1 Corinthians 10:16 - Exposition

The cup of blessing. A translation of the name cos haberachah (comp. Psalms 116:13 ), over which a blessing was invoked by the head of the family after the Passover. The name is here transferred to the chalice in the Eucharist, over which Christ "gave thanks" ( 1 Corinthians 11:24 ; Matthew 26:27 ). There seems to be a close connection between the idea of "blessing" and "giving thanks" ( eucharistesas, Luke 22:19 ), and here, as always, St. Paul and St. Luke resemble each other in their expressions. The communion of; literally, a participation in. By means of the cup we realize our share in the benefits wrought by Christ's precious blood shedding. The cup is at once a symbol and a medium. The blood of Christ; of which the wine is the sacramental symbol. By rightly drinking the wine, we spiritually partake of the blood of Christ, we become sharers in his Divine life. The bread; perhaps rather, the loaf, which was apparently passed from hand to hand, that each might break off a piece. Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? The best comment on the verse is John 6:41-59 , in which our Lord taught that there could be no true spiritual life without the closest union with him and incorporation into his life.