the new testament--or "covenant." The cup is the parchment-deed, as it were, on which My new covenant, or last will is written and sealed, making over to you all blessings here and hereafter.
in my blood--ratified by MY blood: "not by the blood of goats and calves" ([He 9:12]).
as oft as--Greek, "as many times soever": implying that it is an ordinance often to be partaken of.
in remembrance of me--Luke ([Lu 22:19]) expresses this, which is understood by Matthew and Mark. Paul twice records it ([1Co 11:24] and here) as suiting his purpose. The old sacrifices brought sins continually to remembrance ([He 10:1], ). The Lord's Supper brings to remembrance Christ and His sacrifice once for all for the full and final remission of sins.
26. For--in proof that the Lord's Supper is "in remembrance" of Him.
show--announce publicly. The Greek does not mean to dramatically represent, but "ye publicly profess each of you, the Lord has died FOR ME" [Wahl]. This word, as "is" in Christ's institution ([1Co 11:24], ), implies not literal presence, but a vivid realization, by faith, of Christ in the Lord's Supper, as a living person, not a mere abstract dogma, "bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh" ([Ep 5:30]; compare [Ge 2:23]); and ourselves "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones," "our sinful bodies made clean by His body (once for all offered), and our souls washed through His most precious blood" [Church of England Prayer Book]. "Show," or "announce," is an expression applicable to new things; compare "show" as to the Passover ([Ex 13:8]). So the Lord's death ought always to be fresh in our memory; compare in heaven, [Re 5:6]. That the Lord's Supper is in remembrance of Him, implies that He is bodily absent, though spiritually present, for we cannot be said to commemorate one absent. The fact that we not only show the Lord's death in the supper, but eat and drink the pledges of it, could only be understood by the Jews, accustomed to such feasts after propitiatory sacrifices, as implying our personal appropriation therein of the benefits of that death.
till he come--when there shall be no longer need of symbols of His body, the body itself being manifested. The Greek expresses the certainly of His coming. Rome teaches that we eat Christ present corporally, "till He come" corporally; a contradiction in terms. The showbread, literally, "bread of the presence," was in the sanctuary, but not in the Holiest Place ([He 9:1-8]); so the Lord's Supper in heaven, the antitype to the Holiest Place, shall be superseded by Christ's own bodily presence; then the wine shall be drunk "anew" in the Father's kingdom, by Christ and His people together, of which heavenly banquet, the Lord's Supper is a spiritual foretaste and specimen ([Mt 26:29]). Meantime, as the showbread was placed anew, every sabbath, on the table before the Lord ([Le 24:5-8]); so the Lord's death was shown, or announced afresh at the Lord's table the first day of every week in the primitive Church. We are now "priests unto God" in the dispensation of Christ's spiritual presence, antitypical to the HOLY PLACE: the perfect and eternal dispensation, which shall not begin till Christ's coming, is antitypical to the HOLIEST PLACE, which Christ our High Priest alone in the flesh as yet has entered ([He 9:6], ); but which, at His coming, we, too, who are believers, shall enter ([Re 7:15]; ). The supper joins the two closing periods of the Old and the New dispensations. The first and second comings are considered as one coming, whence the expression is not "return," but "come" (compare, however, [Joh 14:3]).
27. eat and drink--So one of the oldest manuscripts reads. But three or four equally old manuscripts, the Vulgate and Cyprian, read, "or." Romanists quote this reading in favor of communion in one kind. This consequence does not follow. Paul says, "Whosoever is guilty of unworthy conduct, either in eating the bread, or in drinking the cup, is guilty of the body and blood of Christ." Impropriety in only one of the two elements, vitiates true communion in both. Therefore, in the end of the verse, he says, not "body or blood," but "body and blood." Any who takes the bread without the wine, or the wine without the bread, "unworthily" communicates, and so "is guilty of Christ's body and blood"; for he disobeys Christ's express command to partake of both. If we do not partake of the sacramental symbol of the Lord's death worthily, we share in the guilt of that death. (Compare "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh," [He 6:6]). Unworthiness in the person, is not what ought to exclude any, but unworthily communicating: However unworthy we be, if we examine ourselves so as to find that we penitently believe in Christ's Gospel, we may worthily communicate.
28. examine--Greek, "prove" or "test" his own state of mind in respect to Christ's death, and his capability of "discerning the Lord's body" ([1Co 11:29], ). Not auricular confession to a priest, but self-examination is necessary.
so--after due self-examination.
of ... of--In [1Co 11:27], where the receiving was unworthily, the expression was, "eat this bread, drink ... cup" without "of." Here the "of" implies due circumspection in communicating [Bengel].
let him eat--His self-examination is not in order that he may stay away, but that he may eat, that is, communicate.
29. damnation--A mistranslation which has put a stumbling-block in the way of many in respect to communicating. The right translation is "judgment." The judgment is described ([1Co 11:30-32]) as temporal.
not discerning--not duty judging: not distinguishing in judgment (so the Greek: the sin and its punishment thus being marked as corresponding) from common food, the sacramental pledges of the Lord's body. Most of the oldest manuscripts omit "Lord's" (see [1Co 11:27]). Omitting also "unworthily," with most of the oldest manuscripts, we must translate, "He that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, IF he discern not the body" ([He 10:29]). The Church is "the body of Christ" ([1Co 12:27]). The Lord's body is His literal body appreciated and discerned by the soul in the faithful receiving, and not present in the elements themselves.
30. weak ... sickly--He is "weak" who has naturally no strength: "sickly," who has lost his strength by disease [Tittmann, Greek Synonyms of the New Testament].
sleep--are being lulled in death: not a violent death; but one the result of sickness, sent as the Lord's chastening for the individual's salvation, the mind being brought to a right state on the sick bed ([1Co 11:31]).
31. if we would judge ourselves--Most of the oldest manuscripts, read "But," not "For." Translate also literally "If we duly judged ourselves, we should not be (or not have been) judged," that is, we should escape (or have escaped) our present judgments. In order to duly judge or "discern [appreciate] the Lord's body," we need to "duly judge ourselves." A prescient warning against the dogma of priestly absolution after full confession, as the necessary preliminary to receiving the Lord's Supper.
32. chastened--([Re 3:19]).
with the world--who, being bastards, are without chastening ([He 12:8]).
33. tarry one for another--In contrast to [1Co 11:21]. The expression is not, "Give a share to one another," for all the viands brought to the feast were common property, and, therefore, they should "tarry" till all were met to partake together of the common feast of fellowship [Theophylact].
34. if any ... hunger--so as not to be able to "tarry for others," let him take off the edge of his hunger at home [Alford] ([1Co 11:22]).
the rest--"the other questions you asked me as to the due celebration of the Lord's Supper." Not other questions in general; for he does subsequently set in order other general questions in this Epistle.
Chapter 12
[1Co 12:1-31]. The Use and the Abuse of Spiritual Gifts, Especially Prophesying and Tongues.
This is the second subject for correction in the Corinthian assemblies: the "first" was discussed ([1Co 11:18-34]).
1. spiritual gifts--the signs of the Spirit's continued efficacious presence in the Church, which is Christ's body, the complement of His incarnation, as the body is the complement of the head. By the love which pervades the whole, the gifts of the several members, forming reciprocal complements to each other, tend to the one object of perfecting the body of Christ. The ordinary and permanent gifts are comprehended together with the extraordinary, without distinction specified, as both alike flow from the divine indwelling Spirit of life. The extraordinary gifts, so far from making professors more peculiarly saints than in our day, did not always even prove that such persons were in a safe state at all ([Mt 7:22]). They were needed at first in the Church: (1) as a pledge to Christians themselves who had just passed over from Judaism or heathendom, that God was in the Church; (2) for the propagation of Christianity in the world; (3) for the edification of the Church. Now that we have the whole written New Testament (which they had not) and Christianity established as the result of the miracles, we need no further miracle to attest the truth. So the pillar of cloud which guided the Israelites was withdrawn when they were sufficiently assured of the Divine Presence, the manifestation of God's glory being thenceforward enclosed in the Most Holy Place [Archbishop Whately]. Paul sets forth in order: (1). The unity of the body (1Co 12:1-27). (2). The variety of its members and functions (1Co 12:27-30). (3). The grand principle for the right exercise of the gifts, namely, love ([1Co 12:31]; [1Co 13:1-13). (4]) The comparison of the gifts with one another ([1Co 14:1-40]).
I would not have you ignorant--with all your boasts of "knowledge" at Corinth. If ignorant now, it will be your own fault, not mine ([1Co 14:38]).
2. ([Ep 2:11]).
that ye were--The best manuscripts read, "That WHEN ye were"; thus "ye were" must be supplied before "carried away"--Ye were blindly transported hither and thither at the will of your false guides.
these dumb idols--Greek, "the idols which are dumb"; contrasted with the living God who "speaks" in the believer by His Spirit ([1Co 12:3], &c.). This gives the reason why the Corinthians needed instruction as to spiritual gifts, namely, their past heathen state, wherein they had no experience of intelligent spiritual powers. When blind, ye went to the dumb.
as ye were led--The Greek is, rather, "as ye might (happen to) be led," namely, on different occasions. The heathen oracles led their votaries at random, without any definite principle.
3. The negative and positive criteria of inspiration by the Spirit--the rejection or confession of Jesus as Lord [Alford] ([1Jo 4:2]; ). Paul gives a test of truth against the Gentiles; John, against the false prophets.
by the Spirit--rather, as Greek, "IN the Spirit"; that being the power pervading him, and the element in which he speaks [Alford], ([Mt 16:17]; [Joh 15:26]).
of God ... Holy--The same Spirit is called at one time "the Spirit of God"; at another, "the HOLY Ghost," or "Holy Spirit." Infinite Holiness is almost synonymous with Godhead.
speaking ... say--"Speak" implies the act of utterance; "say" refers to that which is uttered. Here, "say" means a spiritual and believing confession of Him.
Jesus--not an abstract doctrine, but the historical, living God-man ([Ro 10:9]).
accursed--as the Jews and Gentiles treated Him ([Ga 3:13]). Compare "to curse Christ" in the heathen Pliny's letter [Epistles, 10.97]. The spiritual man feels Him to be the Source of all blessings ([Ep 1:3]) and to be severed from Him is to be accursed ([Ro 9:3]).
Lord--acknowledging himself as His servant ([Is 26:13]). "Lord" is the Septuagint translation for the incommunicable Hebrew name Jehovah.
4. diversities of gifts--that is, varieties of spiritual endowments peculiar to the several members of the Church: compare "dividing to every man severally" ([1Co 12:11]).
same Spirit--The Holy Trinity appears here: the Holy Spirit in this verse; Christ in [1Co 12:5]; and the Father in [1Co 12:6]. The terms "gifts," "administrations," and "operations," respectively correspond to the Divine Three. The Spirit is treated of in [1Co 12:7], &c.; the Lord, in [1Co 12:12], &c.; God, in [1Co 12:28]. (Compare [Ep 4:4-6]).
5-6. "Gifts" ([1Co 12:4]), "administrations" (the various functions and services performed by those having the gifts, compare [1Co 12:28]), and "operations" (the actual effects resulting from both the former, through the universally operative power of the one Father who is "above all, through all, and in us all"), form an ascending climax [Henderson, Inspiration].
same Lord--whom the Spirit glorifies by these ministrations [Bengel].
7. But--Though all the gifts flow from the one God, Lord, and Spirit, the "manifestation" by which the Spirit acts (as He is hidden in Himself), varies in each individual.
to every man--to each of the members of the Church severally.
to profit withal--with a view to the profit of the whole body.