MR. TA"i:XOR's THIRD REPLY. 283 



A social assembly of the disciples : — To " break bread.' 



discussion was incidental. Yes, but ^Ho break bread" means 

 'Ho celebrate tlie Lord's Supper/^ 'Wh.ollj improved! The 

 phrase '' breaking bread" was the universal and familiar desig- 

 nata on of par taking an ordinary meal.* There is no tittle of 

 evidence that anything else is intended here. On the contrary, 

 during this very same meeting, Paul, after midnight, exhausted 

 by his long and doubtless earnest conversation, again ''broke 

 bread" and eat (xx. 11) jf rendering it extremely probable 

 that the whole affair was a convivial farewell party of the dis- 

 ciples. They "came together to 'break their bread/ " and for 

 no other purpose that is assigned by the evangelist. 



But, says J. N. B., "Paul had waited a icJiole lueeJc at 

 Troas to enjoy the opportunity of meeting his assembled 

 brethren on their ^ stated day' of ivorship T' {p. 187.) What 

 a pity that Luke forgot to tell us so I When shall the anxious 

 public be gratified by the appearance of my friend's "first 

 edition" of the Supplementary Testament ? It will doubtless 

 be an accession to Biblical literature beyond valuation I If 



* See Luke xxiv. 30, 35, where Jesus was recognized in "breaking 

 of bread," that is, at the supper table (probably in consequence of 

 lights being just brought in) ; also, Acts ii. 46 : "breaking bread [that 

 is, eating their meals] from house to house," for they "had all things 

 in common." Again, Acts xxvii. 35, Paul having persuaded the sailora 

 to eat, took bread and "broke it." The popular acceptation of the 

 phrase is familiar to every scholar. In Valpy's Greek Testament there 

 is the foUowing comment on this passage: "In the Jewish way of 

 speaking, sajs Bishop Pearce, to 'break bread' is the same as to make 

 a meal ; and the meal here meant \_Acts xx. 7] seems to have been one 

 of those which were called ayairai, agapæ, love-feasts." 



Chetsostom thinks it "an ordinary meal." 



As Milton well says upon this text: "Who shall determine with 

 certainty whether this was a periodical meeting, or only held occasion- 

 ally and of their own accord ; whether it was a religious festival, or a 

 fraternal meal?" {Christian Doctrine, b. ii. ch. 7.) 



•}- Did Paul again "celebrate the Lord's Supper?" or had the disci- 

 ples indeed delayed i\i& prime object of their assembly till after midnight ? 



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