Les Feldick Bible Study

Where did Paul get his teaching about the Lord's Supper?

Paul received his teaching about the Lord's Supper directly from the Lord, as he states in verse 23, 'For I have received of the Lord.' He did not get it from the Twelve in Jerusalem, from a seminary, or from a denominational leader.

Les explains that Paul's authority for the Lord's Supper did not come from the Twelve in Jerusalem, nor from a seminary, nor from a denominational bigwig. In verse 23, Paul writes, 'For I have received of the Lord.' This matches Galatians chapter 1, where Paul certifies that the gospel he preached was not after man. The context also notes that the Lord's Supper has nothing to do with the salvation of the Corinthians, who are already saved believers. Paul is delineating the purpose of the Lord's table for the church program.

1 Corinthians 11:23

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

More Questions

How did Paul receive the teaching about the Lord's Supper that he delivered to the Corinthians?

Paul received his teaching about the Lord's Supper directly from the Lord by revelation, and that is what he delivered to the Corinthians.

Where did Paul get the Lord's Supper account if the Gospels weren't written yet?

Paul could not go back to Matthew or the other Gospel writers and cite them as his source, because his account of the Lord's Supper came by revelation.

How long had the Corinthian church been operating when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians and corrected their Lord's Supper?

By the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, the Corinthian church had been operating long enough to develop the excesses in their practice of the Lord's Supper.

Why did the Corinthians start bringing food to the Lord's Supper?

The Corinthians likely began bringing food to the Lord's Table because they thought a small cup of wine and a piece of unleavened bread could not satisfy a whole day's energy, so they wanted to have a real supper.