{Upon the first day of the week} (en de mi(8369) t(936e)
sabbat(936e)). The cardinal mi(8369) used here for the ordinal
pr(9374)(8869) ( Mr 16:9 ) like the Hebrew _ehadh_ as in Mr 16:2 Mt
28:1 Lu 24:1 Joh 20:1 and in harmony with the _Koin(825f) idiom
(Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 671). Either the singular ( Mr 16:9 )
sabbatou or the plural sabbaton as here was used for the week
(sabbath to sabbath). For the first time here we have services
mentioned on the first day of the week though in 1Co 16:2 it is
implied by the collections stored on that day. In Re 1:10 the
Lord's day seems to be the day of the week on which Jesus rose
from the grave. Worship on the first day of the week instead of
the seventh naturally arose in Gentile churches, though Joh
20:26 seems to mean that from the very start the disciples began
to meet on the first (or eighth) day. But liberty was allowed as
Paul makes plain in Ro 14:5f . {When we were gathered together}
(sun(8867)men(936e) h(886d)(936e)). Genitive absolute, perfect passive
participle of sunag(935c), to gather together, a formal meeting of
the disciples. See this verb used for gatherings of disciples in
Ac 4:31 11:26 14:27 15:6,30 19:7,8 1Co 5:4 . In Heb 10:25
the substantive episunag(9367)(886e) is used for the regular gatherings
which some were already neglecting. It is impossible for a church
to flourish without regular meetings even if they have to meet in
the catacombs as became necessary in Rome. In Russia today the
Soviets are trying to break up conventicles of Baptists. They
probably met on our Saturday evening, the beginning of the first
day at sunset. So these Christians began the day (Sunday) with
worship. But, since this is a Gentile community, it is quite
possible that Luke means our Sunday evening as the time when this
meeting occurs, and the language in Joh 20:19 "it being evening
on that day the first day of the week" naturally means the
evening following the day, not the evening preceding the day. {To
break bread} (klasai arton). First aorist active infinitive of
purpose of kla(935c). The language naturally bears the same meaning
as in 2:42 , the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper which usually
followed the Agap(885c). See 1Co 10:16 . The time came, when the
Agap(885c) was no longer observed, perhaps because of the abuses
noted in 1Co 11:20ff . Rackham argues that the absence of the
article with bread here and its presence ( on arton) in verse
11 shows that the Agap(885c) is ] referred to in verse 7 and the
Eucharist in verse 11 , but not necessarily so because on
arton may merely refer to arton in verse 7 . At any rate it
should be noted that Paul, who conducted this service, was not a
member of the church in Troas, but only a visitor. {Discoursed}
(dielegeto). Imperfect middle because he kept on at length.
{Intending} (mell(935c)). Being about to, on the point of. {On the
morrow} ( (8869) epaurion). Locative case with h(886d)er(8369) understood
after the adverb epaurion. If Paul spoke on our Saturday
evening, he made the journey on the first day of the week (our
Sunday) after sunrise. If he spoke on our Sunday evening, then he
left on our Monday morning. {Prolonged his speech} (Pareteinen
ton logon). Imperfect active (same form as aorist) of
paratein(935c), old verb to stretch beside or lengthwise, to
prolong. Vivid picture of Paul's long sermon which went on and on
till midnight (mechri mesonuktiou). Paul's purpose to leave
early next morning seemed to justify the long discourse.
Preachers usually have some excuse for the long sermon which is
not always clear to the exhausted audience.
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