tarry): “1) to receive, accept 2) to look for, expect, wait for, await” (Thayer, 193) “Wait for one another” (ekdechomai) (wait, tarry): “1) to receive, accept 2) to look for, expect, wait for, await” (Thayer, 193) Part of the remedy for the division that existed among them (11:21-22) Part of the remedy for the division that existed among them (11:21-22) Look for, expect (1 Cor. 16:11; Heb. 11:10) Look for, expect (1 Cor. 16:11; Heb. 11:10)

15 “Wait for one another” 1 Cor. 11:33 When you assemble, receive or accept each other so that your coming together is for the better rather than for the worse (11:17) When you assemble, receive or accept each other so that your coming together is for the better rather than for the worse (11:17) –That is, so that you will be able to “eat the Lord’s Supper” decently and orderly (11:20-21) –This is a UNITY argument, not a TIME argument, 11:18-21

16 “Wait for one another” 1 Cor. 11:33 Commanded of all who are present in the assembly Commanded of all who are present in the assembly –Not to those who are PRESENT waiting for some who are ABSENT to arrive –When you “come together to eat” – wait for one another! –Have an orderly arrangement that receives all and remedies division

17 “Wait for one another” 1 Cor. 11:33 Then, properly eat the supper; it is not a common meal, 11:34 Then, properly eat the supper; it is not a common meal, 11:34 –A memorial, 1 Cor. 11:23-25 (Matt. 26:26-28) –A proclamation of the Lord’s death, 1 Cor. 11:26 –A communion with the Lord, Matt. 26:29; 1 Cor. 10:16, 21

18 The Objection: The NT Pattern Offers the Supper Once on the Lord’s Day No example of more than once No example of more than once Consistency of argument demands only one assembly on the Lord’s day, period. Consistency of argument demands only one assembly on the Lord’s day, period. –Some have done away with second service for this reason

19 Defense of No Second Assembly Supper: “You can’t give an example of it” Cannot produce an example of accepting contribution, praying, singing or preaching at a second assembly Cannot produce an example of accepting contribution, praying, singing or preaching at a second assembly Why can these be done by the person who was absent from the first assembly, but he cannot eat the Supper? (Where is this NT pattern?) Why can these be done by the person who was absent from the first assembly, but he cannot eat the Supper? (Where is this NT pattern?) There is a pattern for all who are present in the assembly to receive or “wait for one another” 1 Cor. 11:33 There is a pattern for all who are present in the assembly to receive or “wait for one another” 1 Cor. 11:33

20 Multiple Lord’s Day Assemblies and for Making Supper Available at each Authority is established by command, approved example or necessary inference Authority is established by command, approved example or necessary inference NT pattern for this practice exists in necessary inferences NT pattern for this practice exists in necessary inferences

21 Multiple Lord’s Day Assemblies and for Making Supper Available at each 1 Cor. 11:18 necessarily implies the right and the ability of the church to “come together” more than once on Lord’s day 1 Cor. 11:18 necessarily implies the right and the ability of the church to “come together” more than once on Lord’s day 1 Cor. 11:20, 33 necessarily implies the church can make an orderly arrangement that allows Christians to eat the supper 1 Cor. 11:20, 33 necessarily implies the church can make an orderly arrangement that allows Christians to eat the supper –This is “waiting” on one another

22 The Lord’s Supper is an individual responsibility that is fulfilled when the church comes together, 1 Cor. 11:28 (18, 20, 33) The Lord’s Supper is an individual responsibility that is fulfilled when the church comes together, 1 Cor. 11:28 (18, 20, 33) Instead of preventing Christians from remembering the Lord’s death by eating the supper, churches have the authority to provide the occasion for this communion with the Lord Instead of preventing Christians from remembering the Lord’s death by eating the supper, churches have the authority to provide the occasion for this communion with the Lord

23 Correct Realm: Kingdom, Lk. 22:18 Correct Realm: Kingdom, Lk. 22:18 Correct Arrangement: Assembly of the church, 1 Cor. 11:18, 20, Correct Arrangement: Assembly of the church, 1 Cor. 11:18, 20, Correct Time: First day of the week, Acts 20:7 Correct Time: First day of the week, Acts 20:7 Correct Elements: Unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, 1 Cor. 11:23-25; Lk. 22:18-20; Matt. 26:26-29 Correct Elements: Unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, 1 Cor. 11:23-25; Lk. 22:18-20; Matt. 26:26-29 Correct Participants: Christians, Acts 20:7 Correct Participants: Christians, Acts 20:7 Correct Conduct, 1 Cor. 11:23-29 Correct Conduct, 1 Cor. 11:23-29