A meal shared by the early Christians when they met together for fellowship and the Lord's Supper. The term love feast is clearly used only in (feasts of charity; KJV). But some Greek manuscripts support "love feasts" instead of "deceptions" in <2 Peter 2:13>. The love feast is also referred to in <1 Corinthians 11:17-34>, and probably in , although neither passage in English versions of the Bible uses the term. The Greek word for love feast also is the main New Testament noun for love, indicating that the meal was originally intended to be a rich experience of God's love. The purpose of the love feast was to remember Christ, to encourage His disciples, and to share God's provisions with the needy.

In the time of Christ, communal meals to express friendship and observe religious feasts were practiced in both Greek and Jewish cultures. The yearly Passover meal was the most important such event among the Jews. Jesus chose this occasion to institute the LORD'S SUPPER, or Eucharist . Thus it was natural for the early Christians, whenever they celebrated the Lord's Supper, to do it in connection with a common meal. The "breaking of bread," which the very first disciples did daily, most likely refers to this dual experience of common meal and Eucharist .

Because of such abuses as those described in the New Testament <1 Cor. 11:17-34; 2 Pet. 2:13>, and probably for reasons of convenience, the meal and the Eucharist became separated in some regions by the second century. The meal-- known as the love feast, the agape, and even the Lord's Supper-- continued for several centuries. However, at times it became merely a charity supper for the poor and at other times a lavish banquet for the wealthy. After much controversy in the church, it was finally abolished at the end of the seventh century. A few Christian groups, however, still observe the agape.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)