Information Related to "Questions and Answers - Mar/April 2000"
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Questions & Answers
Q: How often and when should Christians partake of "the Lord's Supper" as directed by Jesus to remember His death on the cross for the sins of the world?
W.S., Northern Ireland
A: The expression "Lord's Supper" is used only once in the New Testament, in 1Corinthians 11:20, where it appears as a substitute term for the Passover. Jesus Christ Himself specifically referred to this observance as the Passover (Luke 22:8,11,15). He kept the Passover, with the new symbols of bread and wine, on the date specified in Leviticus 23 for this annual observance, namely the 14th of Nisan (also known as Abib) on the Hebrew calendar.
The Passover is a memorial to Christ's death (1Corinthians 5:7; 11:20-27), and memorial ceremonies are observed once a year. This is certainly the custom of observances described in the Bible as well as most of mankind's secular observances.
The New Testament shows that Christians continued to observe the annual festivals (listed in Leviticus 23) at the times commanded by God. As a youth Christ kept the Passover annually at the specified time (Luke 2:41), and He continued this practice with His disciples (Luke 22:7-15).
After His death and resurrection the early Church continued to observe the other biblical Holy Days at their specified times. For example, Luke records that Jesus' followers met to observe the Feast of Pentecost: "When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1).
Scripture gives no hint of the early Church adding to or changing the dates God ordained for His festivals. The phrase in 1Corinthians 11:26-"for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup"-simply points out that, by observing the New Testament Passover each year on the appropriate day, members were "proclaim(ing) the Lord's death till He comes."
The Bible specifies the yearly observance of the Passover, and history records
its annual celebration as the practice of the early Church. The New Testament Passover,
as a memorial of Jesus' death, is to
be observed annually rather than whenever or however often one chooses, just as all
of the other annual festivals are to be kept once a year. Neither Jesus Christ nor
the apostles indicated that we should change when or how often we observe any of
God's festivals.
Following the original disciples' example, we should observe the Passover shortly after sunset at the beginning of the evening of the 14th day of the first month (Abib or Nisan) according to the Hebrew calendar. (Please see the dates given on pages 32-33 of our free booklet God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.)
Keeping the Passover each year reminds us that God grants us eternal life in His Kingdom through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Passover. This observance is a memorial of our Savior's continuing role in humanity's salvation.
For further understanding, please request the booklets God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind, The Road to Eternal Life and Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of God. All are free of charge from any of our offices listed on page 2, or you can access them from our Web site at www.gnmagazine.org.
Q: Since Eve is the mother of all mankind, am I correct in assuming that all races on the earth are related to each other somewhere in the past?
W.E.C., Asheville, North Carolina
A: You are correct according to God's Word. The key passage is found in Acts 17:26: "And He (God) has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings."
Deuteronomy 32:8 makes the same point. "When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam (the first man; 1 Corinthians 15:45), He set the boundaries of the peoples."
Anciently, all but eight people perished in Noah's flood. Genesis 10 preserves a list of the nations comprised of their descendants. The concluding verse of that chapter tells us that "these were the families of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood" (verse 32). The New International Version renders it: "From there the nations spread out over the earth after the flood."
These biblical facts make it clear that God ("Lord of heaven and earth"? Matthew 11:25) is the Creator of all peoples, races and languages. Each variety has a special beauty, usefulness and contribution to make to the whole of mankind. Prejudice and racial hatred should have no place in the human heart.
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