THE SUPPER IN RELATION TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

THE SUPPER IN RELATION TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

Acts 20: 7, 11; Revelation 1: 9 - 11; 1 Corinthians 16: 1 - 4

JT I thought it would be advisable to consider the first day of the week, and how the Supper stands in relation to it, and also to look at other features of the first day of the week, which we find elsewhere. In this passage we have the Supper in connection with the first day of the week; then in Revelation, John is in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and in the last chapter of 1 Corinthians you get the apostle’s injunction to the Corinthians to set apart on the first day that which they wished to contribute. The three thoughts might be put together, the Supper, the Spirit, and the effect seen in giving. An important point to remember is that christianity is founded on precedent, rather than on injunction or commandment.

JS The Supper comes from a precedent. The Lord instituted the Supper, therefore we have it. It is not a command.

JT Well, we have the request, but He instituted the Supper, “This do”, He says. The first day of the week is not given by commandment; it represents a spiritual idea and the early christians took notice of what Christ did on that day. They took notice of what He did when He instituted the Supper, and what He did on the first day of the week.

JS What do you refer to?

JT He came to His own on the first day of the week; they took notice of that. The Lord’s day was never intended to be recognised by the world,

^[p. 2] and we should never attempt to impose it on the world. It is a spiritual thought, whether it be the first day or the Lord’s day. The first day sets forth a new beginning; the Lord’s day the day in which His authority is recognised. Evidently it cannot be used by the world; the Lord’s authority has no place there. He is rejected, but we anticipate the day when His authority will be universally recognised. John anticipated it as he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. We begin with the Supper. The three scriptures may be taken, I think, in proper order as I have cited them, (1) The Supper; (2) “in the Spirit”; and (3) practical righteousness down here coming out in giving.

Ques Would there be any connection with what we do at the Supper, the bread, then the cup, then giving?

JT The giving has reference to the scene down here; the Spirit has no reference to the external world; He has reference to the spiritual world. In giving you are not beside yourself, but in the Spirit you are. In giving you are considering the needs of saints, taking account of things in a sober way, but being in the Spirit puts you in accord with what is spiritual. They came together with the Supper in view, and it is mentioned as if it were customary on that day, but we are not told to do it then. The Lord came to the disciples on that day, therefore the precedent is established for us. Christianity is a free system, and is based on what others did; the Lord and the apostles. You will find that the Spirit of God in recording what is in the gospels aims at showing that the apostles’ ministry and administration were in accord with what Christ did. Matthew shows that what Christ did supports what the apostles did in administration. Mark shows that the apostles’ ministry was in accord with Christ’s ministry. Luke shows that Paul’s ministry was in ^[p. 3] accord with His ministry. Thus we have the apostles linked up with Christ in the testimony, so we may be perfectly sure of our ground, if following the principles established by them.

Ques The first day is more a day of privilege than of rest, I suppose?

JT Yes, it ought to be a day of rest, but the conditions that exist in the world forbid this; so the Lord, on the first day of the week, was marked by great activity, but His activity had one end in view, I think, to get the saints together. The saints were given to Him as a sort of recompense for Israel, and He wants them together, to be entirely for Himself. Each “week” is a figure of the whole christian period; every week stands by itself, and marks a course; so the assembly begins afresh every first day; the convening is renewed.

Ques Does not the apostle receive instruction as to the Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, “For I received from the Lord”?

JT That was to show it was for gentiles as well as Jews, as the record in the gospels does not extend beyond Jewish believers. The Lord shows the importance He attaches to the Supper by committing it to the apostle of the gentiles.

Ques What is the import of the Supper?

JT It is the last meal of the day, ordinarily a meal in which we are free, using the figure of the ordinary meal. It comes in at the end of the day’s labour, and not at the beginning. Your mind is not charged with the cares and responsibilities of the day. We should come together as free; the family idea is more seen at the Supper when all are free.

Ques How are you to secure that?

JT There ought to be great exercise as to the Supper, I believe saints ought to be greatly exercised as to it, that we might have moral power to lay aside care, for the Lord is aiming at having the ^[p. 4] assembly for Himself. The word in Genesis is, “It is not good that Man should be alone”, Genesis 2: 18. We forget that the Lord seeks companionship; He seeks to have His affections reciprocated. God provided for Adam, because of that, and what God has provided for Christ is the assembly.

Ques Do we specially come into touch with Christ then?

JT He puts Himself into touch with us, I think.

Ques Why did you put the three points alluded to at the beginning in the order you did?

JT The Supper is the proper starting point. From thence we are led on to the spiritual side, and the result of all is you come out here to exhibit the grace of Christ in giving, and the three things are connected with the first day of the week.

Ques Should we be exercised more about this?

JT Apart from individual exercise, we are not equal to the Supper. We come together, I think, as we are here in flesh and blood as those who have to do with the world outside. Our exercises are very shallow with regard to divine things. What John says is “God is a spirit” (John 4: 24), and hence having to do with God requires that we should be spiritual, for spiritual persons worship Him in spirit and in truth. Hence the necessity that flesh should not intrude. We come together, I think, as here in this world, and He reminds us that He knows each one of us by name as we are here; but as we lay hold of the spiritual world, of which He is Head. He gives us to understand that we have a new name, that all in His world is under His control, just as all in the natural creation was under Adam’s control. As he gave names to all, so in Christ’s world, He has all control.

Ques What is the reason for the order in Acts 2, “The apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”?

JT If not abiding in the apostles’ doctrine, one would not be suitable for fellowship.

JS It is necessary to have things rightly distinguished in our souls, in order that our exercises may take a proper channel.

JT The Supper was never celebrated during the forty days in resurrection before the Lord ascended, but when He ascended, and the Spirit came, you find the Supper immediately. There is nothing about it during the forty days. This is significant. It was on the night in which He was betrayed that He instituted it, and the apostle who records it afterwards tells us the same thing. Hence, I take it, it has reference to the sphere in which He died, not the sphere of resurrection. Clearly He did not die in Canaan, as Canaan is the sphere of His resurrection. He died here in the world.

GG What do you mean by the world?

JT The world as it stood, where Christ was put to death; it was all arrayed against Christ. What was the disciples’ path? Were they to go back to the world? Christ provided that they should have a fellowship; they were not to go out of the world, but to have a fellowship in it, the fellowship of His death; therefore in presence of the world, we are committed to His death.

Ques How do we partake of it?

JT We are in flesh and blood when we partake of it; we are assumed to be so. John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”, and Paul says he was “caught up to the third heaven”; that is spiritual; that is the assembly. The breaking of bread introduces us to what is spiritual.

Ques Can the terms “breaking of bread” and “Supper” be used interchangeably?

JT The regular formula is “the breaking of bread”. The Supper means both bread and cup. If analysed, there is different teaching attached to the ^[p. 6] bread and cup, but that was the way they spoke of it — the breaking of bread.

Ques You attach importance to the act of breaking?

JT In the chapter you have the two thoughts distinguished, breaking and eating. The breaking is the reminder of Christ, the eating could not be. He never ate the Supper, only the Passover. Hence you have in the Supper what is objective and what is subjective — for the eye and for the mouth. You see and then you commit yourself to it. You get, “As often as ye shall eat”.

AP Have you any thought as to the expression, ‘We receive it from His hand’ which is frequently used?

JT He primarily delivered it to us. As it is commonly used I do not go with it, as we do it when He is not here. Seeing He is not here, it has to be done by someone. I do not understand the Supper if Christ is present. If it were to be a supper over which He was to preside, I cannot see why He did not have it when He arose. As regards Emmaus it was an informal supper, and He just remained long enough to break the bread. If He were present at the Supper, we should not need to be reminded of Him, “This do in remembrance of me”.

Ques What about that line of the hymn, ‘In Thy presence break the bread’?

JT That is not scripture.

Ques. When is He present?

JT I would not limit the Lord. You can never make divine Persons act automatically, I would not pretend to say when He makes Himself known to us; but I do say this, when He does it is discernible to the affections.

Ques What as to His leading the praises?

JT It is characteristic.

Ques Does it involve His ^[p. 7] presence?

JT I think He does it in the assembly as convened. We must distinguish between what we are in our ordinary circumstances and our position in assembly.

Ques Do we break bread in the wilderness?

JT I do not understand it in any other way. Canaan represents a wholly spiritual idea. We are in conditions of flesh and blood. The Supper is a literal thing that we partake of. Corinthians contemplates the saints as here in the world, so that if an unbeliever came, it would be a testimony to him.

Ques Does the presence of the Lord affect everyone?

JT It has a great effect.

Ques What does “in the Spirit” involve?

JT The assembly in the mind of God is spiritual.

Ques Do you mean the material or moral world, when you speak of the world?

JT Both; we are in a position to be taken cognisance of. Christ was not during the forty days. The world is foreign and adverse, but it can take cognisance of us. The assembly itself cannot be taken account of in that way. Into that company an unbeliever might come, and go out to the world and report that God was in them of a truth, but that is not the assembly in heavenly privilege. The old corn of the land is partaken of in the assembly; we touch Him in that character; that is assembly privilege properly. The old corn is Christ going up to His own sphere, not the bread of God coming down. John 20 conveys an entirely spiritual idea; the doors were shut, yet the Lord came in, in spite of that. We are here under the eyes of the world, and they take cognisance of us, but the world knows nothing of what goes on in our souls. As we enter into the significance of the bread and the cup we enter the spiritual world.

Ques Is Christ ^[p. 8] there then?

JT Yes, if He is there. He is sovereign; He does not work automatically. You cannot put it that way.

Ques The Lord broke the bread and now we break it.

JT We do it because He told us to do it. It was His customary act, and this was the last time He did it; and now He says, ‘You do it’. The bread sets aside our wills. Christ’s body was the vessel in which He did God’s will, so our wills are set aside. It is brought in in chapter 10 so that you cannot be independent, or do what you please.

Ques What about Matthew 18: 20, “There am I in the midst”?

JT That is levitical, it is those burdened with God’s administration in the assembly. That is a great burden, and the Lord is with them to support them, but John 20 is what is for Christ. When burdened you are not then for Christ. You are occupied with service, and the Lord helps you and supports you; but in assembly it is what is for Christ.

Ques What about “I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you”?

JT These chapters set forth the provision the Lord made for the disciples, in view of His going; and chapter 20 is the inauguration of what is new. One of the provisions the Lord made is “I am coming to you”. First you get another Comforter, another divine Person coming to take His place. He would not leave them. Christ was leaving them, so He says, “I am coming to you”, not when or where, or that He is coming to stay. I do not think we should add to it. The thing is to be in expectancy, and He will not disappoint that.

Ques You get in 1 Corinthians 1, “The assembly of God ... sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints”. Can the world take account of that?

JT Oh, yes, I think so; you are set apart. The Corinthians were endued with all gift, and set apart ^[p. 9] down here. The world can take account of that, I think, from its own standpoint. They are viewed in the wilderness condition, “all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord”.

Ques What about your second point, “in the Spirit”?

JT Well, our time is gone. That suggests what the assembly is, viewed in relation to Christ. In order to touch this, you must know something of being “in the Spirit”.