378  A  CHRISTIAN  SERVICE  xx  7-i«

after  the  close  of  the  sabbath,  was  generally  celebrated  among  the  Jews
by  a  festive  meal  or  banquet^ :  and  such  a  meal  would  naturally  lend
itself  to  the  specially  Christian  observance.  We  may  conclude  then
that  the  Christians  at  Troas  met  after  sunset  and  had  their  evening
meal  or  Agapd,  and  this  was  prolonged  to  midnight.  Then  an  int^-
ruption  occurred,  and  afterwards  S.  Paul  broke  ths  bread\  viz.  of  the
Eucharist,  and  this  service  lasted  till  dawn.  Another  view  however
may  be  suggested,  if  we  observe  S.  Luke's  language  and  allow  due
weight  to  his  usual  accuracv.  There  is  no  mention  of  eating  before
midnight;  but  after  S.  Paul  had  broken  the  bread  of  the  Eucharist^
S.  Luke  adds  and  eaten.  The  word  eat  may  denote  merely  tasting,
such  as  would  be  applicable  to  the  Eucharist ;  but  it  is  elsewhere  used
bv  S.  Luke  for  satisfying  hunger  in  eating  ^  and  we  may  not  unreason-
ably infer  that  by  its  use  here  he  alludes  to  the  Agapd,  which  would
in  that  case  have  followed  the  Eucharist.  We  know  that  at  an  early
period  the  Eucharist  and  Agap^  were  separated  and  their  order  reversed.
Now  a  year  ago  S.  Paul  had  heard  at  Ephesus  of  the  disorders  which
occurred  at  the  Eucharist  in  Corinth,  which  arose  from  its  coming  after
the  Agap^.  He  wrote  that  he  would  set  these  matters  in  order  when
he  came^;  and  one  of  his  *  orders'  may  have  been  the  transposition  of
the  Eucharist  and  Agap^*^.
