Breaking of Bread
The breaking of the bread is a very solemn and joyful function of the church. There we proclaim the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf and express our anticipation for His second coming.
We read about this practice of the early church in Acts 2:42, “And they devoted themselves (or, steadfastly continued) to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is central to the teaching, fellowship, and prayers of the church. Therefore it is appropriate to give, in the church meeting, a prominent place for the breaking of the bread whereby we remember the Lord and proclaim His death. Acts 20:7 tells about the practice of the apostolic church, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight”. From Acts 20:5-6 we know that Paul and his friends were staying few days at that place. On Sunday the disciples gathered together, broke bread and listened to Paul’s message. Afterward, Paul and his companions departed. Teaching, fellowship, and prayers are important, but the most important purpose of the meeting of the church, as seen from this verse, is the breaking of the bread.
What is breaking the bread?
The Breaking of the bread, in the accounts in the book of Acts means a fellowship meal the integral part of which is the Lord’s Supper. (The Lord’s Supper is also called the Table of the Lord in 1 Cor. 10:21). Luke 22:14-20 teaches us that the Lord Jesus Himself instituted His Supper for the church. The church has to do it till He comes back and He eats with His people in the Kingdom. During the Passover meal, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it and told the disciples, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me”. And likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you”. The Lord was soon going to shed His blood for the remission of sins and thus inaugurate the New Covenant. The New Covenant essence is that “their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb 10:16-17). For those who believe in Christ, their sins are freely forgiven by God (Luke 24:46-47).
The purposes of the Lord’s Supper
The following are the purposes of the Lord’s Supper, as we gather from Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-22 and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. As we break the bread, we do the following:
- Remembrance of the Lord (1 Cor 11:24-25; Luke 22:19).
We remember the various aspects of His person and work. We remember His deity, humanity, sinless life, love, and especially His suffering, death, resurrection, and second coming for us.
- Proclamation of our faith
We proclaim the Lord’s death on our behalf to redeem us (1 Cor 11:26). We remember the New Covenant established by the shedding of His blood under which all our sins are freely forgiven in His name (1 Cor 11:25, Matthew 26:28).
- Participation of Christ.
The bread that we break is a participation (fellowship) in the body of Christ. The cup of blessing that we bless is a participation in the blood of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16). We enjoy fellowship with the Lord by participating in the truth that His body was broken for us and His blood was shed for us.
- Fellowship with the church.
Because there is one bread, and we all partake of the one bread, we who are many are one body (1 Cor. 10:17). We enjoy and proclaim our fellowship with all the members of the church as we break from the same bread and drink from the same cup.
- The Anticipation of the Lord’s second coming.
We break the bread and proclaim His death till he comes, that is, we break the bread joyfully anticipating His coming (1 Cor 11:26). We express that we are eagerly waiting for His coming to eat with Him again. “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29).