Donahue - Carroll Discussion on Every First Day of the Week Lord's Supper Observance

The Donahue - Carroll Debate

"The Bible teaches that all Christians should eat the

Lord's Supper every first day of the week."

Mr. Carroll's First Negative

I would like to say here we are not discussing what I believe, but what he believes. He is in the affirmative, and my only job is to disprove his proposition.

Pat says this article is intended to prove that the Bible teaches we should eat the L.S. every first day of the week. He better get real busy because he has not come close yet.

ARGUMENT #1
Acts 20:7 Refers To The Lord’s Supper

He sets out to prove the Acts 20:7 is the L.S. I’m not totally convinced that it is, but I will concede this point for the debate sake, as it in no wise shows as he says it does that the L.S. is to be done every first day.

ARGUMENT #2
The Bible Teaches/Binds By Example

In his very first statement he says, "we are supposed to follow approved examples that we find in the New Testament". I wonder if he thinks that the example of Jesus is good enough. He commanded them to do something and then said it was an example. Here is what it is.

John 13:13-16

13.Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14.If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15.For I have given you an EXAMPLE, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16.Verily, Verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that sent greater than he that
sent him.
17.If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Pat, are you greater than the one you claim as your Lord? If not, you need to do as he did. It’s a command and example, yet you refuse to follow. I eat the L.S. on the first day of the week, just not every first day, because Acts 20 does not teach every first day. In addition to that, I keep the EXAMPLE of washing my brother's feet. So, I’m very happy like Jesus said I would be.

The apostles did not expect anyone to follow every little thing they did. This is the clarification that is needed. It’s in one of Pat’s scriptures.

Philippians 4:9- Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do:

Not just what you seen, but what you heard. How do you hear? (Rom. 10:17) You hear by the Word Of God. The things he wanted them to do was things he taught as well as did. Where did they hear Paul teach every first day of the week?

ARGUMENT #3
Acts 20:7 Binds It To The First Day Of The Week

Pat says, "We must follow that example and eat the L.S. on the first day of the week". Yet, the only example we have of Jesus taking the L.S. is on a day other than the first day of the week. That is in the institution, the very first L.S. He teaches that you go to hell if you don’t do it on the first day of the week, because it is a sin to do it any other day. Pat now has Jesus disobeying his doctrine and thus he (Jesus) sinned. Pat, I urge you to repent now.

ARGUMENT #4
Oneness Pentecostals Learn By Example

Pat says, "My opponent uses apostolic example to help prove":

Initial evidence of speaking in other tongues- I can show by direct statement every believer will speak with
tongues. Mk. 16:16. Example only adds to it. Baptism should be done "in the name of the Lord Jesus"- Acts 19:5

But, Pat, I not only have an example, I have a command.- Acts 10:48

A Christian may "fall from grace"- Gal. 5:4

This is not an example of someone falling from grace, this is a direct statement that someone can fall from grace. Now, Judas is an example of someone who fell from grace.

Baptism is by immersion- Acts 8:38-39

The fact that it is a burial, and the definition of the word is enough for any honest heart to know baptism is by immersion. Me and you both could figure that out, couldn’t we, Pat. So, example is not the only way I know teach these doctrines.

ARGUMENT #5
Why Is The Example Of Acts 20:7 Important?

Pat says, it’s not just what some Christians did incidentally. I agree, we don’t just show up at the church and if someone's there say, hey, why don’t we eat the L.S.

We do it by a group of Christians.
We do it when we met together for a worship service.
We accompany it with preaching.
We determine beforehand that that is the purpose we are coming.

We just don’t do it on the first day of every week. Neither did the apostles.

ARGUMENT #6
Every First Day Of The Week

The question was asked, How did the Israelites know they were to keep every Sabbath day holy? Because the Sabbath was the institution. It was not just something God told them to do and they did it on Sabbath. Sabbath was the institution. First day is not the institution, L.S. is, and they did it on the first day on this occasion.

Exodus 31:12, 16 - And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

That is how I know every Sabbath, because he said, keep it (Sabbath) throughout the generations. That teaches every Sabbath. Sabbath was a day that was to be kept. The day itself was the institution. In the institution of the L.S. Jesus mentioned nothing about a day to do it on.

Pat makes a similar argument on the Passover.

Exodus 12:11, 14 - And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s Passover. And this day (the 14th day of the 1st month) shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it (the 14th day of the 1st month) a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it (the 14th day of the 1st month) a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Again it is a similar situation here. The day/time of its observance was part of the institution. Nowhere is the first day of the week a part of the institution of the L.S.

Now what Pat needs is a verse that says this.

And thus shall ye eat it (the L.S.), with unleaven bread and grape juice, and this day (first day of the week) shall be unto to you for a memorial and ye shall keep it (the first day of the week) a feast in rememberance of me throughout your generations; ye shall keep it (first day of the week) a feast by an ordinance forever.

That is what it needs to say to fit your position, and for the wording to be similar, and for you to have a point. Pat knows that the Sabbath was the institution, and in the Passover the day of observance was part of the institution, and he knows this is not the case with the L.S. Now where did Jesus or the apostles teach the "every first day" doctrine that my opponent does. In fact he knows at least in the institution of the L.S. it was done on another day.

--John “Buddy” Carroll

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