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: 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. 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. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 KJV)
Institution of the Lord’s Supper
To correct these serious abuses and disorders, the apostle Paul sets before them the sacred institution of the Lord’s Supper, which should serve as the rule for reforming all such corruptions. He first explains how he came to know of it. Though not present at the original institution, he had received it from the Lord by revelation (1 Corinthians 11:23). What he received, he faithfully delivered without alteration or omission.
He then gives a detailed account of the institution itself. The author is the Lord Jesus Christ, for only the King of the Church has the authority to institute sacraments. The time of its institution was the very night He was betrayed, just as He was about to suffer the death this ordinance was to commemorate.
Our Savior took bread, gave thanks (Matthew 26:26), broke it, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body, broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same manner, He took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
The visible signs are bread and the cup. Even after consecration, the apostle still calls what is eaten “bread,” which clearly shows he knew nothing of the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. The cup is equally a part of the institution, and our Lord commanded all to drink from it (Matthew 26:27), opposing the later practice of withholding the cup from the laity. Bread and the cup are both used because the ordinance is a spiritual feast. Scripture never specifies what kind of drink must be used; while it was likely wine mixed with water, as was Jewish custom, the substance itself is not essential, for the focus is on what it signifies.
The things signified by these outward elements are Christ’s body and blood—His body broken and His blood shed for us—along with all the benefits of His death. His blood is the seal of the new covenant, confirming the believer’s right to all the blessings it promises.
The sacramental actions include Christ’s taking the bread and cup, giving thanks, breaking the bread, and distributing both; and the communicants’ actions—taking, eating, and drinking—in remembrance of Him. These acts are not empty rituals but have deep meaning. By this ordinance, Christ offers Himself to true believers as the nourishment of their souls. As food sustains the body only when eaten, so must Christ be received by faith. Believers are to take Him as their life (Colossians 3:4), yield themselves to Him, and live by His grace.
The purposes of this ordinance are clear. First, it was appointed to keep the memory of Christ fresh in our minds—to remember His dying love and His continued intercession for us at God’s right hand. The inscription, as it were, on this ordinance is: “When this you see, remember Me.” Second, it was instituted to proclaim His death—to declare and celebrate His grace in our redemption. We confess that His death is our life, the source of all our hope and comfort. By partaking, we publicly own ourselves as His disciples who trust in His sacrifice for salvation.
The ordinance should be observed frequently: “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup.” Just as our bodies need regular nourishment, so do our souls. The early church observed it every Lord’s Day, and sometimes daily. It is also a perpetual ordinance, to be continued “till He comes” again in glory (1 Corinthians 11:26).