BREAD OF THE NEW PASSOVER - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

Homily for the 17^thSunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

Based on Jn 6:1-15 (Gospel), 2 K 4:42-44 (First Reading) and  Ep 4:1-6(Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

BREAD OF THE NEW PASSOVER

“They will eat and have some leftover” (2 K 4:43)

The Gospel Reading for this 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time is taken from Jn. 6:1-15. This whole narrative goes under the title of: “Miracle of the loaves,” which has parallel texts:

a.       Mt 14:13-21 - First miracle of the loaves - When Jesus received this news he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot^c (v. 13). So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and he healed their sick (v. 14). When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so end the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food’ (v. 15). Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves’ (v. 16). But they answered, ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish’ (v. 17). ‘Bring them here to me’ he said (v. 18). He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowd.^d (v. 19). They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected scraps remaining, twelve baskets full (v. 20). Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children (v. 21). Footnote ^c says: “On shore the crowd hurried to the place the boat was making for”;  Footnote^d –says “This miraculous bread, though not the Holy Eucharist, clearly prefigures and leads up to it. This is the view of the Fathers and indeed of the evangelists before them; cf. v. 19 with 26:26, and cf. Jn 6:1-15, 51-58”.

b.      Mk 6:32-44 –  So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves (v. 32). But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them (v. 33). So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length (v. 34). By now it was getting very late, and his disciples came up to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place and it is getting very late (v. 35), so send them away, and they can go to the farms and villages round about, to but themselves something to eat’ (v. 36). He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves’. They answered, ‘Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread for them to eat? (v. 37)’ How many loaves have you? He asked ‘Go and see’. And when they had found out they said, ‘Five, and two fish’ (v. 38). Then he ordered them to get all the people together in groups on the green grass (v. 39),and they sat down on the ground in squares of hundred and fifties (v. 40). Then he took the five loaves and two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared out the two fish among them all (v. 41). They all ate as much as they wanted (v. 42). They collected twelve basketfuls of scraps of bread and pieces of fish (v. 43). Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men (v. 44).

c.       Lk 9:10-17 - On their return the apostles gave him an account of all they had done. Then he took them with him and withdrew to a town call Bethsaida where they could be by themselves (v. 10). But the crowds got to know and they went after him. He made them welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing (v. 11). It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here’ (v. 12).He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves’. But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go out ourselves and buy food for all these people’ (v. 13). For there were about five thousand men, But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty’ (v. 14). They did so and made them all sit down (v. 15). Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd (v. 16). They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets (v. 17).

Let us go verse by verse.  Verses1, 2, 3 and 4 say:Sometime after this, Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee - or of Tiberias - and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick.Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples.It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.^a Footnote ^a  of verse 4 says: “The bread Jesus gives is to be the new Passover.”

Parallel text of verse 4 is taken from  Jn 11:55 that says: The Jewish Passover draw near,^p and many of the country people who had gone up to Jerusalem ^q to purify themselves…  Footnote ^psays “Jn repeatedly emphasizes the connection between the Passover and Christ’s death, 13:1; 18:28; 19:14,42”; and Footnote ^q says: “Add. ‘before the Passover’.

Verses 5, 6 and 7 say: Looking up, Jesus saw the crowd approaching and said to Philip, “Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?”  He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do.Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each’.

Parallel text for verse 7 is from Nb 11:22 that says: If all the flocks and herds were slaughtered, would that be enough for them? If all the fish in the sea were gathered, would that be enough for them?

Verses 8, 9, 10 and 11 say:

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down’. There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted.

Parallel text is from Jn. 21:13 that says:  Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish.

Verses 12 and 13 says: When they had eaten enough he said to his disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted’. So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of barley loaves.

Parallel text is from 2 K 4:42-44 that says: A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread from the first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in the ear.ⁱ ‘Give it to the people to eat’, Elisha said (v. 42). But his servant replied, ‘How can I serve this to a hundred men?’ ‘Give it to the people to eat’ he insisted ‘for Yahweh says this, “They will eat and have some left over”. (v. 43). He served them, they ate and had some left over, as Yahweh had said (v. 44). Footnote ⁱ says “ Translation conjectural.”

Verses 14 and 15 say: The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world’. Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped^bback to the hills by himself. Footnote ^b – says “Var. ‘withdrew’.”

Parallel texts are:

a.       Jn 1:21+,49  - ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’^t ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the prophet?’^u (v. 21). Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God,^ff you are the King of Israel’. (v. 49)Footnote ^t says: “On the expected return of Elijah, see Ml. 3:23-24 and Mt. 17:10-13; Footnote ^u says “From Dt. 18;15,18 (see note) the Jews argued that the expected Messiah would be another Moses (the prophet par excellence, cf. Nb. 12:7+) who would repeat on a grand scale the prodigies of the Exodus. Cf. Jn. 3:14; 6:14, 30-31, 68; 7:40,52; 13:1+; Ac. 3:22-23; 7:20-44; Heb. 3:1-11. See also Mt.  16:14+; and Footnote ^ff  ofJn 1:49  says “In this passage the phrase implies he is the Messiah only (like ‘king of Israel’). Cf. Mt 4:3+.”

b.      Jn 12:13 - They took branches of palm and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessings on the King of Israel,^cwho comes in the name of the Lord.’Footnote^c says “The Messiah-King”

c.       Jn18:36  -‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’

d.      Heb 12:2 - Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right hand of God’s throne.

e.      Mk 1:34 - And he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.ⁱ Footnoteⁱ says “Jesus forbids the news that he is the Messiah to be spread by the devils, 1:25,34; 3:12, by those he cured, 1:44; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, even by the apostles, 8:30; 9:9. The silence is not to be broken till after his death, Mt. 10:27+. Since the prevailing idea of the Messiah was nationalistic and warlike, in sharp contrast with his own ideal, Jesus had to be very careful, at least on Israelite soil, cf. 5:19, to avoid giving a false and dangerous impression of his mission, cf. Jn. 6:15; Mt. 13:13+. This policy of silence (‘the messianic secret’) is not an invention of Mk’s, as some have claimed, but is in fact Christ’s own, though Mark has given it a special emphasis. With the exception of Mt. 9:30, Mt. and Lk. record the injunction to silence only in passages which are parallel with Mk, frequently omitting it even in these cases.”

The First Reading is taken from 2 K 4:42-44.

Verses 42, 43, and 44 say: A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread from the first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in the ear.i ‘Give it to the people to eat’, Elisha said

But his servant replied, ‘How can I serve this to a hundred men?’ ‘Give it to the people to eat’ he insisted ‘for Yahweh says this, “They will eat and have some left over”. He served them, they ate and had some left over, as Yahweh had said.

Parallel texts are:

a.       Mt 14:13-21+ - already stated above.

b.      Mt 15:32-38 –Second Miracle of the loaves.

c.       Jn 6:13–  So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of barley loaves.

The Second Reading is taken from Ep 4:1-6. This scripture is under the title: A call to unity^a Footnote ^a - Paul lists three different threats to the Church’s unity: arguments between Christians vv. 1-3; diversity of service within the Church vv. 7-11; unorthodox teaching vv. 14-15. These threats are all averted by applying the principle of unity in Christ, vv. 4-6, 12-13,18. (The Teleological principle or doctrine).

Verse 1 says: I, prisoner in the Lord, implore you therefore to lead a life worthy of your vocation.

Parallel text is taken from Col 3:12-14 that says:  You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience (v. 12). Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now must do the same (v. 13). Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love (V. 14).

Verse 2 and 3 say: Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and  patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together.

Parallel texts for verse 2 are:

a.       1 Co 13:13 - In short,^e there are three things that last:^f faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.Footnote ^e says “Or ‘Meanwhile.”; and Footnote ^f says that: “Or ‘In short, then, we are left with these three things.’ This association of the three theological virtues, which is found earlier in 1 Th 1:3 and which was probably in use before Paul’s time, recurs frequently in his letters, though the order varies: 1 Th 5:8; 1 Co 13:7,13; Ga 5:5f; Rm 5:1-5; 12:6-12; Col 1:4-5; Ep 1:15-18; 4:2-5; 1 Tm 5:11; Tt 2:2;  CfHeb 6:10-12; 10:22-24; 1 P 1:3-9,21f. Faith and charity are associated  in 1 Th 3:6; 2 Th 1:3; Phm 5; faith and fortitude in 2 Th 1:4, love and fortitude in 2 Th 3:5, Cf. 2 Co 13:13.”

b.      Ph 1:27 -Avoid anything in your everyday lives^l that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come to you and see for myself, or stay at a distance and only hear about you, I shall know that you are unanimous in meeting the attack with firm resistance, united by your love for the faith of the gospel.Footnote ^l - Lit. “Live your city-life (i.e. your ordinary social life) worthily of the gospel’. The New City of God’s kingdom has Christ for its ruler, the gospel for its law, and the Christians as its free citizens, cf. 3:20; Ep. 2:19.

c.       Col 3:14-15 - Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love (v. 14). And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful (v. 15).

Verse 3 and 4 says: Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one spirit, just as you were called into one and the same hope when you were called.

Parallel textsfor verse 4are:

a.       Rm 12:5 - …so all of us, in union with Christ, form one body, and as parts of it we belong to each other.^cvFootnote^c says that: “The sentence emphasizes not so much the identification of Christians with Christ, 1 Co 12:27 as their dependence on one another.”

b.      1 Co 10:17 - The fact that there is only one loaf means that, there are so many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

c.       1 Co 12:12 - Just as a human body, it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ.^kFootnote ^k –says that “The way a human body gives unity to all its component parts is the way Christ, as a unifying principle of the Church, gives unity to all Christians in his Body.”

Verses 5 and 6 say: There is one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, though all and within all.^bFootnote ^bsays : “Var. (Vulg.) ‘within all of us’.”

Parallel texts for verse 5 are:

a.       1 Co 1:13 - Has Christ been parceled out? Was it Paul that was crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

b.      1 Co 8:6 - Still for us there is one God, the Father, from all things come and for whom we exist; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, though whom all things come through whom we exist.

c.       1 Co 12:4-6 - There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit (v. 4);  there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord (v. 5); working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them^c (v. 6). Footnote^c - Note again the Trinitarian formulation, cf. 6:11; 2 Co 13:13+.

d.      2 Co 13:13 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.^eFootnote^e - The Trinitarian formula probably derived from liturgical usage, cf also Mt. 28:19, is echoed in many passages of the epistles where the several functions of the three Persons are referred to as the various contexts suggests: Rm 1:4+; 15:16,30+; 1 Co 2:10-16; 6:11,14, 15, 19; 12:4-6; Tt 3:5f; Heb 9:14; 1 P 1:2; 3:18; 1 Jn 4:2; Rv 1:4f; 22:1; cf Ac 10:38; 20:28; Jn 14:16,18,23. Note in 1 Co 6:11; Ep 4:4-6 the triple formulation emphasizing the Trinitarian thought. Cf also the trio of the theological virtues in 1 Co 133+.

Concerning the history of the celebration of the Passover in some of the Christian churches, the following quotations have been freely taken from the book : A History of the True Religion Traced From 33 A.D. to Date, of Andrew N. Dugger and Clarence O. Dodd, to wit:

“At this council (Nicea), the Passover was placed on the Sunday after the Jewish passover, which fell on the Fourteenth of Nisan, or Abib. This made Easter a fixed festival, instead of falling on any day of the week, according to the day of the fourteenth of this month. The Eastern churches to this time had celebrated the passover once a year on the fourteenth of Abib. — From Eusebius, also Encyclopedia Britannica, and Mosheim’s History of the Church.

“Wharey says, “A dispute arose at an early period between the Eastern and Western (Roman) churches about the time of celebrating Easter. The Asiatic churches kept it on the same day that the Jews kept their Passover which was the fourteenth day of the full moon, of the first Jewish month, which might fall on any day of the week. The Latin (Western, or Roman) churches kept Easter always on that Sunday which was the first after that same fourteenth day of the first new moon of the new year. The Jews began their ecclesiastical year with the new moon of March. This difference in the time of holding Easter was the cause of much contention between the East and West until it was finally settled by the council of Nice in favor of the Latin mode, A.D. 325.” — Wharey’s Church History, p. 37. Published by the Presbyterian Board of Publications.

“Eusebius, who wrote of the church of the first centuries, speaks of the church observing the Lord’s supper at the same time the Jews kept the passover; viz., on the 14th of the first month, Nisan. — History of the Christian Church, by Hugh Smith, pp. 50, 51, a Presbyterian work.

“In the history of the first centuries by Eusebius, he speaks of Jewish Christians who observed the Sabbath, and also says that Polycarp, baptized by St. John, held to the Passover as an institution peculiarly handed down by St. John. — Eusebius

 “As long as the church was mainly Jewish, the Hebrew Sabbath was kept; but as it became increasingly Gentile, the first day gradually took the place of the seventh day.” — Hurlbut’s Story of the Christian Church, p. 45. Gieseler testifies: “While the Jewish Christians of Palestine retained the entire Mosaic Law, and consequently the Jewish festivals, the Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath and the Passover (I Corinthians 5:6, 8), with the reference to the last scenes of Jesus’ life, but without Jewish superstition.” — Eccl., Vol. 1, chap. 2, sec. 30. “While the Christians of Palestine, who kept the whole Jewish Law, celebrated of course all the Jewish festivals, the heathen converts observed only the Sabbath, and, in remembrance of closing scenes of our Savior’s life, the Passover, though without the Jewish superstitions.” — Church History, Apostolic Age to A.D. 70, Sec. 29; Lewis Hist. S. & S., page

 “It is a remarkable fact that the first instance upon record which the bishop of Rome attempted to rule the Christian church was by an edict in behalf of Sunday. It had been the custom of all the churches to celebrate the Passover, but with this difference; that while the Eastern churches observed it upon the fourteenth day of the first month, no matter what day of the week this might be, the Western churches kept it upon the Sunday following that day, or rather, upon the Sunday following Good Friday. Victor, bishop of Rome, in the year 196 (Bower’s History of the Popes, vol. 1, pp. 18, 19; Rose’s Neander, pp. 188-190; Dowling’s History of Romanism, book 1, chap. 2, sec. 9), took upon him to impose the Roman custom upon all the churches; that is, to compel them to observe the Passover upon Sunday.” “This bold attempt,” says Bower, “we may call the first essay of papal usurpation” (History of the Popes, vol. 1, p. 18). Dowling terms it the “earliest instance of Romish assumption” (History of Romanism, heading of page 32).

 “St. Stephen suffered the next in order. His death was occasioned by the faithful manner in which he preached the Gospel to the betrayers and murderers of Christ. To such a degree of madness were they excited, that they cast him out of the city and stoned him to death. The time when he suffered is generally supposed to have been at the  Passover which succeeded to that of our Lord’s crucifixion, and to the era of his ascension, in the following spring.

“Toward the close of this century (second), the controversy concerning the proper time of the observation of Easter (Passover), was unhappily revived. Synods were held concerning it, and uniformity was attempted in vain throughout the church . . . That this controversy should appear to be a matter of such moment, at this time, proves that the power of true godliness had already suffered considerable declension. When faith and love are simple, strong, and active in an eminent degree, such subjects of debate are ever known to vanish as mists before the sun.” — Townsend’s Abridgment, p. 87, Ed. 1816.

“Constantine, by whose powerful influence the council of Nicaea was induced to decide this question in favor of the Roman bishop, that is, to fix the Passover upon Sunday, urged the following strong reason for the measure: “Let us, then, have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews.” — Boyle’s Historical View of the Council of Nice, p. 52, ed. 1842.

“The Vaudois, known as such by the world, but holding to the true Bible name, were persecuted for the true faith. They observed the seventh day of the week, according to the commandment, immersed for believers baptism, and kept the Passover, or the Lord’s Supper, once a year, in the first month. — See pages 348, 349, Persecutions and Atrocities on the Vaudois.

“In John Tombers’ Dispute on Baptism, London, pages 12, 13, a complaint is entered on certain people for celebrating the Lord’s Supper in the morning, when it is said it should be celebrated in the evening. The name “Church of God” is mentioned twice on these pages referring to people holding the Passover in the evening. — Public Library, London.

“Concerning the Passover, or the Lord’s Supper, in at least one assembly of the early Sabbatarians in West Virginia, the following is illustrative: “March 21, 1853, it was voted that communion service be held once in twelve months ‘on the fourteenth day of the first Jewish month’; i. e., on the evening of the Passover.” — Idem,, p. 201.

“The truth of the matter was that the church had met on the night in question, which was the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, in the spring time, which was the month and day which were kept as a passover by the children of God from the night that God by the hand of Moses led them out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:1-17). Jesus, who was the light of the world, met on this day and celebrated the passover with his disciples and then instituted the “Lord’s Supper,” instructing them that they should eat it “in remembrance” of him. — Luke 22:7-20.

“The early church, as the Apostle Paul said, kept the passover in its season, that is the fourteenth day of Nisan, counting from the new moon nearest the spring equinox. As the beloved Paul said, “I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” — I Corinthians 11:23-26. In other words, the Wilbur brethren were celebrating the annual observance of the Lord’s Supper. Being on the fourteenth day, it was the same as when Jesus ate it with his disciples. Being at night, it was the same time that he ate it. Being supper it was the right kind of a meal. In all this the Church of God has ever followed the example of her Lord and Master.”

The father and son tandem Cushing Biggs and Sylvester Hassel in the book, “History of the Church of God” (from http://www.pbministries.org) says:

“The Passover was about the first of April, and marked the beginning of the grain harvest; the first green ears of barley were cut, a handful presented to the Lord, and others were parched and eaten by the people. It was a memorial of the nation’s birth, when the destroying angel passed over the houses of the Israelites, whose door-posts were sprinkled with the blood of the paschal lamb, while he destroyed the first-born in every Egyptian family, thus delivering the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. For each family a lamb was slain and roasted entire, and eaten, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, by the members of the family, standing, with loins girt, feet shod, and staff in hand; and if any of the lamb remained till the morning it was to be consumed with fire. The first-born thus specially delivered by the Lord were specially devoted to Him, and specially redeemed (Ex. 11:5, 7; 13:2, 13; Heb. 12:23). Christ is the true paschal lamb sacrificed for spiritual Israel (1 Cor. 5:7). By His death, and His blood being applied by the Holy Spirit to our hearts, we are delivered from ruin. In celebrating the Christian Passover, or the Lord’s Supper, we are to put away the leaven of hypocrisy and wickedness and eat the bitter herb of godly sorrow for our sins, and remember that we are pilgrims here, just ready, at any time, to depart to a better, even a heavenly country (Heb. 11:13-16). We should be devoutly thankful and consecrated to God for being specially redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:15-21; Rev. 5:9). The body of the paschal lamb was cooked entire, no bone being broken, to denote the completeness of the redemption of Christ, and the indissoluble oneness of His mystical body; and it was roasted, and not boiled in water and wasted, to indicate the preciousness of Christ’s salvation and of His people; and, if any remained till morning, it was consumed by purifying fire, to prevent it from seeing corruption or from being put to a common use—indicating that God’s people are never to become reprobates. In later times, the Israelites, at the Passover, sang the Hallel, or Psalms 113-118. It is believed that this was the hymn sung by Christ and His Apostles after the Supper.”

“They entered Canaan on the tenth day of the first month (Nisan-April B.C. 1451: Josh. 4:19). This was the day appointed for the selection of the paschal lamb, and on the evening of the fourteenth day the people kept the Passover for the first time on the soil of their own inheritance, exactly forty years after their fathers had first kept it before leaving Egypt.”

Chapter IX -  Characterisitics of the Apostolic Church. “The third mark of the apostolic church was that the members, being baptized believers, came frequently around The Table of The Lord, and commemorated the suffering and death of their precious Redeemer, by partaking of common bread to represent His body broken, and common wine to represent His blood shed for them. The two practices of Baptism and The Lords Supper, or Communion, were called ordinances of the church, and were strictly observed. Baptism represented the initiation into the Divine life by an identification with Christ in His death and burial and resurrection, and by the regenerating and cleansing efficacy of The Holy Spirit; while communion represented the continued support of the new internal heavenly life by spiritual food, even the body and blood of The Son of God, thus assimilating the children of God more and more to the perfect image of Christ. Life must not only be begun, but it must be supported with proper food; and the Christian life is both spiritual in its origin and spiritual in its continuance, and all is of God. Only those persons who made a credible profession of faith in Christ were baptized (that is, immersed in water in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost by the apostles; and only those persons thus believing and thus baptized were admitted by the apostles to the ordinance of The Lord’s Supper. Life cannot be supported before it is begun. The apostles, to whom Christ first gave the symbols of His broken body and shed blood, were themselves baptized believers, several of them having been previously disciples of John the Baptist. Christ’s commission to the apostles authorized them first to preach or teach or disciple, then to baptize, then to teach to observe all his commandments, one of these commandments being the ordinance of His Supper.

“On the day of Pentecost, accordingly, after Peter had preached the gospel, those “gladly receiving” it, were baptized; and “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:41-42). At Troas only the “disciples” came together to break bread (Acts 20:7). It was not upon the unbaptized or unbelievers, but upon “the church of God” (1 Cor. 1:2), that Paul enjoined the observance of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-34); and he praised the brethren for keeping the ordinances as he had delivered them to them (1 Cor. 11:2). If “brethren” walked “disorderly,” the apostle commanded the church to “withdraw” from such (2 Thess. 3:6) and “not to eat or commune with a man called a brother, but really a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner” (1 Cor. 5:11).

“It was plainly implied that the church was to judge the qualifications or disqualifications of persons for the sacred ordinance of communion. As it was the Table of The Lord, none but those who were declared by Him to be qualified could be admitted to it. Persons who were unregenerate, therefore could not be permitted to commune; persons who, even if they were regenerate, had not been baptized (that is, immersed in the water in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost) could not be allowed to commune; persons who, even though regenerate and baptized, walked disorderly, could not be permitted to commune. These requirements, laid down by the Divine Head of the church, plainly exclude from the Lord’s Table infants, unrenewed adults, and even Christians, if only sprinkled or poured and not baptized, and even properly baptized Christians, if their conduct is unbecoming the gospel of Christ.

“In regard to these laws of exclusion, the church has no discretion; they were unchangeably instituted by her Divine Master, and are to be faithfully executed by her as long as she has existence on the shores of time. In the apostolic church only those who “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and in fellowship” communed (Acts 2:42); the cup and the bread were “the communion of the body of Christ”—the many members constituting “one bread and one body” (1 Cor. 10:16,17). The primitive church so heartily loved and fellowshipped one another that they had all things in common (Acts 2:44; John 13:34, 35; 1 Cor. 13:13; 1 John 3:14-18)—a blessed union of life and love that will be perfectly realized in glory, Christ (Ps. 17:15; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 3:19; 1 John 4:8). For communion and worship the apostolic church at first met “daily” (Acts 2:46), and afterwards weekly, on the first day of the week (John 20:19, 26; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10). The churches were not told by Christ how often they were to observe this blessed ordinance, but, “as oft as they did it, to do it in remembrance of Him” (1 Cor. 11:25).

“Thus was the sacred Supper to be a symbolic and grateful commemoration of our adorable Redeemer, who laid down His precious life for us; an impressive personal profession of our personal faith in Him and His atonement for us; a symbol of church fellowship; and a prophecy of the marriage supper of the Lamb in Heaven (Matthew 26:29; Rev. 19:9). The Lord’s Supper is nowhere in the scriptures called a “sacrament or seal” of salvation, an effective “means of grace,” nor do the scriptures teach the gross material Catholic doctrine that the bread and wine become the veritable body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation), or the almost equally gross Lutheran doctrine that the real body of Christ is in, with and under the bread and wine (consubstantiation).

“The verb “to be” sometimes in all languages means “to represent” or “symbolize,” as in Genesis 41:26-27; Exodus 12:11; Ezekiel 37:11; Daniel 7:24; Matthew 13:38-39; Revelation 1:20, 17:9, 12, 18. Christ calls Himself “the door” (John 10:9), “the good shepherd” (John 10:11), “the way, the truth, the life” (John 14:6), “the true vine,” and Paul calls Christ “that rock” (1 Cor. 10:4). And so when Christ says, “This is my body—this is my blood,” referring to the bread and wine in His Supper, He speaks, not literally, but figuratively, meaning, “this represents my body—this represents my blood.” The bread and wine are the blessed emblems and memorials of our once dying but ever-living and ever-loving Lord, who is now bodily absent from us, and whom we are thus to remember, and show His death till He come (1 Cor. 11:25-26). They are in no sense to be deified and idolized, as in the Catholic pretended sacrifice of the “Mass” which has become a chief element of Romish worship.

“The monstrous papal doctrine of the “Mass” is not only a contradiction of our senses and reason, but a contradiction of our faith, which assures us that the offering of the body of Christ was made once for all, by that one offering forever perfecting them that are sanctified, and that His glorified humanity is seated at the right hand of The Father upon His mediatorial throne (Heb. 10:10-14; 1:3; 7:24-27). The idolatrous doctrine of transubstantiation was first explicitly taught by Paschasius Radbert, A.D. 831 and was first decreed as an article of faith at the instance of Pope Innocent III., by the fourth “Lateran Council,” A.D. 1215. This was more than a Millennium too late for it to be a doctrine of the apostolic church. Neither the apostles nor any of their real spiritual successors or followers could tolerate for a moment the idea of “crucifying the Son of God afresh” (Heb. 6:6); only a man made, carnal, unbelieving, unfeeling, ambitious, covetous “priesthood” could ever have devised or sanctioned the gross heathenish idolatry of the “Mass,” which they pretend to be an efficacious sacrifice for the sins both of the living and the dead, and which they assiduously use for the purpose of replenishing their purses and perpetuating their power over a superstitious people.

“The bread used by Christ was “artos”—a pure unleavened wheaten loaf (Ex. 12:8-20; Matthew 26:17; Ex. 29:3) and the wine was the “fruit of the vine,” the pure fermented juice of the grape. Unfermented juice of the grape is but a mass of leaven—it is must, and not wine; fermentation is the natural clarification of the juice. Paul exhorts the Corinthian church to “keep the feast”, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:8). Paul’s expression is figurative; and Christ seems to have used unleavened bread because it was on hand during the Passover. It is probable that the disciples in Acts 2:46 and 20:7 used common that is leavened bread; this, however is not certain. The Greek Catholics used leavened, and the Roman Catholic unleavened bread, the latter being in the form of small, thin, round wafers, introduced in the eleventh century, and bearing upon them either the initials of Christ or the initials I.H.S. (IESUS HOMINUM SALVATOR, Jesus the savior of men); the Greek loaf is stamped with the characters I C X C N I K A (Iesous Christos Nika, Jesus Christ Conquers). These are human devices of an idolatrous character, utterly unknown to the apostolic church.”

“The Greek “Church” gives in a spoon the eucharistic bread and wine sopped together; beginning in the twelfth, and fully establishing the innovation in the thirteenth century, the Latin “Church” gives the wine to the priest only, on the pleas that the body (represented by the bread) contains the blood, and that there is danger of spilling the blood if passed from one communicant to another, and that the “church” only sanctioned that which had become a custom, and that the priest being, as they pretend, successors to the apostles, should drink the wine. But the Apostles,

at the Last Supper, represented the whole church; and Christ, speaking of the wine, says, “Drink ye all of it” (Matthew 26:27); and Mark says “They all drank of it” (14:23); and, instead of the body containing the blood, the very separation of the two elements, the bread from the wine, the body from the blood, indicates the death of Christ. This withholding of the wine or cup from the “laity” or private members caused the Hussite War in Germany (A.D.1420-1433).”

“Men thus make the commandments of God void by their traditions. —As infant baptism was introduced in the third century, so was infant communion; and the latter continued in the Latin “Church”; the Pedobaptist Protestant “Churches,” through professedly baptizing (but really rhantizing or  sprinkling) infants, inconsistently withhold communion from infants—every argument for or against the one practice is equally valid for or against the other; there is no reason or scripture for either. Through the fascinating eloquence of Robert Hall (1764-1831), an Arminian “Baptist” preacher of England, the most of the English churches called Baptist practice open or general communion; but the “Strict Baptist” in England practice close communion. In America the Baptist who first settled here suffered so much from the persecutions inflicted upon them by other denominations that they were at first compelled to observe close communion; and those adhering to the scriptures and the apostolic precepts still practice, not a general or open, but a strict close communion.”

The following is also a very extensive quotation of an online article  by David C. Pack entitled “How Often Should the Lord’s Supper Be Taken?” concerning his opinion about our topic “Bread of the New Passover” (from www.rcg.org):

“The Original Lord’s Supper - There was a specific time that Christ first introduced the symbols of the bread and the wine and how often they were to be taken. In doing this, He set an important example: “And when the hour was come, He [Christ] sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him…And He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:14, 19-20).”

“Jesus referenced a specific “hour was come” to partake of the bread and wine. The example He set involved a definite time, or hour, for this supper. The phrase, “in remembrance of Me,” connotes, in this case, a MEMORIAL OF HIS DEATH. Also, He commanded the disciples by saying, “this do.” Matthew’s account of this same night states that this ordinance was instituted “as they were eating” (26:26). Compare Matthew 26:17 and Luke 22:15. These verses plainly show that what they were eating was the Passover Supper!”

“Christ understood that the time for His sacrifice was come and that He was our Passover—who was to be sacrificed for us (I Cor. 5:7). Matthew 26:2 refers to this event as the “feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.”

“The disciples asked Christ, in Matthew 26:17, “Where will You that we prepare for You to eat the passover?” Mark 14:15 shows that it was to be held in a “large upper room furnished and prepared.” The disciples were to get ready for this important event.”

“It should now be clear that the Lord’s Supper was really the Passover Supper! Now read the rest of Matthew 26:26: “Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it; for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

To better understand what Christ was introducing, we need to briefly study the Passover of the Old Testament. This will directly connect the Old Testament Passover to the New Testament “Lord’s Supper.”

“The Old Covenant Passover - Most children learn in Sunday school the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The famous movie The Ten Commandments tells the Hollywood version of Pharaoh’s resistance to Moses’ instruction from God and the resultant plagues that God poured out. The twelfth chapter of Exodus explains the key events of this original Passover.”

God told the Israelites to take a young lamb, without spot or blemish, to represent a type of Christ—the Lamb of God. This was always to be done on the tenth day of the first month of the Hebrew sacred year. Unlike all humanly-devised calendars that begin the year in mid-winter, the sacred year began in the spring, around the equinox, with the new moon.”

“Four days later, on the 14th day of Abib (the first Hebrew month), the lamb was to be killed. Exodus 12:6 says that it was to be killed “in the evening,” but the original Hebrew means “between the two evenings.” Some Bible margins plainly state this. The Jewish Encyclopedia explains that this is the period commonly referred to as twilight or dusk. This period is described as the time after sundown but before full darkness has occurred. In other words, it was at the very beginning of the 14th that the lamb was killed—and soon thereafter, the blood of the lamb was sprinkled above the doorposts of the Israelites’ houses. At midnight, the death angel struck dead all the firstborn of Egypt. But God had told the Israelites, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you”—hence, the well-known term Passover.”

“Israel continued to observe the Passover season for hundreds of years! From the 15th through the 21st of Abib—a period of seven days—Israel always kept the Days of Unleavened Bread. This meant that only unleavened bread could be eaten with meals for this one-week period following the Passover. The first and last of these days, the 15th and the 21st, were to be annual Sabbaths. Just as God has a weekly Sabbath, kept 52 times a year, He has seven annual Sabbaths. These two are kept in the early spring. Another is kept in the late spring, and four are kept in the fall. Leviticus 23 describes these seven Holy Days (annual Sabbaths) or feasts of God. These feasts are sometimes referred to as “high days” by the Jewish people. All of these terms are synonymous. This chapter is often called the “Holy Day chapter.”

Deuteronomy 16:6 shows that the lamb was always slain as the sun was going down, yet it was always eaten during the 14th day, not afterward (Lev. 23:5-6). God does things exactly on time! The time is once a year, at night, in the beginning of the 14th of Abib—after the sun has set!”

“Passover Was to be Observed Forever - There can be no doubt that God ordained the Passover as a permanent ordinance—forever (Ex. 12:17,24)! Just as Romans 2:29 explains a change in circumcision—in the New Testament it was to be of the heart and not the flesh—Christ altered the way Passover was to be kept. Christ is the Lamb of God. He was slain for us, doing away with the need for a literal young lamb to any longer be sacrificed. As Christ explained, the bread and wine, symbolizing His broken body and shed blood, was to be an annual “look back” to His death—on our behalf!”

“Jesus kept the Passover once a year at an established—a set—time (Luke 2:42), and true Christians follow His example (I Peter 2:21). In fact, Christ Himself was following the example of Exodus 13:10, which explained that the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread were to be kept annually. It says there, “You shall therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.” Do you see these two phrases? It does not say “week to week” or “month to month”—or “pick any season you wish.” All humanly-devised traditions of time violate this basic instruction!”

“For the Israelites to have kept this at any other time would have literally jeopardized their firstborn from protection from the death angel. There was no room for miscalculation on their part or they could not have expected to be “passed over”—protected!”

“A Lesson in Deep Humility - The New Testament Passover, or “Lord’s Supper” ceremony, also involved the practice of footwashing.”

“Many today are unwilling to lower themselves to do such a humbling thing as to wash the feet of their brethren. Few want to kneel down to wash one of the most unseemly parts of the body. However, consider the following account in John 13. After the supper (vs. 2), Christ washed the feet of all twelve of His disciples (vs. 4-5). Through His example, Christ gave a very specific instruction—a command—for His disciples to copy (vs. 12-15).”

‘Notice: “So after He had washed their feet…He said unto them, Know you what I have done to you? You call Me Master and Lord: and you say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you AN EXAMPLE, that you should do as I have done to you.”’

“Those who will not accept the humbling ordinance of the footwashing as part of the Passover service have neglected to read Matthew 28:19-20. This great command is a statement about all of what Christ commanded the apostles: “Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them…Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Christ commanded that the footwashing be included in the Passover service.”

“How Often did the New Testament Church Keep the Passover? - Is there anywhere in the New Testament where clear instructions are given regarding how often the Passover ordinance should be observed? There is!”

“I Corinthians 5:7-8 sets the stage for later instructions from the apostle Paul that we will review momentarily. These verses state, “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven…but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Here, in the New Testament, Paul plainly calls Christ the Passover and gives instructions to Christians to observe the Days of Unleavened Bread. In this same epistle, he gives further instructions about the Passover observance.”

“I Corinthians 11:23-28 is often misunderstood by people to be a license from Paul to observe the Passover as often as one wishes to do it. The phrase “as oft as you do it” is said by many to mean that Christians may take the bread and the wine as often as they choose! The proper explanation of these verses springs from verse 24. Notice that the Passover is a memorial, “a remembrance.” Memorials are observed on an annual basis. Verse 26 shows that this memorial refers to “the Lord’s death,” which occurred on the Passover (remember, Christ is our Passover [I Cor. 5:7]). In ancient Israel, the Passover was always kept once a year. Verse 28 shows that the Passover ceremony is preceded by careful self-examination—which could not logically be done every day or every week, even if a person did wish to do it this often.”

“I Corinthians 11:29 warns of Christians taking the Passover “unworthily.” And it can be taken improperly—or unworthily. Self-examination was tied to this warning (vs. 28), just as was the issue of when it was taken (vs. 23). Christians must properly discern the symbols that represent Christ’s sacrifice.

It should be clear by now that the New Testament Lord’s Supper is a direct continuation of the Old Testament Passover, except that different symbols, commemorating Jesus’ death, have replaced the slaying and eating of a young spring lamb. As we have seen, Christ is slain for us in place of a literal lamb. This ordinance should still be observed on the 14th of Abib. NOWHERE DID GOD CHANGE THIS INSTRUCTION! Recall that Christ readied His disciples for the Passover—“when the hour was come.” It was taken at the right time and on the right day. Certainly Christ never substituted this ceremony with the modern popular celebration of Easter. (Read our booklets The True Origin of Easter and Christ’s Resurrection Was NOT on Sunday to learn more.)’

“Coming out of Egypt was a type of coming out of sin. The Passover memorialized God’s deliverance of Israel from sin. Christ’s sacrifice, through the New Testament ordinance of the bread and wine, does exactly the same thing for Christians today. Christ was seized, falsely accused and imprisoned, examined, tortured, beaten and crucified—to pay for and cover our sins—all in the following daylight portion of the exact same day of the month Abib! Scholars do not dispute this time sequence. Hence, this all occurred on the 14th of the month of Abib.”

“Remember, Christians copy the example of Jesus Christ (I Pet. 2:21)—and Christ set the example of keeping the Passover. Christians are commanded to keep it forever—as were the Israelites when God first instituted it. To observe it daily, weekly or monthly is to trivialize this deeply important and solemn annual occasion. The Passover was always intended to be a yearly memorial. Christ, as our Passover, was crucified at the time of the Passover—which is observed once a year. Men are never permitted to arbitrarily place Christ back on the cross, even symbolically, as often as they choose! This does not “glorify Christ”—it disobeys Him and dishonors His sacrifice. (Notice Hebrews 6:6.)”

“The Book of Acts Sets the New Testament Pattern - The book of Acts demonstrates which days the early Church observed. Notice Acts 20:6: “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread.” This was nearly thirty years after the death of Christ—and Luke is referencing the Days of Unleavened Bread.”

“Also, Acts 12:3 states, “Then were the days of unleavened bread.” Some focus on verse 4, where a reference is found to Easter. The Bible does mention the word Easter here—or does it? This text bears careful examination. In verse 1, Herod had begun to persecute the Church. This ended with the brutal death by sword of the apostle James, which so pleased the Jews that Peter was also imprisoned. The plan was to later deliver him to the Jews also. The stage is now set to properly read verse 4. “And when he [Herod] had apprehended him [Peter], he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quarternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” Is this reference New Testament proof for the observance of Easter?”

“Emphatically, NO!

“Although the New Testament is recorded in the Greek language, the word translated Easter is derived from the Hebrew word pecach (or pesach)! This word has only one possible meaning. It always means PASSOVER and can never mean EASTER! The Greek does not contain an equivalent word for Passover, so the equivalent word pascha was the only available word to reference the correct meaning—PASSOVER!”

“Numerous other translations correctly render this verse using the word Passover instead of Easter. Consequently, the New Testament, when correctly translated, does not mention the celebration of Easter anywhere! The True Origin of Easter explains that this practice (Easter celebration) was directly condemned in the Old Testament.”

“Misreading the Term “Break Bread” - Now return to Acts 20. This is a remarkable account. Paul was visiting the Troas congregation immediately after the Days of Unleavened Bread. He spent an entire Sabbath preaching to the brethren and continued well into Saturday night—or the first day of the week. Leviticus 23:32 shows that God counts days from sundown to sundown, or “even[ing] unto even[ing].” The first day of the week started at sundown on Saturday evening. Some claim that Acts 20:7 refers to keeping the Lord’s Supper on Sunday morning because the term “break bread” was used. This is not true. Paul’s long preaching had left people hungry. It was midnight. They wanted to eat. This is why verse 11 says those present “had broken bread and eaten.” This was an ordinary meal, not the observing of the Lord’s Supper. Other passages prove this.

“Acts 2:46 speaks of the disciples who, “continuing daily…breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness.” The account shows that the brethren were doing this daily. Obviously, human beings do eat daily.

“Further, Acts 27:34-35 explains, “Wherefore…take some meat…he took bread…and when he had broken it, he began to eat.” Finally, even Christ said, in Matthew 26:29, that He would not take the “Lord’s Supper” until after He had returned to earth in His kingdom. However, Luke 24:30, at a later time, shows Him to have sat “at meat,” or eating a meal, with the disciples. He broke bread and blessed it on that occasion. There are cultures today, particularly some Europeans, who still use the term “break bread” to mean the actual breaking of a certain type of bread as they eat a meal. This should now be clear.

A Time Set Apart

“Herbert W. Armstrong concluded his booklet How often should we partake of THE LORD’S SUPPER? with this statement: “Let us return to the faith once delivered. Let us humbly and obediently observe this solemn, sacred ordinance as we are commanded, and at the time set apart in the Bible, after sundown on the 14th of Abib, or Nisan, sacred Hebrew calendar. “The first day of the new year begins near the spring equinox when the new moon usually is first visible to the naked eye at Jerusalem (not the United States). The Jewish calendar as used by Jews today is correct. But it must be remembered that ‘in the 14th day of the first month at even is the passover, and in the 15th day of the same month is the feast.’ The Jewish people no longer observe the Passover on the 14th. They observe the FEAST—one night after the Passover, on the eve of 15th Abib. The ‘Lord’s supper’ or New Testament Passover should be observed after sunset on the evening before the Jewish people of today celebrate their feast.”