II. THE CHURCH MEETINGS
The second category of meetings is the church meetings, and the first meeting of the church which we need to consider is the Lord’s table meeting.
A. The Lord’s Table Meeting
1. On the First Day of the Week (the Lord’s Day)
Acts 2 tells us that the early believers had the Lord’s table, the breaking of bread, every day in their homes (vv. 42, 46). Later in Acts 20:6b-7a, we can see that the saints had a habit of having the Lord’s table on the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week. Verse 6b says that the apostle Paul and his co-workers stayed in Troas for seven days. Then the next verse says that on the first day of the week they had the Lord’s table. This strongly indicates that by that time the Lord’s table was conducted mainly on the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, the day of resurrection.
We need to say a little word here about the difference between the Lord’s Day and Sunday. Sunday is a heathen, idolatrous term adopted by Catholicism and maintained by our tradition. Actually, it is idolatrous to say a day belongs to the sun. The Bible refers to this day as the first day of the week. Revelation 1:10 calls this day "the Lord’s Day." We must respect the first day of the week as a memorial of the Lord’s resurrection. We should consider this day as a day of the Lord and for the Lord.
Today the whole world takes Sunday not mainly for worship but for pleasures, for sports, and for all kinds of entertainment. This is more evil than idol worship, but this tide has flooded many Christians. Many Christians not only refer to the Lord’s Day as Sunday, but also consider Sunday as a day of pleasure and entertainment. We, however, should consider the first day of the week as a day for the Lord.
In ancient times, the saints eventually had the Lord’s table on the Lord’s Day, the first day of every week. This is also proved by 1 Corinthians 16:2. In this verse the apostle Paul told the saints that on the first day of each week, they should offer something of their material possessions to the Lord. This proves that on the first day of each week, the early saints met together. Today the best day for the Christians to meet together is the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. We must make this clear to the saints.
(Basic Lessons on Service, Chapter 2, by Witness Lee)
