1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Chapter 11
23
This is the tradition of the Lord that I received and have passed on to you; the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and,
24
after giving thanks, broke it, saying, ‘This is my body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.’
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In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in remembrance of me.’
26
So then, whenever you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Commentaries
Agape and the Eucharist.
Paul now confronts a much more serious issue—the scandal of the Corinthians’ Eucharistic celebrations. The “Lord’s Supper” or Eucharist was typically celebrated at sunset in the private homes—there were no churches yet—of the wealthiest members of the community, the only ones able to accommodate 50 or 60 people. Before the “Lord’s Supper” itself began, there was a fellowship meal where the wealthy brought their provisions to be shared among everyone.
Without waiting for the most needy and disadvantaged, who were often workers and slaves because of their long hours, the wealthy ate and drank to their satisfaction. By the time the poor arrived, they had to settle for whatever leftovers there were, if any.Immediately afterward, the rich, feeling satisfied and even intoxicated, and the poor, half-starved, began to celebrate the Eucharist. Paul, upon hearing this, bursts with indignation. Confronted with this situation, he explains to the Corinthians the story of the Institution of the Eucharist, its meaning, and its significance in a beautiful catechesis that teaches, condemns, and urges. This is the earliest New Testament document on the Institution of the Eucharist, written around 55 or 56, well before the Gospels.