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Articles
Breaking of Bread
One of the great privileges we have as Christians, is to partake of the Lord’s supper. Let us examine the scriptures as we discuss this topic.
1) Why? In answer to this question we turn to I Cor.11:24-25, "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." Jesus commands us to eat and drink, "this do ye". We partake of these emblems to remember the Lord’s sacrifice for our sins.
2) Where? In answer to this question we look at I Cor.11:18, 20. "For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper." When the disciples come together in the church, the assembling of the saints, is the place where we should partake of the Lord’s supper. I do not believe in going to the lake and stop fishing to have the Lord’s Supper. Nor do I believe that we are obligated to carry the Lord’s supper around to all the sick and shut ins.
3) What? In answer to this question we read I Cor.11:26-27, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show 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." Notice that only 2 emblems are found in the Lord’s supper. We eat the bread, and we drink the cup. Our Catholic friends have taken away an emblem, by only serving the bread to the members. Our one container brethren have erred in adding an emblem, the container. But Paul shows us that there were only 2 emblems, we eat the bread, and we drink the cup.
4) When? Some answer the question by turning to I Cor.11:26, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." They reason Paul does not tell us how often to do it, but as oft as we do it, whether it’s monthly or quarterly, or whenever. This would be correct reasoning, IF there were no other verses on this question. But Acts 20:7 we read, "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." So we see that we are to do it on the first day of the week. Not the first day of the month, nor the first day of the quarter, nor the first day of the year.
5) Who? In answer to this question, we read I Cor.11:28, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." So let eat him eat and drink of that cup, him who? A man, an individual. It is not congregational eating, but individuals who eat and drink.
6) How? In answer to this question, we read I Cor.11:27, "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." Spiritually, we are to eat in a worthy manner. Physically we pick it up and put it in our mouth
