Breaking of bread

In the book of Acts, there is a passage that has led to some debate regarding whether Paul conducted a “communion” service on Sunday or on the Sabbath. Let’s take a closer look at the relevant verse:

Acts 20:7 (Authorized Version) states: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight.”

Here are the different interpretations:

Communion on Sunday: Some argue that this passage indicates that the disciples took “communion” on the first day of the week (Sunday). However, there are counterarguments against this view:

The Scripture does not explicitly say that Paul observed Sunday as a day of worship.

If this were an example for us today, services would start on Saturday night, not Sunday morning.

Paul spoke until midnight, healed a young man, broke bread, and ate (verse 11), which suggests a meal rather than a religious service.
Other instances of “breaking bread” in Acts refer to ordinary meals (Acts 27:33-38, Acts 2:42, 46, Luke 24:30, 35).

Breaking Bread as a Meal: The phrase “breaking bread” does not necessarily refer to a religious service but rather to the act of eating a meal. Acts 27:33-38 illustrates this when Paul ate with others for their health.

Paul’s Custom and Observance:

There is no evidence in the Bible that the New Testament Church partook of the symbols of bread and wine more often than once a year.

Throughout Acts, we see that it was Paul’s custom to observe the Sabbath (Acts 17:2; 13:14-15, 42-44).

Acts 20:6 mentions that Paul was traveling after observing the Days of Unleavened Bread.

While Acts 20:7 describes the disciples coming together to break bread, it does not necessarily imply a weekly “communion” service. Instead, it likely refers to a meal shared among believers. Paul’s custom was to observe the Sabbath, not
necessarily Sunday worship.

Acts 20:7 - On the first day of the week [ Saturday night - see NEB] we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight. [Again, it is debatable whether this was a final meal together or a formal communion.]

Acts 20:11 - Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed. [This appears to be a snack to sustain his very long, all-night farewell speech.]

1 Cor 10:16 - Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

However, what we do know is that the circumstance in Acts 20 was a "one-time activity" because this was Paul's farewell speech.

The simplest explanation is that "breaking bread" is nothing more than an expression meaning eating a meal together. This is similar to the way British people use the expression "having tea" to refer to the main evening meal.

There was no rice, pasta, potatoes, etc., so bread was served as the main carbohydrate at every dinner. Sliced Wonder® Bread didn't exist then either; people would pick up the loaf, break off a piece for themselves, and then pass it on to the next person.

( This was the usual meaning of the expression in scripture.)

As for Acts 20:7:

Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

Note that "the first day of the week" does not mean what we call Sunday.

Rather, this was a meal eaten following sunset on Saturday, right after the end of the Sabbath when hot food could be prepared and served.

Basically:

Paul and his friends were going to leave Troas and sail to Miletus.
They couldn't travel on a Sabbath, so they planned on leaving first thing Sunday morning.

They likely spent the day at the local synagogue, studying and discussing the Hebrew scriptures.

Saturday evening, after 6 pm sunset, they all met together for a good-bye dinner.

Either Paul got a bit carried away, or the people insisted that he keep going, and he talked until the middle of the night.

Verse 11 indicates that many continued in conversation until daybreak Sunday morning, at which time Paul's friends went to the ship and departed.

(For unspecified reasons, Paul himself chose to walk to the next coastal town, Assos, and boarded the ship there.)

There is nothing here that implies any kind of ceremony.

The only religious aspect to this event was that they couldn't travel during the Sabbath.

Interpreting this meal as being on a Sunday, and as being the Catholic sacrament of Communion, is eisegesis (reading one's beliefs into scripture), not exegesis (determining one's beliefs from scripture).

Eisegesis is good for confirming one's beliefs; exegesis is good for developing and proving one's beliefs.

Actually, as the meal took place right after sunset on Saturday, it was no longer the Sabbath but was now the first day of the week (Sunday). So it was then on Sunday, just not Sunday "morning".

By the Hebrew calendar, it was on the first day of the week, just after Sabbath. But by the Roman calendar, it was Saturday evening, shortly after 6 pm, and Sunday wouldn't begin until midnight. The meal was at the beginning of the first day of the week according to the Hebrew calendar, but on the Roman calendar it was ¾ of the way through the seventh day of the week. Mixing aspects of the two calendars isn't logical, and produces nonsense results.

The 1st day of the week spans from Sat 6 PM to Sun 6 PM. Therefore, part of Sunday is the 1st day of the week, not just Sat. - Also,

"They likely", based on Paul's habit of going to the synagogue on the Sabbath to read the scriptures and discuss how Christianity is predicted therein, as mentioned in Acts 13:14, 13:42, and 18:4 (and others) and the surrounding verses.