The Lord's Supper Is
C. Bradley, M.A. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break… I. A THANKSGIVING FOR OUR LORD'S DEATH, more than a grateful remembrance of it. 1. "The cup of blessing which we bless." Paul does not mean a cup full of blessings; but alludes to a custom at the passover. The master of the house took a passover cake, and blessed God for it; and, breaking it, distributed it among the persons present. The feast then went on. At the conclusion of it, he took a cup of wine and did likewise. Our Lord did this when He kept His last passover. And hence this ordinance is called "the eucharist," or the giving of thanks. 2. See, then, in what frame of mind we ought to attend this ordinance; most humbly and sorrowfully doubtless, for it was our sin that brought on Christ all the sufferings we are commemorating. But we must not so mourn over the evil as to forget the glorious deliverance. A broken heart is a good thing at the Lord's table, but a thankful and rejoicing heart becomes us as well there. II. A SYMBOL OF OUR SPIRITUAL RECEPTION OF CHRIST. The ordinance which shadows forth to us Christ's death, He takes care shall shadow forth also our need of a personal interest in it. He commands us, therefore, not to stand gazing on the bread and wine, but to eat and drink them. Thus this ordinance is "the communion of the body and blood of Christ," i.e., a taking together. And faith does partake of Christ here; of His blood to cleanse us, His righteousness to cover us, His Spirit to purify us, His wisdom to guide us, His power to keep us, His love to solace us, His peace to quiet us, His joy to elevate and delight us. III. AN OPEN AVOWAL BY US OF OUR BEING THE DISCIPLES OF THE LORD. 1. After offering sacrifices to their deities, the Corinthians used to make a feast of those sacrifices, and these feasts were generally scenes of riot and excess. And so much under the influence of early habits were some Christians that they continued to frequent these unhallowed feasts. St. Paul reproves them for this by a reference to the Lord's feast, which involves a profession of faith in Him. "How then can you partake of that sacrament, and then go to the feasts of your old heathen deities? It is idolatry; and being such, it is a turning of your back on Christ. The two things are altogether opposed, and you must give up one of them." 2. And this reasoning fully bears out the view of attendance on the Lord's Supper as a profession of faith in Christ and allegiance to Him. It is more so than baptism. That is done once and over, but this is continually recurring. This sacrament must have been, in the early Church, a trial of the Christian's faith. "There," says Christ, "I leave you a memorial, not of My power and greatness, but of My humiliation, My Cross. Now can you own Me in My shame?" And hence it was that this ordinance soon began to be designated by the word "sacrament" — the oath which the Roman soldiers took to be faithful to their general. It represents us at the table of the Lord, as so many soldiers of Christ, binding ourselves in the most solemn manner to be faithful to Him even unto death. IV. AN EMBLEM OF OUR UNION ONE WITH ANOTHER IN CHRIST. Men who voluntarily feast together may be supposed to be men of one mind. If they are heathens and feast together in honour of any idol, they may be regarded as united to one another by their common attachment to him. The apostle takes up this idea (ver. 17). And this seems to have been much in our Lord's mind when He instituted His Supper (John 14:17). (C. Bradley, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? WEB: The cup of blessing which we bless, isn't it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn't it a sharing of the body of Christ?