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Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

Bible truths illustrated for the use of preachers, teachers, bible-school, Christian endeavor, temperance and other Christian workers

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—<br />

:<br />

BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED<br />

name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; also the<br />

inauguration of the first church : and that church, with others<br />

planted and set in order <strong>by</strong> the apostles, was designed, <strong>by</strong> the<br />

Head of the church, as a model for all time. In Acts- 2: 42 we<br />

are informed that the baptised continued steadfastly in the breaking<br />

of bread, as also in the fellowship and in the teaching -of the<br />

apostles. The allusion is, most certainly, to some instituted<br />

breaking of bread, and not to ordinary eating. In Christianity<br />

we find but one ordinance in which bread has a place—that<br />

commonly designated "The Lord's Supper." David King.<br />

535. The Saviour gave no intimation as to when the Supper<br />

should be observed. It was not needful for Him to fix the<br />

time, as He purposed to baptise His apostles in the Holy Spirit,<br />

and thus to guide them into all truth, that they might legislate<br />

for the church. The apostles have given us the Lord's Day and<br />

the Lord's Supper—the one commemorating His resurrection,<br />

while the other shows forth His death. Fifty-two times in the<br />

year we commemorate the resurrection, <strong>by</strong> observing the day;<br />

and surely reason requires that the death should be commemorated<br />

with the same frequency. ... In Acts 20 : 7 we read<br />

''And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came<br />

together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to<br />

depart on the morrow." Paul, it appears, had sailed from<br />

Philippi and been five days in reaching Troas, where he abode<br />

seven days, and then partook of the feast with the disciples,<br />

ready to depart the next day. Now, why name this waiting, if<br />

it were customary to break the bread daily? Evidently Paul .<br />

waited the number of days intervening between his arrival and<br />

the day of commemoration, and then, after breaking bread with<br />

the church, he departed. No doubt journeys then (as they now<br />

are <strong>by</strong> those who regard New Testament order) were arranged,<br />

as far as possible, to secure at least one Lord's Day—one celebration<br />

of the feast—with the church visited. "On the first day<br />

of the week the disciples came together to break bread." . . .<br />

True, we do not find the word every in the narrative, and it<br />

has been objected that "the first of the week" may not be<br />

equivalent to every first of the week. We answer, neither is the<br />

word every found in reference to the Jewish Sabbath. "Six<br />

days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work, but the seventh day<br />

190

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