Occasionally people ask my opinion on various personal or church issues. I recently received the following question which I have reprinted below, followed by my response.

QUESTION

Bob,

I agreed with you in everything you said in the blog, “Should My Child Miss Church To Play Sports?” until I read where you suggested perhaps the family could attend church on Saturday night. Would communion be served on a Saturday night? I am curious about the Scripture for that. We have never taken communion except on Sunday. Please respond to my question. I look forward to hearing from you.

MY ANSWER

Thanks for your question and your concern about the appropriateness of serving communion on Saturday night. Actually there is no commandment in Scripture as to which day of the week Christians are to partake of the Lord’s Supper. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper he said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25).

Some argue from ‘apostolic precedent” that Sunday is the only day authorized in Scripture to take communion. They point to Acts 20:7 which says, “On the first day of the week when we came together to break bread…” However, while apostolic precedent is usually a good example to follow, it is not a divine command that must be obeyed or followed exclusively. Acts 20:7 also says Paul preached until midnight that evening and most Christians I know don’t want their preacher to follow that apostolic precedent!

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on Thursday night, does that give permission to His followers to take communion on Thursday? And should it be observed only in the evening? In First Corinthians 16:2 believers were instructed to take up a collection on the first day of the week. I don’t know of any church leaders who conclude that directive prohibits a church from taking up an offering at a Wednesday night Thanksgiving service.

Taking communion on Saturday night is one of many areas where Christians have considerable freedom. Romans 14:5 & 13 reads, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind…therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.”

There is an excellent, historic slogan that applies to this question: “In doctrine, unity; in opinion, liberty; in all things, love.” The Apostle Paul said it succinctly, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17) – Bob

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