1 Corinthians 10:16

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? seeing that we who are many are one bread, one body: for we all partake of the one bread.

The cup of blessing ... This was one of the four cups which marked participation in the Jewish Passover (see my Commentary on Luke, pp. 467-468), being the final one, over which the patriarch pronounced a blessing at the end of the Passover. "It is here transferred to the chalice of the Eucharist."[23]

Which we bless ... Paul's use of the plural "we" reveals "his representing the entire company present, and not as individually possessed of some miraculous gift."[24] The superstition that the one presiding at the Lord's table performed any function that could change the nature of the elements of bread and wine did not arise until a much later time. The thought of this whole verse is that participants in the Lord's supper were unified and bound together in one spirit. Their taking the supper was a declaration that "They had the same object of worship, the same faith, the same hope, etc., with others whom they joined in such a religious act."[25]

Nothing may be made of the fact that Paul mentioned the cup first in this passage, a circumstance which probably resulted from the fact that, "In the heathen feasts, the libation came before the food."[25] Also, there is the obvious intention of the apostle to dwell at greater length upon the bread. The great principle behind Paul's remarks here is the truth that "Partaking of a religious table, whether Christian, Jewish or heathen, involves fellowship with the being to whom it is directed,"[26] as well as with the participants themselves. This great principle was not even guessed at by the Corinthians who partook of the idol feasts.

"In almost all nations, the act of eating together has been regarded as a symbol of unity and friendship."[27] This is even more true with reference to eating a sacred meal such as the Lord's supper.

[23] F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 324.,

[24] T. Teignmouth Shore, Ellicott's Commentary on the Entire Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 324.

[25] James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles and Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 160.

[26] S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 620.

[27] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 191.