The Lord's Supper, an essential ordinance, has been obscured by erroneous tradition, yet we are called to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Jesus first instituted this sacred observance on the eve of His death, during the final Passover supper, as recorded in Luke 22:14, 19-20 and Matthew 26:26. When the hour had come, He sat with His twelve apostles, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying it represented His body given for them, commanding them to do this in remembrance of Him. Likewise, He took the cup after supper, declaring it the new testament in His blood, shed for them. It was a memorial of His death, set as an example for us to follow at a definite time. This ordinance was introduced as they were eating the Passover, on the night of the 14th of Abib, connecting the New Testament Lord's Supper to the Old Testament Passover. Jesus, our Passover sacrificed for us, changed the manner of observance from killing and eating a lamb to taking bread and wine as symbols of His broken body and shed blood, to be done in memory of His death. According to Exodus 13:10, this ordinance is to be kept once a year, at night, after the sun has set on the 14th of Abib, as Jesus set the example. In John 13, during the last Passover, Jesus also instituted the ordinance of humility by washing His disciples' feet, teaching them to do likewise as an example of service to one another. He emphasized that if He, their Lord and Master, washed their feet, they ought to wash one another's feet as well. The apostolic church observed this ordinance annually on the set date, as seen in I Corinthians 5:7-8, where Paul instructs to keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, affirming Christ as our Passover. In I Corinthians 11, Paul clarifies that observing the Lord's Supper is to show the Lord's death until He comes, doing so in remembrance of Him as often as it is observed, which aligns with an annual memorial on the anniversary of His crucifixion. To partake unworthily, in a wrong manner or at a wrong time, risks condemnation, emphasizing the importance of observing it at the scriptural hour after sundown on the 14th of Abib. The first-century church continued this practice, as evidenced by references to the Days of Unleavened Bread in Acts, showing the ordinance was kept at the appointed time. The term "break bread" does not always refer to the Lord's Supper but often indicates eating a common meal, as seen in various scriptures. Thus, we are to observe this solemn ordinance as commanded, at the biblically set time, after sunset on the 14th of Abib, according to the sacred Hebrew calendar, on the evening before the Jewish feast of the 15th of Abib.

In addressing the Corinthian believers, the apostle Paul highlights a grave concern regarding their congregational meals. He warns that eating and drinking in an unworthy manner brings judgment upon oneself for not discerning the body, as stated in I Corinthians 11:29. Some members in Corinth were confused about whether these meals constituted the Lord's Supper. By observing it on just any occasion, the significance of the bread and wine becomes muddled through familiarity and repetition. For the symbol to remain meaningful, the unleavened bread eaten during Passover must be distinguished from common, daily bread, ensuring that His sacrifice is seen as distinct and set apart. Additionally, not discerning the body can refer to failing to seriously acknowledge our sins, which necessitated the excruciating sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Without a conscious recognition of our sin and the punishment we have earned, His sacrifice loses its significance in our minds. Furthermore, the body may also signify the spiritual Body of believers, the church. When we partake of the bread symbolizing His body, we become part of this spiritual Body, united with those who have the Father and the Son dwelling in them. Failing to discern this Body means not distinguishing it from the rest of humanity and not showing partiality to the Body as a whole. The Corinthians were making distinctions within the Body, esteeming some members while despising others, thus risking judgment by not treating all brethren, for whom Christ died, with the highest respect during the observance of Passover.