Things That Make a Church Christian?
The Communion

Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in prayers.” The phrase “breaking of the bread” in this context has always been understood by Christians to mean “participation in communion.”

The Instruction of Jesus at the Last Supper with His disciples are described in Luke 22:15-20.  Here Jesus instructs them to take bread and the fruit of the vine (the cup) and share in this, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”  From the beginning, the church was determined to remember Christ the way He instructed.

Is the taking of communion by the church a command of Christ?  In Matthew 28:18-20 is a statement by Jesus to the apostles in which He tells the apostles to teach new disciples to do whatever He had commanded them to do.   The passages related to the institution of the communion are these:  Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:14-20.   Matthew and Mark do not indicate that this observance would go beyond that evening, but Luke plainly says that Jesus instructed them to “do this in remembrance of Me.”  Luke 22:19   Thus the question becomes did the church understand that partaking of this was to be part of the church life?

Galatians 1:11,12 Paul the apostle declares, “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 
NKJV

Paul makes it plain that participation in this remembrance was an instruction to the church. He declares, “I received from the Lord that that which I also delivered to you.” I Corinthians 11:23. He even repeats the instruction of Christ twice to “do this in remembrance of Me.” 
It is plain from these that we do have a command of Christ to the church to share in this communion.

Breaking of the Bread:  How do we know this is communion? In the Greek language, the inclusion of the definite article “THE” as in “the bread” shows this as s distinctive from simple eating a mean, “bread.”  The context in which it is mentioned also show us whether a common meal or the communion is intended.  The Context clue is its inclusion in a list of spiritual activities rather than day to day behaviors.  The earliest translation of the New Testament to another language used the word for communion as the correct way to say, “breaking the bread.”
In Acts 2:42 there is a reference to the disciples “breaking the bread.” Notice the article preceding “bread” (not translated in our common versions, but present in the Greek text). The article indicates that a special “bread” is under consideration, i.e., the Lord supper (cf. Acts 20:7 “the breaking of bread” and 1 Corinthians 10:16 “the bread which we break”). However, in Acts 2:46 there is no article in connection with “bread,” hence a distinction seems to be drawn between the “bread” of 2:42 and 46

Did Christ give a command on what the elements of the communion are to be or are we permitted to make substitution as we find it necessary?  In all three of Matthew, Mark, and Luke we have the Holy Spirit recording these words regarding communion: “bread” in the Greek, artos.  This is also the word that in used in Acts and in I Corinthians in passages related to the communion. What I find especially interesting is that the gospels show it is the days of “unleavened bread” and in the Greek, azymos.  The Holy Spirit knowing this, still records Jesus using the general word for bread, artos, when He gives the bread to the disciples.  To me it is one of the most beautiful examples of the Holy Spirit making sure that we are not caught in thinking we must follow the Law of Moses and at the same time giving us extreme latitude in what kind of bread we use.

With respect to the phrase “fruit of the vine,” it is without question that this relates to a product of grapes.  It is in fact a very specific phrase.  The Corinthian Christians understood that the communion was to include the “fruit of the vine” because they were celebrating with wine and becoming drunk as they had subverted the whole function of communion from remembering the Christ to a weekly “food bash.”   What I think is very interesting regarding the phrase “fruit of the vine” is that it is not limited to unfermented grape juice or to fermented juice, i.e., wine.   To me, it is again the foresight of the Holy Spirit in making the widest possible availability of the “fruit of the vine.”  Like “bread” being available in every culture, “fruit of the vine” in the form of wine is almost universally available in human culture.  With all humility I say that if someone doesn’t have these two elements for communion is it because they simply don’t value it enough to prepare for it.   

The testimony of early Christians is always that the practice was for all the Christians in a community to gather together to take communion on the first day of the week.

Follow the Gospel trail as it is proclaimed.  In Acts 18– Paul teaches in the Greek city of Corinth. Many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized. Paul teaches there over 18 months

Later, after having been gone sometime, Paul writes to the Corinthians. I Corinthians 11:1,2, 17-33 contains the following.  A compliment is given for keeping the traditions as he had given them.  However, some correction is necessary. They had changed their weekly gathering from one in which the communion was shared to one in which people were eating a normal meal and even getting drunk.  Paul reminds them that every time they shared in Communion, they were to remember the Lord. 

Do We Know When the Christians Took Communion?
In Acts 16—Paul is in Troas. Acts 18—Paul is in Corinth. Acts 20:4-7—Paul is in Troas again.  He arrives on a Monday and waits to meet with the church on the next first day of the week.  He did this because the disciples all gathered upon the first day of week coming together to break the bread…

Why the First Day of the Week?  This is a good question and here is why.  On what day did 
Jesus the Christ rise from the dead? The first day of the week.  After his resurrection, what is the day on which Jesus appears to His disciples the first time?  The first day of the week.  When does Jesus appear the second time to them? The first day of the week.  On what day is the baptism of the Holy Spirit given and on the same day the church is established?  The first day of the week. 

While not scripture, the literature of the first two centuries shows that Word and Sacrament were the universally common Sunday practice among Christians. One of the earliest Christian writings besides the Bible is called the Didache. It was written about the year 100 AD and possibly earlier, even before the last apostles had died. In this writing the people are directed to, “Assemble in common on the Lord’s own day to break bread and offer thanks; but first confess your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure.” [4] The earliest account of a Sunday service was written by a man named Justin Martyr in about the year 150 AD. This is his account:
 
On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good thing. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president [the pastor or minister who presided] in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.[5]
 
I am not the judge, but what do we know? The apostles delivered traditions by Holy Spirit authority.  We know from scripture the practice of the communion was weekly on Sunday.
History matches scripture.  Advice given a young man by old evangelist: “Do what you know is safe.”

What is the Function of the Communion?  I Corinthians 11 tells us these things: To remember Jesus; To recognize the New Covenant; To proclaim the Lord’s death till He Comes (Resurrection); To show our unity in Christ; To judge ourselves.

Is This Really That Important?  Here is what we are told about coming together as Christians.
Hebrews 10:23-39:  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for God is faithful in His promises; We should Not forsake the assembling of ourselves together like some people do but rather exhort each other all the more as the day of judgment approaches; Of how much worse punishment will he be thought worthy who tramples the Son of God underfoot and counts the blood of the covenant as a common thing and insults the Spirit of Grace.

Remember we are to “Be the Church.” Wherever we are we should look for Christians to share communion with us.  If we find none, then we become the church where we are.	

Here are My Personal Decisions
I will value the blood of the covenant that was shed by Jesus Christ for my redemption.
I will gather with Christians on the first day of the week to honor Christ.
I will remember that I am the church wherever I am.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Communion

The Current Teaching of The Watchtower Society:

Only those members of the 144,000 (mentioned in Revelation 7:4 ff) remaining on the earth at any given time can partake in the Communion Supper (the bread and the cup). Members of the "great crowd" or "earthly class" - as the society designates those Witnesses not among the 144,000 - are forbidden to take of the Communion Supper.

Is this a true understanding of the communion?  No passage that relates to the communion divides the congregation into the “anointed class” and the “earthly class.”  The passage quoted from Revelation has NO mention of communion and in fact is not about communion.  

The heavenly picture is of 144,000 Israelites along with a great multitude of gentiles.  The Gentiles are clearly among the redeemed and in this passage no special privilege is given to either group.  Remember also that these groups are already in heaven and not on the earth.  Revelation 14 contains a description of a different collection of 144,000 who are all virgins and they specially serve Christ.  NO reference is made to the communion here either.  These 144,000 are in heaven NOT on the earth.

The JW’s probably won’t admit this, but this is history.  When the denomination was first formed, they preached that only 144,000 people could be saved.  When reached that number, they realized they had not more empty spots to convert people to.   So, they “discovered” the “great crowd” could be converted to them.  The problem then became, what do we tell all the original 144,000 converts.  They solved that problem by tell them that the original 144,000 were anointed and the ruling class and that all the others were the great slave class.  They have since dropped the title of great slave class.  What now is the doctrine is that the 144,000 alone are anointed and that they alone share in the communion.  The anointed also will rule from heaven with the Lord and that the great crowd will live here on the reformed earth.

None of this is taught anywhere in scripture.  The verses they use don’t say anything like that.