The disciples came together to break bread,— That is, to celebrate the eucharist. It is strange, that Barclay, in his Apology, (prop. 13: sect. 8.) should argue from Acts 20:11 that this was only a common meal, and not the Lord's supper. It is well known, that the primitive Christians administered the eucharist every Lord's day; and as that was the most solemn and appropriate as well as the concluding act of their worship, there is no wonder that it should be mentioned as the end of their assembly: whereas had nothing more than a common meal been intended, St. Luke would hardly have thought that worth mentioning; especially when, St. Paul being with them on a Lord's day, they would naturally have something far nobler and more important in view: in which accordingly we find them employed; and it is quite unreasonable to suppose that they spent their time in feasting, which neither the occasion nor the hour would well admit. The argument which some over-zealous Papists have drawn from this text, for denying the cup in the sacrament to the laity, was so solemnly given up in the council of Trent, that it is astonishing any who profess to believe the divine authority of that council, should ever have presumed to plead it again. See Father Paul's History, b. 3: p. 486.
Related Commentaries of Acts 20:7
Acts 20:7
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.