Dictionary of Bible Themes – 7936 love feast
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7936 love feast

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 Ex 12:3-11,15-16; Mt 26:17-18 pp Mk 14:12-15 pp Lk 22:7-12; 1Co 11:23-25

Other festive occasions Dt 12:7; Ne 8:10

The NT practice of the love feast

It was linked with the Lord’s Supper Ac 2:46 See also Ac 20:7; 1Co 11:17-34

The name “love feasts” Jude 12 See also 2Pe 2:13 fn; Jn 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 Ac 6:1

Abuses of the love feast

Selfishness, indulgence and ostentation 1Co 11:20-22 See also 1Co 11:33-34

Licentiousness 2Pe 2:13

Ungodly participants, especially false teachers Jude 4,12 See also 2Pe 2:1,13

The heavenly love feast

Foretold by Jesus Christ Mt 26:29 pp Mk 14:25

The marriage supper of the Lamb Rev 19:9 See also Isa 25:6; Mt 22:2-14 The parable of the marriage supper indicates the prerequisites for attendance at the supper.

See also

4435drinking
4438eating
5385leisure
5946sensitivity
7354feasts and festivals
7406Passover
7921fellowship
7933Lord’s Supper
8821self-indulgence