Just before Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage and adopted as His children, Jehovah instituted the Passover Feast (Exodus 12:1-28). It was Jehovah’s Passover (Exodus 12:11). It was known as the “Days of Unleavened Bread” because it was observed over the course of seven days (Exodus 12:18-19).
In just a few words, the people of God were given strict guidelines for the proper observance of this feast. It was expected that the supper would be observed in the homes of the Israelites (Exodus 12:3-4, 15, 19-20, 22-23), for that is where they were saved from the death that was to pass through the land. This is where they ate their common meals, but this supper was to be different. The focus was on the elements of the supper and how they ate it. It was to be eaten in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and death (Exodus 12:25-27). The meal was to be observed as a holy feast (set apart from common meals).
Though deliverance was offered to all, no one was forced to enter the safety of the home or to eat of the meal. If they did not enter, they did not eat or did not eat properly, they would die a physical death (Exodus 12:15, 19-20; 31:14). The Passover Feast was the precursor to the Lord’s Supper.
Just before all of mankind was to be delivered from the bondage of sin and death and adopted as children through the death of Christ on the cross, Jesus instituted His Supper. It was first observed in the house of a man (Matthew 26:18). Jesus was not in a church building when He ate the Supper for the first time but in a house (1 Corinthians 11:25). No one is forced to eat the Lord’s Supper, but if they do not eat it or if they do not eat properly, they will die spiritually (1 Corinthians 11:25, 27-34).
Wherever the spiritual house of God physically meets to worship God, it ought to be an acceptable location for the Lord’s Supper to be observed. As a matter of necessity and history, both suppers (the Passover under the Law of Moses and the Lord’s under the Law of Christ) were physically observed in the private homes of God’s people where their common meals were also prepared and eaten.
The first century church sometimes met in private homes for the purpose of worship (Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2) but also for fellowship and hospitality (Acts 2:46-48; Romans 16:23; 3 John 5-8). [Of course, the first century church also met sometimes in public places, Acts 2:46; 5:12, 42]. Imagine the awful hardship placed on each of these brethren and their families if after they invited the church to worship in their homes that they were no longer able to cook or to eat common meals in them. Who can reason such? It is preposterous to think that Paul, an apostle of the Lord, would condemn some brethren for eating a common meal in any place or a location (1 Corinthians 11:17-34) where they had also served the Lord’s Supper and in the same letter, commend other brethren (Aquila and Prisca, 1 Corinthians 16:19) who invited the church to worship in their home where their common meals were also prepared and eaten. Paul corrected the bad behavior, but he did not contradict himself.
It is unreasonable to conclude that we are limited to observing the Lord’s Supper only in homes of the saints solely because sometimes first century saints worshipped in their homes. It is also unreasonable to conclude that we are limited to eating the Lord’s Supper in church buildings solely because some first century Christians did not partake of the Lord’s Supper properly — making a distinction between worship and fellowship. The church can observe the Lord’s Supper, as well as enjoy fellowship meals together, in the same place (anywhere) the church gathers together for such, so long as Christians properly discern what is holy (pertaining to worship) and what is not worship.
