What Did the Apostles Mean by 'Breaking Bread'?

Tom: This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, and we are going through the Book of Acts. We’re in chapter 2. Dave, we left off last week—I think we finished 41 and we’re picking up with Acts:2:42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
See All...: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Now, Dave, one thing jumps out at me right away. “Breaking of bread”—there’s a bit of controversy. Are we talking about just taking meals together, or was this remembering the Lord’s Supper. What do you think?

Dave: I don’t think it would refer to having a meal. In other words, these guys steadfastly continued to feed themselves…

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: Three square meals a day, or whatever. But, Tom, let me go back…I want to go back just for a moment to the….

Tom: Well, you covered that.

Dave: …previous verse.

Tom: I accept what you said.

Dave: No, yeah, I’m done with that thought, but…

Tom: (laughing) Okay.

Dave: The one—I want to find out who these people are that are continuing “steadfastly.” Verse 41: “…They that gladly received his word were baptized….” So, it sounds as though you have to believe, in order to be baptized. And, I don’t see that it says, “And then they baptized all their children,” because now they’re sanctified, too. And, again, I don’t want to offend anyone out there, but the Bible does not teach infant baptism. And you can’t liken it to circumcision, because baptism is for believers only…

Tom: Right.

Dave: …whereas, circumcision was for anyone who was a physical Jew.

Tom: Right. “And they received the word,” therefore they believed the Word…

Dave: Right.

Tom:  …and they were saved…

Dave: Right.

Tom: …and, then they were baptized.

Dave: Exactly. And, there are many other passages in the Book of Acts, as well, that would support that. Okay.

So, now, “They continued…” a lot of people that claim to get saved—maybe they went forward at a crusade or something, but they don’t continue. Not only did they continue, they continued steadfastly. And what did they continue in? Well, not feeding themselves three square meals a day (chuckling). That would be ridiculous.

“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.” Well, were the apostles making it up as they went along? I don’t think so. They were being led of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus had said, “I’ve got to go away. I’m going to be exalted at the Father’s right hand. I’m going to be received up in heaven as evidence that my sacrifice on the cross was acceptable to God. That sins are therefore forgiven on that basis….”

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: “…and I’m going to send the Holy Spirit. If I don’t go away, I can’t send the Holy Spirit, and He will lead you into all truth.” John:16:13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
See All...: “…When he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will lead you into all truth….”

Okay. So, Jesus had said, “There are many difficult things that I can’t yet tell you because you don’t have the Holy Spirit. You’re not born of the Spirit of God; but when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will lead you into all truth.” Okay? So, the apostles’ doctrine wasn’t something the apostles made up, but it was the revelation from the Holy Spirit, now, that was indwelling them. And it was further elaboration, I’m sure, upon the words of Jesus that they had heard.

Tom: Some people…the word “doctrine”…it trips them up a bit. It simply means the teachings.

Dave: Right.

Tom: And, as you’re saying, this is not something that they made up…it’s the teachings of the Holy Spirit…

Dave: Right.

Tom: …which they communicated.

Dave: Right. Now, we have something today called the Apostle’s Creed, Tom. And I don’t know whether we’ve commented on that before or not.

Tom: We’ve done a little bit on that.

Dave: Yeah, okay. The apostles never heard of it. (Chuckling) They…it was invented centuries later.

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: The Apostle’s Creed—and the Nicene Creed, for example, is another creed that came from men. And it doesn’t even contain the gospel.

Tom: Mm-hmm. But they were an attempt, Dave, in the church, to encapsulate…to put together…basically an apologetic against error.

Dave: Yes, that’s true, but they left some things out.

Tom: Major things.

Dave: Right.

Tom: Like the gospel.

Dave: So, “…They continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine.” So, they’re following the apostles’ teaching, which is coming from the Holy Spirit, and Paul said twice, “Follow me, as I follow Christ.” And, we know that the Bereans checked Paul out, to see whether what he said was according to the Scriptures. So, the revelation that now is coming—the doctrines that are developing in the Christian church—they must be in agreement with the Old Testament Scriptures. And, in fact, they are founded upon them. All right? And in breaking of bread—well, then that’s not just taking food for your body…

Tom: No.

Dave: …but they are remembering Christ, as He asked us to do. “This do in remembrance of me. This is my body—this bread.” Well, He’s sitting there in His body. He’s handing this bread to them with his fingers, you know, so there wasn’t a disciple sitting there that thought that that meant, “Oh well, when I’m gone they’ll be able to turn this into my body,” or that it was His body then. It’s a symbolic remembrance—a reminder. And Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11, I think it’s 23 or 24, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do proclaim [you declare] the Lord’s death till he come.”

So, they continued steadfastly to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, through this taking of the bread and of the cup, as he had asked them to do. Now, there’s a great importance to that, Tom. And we’ve mentioned it a few times, I guess, but when you have an event that is witnessed by a multitude of people, and it is immediately commemorated by some remembrance….

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: …that then is repeated over and over and over, and it continues down through the years, you know for certain that the event actually happened. Now, the Scripture tells us “In the night in which he was betrayed…” (or Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11…that’s the Scripture), “In the night in which he was betrayed he took bread and he said, Do this.”

So, the disciples have been doing this ever since the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We know that this breaking of bread that it’s talking about here was because of, and in remembrance of, a factual event to which they were all witnesses: the crucifixion, the death, the burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, you can be very certain that the disciples would not have continued in this breaking of bread in remembrance of Christ until he come if He wasn’t alive,…

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: …if He hadn’t risen from the dead, and, indeed, was not coming back. So, we have a very solid, factual foundation and this is a major reason why we are to continue to do this. Okay?

Another reason we continue to do it is because “in remembrance of Him.” We are declaring to the world, “Hey guys, this really happened! Our faith is not in vain.” But we also come together to pour out our hearts to Him in gratitude for what He has done.

Tom: Dave, this is something that we’re going to be thankful for—you know, it seems to me, the greater our understanding of this, the more it brings thankfulness and appreciation, and so on. I mean, just in awe of…that God would do that for us…as we mentioned earlier.

Dave: This is the throne in heaven, Revelation 22: “Is forever the throne of God and of the Lamb.” We will never get beyond it. I believe Christ will always have the marks of Calvary as a reminder of what He did for us. I think this is a very important part of what the church does.

So, in fellowship—well, the Scripture says, “Don’t neglect the gathering together of the saints. Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is….” It’s very important. People say, “Well, I’ve got my faith. You know, I went forward at a crusade. I mean, I believe, but I don’t go to church.”

Well, you better find a fellowship of believers, who really follow the Word of God, with whom you can meet to remember the Lord, to thank Him, and praise Him. Actually, Tom, it’s not like the seeker-friendly churches today. You didn’t bring people into the church and try to get them converted. They got converted out there. You were witnesses, and then they came together. So, this is a gathering of believers, and then it says, “…and in prayers.”  

We have 30 seconds or so, I could just remind all of us—there’s one meeting that is really neglected in most churches: the prayer meeting. They go to Sunday morning…some people even go Sunday morning and Sunday evening. Wow! But mid-week, whenever it is—prayer? “Um…ummmm.” it’s a very important part. So, this is a terrific verse that I guess we could all put on our wall or on our mirror or something...

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: …and be reminded of.

Tom: Dave, as I think about prayer—it’s foundational to all of the others.