The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus on the evening before he died. The bread and wine remind us of his body and blood, given for us. It is a communal meal that unites us with Christ and with one another, proclaiming his death until he comes.
Institution
Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper during the last meal with his disciples.
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
Ἐσθιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν λαβὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ⸀ἄρτον καὶ ⸀εὐλογήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ⸂δοὺς τοῖς μαθηταῖς⸃ εἶπεν· Λάβετε φάγετε, τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου.
27Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you,
καὶ ⸀λαβὼν ποτήριον καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· Πίετε ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες,
28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά ⸀μου ⸀τῆς διαθήκης τὸ περὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυννόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν·
29I tell you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
λέγω δὲ ⸀ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ πίω ἀπʼ ἄρτι ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω μεθʼ ὑμῶν καινὸν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ πατρός μου.
19And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
καὶ λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου ⸂[τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
⸄καὶ τὸ ποτήριον ὡσαύτως⸅ μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λέγων· Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐν τῷ αἵματί μου, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυννόμενον]⸃.
Do this in remembrance of me
Jesus commanded us to continue celebrating the Lord's Supper in remembrance of him.
19And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
καὶ λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου ⸂[τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
Ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ὃ καὶ παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ ⸀παρεδίδετο ἔλαβεν ἄρτον
24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ⸀εἶπεν· Τοῦτό μού ἐστιν τὸ σῶμα τὸ ὑπὲρ ⸀ὑμῶν· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
ὡσαύτως καὶ τὸ ποτήριον μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λέγων· Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ αἵματι· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε, ὁσάκις ⸀ἐὰν πίνητε, εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν.
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
ὁσάκις γὰρ ⸀ἐὰν ἐσθίητε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον καὶ τὸ ⸀ποτήριον πίνητε, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ κυρίου καταγγέλλετε, ἄχρι ⸀οὗ ἔλθῃ.
Fellowship with Christ
The Lord's Supper is participation in the body and blood of Christ.
16The cup of blessing that we bless—is it not a communion in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break—is it not a communion in the body of Christ?
τὸ ποτήριον τῆς εὐλογίας ὃ εὐλογοῦμεν, οὐχὶ κοινωνία ⸂ἐστὶν τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ⸃; τὸν ἄρτον ὃν κλῶμεν, οὐχὶ κοινωνία τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐστιν;
17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share in the one bread.
ὅτι εἷς ἄρτος, ἓν σῶμα οἱ πολλοί ἐσμεν, οἱ γὰρ πάντες ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄρτου μετέχομεν.
53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I tell you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς.
54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ.
Worthy Participation
We are to examine ourselves before participating in the Lord's Supper.
27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Ὥστε ὃς ἂν ἐσθίῃ τὸν ⸀ἄρτον ἢ πίνῃ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ κυρίου ⸀ἀναξίως, ἔνοχος ἔσται τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου.
28Let each person examine himself, and then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
δοκιμαζέτω δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἑαυτόν, καὶ οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου ἐσθιέτω καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ποτηρίου πινέτω·
29For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
ὁ γὰρ ἐσθίων καὶ ⸀πίνων κρίμα ἑαυτῷ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει μὴ διακρίνων τὸ ⸀σῶμα.
31But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not come under judgment.
εἰ ⸀δὲ ἑαυτοὺς διεκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα·
The New Covenant
The cup represents the new covenant in Jesus' blood.
20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
⸄καὶ τὸ ποτήριον ὡσαύτως⸅ μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λέγων· Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐν τῷ αἵματί μου, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυννόμενον]⸃.
14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God!
πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃς διὰ πνεύματος αἰωνίου ἑαυτὸν προσήνεγκεν ἄμωμον τῷ θεῷ, καθαριεῖ τὴν συνείδησιν ⸀ἡμῶν ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων εἰς τὸ λατρεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι.
15For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant: now that a death has taken place to redeem us from the transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο διαθήκης καινῆς μεσίτης ἐστίν, ὅπως θανάτου γενομένου εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ διαθήκῃ παραβάσεων τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν λάβωσιν οἱ κεκλημένοι τῆς αἰωνίου κληρονομίας.