The believers of the assembly in the city of Troas had come together to break bread on the first day of the week. They had a special visitor who would be with them that day, and they were excited to hear more, from his own lips, the doctrines that had thrilled their hearts.

Many of these dear believers had never seen or heard the great apostle in person before, but they knew he had risked his life to make known the good news of God’s grace throughout Asia Minor and Greece. They had heard of his zeal and about his sufferings and labors for their Lord.

But all this notwithstanding, their hearts’ priority was to first remember the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, partaking of the loaf and the wine as He had requested. They sang several hymns they had learned from memory. They had no Bibles, though they may have had, by this time, a few hand written parchments, copies of Paul’s earliest letters to the Thessalonians, Galatians, Romans, and Corinthians. These letters were now beginning to circulate around the Mediterranean to make sure all the assemblies could hear these teachings. They memorized everything that was read publicly in order to hide it in their hearts (Ps. 119:11).

These saints sat as equals alongside of Paul as they worshiped together; he was afforded no special status, despite their deep respect for him. Paul would have had it no other way. Whether they were slave or free, Gentile or Jew, rich or poor, they were all a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6).

Do we who are nearing the end of this present evil age appreciate the simplicity of these things as much as the early believers of the first century did?