Christian greetings! I trust everything is going well with you and your family. ...Bro. Louis, Sir, last Thursday night, as we are having our Bible Study we came across to a question whether a believer can take the Lord's Supper alone? Can he? If he can, what or where is the scriptural authority that one is allowed to perform the Lord's Supper alone? Correct me if I am wrong, but I never came across in the Bible that one performed the Lord's Supper alone. Christ for example did it with the apostles; in Acts 2, the brethren continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and in breaking of the bread and prayers, they are in the group; and in Acts 20:7, Paul while in Troas did it with other brethren; etc. What if, God willing, I decided to leave Saudi Arabia and wanting to start a church in my hometown in Philippines? For the meantime, I would be alone in the first Sunday for instance, can I take the Lord's Supper? What about giving, another important part of the worship, isn't it? Another instance, I am sure that a prisoner can worship God alone through singing, praying, and meditating the Word of God everyday including Sunday... but is that complete without performing the Lord's Supper? What about giving? Concerning the giving, on the other hand, perhaps the question would be aside from performing it alone, is Sunday worship complete without performing one from among the five (5) acts of worship? I would appreciate your reply. God bless! Yours truly, [name withheld by Editor for his safety concerns]

You have essentially answered your own question when you wrote: "...is Sunday worship complete without performing one from among the five (5) acts of worship?" No, one's Lord's Day worship is incomplete if one or more of the five acts of worship prescribed in the New Testament is not practiced. While it is true that no example exists of a person taking the Lord's Supper alone, none of the passages deals with a single worshipper on the Lord's Day. Yet, that Christians are obligated to worship on the Lord's Day is certain. Four of the five acts of worship appear in Acts 2:42 (singing appears elsewhere). Giving on the Lord's Day was a command (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). The apostle Paul said respecting the observance of the Lord's Supper: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Corinthians 11:26). The example of the frequency of observing the Lord's Supper, every first day of the week, appears in Acts 20:7. Nothing in the New Testament provides for an exemption for worshipping God if there is not a quorum. The writer of Hebrews enumerates severe penalties for not assembling (Hebrews 10:25-31). The fact that there is only one to assemble neither diminishes the responsibility to assemble for worship nor sets aside the punishment for not assembling to worship God.

Though no Scripture in the New Testament portrays a single Christian worshipping on the Lord's Day, one Scripture implies the distinct possibility of that very scenario arising. The Ethiopian treasurer converted along a deserted highway between Palestine and Egypt may not have had anyone initially with whom to worship once he returned home (Acts 8:26-40). Further, some of the 3,000 converted on Pentecost, upon returning to their homes in distant lands may not have had any other Christians with whom to worship initially either (Acts 2:5-11). On occasion, the apostle Paul in his missionary journeys when separated from his traveling companions, as he sometimes was, may have had no one with whom to worship on the Lord's Day. I am not aware of any biblical teaching that indicates the child of God's compliance with God's will is dependent upon the accompaniment of anyone else; Christians have personal responsibility and accountability before God (2 Corinthians 5:10). If we were not obligated to worship God in any certain way, etc. as long as we were not in the company of other Christians, those who by circumstance or choice were never in the company of other Christians would be free from worshipping God or practicing Christianity. What would be the difference between a Christian and anyone else in this sin-forlorn world?

What is the meaning of the expression "yours in Christ" that is commonly used to close letters? Thank you in advance for our assistance. ~ Jim Wrenn

I am not aware of any statement anywhere specifically encouraging anyone to use the phrase "yours in Christ" in correspondence. It may be a natural tendency (as it is with me) for a Christian who is conscientiously aware of his Christianity to close letters with the "yours in Christ." The phrase "in Christ" appears 77 times in the New Testament, and it refers to someone who is a Christian. The following is a sample of the way the words "in Christ" appear in the Bible: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16) [emphasis added]. There is one New Testament passage that in so many words tell how one gets "into Christ": "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).

Hello, Looks like a great site. I have been on for about 1 1/2 hours reading. What is your opinion on woman doing the reading during worship? is it biblicly wrong or is it traditionaly wrong? Thank you ~ Brian

Biblically, Scripture forbids women from taking a speaking role in New Testament worship. "Let your women keep silence in the churches [assemblies]: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law" (1 Cor 14:34). The word "church" can be used in three senses: (1) the universal body of Christ to which Jesus adds the saved and that spans all generations since the beginning of the church on the Pentecost following the Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:47); (2) a congregation meeting at a specified geographical location (1 Corinthians 1:2); (3) the assembly of a local congregation (1 Corinthians 11:22). First Corinthians 14:34 refers to a worship assembly of the local congregation (1 Corinthians 14:23), and hence, Scripture forbids women from taking a speaking role in New Testament worship.