Gathering together to remember Christ

The custom of the early disciples was to gather on the first day of the week to remember the Lord Jesus Christ as he had appointed (Acts 20:7). While the first day of the week remains a convenient time for many to meet today, the precise day, time or place is not important.

Jesus had commanded his disciples to remember him regularly in a simple ceremony that he had instituted - in eating bread and drinking wine. The bread was to represent his body and the wine was to remind them of his shed blood (Matthew 26: 26–29; Luke 22:19–20). The apostle Paul discussed this remembrance of the Lord in his letter to the disciples in Corinth, emphasising the need to place the highest importance upon what they were doing (1 Corinthians 11:23–29; cp 10:16–17). Disciples today follow this commandment of their Lord and meet together each week to worship God and remember His Son in this appointed way.

However if a believer is in an isolated area, separated from others who hold the same faith and hope, then they must still remember the Lord regularly as he has appointed. There is a need to set aside a quiet time to pray, read the word of God and partake of bread and wine, recalling the wonder of the Lord’s sacrifice whereby their sins have been forgiven. Though alone, they are part of the worldwide family of God, and can take comfort in the fact that many throughout the world will likewise be partaking of bread and wine as they worship God and remember His Son.

It is important to realise that those who break bread in this way, do so on the basis of a common understanding of Bible Truth. After they were baptised, the disciples “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Fellowship, in the sense of being united together with God in Christ, is only possible for those who believe those things revealed in God’s word. The apostles instructed that those whose life-style was not in accord with the Gospel, or who taught things that were not true doctrine, should not be accepted in fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:4–5; 1 Timothy 1:16–19; Titus 3:10; 2 John 10–11). We are not therefore, as believers baptised into “the truth as it is in Jesus”, free to break bread with those who belong to other churches, hold wrong doctrines or live contrary to the ways of Christ.

The disciples in the first century also met together for prayer and discussion on the word of God. Initially the Old Testament was the basis for study and discussion, but as the Gospel records and the epistles written by the apostles became available, these were also read (Colossians 4:16). There was a keenness to study and think upon the word of God that they might gain greater understanding of His ways and draw nearer to Him.

The apostles realised that faith could only be strengthened by continually reading the word of God (Romans 10:17). Godliness, too, could only grow by considering God’s character as He is revealed in His dealings with men and women in the past, and by seeing that character revealed perfectly in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The disciples of the Lord today still delight in gathering together to discuss the Bible and to encourage one another to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:21–24; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:19–21; Hebrews 10:24–25).

Christ - The Head of the Body

The pattern for both the individual life in Christ and communal life among the disciples is set out for us in the apostolic guidance found in the New Testament. As communities of believers were established throughout the Roman world the apostles continually reminded them that they were all part of the “one body” of which Jesus Christ was “the head” (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18; 2:19). The different communities were called “ecclesias”, which is a Greek word meaning “called out ones”. Members of ecclesias must never lose sight of the fact that they are a separate people, “called out” to glorify God in their lives. Although all communities of believers were united in “one faith” and “one hope” in Christ, each ecclesia administered its own internal affairs. The qualifications of those who were to be selected for the care and guidance of these ecclesias are given in detail in 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:5–9.

Since Jesus Christ was the acknowledged “head” of the “one body” of believers (Ephesians 1:22–23; 4:15–16), it was understood that each individual community was answerable to him. There was no tiered hierarchy established by the apostles answering to a central body, pope, patriarch, archbishop or prophet. Those who deviated from the true doctrines of the apostles were those who through greed exploited their followers, as the apostle Peter forewarned the early ecclesias to whom he wrote (2 Peter 2:1–3). It has been noticeable over many hundreds of years that the “covetousness” or greed of church leaders has turned religion into a money-making system. Those who know the prophecy of Peter understand how accurately the apostate church systems fulfil his prediction of this. He warned that false teachers would arise and “make merchandise of you” (2 Peter 2:3).

Unity of Faith and Love

Although each ecclesia, or group of believers, administered its own aff airs, there was a bond of unity that pervaded the whole community throughout the world. They were united because they shared the one faith, the same hope and a mutual love of God, of Jesus Christ His Son, and of one another. Paul encouraged all individual members to be worthy of the One who had called them, “endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”, for he reminded them that there was “one body…one hope…one faith” (Ephesians 4:1–7).

This bond that united the brethren of the Lord is wonderful to read of in the epistles in the New Testament. There was a care that existed between ecclesias, even towards those whom they may never have met face to face, and a warmth of hospitality extended to those who travelled. Each member was accepted and cared for with a loving concern for their wellbeing (John 13:34–35; Ephesians 4:16; Colossians 3:12–17). They were very aware that they were all the children of one Heavenly Father, begotten by His grace, and it was this that constrained them to extend that brotherly love that should exist in the family of God. In fact they called each other “brother” and “sister” as a reminder of the status that they each enjoyed in Christ (2 Peter 3:15; Romans 16:1; Colossians 1:2).

This love that pervaded the ecclesias then, and is seen today amongst disciples, is well described by the apostle John: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:10–11).

Adapted from “The Exploring the Bible Course” by David Evans