The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-09-20
Church of Christ
~ Y. E. Hoven, Minister.
THE BREAKING OF BREAD.
Acts 2:42.


Acts 2:42.
This was the third item of the pro-
gram of public worship, observed each
Lords day by the Jerusalem Church,
and has reference to the Lords supper.
First, we inquire into the meaning Of
this service. The one loaf represents
the one body l Cor. 10:17. In figure
the Church is called the body of Christ,
Eph. 1:22, 23. When the Church was
organized. it was unit. Luke tells
us that the Lord added to the Church,
not Churches. So those who love
these divisions in the Christian world
and stand for them, cannot carry out
this meaning of the Lords supper.
It is participation in the body and
blood of Christ, Cor. 1916. In the
Revised Version the marginal reading
of this verse is participation in" in.
stead of Communion of the blood aud
body of Christ" giving the better
meaning of the Greek. We see the
force of this when we remember that
Christ is our substitute. 1 Pet. 2:24,
aud thus becoming our life, because
He died our death for us that we might
live His life for Him.
It is a remem brance of Him Lk. 81:
10. God SO loved the world that de
gave His Son that we might not perish.
We are ever to keep that Gift 10 mind.
The emblems of the Lords supper re-
present the broken body and shed blood
of Christ for us, thus redeeming us
from the powers of Satan, death and the
grave and He wants US to remember
His dying love for us. II,
BY it we proclaim the Lords death
and coming again, / Cor. 11:26. What
a tremendous testimony this is for
Jesus The world does not want to
believe that Jesus died for them but
whenever a Christian partakes OF the
embiems of the Lords supper he de-
clares to the whole world that jesus
"died for all that they who live should
no longer live unto themselves but IN.
to Him who for their sakes died anc
rose again." 2 Cor. 5:15. Neither doeI
the world believe He is coming again
see 2 Pet. 3:3, 4. But He is coming
again, see John 14:2, 3; Thes. 4:l6
18.
Second, how often did they observe
this service? Acts 2:42 gives US tht
program for public worship, and it il
part of that program. In Acts 2O:'
we learn that they met upon the firs
day of the week for public service
The whole Christian world, in theor!
aud practice, concede the primitive
custom of assem- bling for worship OF
every Lords day, and they rely on 20"
for proof. But they mangle the pro
gram of worship, placed by the Holy
Spirit in the first Church, when they
attended to the teachings of the apost
les, the contribution and the prayer
every Lords day and leave out on'
item of that program-the Lords sup
per-to be observed once month OF
once a quarter. Those who observe
the Lords supper once month or once
a quarter, must. to he Scriptural and
logical. have preaching contribution
and prayer once only each mouth or
quarter. But someone says, when
we meet for the Lords supper, be il
once month or once quarter, we OBJ,
serve it on the first day of the week."
This is neither logical nor Scriptural.
1t is not true that they assemble upon
the first day of the week. but upon
first day of the week. How often dc
we observe the 4th of July? Is it
fourth day of some July, or is it the
fourth day of every July? Please no
tice that Acts 20:7 reads they assembled
to break bread upon the first day o.
the week." Those who do not OBJ
serve it upon the first day OF eacf
week, to be Soriptural, must have il
read, "they assembled upon the frs
day of the mouth, or the quarter .
Again someone says that, observing
it every Lord 8 day it becomes common
and loses its hold upon u.s." The same
may be said of Bible reading aut
prayer, the daily life of the Christian
They met. therefore, upon the frs
day of each week to remember Christ 7
death and celebrate His resurrection,
for He arose on that day. Besides w
find in Lev. 24:5-S an account of the
tabernacle and the showbread. Pau
tells us these things were TYPES anc
shadows of things to come" Th'
tabernacle was type of the Church
the Sabbath type of the Lords day
the showbread a type of the LoTd'I
supper and the priests type of Christ
ians. The showbread was set in order
every Sabbath; the Lords supper be
ing an antitype of this, must be set il
order every Lords day.