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gluttony and this necessitated the sharp rebuke of the Apostle in I Cor. 11: Jude 12
likewise warns of these excesses ("There are they who are hidden rocks in your
love-feasts" R.V.), and possibly II Pet. 2: 13, where there is a variant reading of
agapais, love-feasts, for apatais, deceivings. The church Fathers refer to these feasts,
among them Ignatius, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Chrysostom.
The love-feast later on became separated from the Lord's Supper. Such edicts as that
of Trajan against secret societies, led to this. The agape was adjudged by the Emperor to
pertain to secret clubs. By the fourth century the agape came into disfavour through
various reasons such as disorders and the increasing emphasis placed upon the Eucharist
-- which finally degenerated into the Roman Mass. The Council of Laodicea (363), the
third council of Carthage (393), and the second council of Orleans (541) led to finally
prohibiting feasting in churches, though the rite still persisted in the Eastern Church.
John Wesley introduced the practice within Methodism, but it has not survived. The
practice of the Sovereign distributing Maundy money is a relic of the agape.
It is important to note that the Lord Jesus, either substituted or added the `washing of
the feet' to the Passover ritual. He may have substituted this for one of the hand
washings of this Service. Now we are often told that "all the commands of Jesus" are
binding on the church today and that, in instituting the Supper, He was giving an example
for all time to believers. If we notice carefully what He said in connection with that
wondrous and lowly act of washing the disciples' feet, we shall indeed wonder why those
who talk like this have turned a blind eye to this important part of the Supper:
"He riseth from Supper, and laid aside His garments, and took a towel, and girded
Himself. After that He poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet,
and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded . . . . . He said unto them,
know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well: for so I
am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one
another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you"
(John 13: 4-17).
There can be no doubt as to the meaning of the Lord's words. He was expressly
giving an example for the disciples to follow. Why has not the professing church been
keen to put this into practice then? Can it be that washing people's feet is too lowly an
act and is not nearly so thrilling as sipping wine and engaging in all the ritual that has
accumulated through the centuries and obliterated the real meaning of this simple feast?
Coming back to I Corinthians, we shall not find it easy to distinguish between the
love feast and the Lord's Supper, but it is essential to have this background of knowledge
if we are to understand properly the situation at Corinth with which Paul was dealing.
There is no doubt that, because of human failing and infirmity, all ritual can become
dangerous and finally gain an importance that it was never meant to have. The senses are
entertained by it, and finally feeling is substituted for faith. We should be grateful that
we belong to a heavenly calling where all shadows have vanished and we have all the
fullness and spiritual reality in Christ.