Breaking of Bread?

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

You may read and post, but some features are restricted to registered members. Please consider registering to gain full access! Registration is free and only takes a few moments to complete.

[G_Prince]

Whenever my GCx church took communion (about twice a year  ) they always called it "breaking of bread." At the time I didn't think about it, but now this seems like such and odd term. I've never heard this anywhere else. Is this more GCx terminology or are there other groups who say the same?

[Linda]

I know! When we first started going, someone was explaining small groups and said something like, "We do a little lesson, pray, and sometimes meet for breaking of bread." We just nodded "unknowingly"(!) and when we got in our car looked at each other and said, "What did he mean by breaking of bread? Is it communion or do they just mean we eat dinner together?" We decided we would find out what they meant when we joined the group! (How silly that we didn't just say at the time, "Breaking of bread, what is that?") As it turns out, I don't think we ever had communion together in our small group, but I'm sure that's what the term meant to them because when we did eat together, they never called it "breaking of bread".

I'm pretty sure it comes from the verse in Acts 2 that says: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers," which I always took as meaning they ate together, but others argue it means communion.

[randomous]

Interesting question.  If you do a quick google search for "breaking of bread", the first two that come up say the term was used for either eating or celebrating the Lord's supper, and one should look at context and that in the Acts 2:42 context it is the Lord's Supper.  While it's more common to say Communion or Lord's Supper, a quick google search will show you it's not a GCx term.  However, it is a popular term at the GC churches I've been part of - especially because we use Acts 2:42 as our model for small groups.

[AgathaL'Orange]

When Jesus was at the last supper, doesn't it say something like, He took it and broke it?  Maybe that's how it translated?  I guess now, we slice it instead of breaking it (unless it's a baguette or something). 

I also think that GCx likes to use churchy terms. 

[Linda]

When Jesus was at the last supper, doesn't it say something like, He took it and broke it?

I think I had this and the verse in Acts in mind when I first heard the phrase said and since I always thought the verse in Acts was about supper, but references to Jesus breaking bread were about communion, I was confused.

Interestingly enough, as I walked into the kitchen after posting last night, Terry was working on the Greek lesson that he does with our son. I asked him about the verse and he pulled out his Interlinear Greek New Testament. It says:

And all who believed were together and had all things common and their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all according as anyone need had. And every day steadfastly continuing with one accord in the temple, and breaking in their houses bread they partook of food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favour with whole the people; and the Lord added t hose who were being saved to the assembly.

So, I think Acts where it actually says the phrase "breaking of bread" it means they ate together everyday. I'm sure it could be argued either way though and figure that GC got the idea from this verse because McCotter's big deal was to get back to being the Acts church.

Gene brought up an interesting point though and something that I have added to my list of things to watch out for when joining a church which is the idea of a group having a "code" language for things that everyone in the group knows--secret things.

PS-Isn't that phrase "partook of food with gladness and simplicity of heart" neat? I like that.

[EverAStudent]

1 Corinthians 11 links "the Lord's Supper" (yes, Paul calls it that, so it is a genuinely "New Testament-ish" term) with eating entire meals together, as a church.  Further, Jude refers to a "love feast" which again implies an entire meal being taken in combination with "the Lord's Supper."  The evidence (not proof, just evidence) is very strong that the early church often pragmatically used a communal meal time to minister to the poor saints (who did not have sufficient food) and finished this "love feast" with a communion service.

When I attended a Grace Brethren church, it was common for the church to gather in the evening on specified nights, wash each other's feet (optional), sit at large banquet tables shoulder-to-shoulder, have communion by breaking the bread fragment between two of you (really cool), then finishing with a small meal and a hymn.  Those were the coolest communion services I have ever participated in.

[Linda]

That I Corinthians 11 section is very interesting, isn't it? Terry and I were just reading it this morning. It adds to the mystery of the Lord's supper.

I believe when our GC church used the term, "breaking of bread" they were referring to "communion", not a meal. I think what struck me was that their meaning was very "religious" sounding (not to mention ambiguous). Other terms that stuck out to me that were "religious" sounding were "laboring together", "shoulder to shoulder", hmmmm, anyone remember any others? It's not that these terms are bad. For me, it just makes the group stand out and seem more sectarian.

[EverAStudent]

It's not that these terms are bad. For me, it just makes the group stand out and seem more sectarian.

The national leaders recognized this about their own terminololgy.  I remember reading an article in The Cause in which they ponder the use of their own vocabulary.  Their conclusion, if I remember correctly, was that if it turns away the unsaved from becoming "knit in" then it is not good, but otherwise it helps establish their distinctive community. 

GCx was always about being distinctive as the only church that would win the world to Christ.  So it only makes sense that their language further distances them from those "other" "traditional" churches out there.  Why else would they call each local body an "assembly" instead of a church, except to distinguish themselves and set themselves apart from all other "churches."  Sectarian all the way...

[saved]

In our church it meant communion.  And they'd sing a song from Acts:

And they were...
   echo:  And they were...
Continually...
   echo: continually
Devoting themselves
To the apostles' teaching
And to fellowship
And to the breaking of bread
And to prayer
And the Lord was
   echo: Day by day
Adding to their number
   echo: Day by day
And the Lord was
   echo: Day by day
Adding to their number
   echo: Day by day
Those who were being saved

So if we do all those things, then we'll see people saved you see?

Actually, I really liked communion in the small group setting... lots of prayer, singing, meaningful, not just a bit and a sip.

-|-

[Linda]

Here's an easy way to find out if you're in a cult. If you find yourself asking the question, "am I in a cult?" the answer is yes. -Stephen Colbert

Hey, Gene, this is hysterical! Also, love the photo!

[AgathaL'Orange]

Shrieks of Laughter, Gene!  AHAHAHAHAAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!  I think I need a picture too. 

[randomous]

Linda, the verse your friend looked up is Acts 2:46, which is generally translated the way.  The one that in context seems to be about communion is Acts 2:42 - basically describing spiritual worship type things.  Don't take my word for it, you can find a ton of commentaries on that.

[Linda]

I'm not trying to say that "breaking bread" doesn't ever refer to communion. Remember the old spiritual, "Let us break bread together"? That's about communion, at least it's sung during communion. I was merely elaborating on Gene's reference to that phrase and pointing out two things.

One, that it can be ambiguous. Generally speaking, in most churches I have attended communion is called communion, or the Lord's supper. You know what is meant when those words are used. Not so with the phrase "breaking of bread".

Two, Gene pointed out that he hasn't heard this phrase used since he left GC. That reminded me of other phrases that were uniquely GC and sounded more "religious".

An example that came to mind was the phrase "labored together". They kept using that phrase. Here's an example. When they washed windows at the local gas station as a "service project", they said they "labored together". Nothing wrong with that phrase. It's not a sin to say "labored together". I wouldn't ever leave a church because they said "labored together". The point is that I found that GC had a "unique" set of words--probably going back to the early days--that were not used in other evangelical churches.

[G_Prince]

Here's an easy way to find out if you're in a cult. If you find yourself asking the question, "am I in a cult?" the answer is yes. -Stephen Colbert

Hey, Gene, this is hysterical! Also, love the photo!

Just thought I'd spruce up the profile! 

[wwippel]

Hey, I'm just logging in so I guess this is an old topic, but as a long-time member of GCC in the eighties, I am very conversant with why they do things the way that they do. This whole conversation strikes me as odd, actually, because breaking of bread  is not a "churchy" term, it is a biblical term, and I wonder about your "christianity", all of you, if you don't recognize it as such. Ever read the bible? 


In general, I would say that the church in my experience had a lot of problems, but they stemmed from the "elders" at the time being maybe 25, which meant that we are all a bunch of kids!  And pressure to conform is sort of part of being young.  I truthfully had a much, much, worse experience in the Navigators.

[Linda]

This whole conversation strikes me as odd, actually, because breaking of bread  is not a "churchy" term, it is a biblical term, and I wonder about your "christianity", all of you, if you don't recognize it as such. Ever read the bible?

Did you read this thread? I don't think anyone here said the phrase was not used in the Bible. And, really, to just jump in here and accuse people of not being Christians and suggest that we don't read the Bible is kinda rude.

I will repeat what I said earlier. Here it is since you seemed to have missed it:

I'm not trying to say that "breaking bread" doesn't ever refer to communion. Remember the old spiritual, "Let us break bread together"? That's about communion, at least it's sung during communion. I was merely elaborating on Gene's reference to that phrase and pointing out two things.

One, that it can be ambiguous. Generally speaking, in most churches I have attended communion is called communion, or the Lord's supper. You know what is meant when those words are used. Not so with the phrase "breaking of bread".

Two, Gene pointed out that he hasn't heard this phrase used since he left GC. That reminded me of other phrases that were uniquely GC and sounded more "religious".

The national leaders recognized this about their own terminololgy.  I remember reading an article in The Cause in which they ponder the use of their own vocabulary.  Their conclusion, if I remember correctly, was that if it turns away the unsaved from becoming "knit in" then it is not good, but otherwise it helps establish their distinctive community.

Since this thread just was reopened, I reread it and realized that I had missed this post earlier. Does anyone have a copy of the issue of The Cause where them ponder the use of vocabulary? I would be interested in reading it.

[G_Prince]

Ever read the bible? 

Never heard of it...

[G_Prince]

Ever read the bible? 

"Sure do...every godd*mn day." -George S. Patton.

Sorry this question was just too funny!

[AgathaL'Orange]

Bertrand just reminded me of how this term was used as a sort of deep, meaningful sounding meal together. 

As in, "I was investing in a brother's life, you know... really building into him.  He was trying to stay focused on the great commission, it was hard because he was struggling with wanting to study for class and make money to live on, but I wanted to show him a better way.  So this brother and I... we were at Pizza Hut, breaking bread together."