The first of the three scriptural titles is used in Acts 2.42. It is referred to in a list of four practices in which the Church steadfastly continued from the day of Pentecost onwards. It is a most homely phrase, obviously adapted by the writer from everyday life, and is admirably suited to create just the right atmosphere for the new-born family of saints. Luke deliberately sets it in that background with divine intention, thus introducing the ideas of naturalness and continuity.
Breaking of bread is a comprehensive term indicating to the eastern mind more than the literal wording of the phrase. It embraces the idea of participation in a whole meal, a normal practice of life as Luke shows in verses 46 & 47. But in verse 42, breaking of bread is distinctively spoken of in connection with apostles, and fellowship, and prayers, and connects with these the virtues of steadfastness and continuity. Obviously this is purposely done with the object of delineating early Church practice. In verses 46 & 47 the term is linked with the idea of ordinary (or is it extraordinary?) social hospitality; with singleness of heart the saints shared a common experience and life. The whole conveys the picture of a glad, joyful company, praising God and having favour with all the people.
In those few sentences Luke has presented two aspects of the Church's life:
(1) the Church extraordinary gathered together into one; (2) the Church ordinary dispersed abroad in their homes. He has simply taken a phrase in common use, lifted it out of its normal setting and applied it in all its simplicity to what had by then become the one common meal of the Church, thereby giving it particular emphasis. By doing this he : (1) purposely changed the entire meaning of the phrase, (2) he set it in a new age-abiding context, (3) he established its vital necessity.
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.