Paul explains communion as the Lord's Table—a communion in Christ's blood and body, practiced in remembrance of His death until He comes.
Writing to Corinth, Paul calls the cup of blessing "the communion of the blood of Christ" and the broken bread "the communion of the body of Christ," and says believers are one bread and one body because they share that one bread. In 1 Corinthians 11, he says he received from the Lord the instruction to take the bread and cup "in remembrance of me," showing the Lord's death until He comes.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 — Paul directly defines the cup and bread as communion in Christ's blood and body and connects the one bread to the unity of believers.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 — Paul sets out the practice of communion as received from the Lord, in remembrance of His broken body and shed blood, showing the Lord's death till He comes.
In 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, Paul writes that the cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ, and the bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ. He then says that we, being many, are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of that one bread. The Scripture itself makes the communion more than a private act—it is a shared fellowship in Christ's blood and body, and it pictures the unity of believers. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Paul records the practice. He says he received from the Lord what he also delivered to the Corinthians: that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, "Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." After supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." As often as believers eat the bread and drink the cup, they show the Lord's death till He comes.
Les Feldick shows that Paul shifts in 1 Corinthians 10 from temptation and idolatry to the Lord's communion table, and that the word "communion" means fellowship or sharing. Les emphasizes that Paul calls the cup and bread the communion of Christ's blood and body, and that many believers are one bread and one body because they all share the one bread (Clip 0, Clip 3). Les also stresses that Jesus did not explain the bread and cup at the Last Supper; the disciples had no idea what the symbols meant. The explanation and the instructions first come through Paul, who writes in 1 Corinthians 11 that he received this practice directly from the Lord—not from the Twelve, not from a seminary, and not from a denomination (Clip 1, Clip 2, Clip 5, Clip 6). The Lord's Table, Les teaches, is a constant reminder of the finished work of the cross and has nothing to do with salvation; the Corinthians were already saved. Paul had to correct the Corinthians because they had turned the meal into an excess-filled supper, and he reminded them of the real purpose of the communion table in the church program (Clip 4, Clip 5, Clip 7).
Paul's word "communion" means fellowship or sharing. The cup of blessing is the communion of the blood of Christ, and the bread is the communion of the body of Christ. Verse 17 then makes the local church connection: believers, though many, are one bread and one body because they all share the same one bread. Les Feldick highlights this by noting Paul uses "communion" and "fellowship" interchangeably and connects the one bread to the oneness of the body of Christ.
Paul writes, "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you." Les stresses that Paul did not receive this from the Twelve in Jerusalem, from a seminary, or from a denominational authority. The Lord revealed it to him. Jesus at the Last Supper gave the bread and cup but did not explain the practice; the explanation comes through Paul's epistles, especially 1 Corinthians 11.
The Corinthian believers had turned the Lord's Table into a full meal, bringing food so they could satisfy a day's energy, and it led to excesses. Paul had to bring criticism and rehearse exactly how the Lord Jesus took bread and cup on the night He was betrayed. Les also emphasizes that this practice has nothing to do with salvation—the Corinthians were already saved—but it is the reason and purpose of the Lord's Table in the church program.
Paul Shifts Gears to the Lord's Table
Les points out that after warnings about temptation and idolatry, Paul abruptly takes the Corinthians to the Lord's communion table and quotes the cup of blessing as the communion of Christ's blood.
Paul Received the Instructions from the Lord
Les explains that Jesus did not explain the bread and cup at the Last Supper because His death had not occurred, and that Paul received and delivered the memorial instructions in 1 Corinthians 11.
Disciples Did Not Understand
Les stresses that the disciples had no idea what the bread and cup meant at the Last Supper and that the explanation waits until Paul's writings.
Communion as Fellowship and Unity
Les teaches that the cup and bread are the communion/fellowship of Christ's blood and body, and that believers being many are one bread and one body because they all share that one bread.
Corinthian Abuse of the Lord's Table
Les shows that the Corinthians turned the Lord's Table into a full meal with excesses, prompting Paul to rehearse exactly how the Lord instituted it on the night He was betrayed.
True Purpose of the Lord's Table
Les emphasizes that the Lord's Table is for believers already saved, that it has nothing to do with salvation, and that Paul received the practice directly from the Lord.
Instructions Come From Paul's Epistles
Les illustrates that churches get their communion practice from 1 Corinthians 11, not from Jesus' words alone, and that this instruction came to Paul by revelation.
A Reminder of the Finished Work
Les teaches that every partaking of the bread and cup is a constant reminder of the finished work of the cross, and that Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 11 are the first explanation in Scripture.
1 Corinthians 10:16: 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?
Paul identifies the cup and bread as the communion of Christ's blood and body.
1 Corinthians 10:17: For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Paul says that the many are one bread and one body because they all share the one bread.
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:
Paul states the source of the practice: he received it from the Lord.
1 Corinthians 11:24: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Paul records the institution of the bread, with the command to do it in remembrance of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:25: After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
Paul records the institution of the cup, also with the command to do it in remembrance of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:26: For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Paul says each observance shows the Lord's death until He comes.
No. Les Feldick emphasizes that the Corinthians were already believers and saved in spite of their behavior, and that practicing the Lord's Table has nothing to do with their salvation. Paul's purpose for communion is remembrance of the Lord's death and showing His death until He comes.
No. Les points out that the disciples had no idea what the bread and cup meant, and Jesus did not explain it because the memorial was of a death that had not yet happened. The explanation and instructions first come through Paul in 1 Corinthians 11.
In 1 Corinthians 10:17 Paul says that being many, believers are one bread and one body because they all take part of that one bread. The one bread pictures the unity of believers in the body of Christ.
They had turned the Lord's Table into a full meal, bringing enough food to satisfy a day's energy, and it led to excesses. Paul then reminded them of how the Lord instituted the bread and cup.
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