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Introduction:
We often say that studying God’s word is the same as studying
anything else. In the sense that grammar is grammar, logic is
logic and deduction is deduction no matter which field we are
considering, that is true. However, there is a sense in which
Bible study is different than many other fields. For instance,
when you took Algebra and Geometry in high school, did your
teacher show you a list of numbers and shapes say, “Here are the
numbers and shapes; you need to study them on your own and figure
out what Algebra and Geometry are”? When you took Chemistry or
Physics did your teachers hand you some elements and some objects
and say, “Here are the elements and some objects; you need to
study these on your own and figure out what Chemistry and Physics
are”? Of course not. They laid out for us the rules and
principles that those before us had learned and we were simply
supposed to learn that ourselves. Granted, if we became experts in
the field, some times we might back up and redo experiments or we
might study what no one has yet learned in order to develop more,
but we do not expect everyone who dabbles in these disciplines to
study it all on their own to figure out what they are supposed to
believe, think and practice about Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry or
Physics. Yet, that is exactly what we do with the Scriptures. In
fact, that is exactly what we must do. Yes, we need teachers to
give guidance and direction, but we must always remember that
truth comes from God and His word. Men can get it wrong. Thus,
each of us must do our best to show ourselves approved workers by
rightly handling the word ourselves (II Timothy 2:15). We cannot simply rely on what some other person
has studied. Nor can we set ourselves up as the premier
authorities to whom everyone should simply listen. We must study
on our own and we must encourage everyone else and each new
generation to study that we may all have our own faith.
This, however, has its own set of problems. Namely, as each
new generation goes back to question what they have been taught,
studying the Bible for ourselves (as we should), we can make some
mistakes. It is interesting to me how mistakes can be brought in
by a few but be so aggressively pushed that whole sections of
Christians buy into them. For some time, I have noticed some
mistakes that seemingly entire groups of Christians are buying
into despite what I see as the clear message of Scripture. I have
wanted to talk with you about them for some time. Our recent
reading together through I
Corinthians provides some correction on several of these
issues and I simply want to take this time to turn our attention
away from the popular, vogue positions of the present generation
and focus us back on what the Scripture actually shows. We will be
looking at common mistakes put forward today in the area of the
Lord’s Supper, the congregational assembly and the collection. Discussion: I.
Corrections about the Lord’s Supper A.
Today, it is becoming vogue and popular to claim that the
first century churches ate the Lord’s Supper as an actual meal
or as part of a meal. Perhaps this mistake comes from the fact
that it is called a “supper.” Perhaps it comes from the fact
that when Jesus instituted the Supper, He did so in connection
with a meal. Perhaps it comes from our modern infatuation with
eating. For whatever reason, it is becoming more and more popular
to claim the first century churches gathered for non-formal
get-togethers to eat and in the middle of such fraternizing
participated in meal size portions of wine and bread. Then add to
that the concept that these disciples sat around their tables
eating the bread and drinking the wine as a meal and having
tableside conversation about what Jesus, His life and His death
meant to them. When these pictures are given, they seem amazing.
They sound meaningful. They appear insightful. Their novelty
provides great emotion and feeling causing some to believe it
truly is spiritual. The only problem with these pictures is they
just aren’t biblical. B.
The only time we actually see any New Testament church
taking the Supper as a meal or in conjunction with a meal is in I
Corinthians 11 and there it is rebuked. But before we address
the text we read this week, let’s back up to the institution of
the Supper. Many make a very common mistake as they look at the
institution of the Supper in passages such as Matthew
26:26-29. The disciples were in fact eating a very special
meal together. They were eating the Passover that memorialized the
Israelite escape from Egyptian bondage following the 10 plagues. I
can somewhat understand why some jump from this to say we can or
should take the Supper as a meal or as part of a bigger meal.
However, that is a jump; it is not what follows from the text. 1.
Jesus did not establish His Supper as part of a common
meal. The Passover was anything but common. It was not merely a
time of saints gathering for a good time to “fellowship”. It
was not the saints just getting together to eat. It was itself a
God ordained memorial with special emblems and instructions for
preparation and eating. Thus, if we want to use that meal as a
demonstration that our Lord’s Supper is part of a bigger meal,
we need to make it part of the bigger meal Jesus was eating. We
need to make it part of the Passover. However, we understand those
Old Testament feasts are no longer bound on us. Jesus was not
adding something to the Passover observance that we should follow.
He was providing a new memorial for Christians. 2.
When Jesus instituted the Supper, He did not institute a
memorial in the form of an actual meal that would do anything for
hunger. Keep in mind that Jesus and His disciples were already
eating their meal, a meal proscribed for them by the Law. They did
not eat a second meal. Further, look at the descriptions given. In
Matthew 26:26, Jesus
took bread and broke it, dividing one loaf among 13 men. I imagine
these portions were larger than the traditional pinch many of us
take today. However, I have yet to meet the grown man who would
tell you 1/13 of a loaf of bread would equal a meal for him or
assuage his hunger. Notice in Luke 22:17, Jesus took a cup of the fruit of the vine and had the
disciples divide it up among themselves (thus demonstrating for
certain that we do not all have to drink from the same container).
He did not send around a pitcher or a jar and then send it around
again and again. He sent around a cup that they divided up among
themselves. Again, it was likely more than the thimble-sized cups
most congregations today use, but it was not a meal sized portion
designed to be drunk as the refreshment for a meal. 3.
Finally, regarding the tableside conversation we should
note that there is no discussion here. Jesus didn’t ask the
disciples to share with Him what this meant to them. He simply
directed their minds to the emblems and what they to mean and then
told them to partake accordingly. C.
Add to this picture of the establishment what we see in I Corinthians 11:20-34 and the correction, to me, is complete. The
church at Corinth was committing two violations with the Supper.
The first is demonstrated in the contrast of I
Corinthians 11:20-21. The people were not gathering to eat the
Lord’s Supper. Rather, each one was trying to get his own
supper. That is, instead of participating in a memorial, they were
trying to get their own meal. Their second problem was that even
in that meal they were demonstrating their overt selfishness as
those who got their first were indulging themselves while those
who got their late had nothing to eat. To get the point, we need
to see Paul’s solution. 1.
Paul did not provide directives for how to havea peaceful
common meal. He did not direct portion size. He did not tell folks
to only eat enough to assuage their hunger and make sure everybody
got some. He did not tell them they needed to bring more food to
make sure everyone had enough. 2.
Instead, he began his exhortation and ended it with the
same directive. “Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?”
(I Corinthians 11:22,
ESV). “If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home” (I
Corinthians 11:34, ESV). Both directives make the same point.
The Lord’s Supper is not a meal to assuage hunger. If they were
hungry, they were to eat at home. He didn’t tell them, as some
claim, that if they were just really, really starving eat
something at home to tide them over so they won’t pig out and
leave someone else hungry. He said, if you are hungry eat at home.
3.
The Lord’s Supper was not like the Passover meal. The
Passover was a meal. It would assuage hunger. If you ate at home
before coming together with your greater family to eat the
Passover, you wouldn’t be able to do what God wanted. But that
is not the case with the Lord’s Supper. You could eat your meal
at home. You could come and not be hungry at all and still
participate in the Lord’s Supper because it was not a proscribed
meal. Certainly, God did not proscribe the portion size. If you
want to eat a large piece of unleavened bread and drink a large
cup of fruit of the vine, that is fine. But please do not act as
though there is some Biblical precedent for making the Supper a
meal or even part of a greater meal. 4.
Further, note that throughout the chapter it is
demonstrated to be a memorial, not a discussion. The Supper itself
is a proclamation but is not demonstrated as a time where we take
the supper and offer a different proclamation. Certainly, at any
time we want, as a congregation we can have someone talk about the
Lord’s Death. Certainly, at any time we want we can sing about
His death. Having talks or songs to prepare our minds for the
Supper is scriptural but we need to understand those talks
aren’t the Supper themselves. The Supper is taking the emblems
and using them to focus each of us on Christ’s body, discerning
His body. Anything else is preamble or additional to the supper.
Certainly, we might even have someone talk to us while we are
partaking or even sing while partaking, but not because we have
gone to the New Testament and read examples of that happening the
way some today want to make it seem. The purpose of the Supper is
for us to remember the Lord’s death, not relate our own
feelings. It is for us to examine ourselves, not exhort others. It
is for us to discern the body, not discuss the Lord. That is what
we see exemplified and directed. II.
Corrections about the assemblies A.
Today, it is becoming vogue and popular to claim that the
congregational assemblies of the New Testament churches were very
casual and informal. We are told that what they had was really
more like a discussion. We are often given the picture that it is
just like having a group of people come into my home as we all sit
around the living room and talk back and forth. The concept of
“decently and in order” (I
Corinthians 14:40) is often laughed at and kicked aside. This
is usually based on the multiple speakers we see mentioned in I
Corinthians 14. However, I suggest we read I
Corinthians 14 and see there is nothing there that resembles a
back and forth, give and take, discussion based gathering. B.
First, we must be honest and recognize that I
Corinthians 14 does provide a picture of more participants
than we often have. I
Corinthians 14:26 speaks of each one having a hymn, a lesson,
a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. I
Corinthians 14:27 has two or three tongue speakers addressing
the congregation and then their respective interpreters. I
Corinthians 14:29 has two or three prophets speaking. Then I
Corinthians 14:31 says they could all prophesy one at a time.
Thus as many prophets as were in the congregation, if they had a
message, could address the congregation. We must be honest and
admit the assembly described in I
Corinthians 14 has more participants than our usual song
leader, preacher, two prayers and a Lord’s Supper talk. C.
Having said that, we must not miss I
Corinthians 14:40. Even with the greater number of
participants, they were supposed to address the congregation in a
decent order. Two were not supposed to try to over talk each
other. If one was speaking in a tongue, the others were to keep
silent. If one received a prophecy, the others were to keep
silent. This wasn’t just a group of Christians in someone’s
home having a spiritual get together. This was not just some time
for spiritual conversation back and forth. This was a time when
those with a God given message addressed the congregation in turn
and in an orderly fashion. As we relate that to our situation
today, we recognize the general assembly of the church is not a
place where Christians gather to talk back and forth, but a place
in which Christians are edified and built up by those who have a
message to give. It is not a time for anyone who has any idea pop
into his head to jump up and share. It is a time for decent and
orderly conduct. If we want to give the floor to more than one
speaker, that is fine, but we must do so in turns allowing the
congregation to direct their attention to each speaker in His
turn. D.
This is not to say there weren’t ever assemblies that
didn’t have back and forth. Acts
15:22 demonstrates the whole church was assembled during this
discussion and debate (Acts 15:7). It is even possible that the assembly had a time for
questions to be asked of those who had spoken (I Corinthians 14:35), though I am not sure that a restriction on the
sisters from asking questions in the assembly is a demonstration
that everyone else was asking questions. My point is simply that
some people today act like they have figured out the assemblies in
the first century were conducted in a wholly different manner from
today. They act as if it was just a small number of disciples
gathered together for a casual, informal discussion and that is
just not the picture presented here. Rather, apart from the
involvement of miraculous gifts, I
Corinthians 14 presents a picture very much like our modern
day assemblies. The church is gathered, some will lead us in
songs, some will offer prayers, some will address the assembly
with messages from God. That is what we are doing tonight and we
are doing it in the same manner we see presented in I
Corinthians 14. III.
Corrections about the collection A.
Today, it is becoming hip and cool to essentially dismiss
the pattern of I
Corinthians 16:1-2. The general point made is this was just
one mere example of the myriad ways these early Christians could
have raised their money. Paul was not giving them a pattern, but
giving them advice. His real point is that we need to merely take
up collections for the work we are going to do in whatever way is
convenient and efficient. The other modern day vogue
interpretation is that the Corinthians were simply setting aside
their contribution individually in their own special spot so that
when Paul arrived they would give him the money. B.
I must admit that this passage does not command the
congregation to take up a collection. This is not a pattern that
says no matter what, if we are gathered on Sunday one of the
things we have to do is have a collection. Rather, it demonstrates
that when the congregation is going to pay for something and needs
to raise funds, that it does so through free will offerings of its
members. I believe it is true that if the congregation and
brotherhood had no financial needs then we are not here commanded
to have a collection anyway. If there were no preachers that
needed supporting, no brethren in any need anywhere, no work that
needed financial backing, then a congregation might forego the
collection. But so long as the congregation has financial needs,
this passage does provide the authorization for how to pay for it.
But is this a pattern for all congregations or was it merely the
convenient and efficient way for them and we can do whatever we
want? C.
First, we need to understand biblical authority. One
question we ask is can we find any other passage that provides any
other example, statement or logical inference that tells us some
other means was authorized? Without Biblical authority to fund our
work in some other way, we recognize that this passage provides
the only means authorized. That alone should let us know we are
limited to what is done here. However, there are more indicators
in this passage. D.
In I Corinthians
16:1, Paul points out that this is not merely his advice to
Corinth, but he gave the exact same directive to the congregations
in Galatia as well. In other words, this wasn’t just friendly
advice for Corinth, but was the same pattern Paul taught
everywhere. Any congregation that asked how they were supposed to
provide for their financial needs would be given this same
picture. Take up a collection on the first day of every week. E.
Further, in I
Corinthians 16:1, Paul did not advise them but “directed”
them. The Greek word here is “diatasso” which means to
appoint, give order or even to command. The same word is used in Acts
24:23 there it is translated “command” (KJV) or “give
orders” (ESV). This was not Paul’s kind and friendly advice
that they could dispense with if they decided something else was
more convenient. This was Paul’s order to them as an inspired
apostle directing them with God’s pattern. F.
Please, recognize this. The Corinthians were every bit as
intelligent as we were. If Paul believed that it didn’t matter
how or when they took up the collection and was only interested in
them doing it in a convenient and efficient way, why didn’t he
just say that? Why didn’t he say, “Now concerning the
collection for the saints; it doesn’t matter how you do that
just pick out a convenient and efficient way”? Instead he said,
“I give you orders to do it this way…” That means if we were
asking him how to take care of our congregation’s work today, he
would give us the same direction and orders. G.
Finally, please note in I
Corinthians 16:2 that the purpose for Paul’s direction was
so there would be no collection when he came. He did not want to
have to gather the people together to take up a collection when he
got there. He wanted it already together in one place. This
passage is not remotely about individual Christians taking their
daily earnings and setting aside a special portion of it in their
special collection cookie jar on Sundays and then having a big
collection when Paul arrived in town. Think about how silly that
makes the direction of the passage. Considering the most common
way folks were paid in the first century was a day’s wages for a
day’s work, to have any money on Sunday, they would have to set
aside a portion every day. Thus, they are already setting aside a
portion every day but then on Sunday they have to move what they
set aside each day into a special set aside spot. It is as if each
day they set aside a certain amount under their pillow, but then
on Sunday they pull it out from under the pillow and move it into
their special Sunday set aside cookie jar. That makes no sense
whatsoever. Instead, the people were setting aside their
individual money as they made it and taking it with them to the
Sunday assembly in which they took up a collection and held the
money in a treasury, if you will, until Paul arrived. H.
The fact is, they were doing exactly what we have done to
follow their pattern. When there was a financial need present,
pressing or on the horizon, they took up a collection in their
assemblies so that when the need was immediate, they didn’t have
to take up a collection but had the money together already to use.
That is what they did. That is what Paul ordered them to do and
that is what we must do. Conclusion: Here is the key we must understand. I’m not saying that everything we do is exactly right. There may well be things we are doing that are not really authorized. There may well be things we don’t do that aren’t authorized. There may well be other authorized ways to do some of the things we already do. We should not be afraid to question and go back to the Scripture to make sure we are doing what is right. We must each study for ourselves and learn what God says not just what some man interprets God to be saying. We need to discuss and study these things together. But I hope in our journey to study and learn for ourselves that we don’t get so enamored with coming up with something new that we swallow hook, line and sinker some points and issues that sound good on the surface but just aren’t biblical. Let’s us always give our best to show ourselves approved workers who handle the Word accurately (II Timothy 2:15).
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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