📖 Biblical Definition
The breaking of bread is the early Christian practice of meeting in homes for a shared meal that included the Lord’s Supper — the bread broken and cup poured in remembrance of Christ’s death until He comes. Acts 2:42 lists it as one of the four pillars of the Jerusalem church: "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:46 records its daily rhythm: "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." The practice is also explicitly the Lord’s-Supper-meal in Acts 20:7, 11, Luke 24:30, 35, and 1 Corinthians 10:16. Christ’s death proclaimed at every table.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
BREAK'ING, ppr.
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1. Parting by violence; rending or shivering. 2. Breaking of bread — in scripture, the early Christian practice of common meals featuring the eucharist or Lord's Supper.
📖 Key Scripture
Acts 2:42 — "They continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
Acts 2:46 — "Breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart."
Luke 24:35 — "They told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread."
1 Corinthians 10:16 — "The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern Lord's Supper is often a thimble of juice; the early church broke real bread at real meals.
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The early church's breaking of bread was integrated with real food at real tables in real homes. Acts 2:46 says they did it from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness. Paul's correction in 1 Corinthians 11 of the Corinthians' abuse of the practice presupposes that whole meals were involved — some were eating to fullness while others went hungry. The eucharist was not a thimble of juice; it was a covenant supper.
Modern Lord's Supper has often shrunk to a quarterly ritual with a wafer and a thimble. There is room for liturgical reverence; there is also room for recovery. Many house churches and college fellowships now share full meals with the bread and the cup at the center. The Emmaus disciples recognized the risen Christ in the breaking of bread — not in a sermon, not in a song, but at table with Him. The Lord still meets His people there. Set the table.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek klasis (G2800), artos (G740).
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Usage
"The eucharist was not a thimble of juice; it was a covenant supper at table."
"The Emmaus disciples recognized the risen Christ in the breaking of bread, not in a sermon."
"Modern Lord's Supper often needs recovery; the early church integrated it with real meals."