Dictionary of Bible Themes » 7000 God's people » 7900 The life of the church » 7936 love feast
The first Christians generally celebrated the Lord's Supper with the accompaniment of a meal, called the “agape” or “love feast”.
OT antecedents of the love feast
The Passover meal
See also Exodus 12:3-11,15-16; Matthew 26:17-18 pp Mark 14:12-15 pp Luke 22:7-12; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
Other festive occasions
Deuteronomy 12:7; Nehemiah 8:10
The NT practice of the love feast
It was linked with the Lord's Supper
Acts 2:46 See also Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
The name “love feasts”
Jude 12 See also 2 Peter 2:13 fn; John 13:2,34 It was at the Last Supper that Jesus Christ gave his new commandment to his disciples to love one another as he had loved them.
The charitable distribution of food
Acts 6:1
Abuses of the love feast
Selfishness, indulgence and ostentation
1 Corinthians 11:20-22 See also 1 Corinthians 11:33-34
Licentiousness
2 Peter 2:13
Ungodly participants, especially false teachers
Jude 4,12 See also 2 Peter 2:1,13
The heavenly love feast
Foretold by Jesus Christ
Matthew 26:29 pp Mark 14:25
The marriage supper of the Lamb
Revelation 19:9 See also Isaiah 25:6; Matthew 22:2-14 The parable of the marriage supper indicates the prerequisites for attendance at the supper.
See also
4435 drinking 4438 eating 5385 leisure 5946 sensitivity 7354 feasts and festivals 7406 Passover 7921 fellowship 7933 Lord's Supper 8821 self-indulgence
