Articles

Until He Comes

Until He comes

1Cor.11:23 – 26.

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 

25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

 

The expression in vs.26, “as often as”, actually conveys the meaning, “each time you do so”.  The expression does not convey the idea of frequency.  What Paul was saying was, “each time you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim Christ’s death.” 

For a very long time Evangelical churches celebrated the Lord’s Table once per month.  They gave a variety of reasons for this once per month practice.  But for some time now there has been a move back among churches to celebrate the Lord’s Table every Lord’s Day.  We celebrate the Lord’s Table every Lord’s Day because we see this precedent in the apostolic church as reported to us in Acts 20:7.  Paul and Luke are with the church in Troas.  Take note that this visit to Troas took place approximately 25 years after Pentecost. 

Luke wrote,  “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread….”  Let us note the following points.

(1).  The community of believers gathered on the first day of the week.  F. F. Bruce tells us that the Greek expression used here originally meant,  “the first day after the Sabbath”  and then it came to mean  “the first day of the week.”  This is clearly Sunday which was also known as the Lord’s Day, the day of Christ’s resurrection.  This was not an ad hoc gathering of the church because of Paul’s visit.  This was the regular gathering of the church and Paul joined in.   The perfect tense verb,  “we were gathered together”,  tells us this had become the settled practice of this apostolic church.  They gathered every Lord’s Day for worship. 

(2).  It was the settled practice of the church in Troas to meet on the evening of the Lord’s Day for worship.  Vs.8 tells us there were lamps in the room and vs.7 tells us Paul preached until midnight.  The believers met in the evening because most believers, especially those who were slaves, had to work from morning until evening.  There are a couple issues that arise here that must be considered. 

Firstly, 25 years later, was this Lord’s Day worship gathering in the Troas church the settled practice in the apostolic church at large?  Secondly, was Sunday the Lord’s Day or the Christian Sabbath or both for the apostolic church?  If it was a Sabbath day with carry-over resting/worship Sabbath practices, how do we explain that the believers had to work all day?  Thirdly, did the Troas church have one or two services on the Lord’s Day?  Fourthly, if this apostolic church in Troas was in error regarding its use of the Lord’s Day, why didn’t the apostle Paul use his apostolic authority to correct these errors and glaring breaking of the “Christian Sabbath”?

(3).  The church in Troas “were gathered together to break bread.”  The verb  “break”  expresses purpose and points us to the primary purpose for their gathering together – to break bread; to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  It seems, and we should take note this fact, that the centerpiece of their gathering for worship was the Lord’s Table.  The Lord’s Table was no optional tack-on.  It was obedience to the Lord’s command. (1Cor.11:24 & 25, “do this … do this” – literally – continually do this.)  It was the highest point in their gathering together to worship their Lord.

(4). The church in Troas gathered together to be taught the word of God.  We are told, Paul preached.  History shows us that the apostolic church sang hymns, prayed, and read the Scriptures when they gathered together for worship.  But only two points are emphasized here  :  (1)  the breaking of bread;  (2)  the preaching.  These two things were their priorities when they gathered together for worship.  Very sadly, many today do not see preaching as worship.  But preaching was a very important part of worship in the apostolic church.

It must be noted that in their gathering together, there was a double preaching of the word of God in this Troas church.  Firstly, there was the verbal proclamation.  Paul preached.  Secondly, in the Lord’s Table there was a practical and symbolic proclamation.  When we partake, we preach.  We preach Christ’s death.  We preach to one another in the gathered assembly and to the world that Christ died for us and that His sacrificial death has brought us into a saving covenant relationship with Him and provided for us the forgiveness of all our sins.  And we say to all sinners that Christ’s death is their one and only hope of eternal salvation. 

David Garland wrote, “’Eating” and “drinking” are mentioned five times in 1Cor.11:26-29, and this is what Paul wishes to emphasize more than the verbal repetition of the story of the Lord’s death.  It is not what is said during or after the meal that concerns him, but what is said in the action of eating and drinking.  He is interested only in the fact that  “whenever Christians eat this bread and drink this cup, they are proclaiming the Lord’s death.” (1Corinthians ECNT; p.548).

Lastly, take note now of the words  “until He comes.”  The Lord’s Table also reminds us of the blessed and glorious hope we have, the hope of Christ’s second coming.  In reminding us of Christ’s second coming, we are reminded of our coming resurrection in Christ that will take place on that great day.  Paul wrote,  “the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1Thess.4:16-17).  We are also reminded of the revelation of the heavenly glories that await us.  So, each time you eat and drink, you must whisper with joyful anticipation, “until He comes”.

The Lord’s Table is not just another optional religious item in our gathering together to worship.  It is the most precious center-piece of our worship of our Lord Jesus Christ that looks back with joy-filled celebration to what Christ accomplished for us in order to save us, and that looks forward with living confident hope to all that Christ has prepared for us in His Father’s house. 

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”   (1Cor.2:9).

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