BANQUET by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction:  This being the first weekend of the month, we will come together for our corporate prayer. This is also the time for our Communion Service. So, as we have done sometimes in the past, we will combine these two important elements of our church today. At the end of message, you will have the opportunity to come forward, pray, and then take part in the communion or you may come forward, take communion, and then pray. We are still in our series through Paul’s letter to the Romans. In fact, I will be reading a very obscure passage in Romans, but it will help us prepare our hearts both for the Communion and the Corporate Prayer. Communion is often looked upon as something tacked on to the main service, like desserts after a meal. To the contrary, communion was a very significant event in the life of the early church. It’s time we make it a very significant event in our lives as well.

Romans 16:23 (page #1753) “Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you…”

Context: Over the past couple of weeks, we have been learning from ancient history and the bible how to view the place of alcohol in a Christian’s life. It has been amazing to receive so many text messages and calls over the past couple of weeks. One young man wrote – “I want to tell you thank you for your sermon on alcohol. I have listened to it several times throughout this week and it has changed my life. Throughout my life going to church, preachers have either avoided the topic or rode the fence on it. I’ve always been under the impression that’s it’s not a problem if you don’t drink to get drunk… (the) most important thing that absolutely wrecked me from your sermon was a quote from you that went something like, “if you are picking through this sermon looking for reasons to still drink alcohol, you might just have a problem.” Because that was me. I was deciphering your sermon like Sherlock Holmes, just looking for any reasons I could find that would make it “okay” for me to still drink alcohol. There is nothing in this world that I want to have control over me like that. Because if that’s the case, then that’s a piece of my heart and soul that God is not a part of. So thank you for standing on The Word and not riding fences. From this world’s standards, I don’t have a problem with alcohol. But from the standards that really matter, I have realized, through your sermon, I did. And what a joy it is that I can simply give it to Him and be free.” Thank you for sharing your story! I thank God for the work that he is doing in many lives in our church. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what each of us needs, and he brings to us God’s truth in Christ.

In some ways, today’s message is a continuation of the subject of alcohol in the Christian life. In the past 2 messages, we learned 2 things: 

1. The alcohol content of mixed wine back then was negligible compared to modern alcoholic beverages.
2. It is best not to drink alcohol nor do anything by which a brother/sister “stumbles or is offended or is made weak” (Romans 14:21).

In today’s message, were going to learn how the early church saw alcohol during the Communion. The passage we just read may seem insignificant, but its anything but that. Listen again to Romans 16:23 “Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you…” To start with, Gaius was a man from Corinth. How do we know that? Because Paul was in Corinth when he wrote this letter to the church in Rome. 2 reasons we know: 

1. In Romans 15:25, Paul says that he is about to go to Jerusalem, and, in Acts 20:3, he says that he stayed 3 months in Corinth before going to Jerusalem. 
2. In Romans 16:23, Paul mentions another name after Gaius – “Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you…” Who was Erastus? We have some real archaeological evidence from Corinth that Erastus was really from there. An inscription is found near the theater, which reads, “Erastus, in return for his position as aedile, laid the pavement at his own expense” (Erastus pro aedilitate sua pecunia stravit). Erastus was a former slave who became the city manager. Later, in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul writes, “Erastus stayed in Corinth…” Maybe, it’s because it was his home. Hence, Gaius was also from Corinth. 

Paul refers to Gaius as his host. The Greek word is “xenos” = foreign, stranger, alien. But, in certain contexts, it means host. We will understand more on that later. I can understand that this man named Gaius must have had Paul stay in his home in Corinth. But, how was he a host to the “holos tes ekklesias” = “the whole church?” To understand this, we need to back up and understand how the Communion or the Lord’s Supper was celebrated in the early church. As I noted earlier, it was much more than something tacked on to the main service. In fact, to properly understand how the Communion was celebrated in the early church, we need to understand 2 institutions: Greco-Roman institution of banquet and the Old Testament feast of the Passover.

First, the Greco-Roman of the banquet, which the Romans got from the Greeks (See Dennis E. Smith, From Symposium to Eucharist; Hal Taussig, In the Beginning was the Meal; and Alan Street, Subversive Meals): It had 2 parts. The first part was the “deipnon” = main evening meal, dinner, feast. The second part was the “symposium” = after deipnon drinking period that had some form of entertainment or purpose. It was considered to be the most important social institution in the Roman Empire. Almost every person in the empire, whether rich or poor, had some form of this banquet on their level. It had several purposes, most important of it was patronage. This was a system by which those in the upper echelon of society and power provided favor and economic benefit to those on the lower levels, and, in turn, they had their loyalty. The Roman Emperor (Caesar) was the ultimate benefactor since he provided for everyone in the empire. These banquets were also a means by which Roman ideology was reinforced. We have frescos and paintings from ancient times of scenes of the banquet. All the scenes on the wall were in praise of Rome and its gods and goddesses and all its great accomplishments. The banquets were also a time to pay tribute to certain deities and especially to Caesar. One more thing, it is sort of connected to the patronage – these banquets were also a form of boundary markers. Who you ate with or were invited to eat with determined your status in society. In fact, where you sat in the dining hall was also important. We’ll see that in a moment.

Let’s go a step further to understand how these banquets worked in the Greco-Roman world: The host would send out an invitation to the guests based on their status, some business benefit, to gain favor, to build friendship. There were important protocols to these banquets. They were much more than just an evening meal. One had to dress a certain way. Matthew 22       11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. These meals would last for a good 3-4 hours. The first part (deipnon) was a full course meal, and the second part was the drinking time but with certain rules. For the first part, there was a host. Paul was thanking Gaius for being the host in Corinth for the whole church. His job was to introduce strangers to each other. Hence the name “xenos” = “stranger” or “foreigner.” Sometimes, he was the president of the feast. Other times, there was a symposiarch. The job of the symposiarch was to supervise the mixing of the wine and the pouring of the libation to the gods and to Caesar. This was similar to the “master of the feast” in John 2 – architriklinos, head of three-couch dining room. This is good time to look at the layout of the room – it was called “triclinium” in Latin.We get this from the Greek word “klino” = to recline. We could call it the 3 recliners. In fact, that’s where we get out English word “recline.” The Romans, in turn, got it from the Greeks. Jewish people followed the customs of the day in their feasts. Jesus reclined at Levi’s (Matthew) home. At the Last Supper, listen to John 13       23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.He was probably sitting on the opposite end. Maybe, that’s how we could immediately go out, and it was night (John 13:30). We may have to abandon DaVinci’s painting. That’s also how the woman caught in adultery could wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and anoint them with perfume.

There was a certain hierarchy in the reclining arrangement. Free men would recline, but others would sit in chairs. These dining rooms could be in a home, an associational building, or a temple. One would recline on ones left elbow and eat from the tables in front of them. Maybe 3 per couch, maybe more, since Jesus had 12 disciples. Slaves were of course not to recline. Woman were not invited. In some banquets, there were exceptions made. Later, they could recline next to their husbands in certain situations. The chief guest, the host, or the symposiarch sat on the heel of the horseshoe. Then the lowest ranking person behind him on the heel of the horseshoe. Those who were of the highest class were given the biggest and the best portions. This is no different than being in the first class on the plane! By the way, this all began with the washing of the feet of the guest. How interesting that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Their question right before the meal was who is the greatest among them?Luke 22       24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. After washing their feet, Jesus said to them – John 13.      14 “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” As mentioned earlier, this Greco-Roman banquet not an equal opportunity institution, but Christianity changed that.

Back to the deipnon: Eating would be with the hands. No napkins, but bread was used to wipe the face. That bread and other crumbs or bones were thrown on the floor where the dogs would come and eat the scraps. Reminds us of Matthew 15:27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” When the deipnon was over, the pouring of the libation was the sign that the banquet had officially shifted to the symposium. The unmixed wine was first poured out and then sipped by the host and then passed down. Sometimes, there were hymns sung in honor of the gods and Rome. After this the kratos (mixing bowl) was brought in and mixed wine was then passed around to the guests. There were protocols on how much anyone could drink. In order to have a good and meaningful banquet, and not just some rowdy party, there were certain regulations. All this was done to build a sense of fellowship, friendship, and equality. Even though, the Jewish people followed these customs, they did not pour libation to the gods and goddesses of Rome or to Caesar. This is especially true with regards to Passover. In fact, Passover was against the king of Egypt, Pharaoh! So also, the early church, the symposium was their time to do what we call the Lord’s Supper. This was not drinking wine time, but a time to show their oneness to Christ and one another.

One church messed up badly – 1 Corinthians 11 (page #1766) 17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. Some of the Christians would get there early to beat the rush and get the better seat in the dining room while the latecomers had to crowd into the Atrium. While people were in the Atrium waiting to get in, many of them were taking their time eating and drinking and actually getting drunk! 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.

1Cor. 11:23   For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

1Cor. 11:26   For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

1Cor. 11:27   Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

1Cor. 11:33   Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

Are your sins confessed? Are you saved? Are you dodging this to avoid confessing and repenting? The early church stopped attending, hence Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”