Solomon of old wrote, “Remove not the ancient
landmark, which thy father have set” (Prov. 22:28). Landmarks were
property markers. It was and is wrong for a person’s property to
be encroached upon. Such boundaries are a standing witness to rightful
ownership. The same applies to the doctrine of God. In
recent years we have seen many critical doctrinal landmarks being removed
by liberal-minded brethren: baptism for the remission of sins, instrumental
music in the worship, the uniqueness of the church and now the frequency
of the Lord’s supper. Denominations have always moved landmarks in
these and other areas of teaching.
In the late 1980’s I worked as a contract
chaplain for the Department of Corrections in Georgia. When the regular
chaplain died the “communion was celebrated” during a memorial service.
I thought it highly erroneous, but characteristic of people who are untaught
in the Scriptures. I never dreamed then that some of our brethren
would be doing exactly the same thing. Stream 2000 is a mid-winter
weekend event devoted to “worship in praise, prayer, song and small group
fellowship” put on by the Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland,
Texas. On their web page announcing this event they discuss “Communion
– Frequency of the Celebration.” They let it be known that when they
were planning Stream ’97 they thought it would be fitting to conclude their
Saturday’s schedule with “the celebration of Communion.” Many of
their members had been to an interdenominational weekend event where they
“had been greatly blessed by the Communion service taken on a Friday or
a Saturday.” They wanted to do the same at Golf Course Road.
In a futile effort to explain their error
go through a listing of Scriptural references to the Lord’s supper, and
then deny that any pattern exists for the frequency of observance.
The writer, Ken Young, admits that “Acts 20:6,7 confirms the pattern
of the New Testament church meeting on the first day of the week.”
Please understand that pattern is a bad word for liberals. In the
very next sentence the same writer then says, “The strict tradition of
observing the Lord’s Supper exclusively on Sunday is built around the Acts
20 reference.” According to this brother a “pattern” exists in Acts
20:7 for the church meeting on the Lord’s day, but in regard to the Lord’s
Supper a “tradition” has restricted it to Sunday! Pray tell me how
can a pattern exist in the first consideration (assembling) and not in
the second (the frequency of observing the Lord’s Supper)? The writer
adds, “The apostles never once specified a correct day to celebrate Communion
in their writing.” True to form the liberals ignore the binding force
of an apostolic example when it suits them. No one has the right
to move the ancient landmarks of apostolic example on this or any other
matter. A serious error has been sanctioned!