Luke summarized the first church of Christ, established in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). The term, “continued steadfastly” means to be devoted (Acts 1:14; 2:46; 6:4; Romans 12:12). There are four specific areas, all spiritual in nature, to which these early Christians were devoted. In this article, we will examine the third of these. They were devoted to “the breaking of bread.” The term “breaking of bread” can refer simply to a common meal, as it does in Acts 2:46. However, in the context of Acts 2:42, the term refers to a special “breaking of bread,” which is the Lord’s Supper (cf. Matthew 26:26-29). In Acts 2:42, the original language has two definite articles that do not come across in most English translations. The term literally reads, “the breaking of the bread,” which clearly distinguishes this from “breaking bread [from house to house]” (Acts 2:46). The day and frequency with which the Lord’s Supper was to be taken is not given here, but we find elsewhere that it was taken on the first day of every week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20). The Lord’s Supper is communion with Christ (Matthew 26:29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17), as worshipers remember His death (1 Corinthians 11:23-29). “The breaking of bread” likely serves as a synecdoche (a part used for the whole) to indicate all worship. Spiritual obligations were a matter of devotion for the early church (Acts 20:6). How important is worship and “the breaking of bread” to us?
