1 Corinthians 11:20-26

Context

The passage belongs to a section of 1 Corinthians (11:17-34) in which Paul addresses problems in the church's gatherings. The Corinthian believers apparently shared the Lord's Supper as part of a common meal. Some, however, went ahead and ate the food they had brought, so that "one is hungry, and another is drunken." Paul says that such a gathering cannot be called the Lord's Supper (v. 20) and rebukes this behavior for shaming the poor (v. 22). He then passes on what he "received of the Lord," recounting how Jesus shared the bread and the cup on the night he was betrayed (vv. 23-25). Many scholars regard this passage as the earliest surviving written account of the institution of the Lord's Supper.

Interpretation

• Lutheran reading: Takes "this is my body" literally, holding that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine (real presence).
• Presbyterian and Reformed reading: Follows John Calvin, holding that Christ is spiritually present through the Holy Spirit and that believers truly commune with Christ in the Supper.
• Methodist reading: In the tradition of John Wesley, values the Supper as a channel through which God's grace is received (a means of grace). Its understanding of Christ's presence is often described as close to the Reformed doctrine of spiritual presence.
• Memorialist reading: Derives from Huldrych Zwingli. It emphasizes "this do in remembrance of me" and regards the Supper as a rite in which believers remember Christ's death on the cross and confess their faith. Baptist churches and many evangelical churches hold views close to this one.
• Communal reading: Reading the passage together with verses 21-22, stresses that the Supper should break down distinctions between rich and poor within the community.

Denominations also share some common emphases. The phrase "till he come" in verse 26 is widely cited as grounds for understanding the Supper not merely as a remembrance of the past but as a rite that looks forward to the Second Coming.

Debates and Issues

• The meaning of "this is my body" lay at the heart of the Eucharistic controversy of the Reformation era. At the Marburg Colloquy in 1529, Martin Luther and Zwingli failed to reach agreement on this question.
• There is a textual issue. In verse 24, some later manuscripts contain the words "Take, eat" and "my body, which is broken for you." Modern translations, including the New Korean Revised Version, generally follow manuscripts that lack these words.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase "come together" in verse 20 was cited in discussions of online communion. Opinion was divided between those who held that the phrase presupposes a gathered congregation and those who held that it may be applied differently in emergency circumstances.

In the Korean Church

Verses 23-26 are read as the words of institution at communion services across denominations. The frequency of communion varies from church to church. Many Presbyterian and Methodist churches, among others, celebrate it several times a year or monthly, while the Anglican Church of Korea celebrates the Eucharist every Sunday. Many churches use grape juice instead of wine.

Related Passages

• Matthew 26:26-29
• Mark 14:22-25
• Luke 22:19-20
• 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
• 1 Corinthians 11:27-29