as often as

2017/04/14 0

Christ's Memorial Christian JW

t f B! P L

The Lord's Supper does not necessarily have to be done like Israel's Passover meal.

Unlike Israel's Passover, Christian's "Lord's Supper" does not necessarily need to be done once a year on Nisan 14.

Unlike Jewish religious system, Christians are walking by faith, not by sight.

2Co 5:7
7 for we are walking by faith, not by sight.

The Jewish religious system was supported and operated by visible things such as temple, priesthood, sacrifice, festival, and so on.

These visible things do not exist in Christian worship, nor they are necessary.

Since the Christian itself is the temple, so visible religious buildings are unnecessary.
Also, since Christ himself is the high priest and the leader, so we do not need visible representative of invisible Christ.
All sacrifices and festivals in the Law of Moses were fulfilled by the sinless blood of Christ, so the shadow lost its meaning and was removed because reality had arrived.

1Co 3:16-17
16 Do YOU not know that YOU people are God's temple, and that the spirit of God dwells in YOU? 17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] YOU people are.

Heb 3:1
Consequently, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest whom we confess-Jesus.

Col 2:16-17
16 Therefore let no man judge YOU in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; 17 for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Christ.

What we can see from this is that Christians are not bound by dates, including Nisan 14.

Example of early Christians

Peter's case

In 44 AD, Peter was arrested by Herod Agrippa at the days of unfermented cakes and was put in prison. Herod intended to kill Peter after the "Passover." But Peter was rescued by an angel before the day of Passover. Then Peter went to the house of Mary, Mark's mother, then after that he went to Caesarea.

Luke's account doesn't mention "Lord's Supper," despite the fact that it was days of unfermented cakes and Passover season.

Why is that?

It is because, at that time, "Lord's Supper" was not held once a year on the day of Passover.

Commemorating Christ's death, which is the reality, is not done like Passover, which is the shadow.

The shadow shows the reality.
When the reality comes, the shadow becomes meaningless and ends its role.
Christ was to die on Nisan 14 as shown by the date of Passover.

Since Christ died on Nisan 14, the date of Nisan 14 was fulfilled and became no more meaningful, so its role ended, so the obligation to keep that date ended also. Christians are no more bound by Nisan 14.

Christians celebrate Christ's death without being bound to the date of Nisan 14.

Ac 12:1-19
1 About that particular time Herod the king applied his hands to mistreating some of those of the congregation. 2 He did away with James the brother of John by the sword. 3 As he saw it was pleasing to the Jews, he went on to arrest Peter also. (As it was, those were days of the unfermented cakes.) 4 And laying hold of him, he put him in prison, turning him over to four shifts of four soldiers each to guard him, as he intended to produce him for the people after the passover. 5 Consequently Peter was being kept in the prison; but prayer to God for him was being carried on intensely by the congregation.

6 Now when Herod was about to produce him, that night Peter was sleeping bound with two chains between two soldiers, and guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 But, look! YHWH's angel stood by, and a light shone in the prison cell. Striking Peter on the side, he roused him, saying: "Rise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 The angel said to him: "Gird yourself and bind your sandals on." He did so. Finally he said to him: "Put your outer garment on and keep following me." 9 And he went out and kept following him, but he did not know that what was happening through the angel was real. In fact, he supposed he was seeing a vision. 10 Going through the first sentinel guard and the second they got to the iron gate leading into the city, and this opened to them of its own accord. And after they went out they advanced down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And Peter, coming to himself, said: "Now I actually know that YHWH sent his angel forth and delivered me out of Herod's hand and from all that the people of the Jews were expecting."

12 And after he considered it, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where quite a few were gathered together and praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to attend to the call, 14 and, upon recognizing the voice of Peter, out of joy she did not open the gate, but ran inside and reported that Peter was standing before the gateway. 15 They said to her: "You are mad." But she kept on strongly asserting it was so. They began to say: "It is his angel." 16 But Peter remained there knocking. When they opened, they saw him and were astonished. 17 But he motioned to them with his hand to be silent and told them in detail how YHWH brought him out of the prison, and he said: "Report these things to James and the brothers." With that he went out and journeyed to another place.

18 Well, when it became day, there was no little stir among the soldiers over what really had become of Peter. 19 Herod made diligent search for him and, when not finding him, he examined the guards and commanded them to be led off [to punishment]; and he went down from Ju·de′a to Caes·a·re′a and spent some time there.

Paul's case

In 56 AD, Paul spent the days of unfermented cakes in Philippi around the end of the third missionary trip. Here again, Luke's record does not say a word about the "Lord's Supper."

Why?

It is because, the "Lord's Supper" was not held once a year on the day of Passover.
The "Lord's Supper" was not annual event, it was not an abolished shadow-like arrangement.

If it is to be done on the day of Passover once a year just like a shadow, why is there no clear instruction on that procedure? Why is it that there is no example nor reference of it among the early Christians' record in the Bible?

Why is it that a historian Luke is silent about the "Lord's Supper," while writing about the days of unfermented cakes and Passover?

The answer is that the "Lord's Supper" is not a memorial ceremony held once a year like the shadow.

Ac 20:1-6
1 Now after the uproar had subsided, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them and bidden them farewell, he went forth to journey into Mac·e·do′ni·a. 2 After going through those parts and encouraging the ones there with many a word, he came into Greece. 3 And when he had spent three months there, because a plot was hatched against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he made up his mind to return through Mac·e·do′ni·a. 4 There were accompanying him Sop′a·ter the son of Pyr′rhus of Be·roe′a, Ar·is·tar′chus and Se·cun′dus of the Thes·sa·lo′ni·ans, and Ga′ius of Der′be, and Timothy, and from the [district of] Asia Tych′i·cus and Troph′i·mus. 5 These went on and were waiting for us in Tro′as; 6 but we put out to sea from Phi·lip′pi after the days of the unfermented cakes, and we came to them in Tro′as within five days; and there we spent seven days.

Christ, the reality of Passover

As Christ fulfilled the Passover, Christians are no longer under the restrictions and regulations of that festival. The demands belonging to the shadow passed away for being fulfilled by its reality.

Christians are not bound by a certain period of days in a year for unfermented cakes.
Christians live under the festival of unfermented cakes every day.

1Co 5:6-8
6 YOUR [cause for] boasting is not fine. Do YOU not know that a little leaven ferments the whole lump? 7 Clear away the old leaven, that YOU may be a new lump, according as YOU are free from ferment. For, indeed, Christ our passover has been sacrificed. 8 Consequently let us keep the festival, not with old leaven, neither with leaven of badness and wickedness, but with unfermented cakes of sincerity and truth.

Requests for unfermented cakes are not limited to a few days of a year, rather Christian's entire life is a festival of unfermented cakes.

Christians do not remember their Lord only on a certain day of a year.
Christians live always bearing Christ in mind.

Jesus commanded his disciples: "Keep doing this in remembrance of me."
Jesus says nothing as to when, and how many times it would be done in a year.
There is no clear demand about these things in the Bible.

Just being told: "Keep doing this."

So, who decide when, and how many times a year?
It is each person who believes in Christ's ransom who decides what the Bible does not say.

Neither any person nor any group of people can regulate other's faith.
The faith is very personal matter between God and individual.

So, it would be a mistake to make such a personal matter an issue of debate.
We shouldn't be involved in such a no conclusive debate, nor should we start it.

Lu 22:19-20
19 Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: "This means my body which is to be given in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me." 20 Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in YOUR behalf.

1Co 11:23-26
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also handed on to YOU, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf 24 and, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: "This means my body which is in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me." 25 He did likewise respecting the cup also, after he had the evening meal, saying: "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as often as YOU drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.

The phrase "as often as" implies that we can do this at any time.

With the arrival of reality, the style of worship belonging to the shadow that depend on a particular date and specific place lost meaning.

Since Christians are tied to the reality and not under the shadow, we can express our faith and love anytime and anywhere according to our wish.

Christian life and worship do not depend on a particular day nor on specific place.
Christ's memorial also does not depend on Nisan 14 nor on religious building like the kingdom Hall.

At any time, Christian can commemorate Christ's death with emblems just like they can pray to God anytime, and can show love anytime and anywhere.

The early Christians had a custom called "love feast" for their fellowship and sharing meal.
They would have remembered their Lord using the emblems at such a occasion.

Those who say that people who commemorate the "Lord's Supper" on the day other than Nisan 14 are committing sin, should show their basis from the Bible.

Such a claim can not be proven from the Bible.

Would you be guilty if you eat and drink the emblems to remember the death of Christ other than Nisan 14?

Do you feel guilty if you do so before sunset?

Is it not the demonstration of one's faith to partake the emblems?
Should a man be condemned by the manner of expression of faith?

You blind judges who judge other's faith by the useless rule belonging to the shadow.

Joh 7:24
24 Stop judging from the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

No one can condemn the people whom God's accepts.

Mt 12:7
7 However, if YOU had understood what this means, 'I want mercy, and not sacrifice,' YOU would not have condemned the guiltless ones.

The reasoning of that kind of condemning person for a violation of rule is not Christian's, it is a characteristic of abolished Mosaic Law covenant.

Those who emphasize the arrangements and the regulations belonging to the shadow fall away from the undeserved kindness of Christ.

Ga 5:1, 4
1 For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore stand fast, and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery.

4 YOU are parted from Christ, whoever YOU are that try to be declared righteous by means of law; YOU have fallen away from his undeserved kindness.

Christian Freedom, A radiance of Precious Pearl

The significance of an event is not in the day and place where it happened, but the event itself.

So we should pay attention to the death of Christ, rather than minding Nisan 14, and sunset time.

Jesus used unfermented cakes and wine as emblems to remind us of his sinless death.
Christians can commemorate Christ's death with the emblems at any time whenever they wish.

These emblems are far better reminder of sinless death of Christ than cross symbol.

There is no need to mind Nisan 14 nor the sunset time.

People are not sinning just because partaking the emblems before sunset or doing memorial other than on Nisan 14.

People who care about such regulation seem to be ancient Israelites who were acting with fear of being condemned as a law violator. Those who are ruled by fear for falling short of regulations do not have Christian freedom. There is no need to worry about the rules and regulations belonging to the removed shadow.

Some may wish to show their own righteousness by keeping rules and regulations like Pharisees, but such self-recommendation would be of no value to God.

Because the desire of people and the quality of faith are to be evaluated by God, no one should judge others' decision, nor look down on others.

If we are asked about the reason of our decision, we will explain our reasoning with mildness without imposing our conviction upon others.

Ro 14:5-12
5 One [man] judges one day as above another; another [man] judges one day as all others; let each [man] be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day observes it to the Lord. Also, he who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat does not eat to the Lord, and yet gives thanks to God. 7 None of us, in fact, lives with regard to himself only, and no one dies with regard to himself only; 8 for both if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore both if we live and if we die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For to this end Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.

10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written: "'As I live,' says YHWH, 'to me every knee will bend down, and every tongue will make open acknowledgment to God.'" 12 So, then, each of us will render an account for himself to God.

1Pe 3:15
15 But sanctify the Christ as Lord in YOUR hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of YOU a reason for the hope in YOU, but doing so together with a mild temper and deep respect.

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I became a Christian being baptized in 1972. Since then, I was a Jehovah's Witnesses for about 40 years.

When I was an elder, I was removed from the eldership of the congregation because I took a position that differed from the policy of the Watchtower Society.

Many years of life as a Jehovah's Witnesses I have experienced a discord between the style of worship of the Watch Tower Society and the teachings of Christ. So, using the Internet I began investigating the Watchtower Society from its beginning.

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