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Bible Dictionaries
Feasts of Charity
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or According to the early Christian writers these feasts were simple meals, taken on the same occasion as the Lord's supper, and were instituted for the sake of the poor. Chrysostom speaks of such feasts as derived from apostolic practice. "When all the faithful met together, and had heard the sermon and prayers, and received the communion, they did not immediately return home upon the conclusion of the service; but the rich and wealthy brought meat and food from their own houses, and called the poor and made a common table, a common dinner, a common banquet in the church." By others it is judged that the meal was taken before the Lord's supper, prior to the rule of taking the supper fasting. It is generally supposed that the disorder spoken of in 1 Corinthians 11 refers to some such meal being taken in connection with the Lord's supper. Whether such feasts were held at other times, apart from the Lord's supper, is not known; it is difficult to conceive the persons described in Jude 10-12 being allowed to come to the Lord's supper; or those mentioned in 2 Peter 2:13 , if that also refers to the love-feasts.
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Morrish, George. Entry for 'Feasts of Charity'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/mbd/f/feasts-of-charity.html. 1897.
