Communion & Refreshments

There are several aspects to this question that must be considered. Some are of the persuasion that food should never be served in a church building, and they reference 1 Corinthians 11:22, where the Apostle Paul penned: "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?" To understand this apostolic rebuke, we must study what occurred in Corinth, one of the largest commercial and trading centers of the ancient world. In this city were all the various positions on the socioeconomic scale (rich, poor, bond, and free).

Thank God, one thing salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ did was to remove all the societal distinctions and barriers between people. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

One thing the morning-time brethren practiced was the "feasts of charity" (Jude 12), similar to what we may term a "Fellowship Dinner." It was a meal where everyone contributed what they could and everyone partook of all the meal. However, this practice had gone severely wrong in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 11:21, the Apostle addressed what was occurring in Corinth, saying, "Every one taketh before other his   own supper: and one is hungry." Instead of bringing food to share with poorer brethren, they were eating their own meal in front of poorer, hungry brethren with no thought of sharing. 

In verse 22, Paul reproved them for the practice that "shame[s] them that have not ... shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." The Scripture is not advocating that food was never to be partaken of in a church building; rather, if you are going to participate in the practice of eating your own meal, exclusive of others, do it at home.

The Apostle correlated these verses with teaching concerning "the Lord's supper" (1 Corinthians 11:20). In 1 Corinthians 11:23-31, he related what he had "received of the Lord" (verse 23). He instructed them (and us by extension since it was incorporated into the Scriptures) that this was a solemn occasion. He wrote, "Ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (verse 26). The Lord's Supper is to be a time of solemn self-examination. Verse 28 charges, "Let a man examine himself." It is a time when we are admonished, "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (verse 31). It is a sober time for introspection and prayer, not one designed for fellowship or lighter activity.

To follow the example set forth by the institution of this ordinance by Christ, the Gospel accounts record this after the communion portion of the ordinances was observed: "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out" (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26).

My personal feeling is, following the ordinances (especially the solemn occasion of "the Lord's supper") would not be the most appropriate service to follow with a time of refreshments. I feel the people would be better served to leave still meditating upon "the Lord's death."
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That being said, in some foreign fields where saints may walk many miles to assemble, it would not be a kindness to have them leave to commence a lengthy journey, many times by foot, without some form of being fed or refreshed. This is where "there are differences of administrations" (1 Corinthians 12:5), and pastors in their separate fields of labor must seek divine guidance and Holy Ghost direction concerning the appropriate course of action. The Bible does not expressly mandate either way. Again, this is where the ministry, being led of the Spirit, must determine what is best for their particular field.

Earl R. Borders

From the September 2025 issue of The Gospel Trumpeter