A sincere Christian, who wants to observe the Lord’s Supper exactly as his Lord has taught, is contending that only a night-time observance follows the divine pattern.

If the time of day for the observance of the Lord’s Supper is part of the divine pattern taught in Acts 20:7, we must come together on Saturday night after sundown, for the first day of the week in Troas in 58 A.D. began at sundown on Saturday night. One translation has made that very clear:

If the time of day the Supper was observed is part of the divine pattern based on Acts 20:7, then the observance must not only take place on Saturday night, but (1) after midnight (Acts 20:7, 11), and (2) on the "third floor" (Acts 20:9) of the meeting place, and (3) a preacher should continue his sermon until midnight (Acts 20:7), and (4) a meal should follow the breaking of bread (Acts 20:11).

I am glad that the brother (1) does not make "the cup" (Luke 22:20) as one drinking vessel with a handle, as have some, a part of the divine pattern, and (2) does not require the presider, after giving thanks for the bread (Luke 22:19), to break the bread before distributing it, and (3) does not require that a "hymn" (Matthew 26:3) be sung before the Lord’s Supper is completed.

We rejoice that the brother does not take lightly the necessity of following all divine patterns, for many people today ignore biblical teachings. But it is also wrong to make a pattern out of details that have nothing to do with the beautiful memorial called "the Lord’s Supper" (1 Corinthians 11:20). Our good brother unknowingly is not following the divine pattern but his own man-made pattern.

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