The Sacramental Symbols
H. Bonar, D.D. 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. THE CUP. It may have been of gold, or silver, or brass, or wood; it matters not. 1. Its name. "The cup of blessing which we bless." All blessing is in Scripture connected with Messiah, His person, and His work. Hence that vessel which so specially points to Him receives this name. It contains the blessing, the long-promised, long-looked-for blessing. The wine in that cup is impregnated with blessing. 2. Its meaning. "Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?" or, "is it not communion with the blood of Christ?" That wine is then the symbol of the blood; the blood of the new covenant, the everlasting covenant. That blood is the life; and that life is the payment of the sinner's penalty. In that cup there is both the death of the Surety and the life flowing out of that death; our death flowing into Him so that He dies; His life flowing into us, so that we live. Thus the cup is the cup of blessing for the sinner, because it contains both the death and the life. The word "communion" is properly "partnership" — "partnership in the blood of Christ"; all that the blood contains for the soul becoming ours. All its blessings — the paid ransom, the cancelled penalty, the forgiveness, the life, the joy — all becoming ours. He, then, that takes the cup is committed to all that it symbolises, he is counted as one with it, the possessor of its contents, the partaker of its fulness. II. THE BREAD. The word more properly signifies "the loaf" or "cake," intimating its original oneness or completeness. It is necessary to keep this in mind, as the point of the apostle's argument turns on this. Let us consider — 1. What the bread signifies. It is bread — the common passover loaf, unleavened bread — made of the corn of earth, grown in our fields, cut down, gathered in, winnowed, ground, and formed into a loaf for the passover table. Such was Christ's body, our very flesh; born, growing up, ripening, cut down, prepared for our food. 2. What the breaking of the bread signifies. It points us to the Cross, it speaks of a crucified Christ. His body unbroken is no food for us. It is no nourishment for the soul of the sinner. It would not satisfy our appetite nor prove wholesome food. Incarnation without crucifixion does not satisfy the soul. Bethlehem without Golgotha would be mockery. 3. What our partaking of it signifies. This act of eating, then, has a twofold signification or reference. (1) A reference to Christ. It is "communion with the body of Christ," partnership with that body; so that all that is in it of virtue, health, strength, or excellence becomes ours. We reckon ourselves one with it, and God reckons us one with it. As he who eats of the idols' bread in a heathen temple is responsible for the whole idolatry of the place, and is so dealt with by God, so he who eats this broken bread in faith is identified with a crucified Christ and all His fulness. Partnership with the body of Christ, how much that implies! (2) A reference to ourselves. It realizes to us the perfect oneness between the members of Christ's body. As the loaf is made up of many parts or crumbs, and yet is but one loaf — nay, gets its true oneness from the union of these many parts — so is it with the members of the body of Christ. All that He has is ours — His life, our life; His light, our light; His fulness, our fulness: His strength, our strength; His righteousness, our righteousness; His inheritance, our inheritance; for we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. If these things be so — (a) What a blessed place should the communion table be to us! A Peniel where we prevail with God and receive the blessing in full. (b) What manner of persons ought we to be. Nothing is lacking to those who have this heavenly communion, this Divine partnership. (c) What love and unity should prevail against us. (d) What longing for the time when we shall see Him face to face. (H. Bonar, D.D.) 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?