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"The Bread Which We Break, Is It Not the Communion of the Body of Christ?"
1 Corinthians 10:16
Today I want to consider another great question of the gospel age. In a two-part question, Paul
asked: "The cup of blessing which we bless, it is not the communion of the blood of Christ? The
bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" (1 Cor. 10:16). I want to
study with you the last part of that question, and the next time we study together, we shall look at
the first part.
This portion of 1 Corinthians is evidently an answer by the apostle Paul to a question asked by
the Corinthians concerning the permissibility of Christians sitting down at idolatrous feasts,
purchasing meat which may have been offered to idols, and being guests at meals where the
meat was of unknown origin. Paul, in chapters 8-10, acknowledged the "liberty" of the "strong"
brethren who had knowledge, but to those who were sitting down in the temples of idols, and
criticizing the weak brother who would not do so, Paul said: "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee
from idolatry, I speak as wise men, judge ye what I say?" (1 Cor. 10:14-15). Paul argued that the
cup of the Lord's Supper is a participation in the blood of Christ, and that the bread, the one
loaf, is a participation in the body of Christ, and that Christians could not engage in the
idolatrous feasts, and eat at the Lord's table, also. He said, "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord,
and the cup of devils" (1 Cor. 10:21).
The Table of the Lord
My question today is: Can we tell what the table of the Lord is? Can I know whether or not I am
pleasing God in my worship to him? I learn that it was the established custom of the early church
to meet upon the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7). Since every week has a first
day, it is evident that they met upon the first day of every week. Surely something which was that
important was not just left hanging in the air. Surely the Lord gave instructions about the table of
the Lord. How can we tell whether we are partaking of the table of the Lord? Is it a certain kind of
wood, or a certain height, or a certain geometric design? No, I am frank to say that the only way
to know the Lord's table is by what is on it.
Matthew's Account
To find out about the bread and the cup of the Lord's Supper, it is necessary to go to the
occasion of its institution. Matthew records:
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the
disciples, and said, Take eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it
to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for
many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the
vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. And when they had sung
an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives (ML 26:26-30).
Mark's Account
Mark gives another account of the institution of the Lord's Supper.
And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said,
Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to
them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that
day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out
into the mount of Olives (Mk. 14:22-26).
Now Mark clarifies some things Matthew said. Some have read Matthew's statement that Jesus
said: "Drink ye all of it," and have concluded that he meant for them to "empty the cup," or in
other words just drink it all. But Mark says: "They all drank of it," in other words, the disciples,
they all, drank of it. Mark also quotes Jesus as saying: "I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine,
until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." This indicates that Jesus drank some of
it, but he would drink no more until he drank it new with them in his Father's kingdom.