Questions & Answers
Questions 78 (COD Page 370)
Can you find anywhere the apostles took Communion after Pentecost? Did Paul mean people do not discern the Word? Holy Ghost was the only way to worship God? If you take wine and crackers, sickness and sleep fall on you?
50 Now, here is maybe a place that I believe the dear person that asked this is no doubt deeply and sincerely in this, what they’re asking, or they wouldn’t ask it. And I-my Brother or Sister, whoever it was, I answer it just as deeply and sincerely as you answered it-or asked it.
51 I want you now to turn with me unto the Book of Acts the 2nd chapter, and with the-we begin with the 42nd verse. The 2nd chapter of the Acts, and we’ll begin, as I said, with the 42nd verse.
52 Now remember, I do not believe that I could say just exactly where the Scripture says that Paul took the Communion, and Peter then reached over and taken it; but when they’re talking of the congregation, that was in whole, everybody. And I do not believe that Paul would preach something and tell others to do, that he would not do. So in the Acts we find this:
And they continually stedfast in the apostles’ doctrine... fellowship,... (Watch! They continued, thewhole church, the body.)... continually stedfast in the apostles’ doctrine and in fellowship,... (and, conjunctionthere. See?)... and in breaking of bread,... (That’s theCommunion.)... and in prayers.
53 The apostles, who was the preachers... They continuedly stedfast in their doctrine, of breaking of bread (Communion), and in fellowship, and in prayer. Then, if that cuts out Communion from the apostles, it also cuts out prayer from the apostles. See? Now, let’s just read on. See?
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all the believers were together, and had all things common;
And they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to every man, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily in one accord in the temple,... (That’s apostles and all.)... breaking bread... (Communion every time they met)...
54 That was a doctrine of the apostles and of the early church, that every time they came together they taken Communion. Every time! Now, I know you Christian people who go to the Christian Church (the Campbellite church, as we know it, as... Because there’s two of them, one’s the Church of Christ, and the other one the Campbellite Church.), you say, “We take it every Sunday morning. We got the Scriptures on it.” You have a better Scripture on it than the Branham Tabernacle does. The Branham Tabernacle takes it once a month. But the Scripture is that, as oft as you come together. That’s right. That’s every time.
And they, continued daily in one accord in the temple,... breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
55 See, each time the apostles, holding these prayer groups, meetings in the temple, house to house; every time they met, they broke bread, taken the Communion.
56 Now, Paul, in First Corinthians we’ll-we could also read the 11th chapter, where we use here for a Communion... I might read it so it might be able to help you, First Corinthians the 11th chapter. Listen at Paul speaking now, 23rd verse. For I have received of the Lord that which I also
delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night... he was betrayed took bread:
And when he had gave thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, and eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: do this in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, and when he had supped, saying,... (the cup now)... This is the cup of the new testament in my blood: this do... , as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as oft as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do shew forth the Lord’s death till he comes.
57 See? It’s a Communion. I do realize and do agree that the-the body of the Lord, the living Word, is Christ Himself. But these are symbols just like Baptism, and Footwash, and other ordinances of the Church. But Communion is absolutely essential for the bread, now, bread and wine. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily,...
58 Now, the question was asked here: “You taking-you taking wine and crackers, sickness and sleep on you.” See, that... I believe that the question is, that the only worship there is, is in the Holy Spirit, worshipping in the Holy Spirit. That is exactly the Truth. You have to worship... All worship’s in the Holy Spirit, and Paul’s trying to say here, that you must be in the Holy Spirit before you do this or you eat and drink damnation to yourself (see?)-before you do this, before the order’s carried out.
59 Now, to back that up, I got a writing here of Josephus, where he claimed that the early Christians after the death of-of Jesus, that they were considered cannibals, because they took the body of the Lord and eat it. And they thought they had dug it up, and had took it out, and was cutting it up by pieces, and eating it. Which they were taking the Communion. See? Now, watch, why this Scripture-how Paul says here.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread,...
60 Eat of the bread. Now, I know Jesus is the Bread of Life; that’s true. But this is a symbol just like baptism. Baptism doesn’t save you; baptism is only a sign that you’re witnessing to the congregation that you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t save you. Water will not save. It’s your faith that saves you. But baptism is an order, and
it must be carried out, ’cause God can’t say be baptized, and then turn around and say it doesn’t need to be done. He cannot issue taking Communion, and turn around, and say there no need to taken it. You’ve got to do it. It’s an order forever with God.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
61 Now, you see there? Comes right back to the Christian that’s trying to take Communion, that’s not in Christ, not fellowshipping in the Spirit; he isn’t worthy of taking it. And when he does take this Communion, he’s eating and drinking damnation to himself, if he’s going out smoking, lying, stealing, committing adultery, or something like that, or not living a Christian life. And people see the kind of life he’s living, and then coming in, taking this order of the death and-and body of Christ, taking into him a symbol that-that he has received Christ the Word in his heart, and taking this symbol in there behind it, He said he eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
62 Now, just in a few minutes I’m going to get to that same question, if we get to it, because it’s the same order of the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. See? Because you are professing something, and playing the part of hypocrite with it, when you should not be doing it. All right! Let me finish this then, see, and then we’ll stop.
For this cause many are sick and weakly among you, and many sleep.
For if we would judge ourself, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we’re chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, tarry one for the other. (Now, watch.) And if any man eat... any man hunger,...
63 Don’t come in... because in another Scripture here, they were bringing in meat, and so much drink, and stuff like that, till they were making the Lord’s house just a-a place of-of a feast, and getting drunk at the Lord’s table. You remember that in the Book of Corinthians here. They got drunk at the Lord’s table. But Paul said here:
... if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that you come not together unto condemnation. And the rest I’ll set in order when I come. (See?)
64 Now therefore, I believe that the eating of the cracker... Now, I do not believe that kosher bread should be substituted for a cracker. I believe that it should be a holy unleavened bread, the type of the unleavened bread that was made in Egypt. And I believe that the Blood should not be grape juice, but it should be wine. Grape juice sours, and spoils as it gets old. But wine gets better and stronger as it gets old; it never loses it’s strength. And the Blood of Christ doesn’t sour and spoil; as it gets older, it gets stronger and better as the days goes by to the believer. And it is a literal wine and bread. Communion bread should be made by people who’s dedicated themselves and consecrated themselves to God.
65 I went to a church once where they taken this old loaf bread, where sinners cursing and carrying on, and filth, and cut up that old bread and stuck it out there with some kind of a juice to drink. To me that was-that was ridiculous. I believe it should be just exactly the way the Scripture said it should be; not vary one speck from the Scriptures, stay right with It.