October 5, 2026
Bill Goff
Most brethren in the church today, will probably tell you they never heard of what is called the “Agape Love Feast”. Yet it was established by our Lord Himself, and to be kept often. It was kept by the early new testament church, until some men stepped in and spoiled it, and then it was outlawed by the “Council of Laodicea”. The keeping of the love feast is essential to our success in overcoming sin.
(This study contains much Scriptural evidence that supports this teaching.) I hope you will take the time to study this. Let us start by refreshing our memory concerning the purpose of “Scripture”.
(2 Timothy 3:16). “All scripture is given by inspiration of God (God Breath) and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Reproof, Strong’s #1650 meaning evidence. (Very few ever look for evidence, but if we want to have the Truth, we have to search for the Scriptural evidence that supports our beliefs.
Scripture is also for Correction, Strong’s #1882 meaning a straightening up again, – rectification – correction. (This can help us get back to the faith once delivered to the saints, spoken of by Jude.)
And Scripture is also for instruction Strong’s # 3809 from “tutorage” meaning training – chastening.
The “Love Feast” (sometimes called the “feast of charity” by Peter or Jude) was introduced into the church by our Lord Himself, on the night in which he was arrested.
(We will discuss those Scriptures shortly.)
He instructed us to partake of the Bread and Wine, as often as we can, but at our discretion.
(We will also read those instructions shortly.)
The love feast began to be kept by the church on the day of Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit came in very powerfully, and filled everyone in the House.
From that day on, for quite some time, God’s Spirit was flowing; and miracles were taking place for all to see. It was wonderful. (It was the time of (Acts 3:6-8) (Acts 5:12).
Back then, the brethren were getting together and keeping the love feast, and keeping it often, (same as our Lord instructs all of us to do today.)
And the church was growing, and the Spirit was flowing. (Acts 5:14-15). “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
Act 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” Yes, our Lord was confirming the preaching and the teaching of truth with those “sign follow” (Mark 16:20).
The love feast was a relaxing time, a time to fellowship, maybe discuss the miracles that were taking place. It was also a time to solemnly partake of the bread and the wine, just as our Lord instructs us to do, even to this day.
But some men came in, ungodly men, they attacked the Love Feast. (Jude 1:1-4) (Jude 1:12).
“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Jud 1:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend (Fight, and fight hard) for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Jude 1:5) is a sobering reminder about how important Belief is: “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
So the love feast was first attacked by the ungodly men that crept into the church. (Jude 1:12).
Then shortly after, the Love Feast was outlawed, (By the Council of Laodicea) and forbidden to be kept. (We will read that cannon shortly.)
Most brethren in the church today, will probably tell you they never heard of the “Love Feast”. Yet, its significance goes beyond my words, so let’s look at the Scriptures now that clearly teach us about the “Agape Love Feast”. And ask for the blessings that come from keeping it.
We know from keeping the yearly Passover each year, that partaking of the bread and the wine, and the examining ourselves, making sure we are not taking it “Unworthily (meaning irreverently): brings us closer to our Creator.
this examining ourselves, and (discerning the Lord’s Body) Reminds us of the need to come out of sin, He wants us pure, walking upright, and Holy.
The important part of the love feast, was the examining oneself. Striving to walk upright.
And our Lord knew that we needed to be examining ourselves more often that just once a year. Because staying clean in this world takes a lot of fighting. And we need a lot of His Power.
Let us remember, He going to present to Himself a Pure and Unblemished church at His return. (Ephesians 5:27).
We’re not going to get to that perfection (That Full Growth condition) without keeping our High Calling on the front burner of our lives, and remembering what our Lord went through for us.
So, He tells us to examine ourselves, checking on our behavior. And that’s what the love feast does, it gets us to examine ourselves.
The “Love Feast” doesn’t replace the Passover. The Passover is to be kept once a year, on the 14th day of the first Month. The day our Lord was arrested, tried, condemned, and crucified.
The Love Feast doesn’t replace the Passover, but the love feast brings our minds back to the Passover, and what our Lord did for us, Reflecting on His scourging as we examine ourselves, to remember the need to remove any and all sins, or sinful ways from our lives.
So, let’s go to (1 Corinthians 11:17-34) and hear what Paul and our Lord have to tell the church, His little flock.
(Also, please understand that chapter 11 is not speaking about the Passover. Paul addressed the Passover back in chapter 5, where he speaks about a little leaven, leavens the whole lump etc. That was chapter 5. Chapter 11 is speaking of the love feast, and how the Corinthian’s were misusing it.
(1 Corinthians 11:17). “Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. Better here is Strong’s 2909 meaning stronger, better (Spiritually).
The Love Feast was given to us to increase our Spiritual growth, as we will see.
1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
(We will get back to verses 18 &19 later.)
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.
1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
The Love Feast is a very important gathering, its a time to look back at our Lord’s death, and to also look forward to his return. (As we shall soon see.)
1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
This was our Lord’s last meal together with His disciples.
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
(Now our lord begins to instruct us here of something we need to do. And His words “This Do” are very powerful words:
This Do (Strong’s # 4160 Meaning: quality, To make; to qualify, to endow a person with a certain quality. To appoint, or producing something which, when produced, has an independent existence of its own.
Endow means to provide with a permanent fund, or source of income.
The meaning of the words “This Do” pertain to blessings, blessings that come from partaking of this love feast.
Back to verse 24: This do in remembrance of me.
Remembrance Strong’s # 364 meaning “recollection” the action or faculty of remembering something.
Faculty here is Strongs #364 This word means the remembering of our Lord’s crucifixion, should cause the believer to abstain from sin.
Our Lord wants us to keep His tremendous sacrifice, on our mind. Doing that will help us to change our bad ways, and overcome them.
In (Isaiah 53:5) we read:“He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised, bruised beyond recognition, for our iniquities”. Isaiah prophesied that our Lord and Savior’s appearance would be so disfigured, beyond that of any man, and His form marred, beyond human likeness. Our Lord and Savior went through all of that suffering. (Isiah 52:14). Those prophecies were fulfilled.
(This Love Feast is very important, it can end our, sickness, and as we will see, even prolong ones physical life.
(1Co 11:25) After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
“As often as” Strong’s # 3740 Hosakis.
(Now WWC taught that this word “as often as” means once a year, and that we should break the bread and partake of the wine only once a year at Passover, but that not correct,)
The Greek word HOSAKIS translated “as often as” was used by many writers, including The Greek author Homer, the writings of Lysias (5th to 4th century BC) Plato (4th century BC) and Josephus (1st century AD) as well as various papyri and inscriptions, with the uncontested meaning to be: “As often As” denoting an event of variable yet frequent occurrences.
This Greek word used here, sets no specific time of occurrence, but its meaning does mean frequently or often, and not yearly. This can easily be seen in (Revelation 11:6) where the same exact word is used speaking of God’s two witnesses, we read this:
(Revelation 11:6) “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.”
The two witnesses are not going to be calling plagues down on yearly intervals. They will be calling them at their discretion. Like the word says.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
“Shew” Strong’s # 2605 meaning: To openly proclaim our Lord’s death until He comes. This love feast looks both, back at His death, and ahead to His return.
1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord
Unworthily Strong’s # 371 meaning: irreverently.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, (meaning irreverently.) eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
Damnation Strong’s # 2917 meaning: condemnation.
“not discerning” Strong’s # 1252 discern, perceive or recognize the Lord’s Body and what He went through. (This is a BIG thing here, neglecting to discern the Lord’s Body brings curses.
Now, try to understand something very important here. Being the church (us) no longer keep this love feast, being we no longer spend time discerning the Lord’s body and partaking of the bred and the wine, which we are instructed to do often, many of us are sick, weak, and some even dying.
Now, the next verse tells us why, why so much physical sickness, and Spiritual weakness in the church, and even why some have died.
1Co 11:30 For this cause (for not discerning the Lord’s body) many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
Weak Strong’s 772 meaning: to strengthen. To strengthen physically, (This takes food. Food that He will bless us with if we obey Him.)
Sickly Strong’s #732 meaning: without physical strength, physically weak or sick. Constantly needing to go Hospitals, clinics, and not getting healed like from TB and other illnesses, including ulcers.
Many sleep Strong’s #2837 death, physically dead.
Discerning the Lord’s body, keeping the love feast is very important. It brings blessings. It brings us closer to our Creator, and most importantly, we are instructed to keep this love feast, and to keep it often, Why? The answer is in the very next verse.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (We need to be separate from the world.) (Revelation 18:4-5)
1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
The love feast is a wonderful thing. And it’s kept in a relaxing atmosphere. That’s why the word “couches” is mentioned in Cannon # 28. (Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself, we’ll get to the cannons shortly.)
Brethren our Lord wants us to become just like Him, unblemished, unspotted, and pure, like we are told in many places in Scripture like (1 John 3:3). Partaking of the Love Feast helps us to do just that.
It was kept often by the early New Testament church. You can see this in many places like (Acts 2:42) (They would not put a common meal in between the Apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, and prayer. The “breaking of bread” here is talking about partaking of the Lord’s supper, (the love feast) the partaking of the bread and the cup.
But after a while, the Love Feast was attacked from within by some ungodly men who had crept into the church. (Jude 1:4)) (Jude 1:12)). It’s also mentioned by Peter in (2 Peter 2:13).
Then later, it was forbidden to be kept, and completely done away with by the Council of Laodicea, a regional synod (an Ecclesiastical council) of approximately thirty clerics from Asia Minor that assembled about 363–364 AD in Laodicea.
The major concerns of the Council involved regulating the conduct of church members. The Council expressed its decrees in the form of written rules or canons. Among the sixty canons decreed, several aimed at: Maintaining order among Bishops, Clerics and Laypeople. Outlawing the keeping of the Sabbath (Saturday) and encouraging rest on “Lord’s Day” Sunday.
Now most of us are familiar with Cannon # 29, we’ll read that first:
CANON XXIX.
CHRISTIANS must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather
honouring the Lord’s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be
judaizers, let them be anathema (an ath a ma) from Christ. (Meaning: excommunicated, banned &
cursed.) Most of us are familiar with that #29 Cannon with that ruling.
But how many are aware of Cannon # 28, the Cannon that caused the Agape Feast to end. The very
church tradition that increased the flow of God’s Spirit amongst the brethren, which in tern brought
about the working of miracles, signs & wonders, was removed, and forbidden to be practiced in the
church.
CANON # 28. (Word for Word)
“It is not permitted to hold love feasts, as they are called, in the Lord’s Houses, or Churches, nor to eat and to spread couches in the house of God.”
Brethren, that was a sad day for the church, the removing of that church tradition, brought about the
weak & sickly condition in the church of God that is spoken of in 1Corinthians 11:30 and has even
caused some in God’s church in these end times to die, due to the lack of Spiritual Strength, of the
many gifts that the Father had previously given, including the gift of healing.
Brethren, I pray that you study this important matter, and that we get back to “The Faith that was once delivered to the Saints.” A time when Truth was being preached, and our Lord was confirming the Word with those miraculous “signs following”.
Bill Goff
P.S. I began learning about this from the Scriptures back in 2012. I gave a message back then called: “Feast of Charity” https://khofh.com/feasts-of-charity/
After first speaking on it, someone told me that a long time Minister by the name of “Jim Rector” was teaching this ten years earlier.
I spoke to deceased Jim’s wife, and asked her if I could post Jim’s message on my site. She granted permission, but she told me that teaching got Jim in a Lot of trouble. (Yes, I’m sure it did, after all, nowadays the way of Truth is “evil spoken of”. (2 Peter 2:2).
Links to Jim’s message titled: “Lord’s Supper” are below in both audio and transcript.
Jim Rector transcript: https://khofh.com/lords-supper/
Jim Rector Audio: https://khofh.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/The_Lords_Supper32-2.mp3
This is an important subject brethren. I hope you take the time to investigate this, and rightly divide the Word of Truth. (2 Timothy 2:15). We need to get back to that faith that was once delivered to the Saints. We need to get back to keeping the Love Feast. We need to be preaching Truth, so our Lord will get back to confirming the “Word” the “Truth” with those “sign follows”. (Mark 16:20).
Bill Goff.
Website: https://khofh.com/
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