For Jehovah’s Witnesses Easter is a special time of year. It affords them the opportunity to point out to just about everyone that we’re getting just about everything wrong...again. The cross is pagan; sacraments are out of order; once-a-week, once-a-month? Pshaw! Local bakery bread? Not on their table; grape juice? Not in their cups. All who believe invited? Well yes, but just to look on.
Friday 15th April 2022 saw us invited once again to observe a special commemoration. Did you go? The JW website carried the invitation, explaining:
‘Once each year, Jehovah’s Witnesses commemorate the death of Jesus just as he commanded when he said: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”—Luke 22:19.’
My wife and I, many years ago, attended one such occasion and it seemed to me the strangest non-event I have ever seen. There was a solemn atmosphere of anticipation, everyone had dressed up especially for the occasion, a prepared talk was delivered, and a ceremony took place in which no one participated. Then everyone packed up and went home. And they seemed to find this very satisfying.
Nisan 14
On their website the Watch Tower claim, ‘The Memorial of Jesus’ death was observed once each year by the early Christians,’ but the New Testament says nothing concerning the frequency of communion services. Dogmatic conclusions are inferred from texts that are, themselves, silent on the issue. This is how the Watch Tower arrives at many of its doctrinal teachings, by sometimes excruciating extrapolations, speaking when the text is mostly silent.
Later in the same article they write:
‘Jesus instituted the Lord’s Evening Meal on the date of the Jewish Passover, and he died later that same day. (Matthew 26:1,2) This was no coincidence. The Scriptures compare Jesus’ sacrifice to that of the Passover lamb. (1 Corinthians 5:7,8) The Passover was observed once each year. (Exodus 12:1-6;Leviticus 23:5) Likewise, the Memorial of Jesus’ death was observed once each year by the early Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses follow that Bible-based pattern.’
Is theirs a Bible-based pattern? Did the early church observe communion with the same frequency as Passover?
The clearest text on the issue is Paul writing in 1 Corinthians:
‘For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.' (1 Cor.11:23-26)
Jesus on that night said:
‘And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”’ (Mk.14:22-25)
What an opportunity Jesus and Paul had to speak of frequency, but they simply don’t. Neither do any of the texts draw significance from the fact this was Passover in relation to frequency. Compare this with the clear injunction given through Moses in Exodus 12:
‘Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their father’s houses, a lamb for a household…’ (vv 1-6)
Bavesh Roger wrote in the Facebook discussion:
‘The earliest account of the Lord's supper is found in the epistle of 1 Corinthians, where Paul repeatedly uses the Greek word sunerchomai in reference to a corporate church service. In chapter 11 Paul talks about the Lord's supper. By "Lord's Supper" he must mean communion here because according to him it unites the participants with the blood and the body of Christ. If this Lord's Supper was a yearly Passover meal then why did Paul instruct them to eat at home if they are hungry (v.22 and 34) before they sunerchomai (come together)?
Paul does not even mention the observance of Passover in this chapter. Rather, he is giving instructions regarding the proper manner of partaking the Lord's supper. The first century ancient text called the Didache and the 2nd century writings of Justin Martyr (First Apology) also mention the weekly observance of the communion.’
History and Tradition
These
are strong points, albeit inferred rather than drawn directly from
the text. Historically,
and for a variety of reasons, church have gathered at the Lord’s
table annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, even daily.
There is no universal agreement in the Christian Church, one party favouring weekly observation, another favouring ‘frequent’ observation. Calvin, famously, favoured frequent if not weekly communion, which he practiced until he came to Geneva where the authorities, determined to separate themselves from the frequent and ‘empty sacraments’ of the Roman Church, insisted on quarterly observation. As in so many things, Calvin did not always have his way in Geneva.
On this basis it may be argued Jehovah’s Witnesses have every right to decide on an annual event. They will not, however, allow such latitude to others, insisting their way must be right and ‘Christendom’ wrong and apostate. Surely, however, this fits into Paul’s word on Christian freedoms in Romans:
‘Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.’ (Ro.14:4-6)
A pity Jehovah’s Witnesses neither allow nor know such freedom.
Comments
Your comments and observations are always helpful and I do appreciate your insights.
There is a tendency to seek in the New Testament a form and structure for church in general. Bryan Chappell, in his book Christ-Centred Worship, points out there is no set structure but there are definite elements that identify the authentic Christian practice. An obvious place to go is Acts 2: 42-48, where we find devotion to the apostles' teaching, prayer, breaking of bread, the common life, but there are others.
The problem with the JW argument is it is an argument from silence, which was the point of the article. 'There is nothing about this word, or this way, in the New Testament so we won't use it.' There are, however, good reasons for words and ways the church has adopted to talk about and practice those elements of church we know we should have. Their contempt (learned not carefully reasoned) for churches and church history drips off them.
I agree with you about frequency. The problem is JWs don't see the table as anything other than a memorial. There is no spiritual content, Christ doesn't meet them at the table, indeed they themselves simply observe an empty ceremony, the irony being lost on them.