Is it wrong to partake of the Lord’s Supper when you can’t attend services at a church?
Question:
A discussion recently came up along the lines of Brother Eubanks' article on the Lord’s Supper.
I agree that one should not purposefully forsake the assembly and take the Lord’s Supper at home or elsewhere when a congregation is available. We have met in small groups during ice storms or flooding when the congregation could not assemble; we worshiped and partook of the Lord’s Supper. When I was deployed in support of combat operations, a few of us would gather, when possible, for worship, and when proper items were available, we would take the Lord’s Supper. Neither was ideal, but we did not purposefully forsake the assembly either.
We have a brother who shares Brother Eubanks' view that doing so was an error.
Answer:
I don't know if I can explain the situation better than what's in "The Setting for the Lord's Supper." Gary Eubanks laid out a strong argument that the Lord's Supper is commanded to be taken on Sundays as part of a congregation's worship service. In response, you only offered the view that there are situations when it is not possible to attend services with a congregation. This doesn't provide evidence that the Lord's Supper can be partaken of with a few.
To be fair, Brother Eubanks was focusing on situations where people choose to be in places where a congregation is not available. You are focusing on situations where meeting with a congregation was not possible.
When the apostle Paul and his companions were caught in a storm for 14 days at sea (Acts 27:27, 33-36), there is no mention of them partaking of the Lord's Supper. We can't conclude that it didn't happen, but we also can't conclude that it was taken. Since Paul mentioned that they hadn't eaten in 14 days (Acts 27:33), it is more likely that they didn't take the Lord's Supper, even though we can't say this conclusively.
What we can say is that the evidence strongly supports partaking of the Lord's Supper only in a congregational setting on the first day of the week.
Though Paul is talking about Jewish feast days, he makes an interesting point: "He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's" (Romans 14:6-8). If someone desires to partake of the emblems of the Lord's Supper as a small group because they cannot reach an assembly of God's people, I understand the desire to keep the memorial. While I don't believe it fulfills Christ's command, I also don't see it as harmful unless it becomes an excuse not to even make an effort to be with God's people. Each person must answer for himself whether he is doing so for the Lord or for his own convenience.
