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Glory · The Church
At the Supper Jesus said, 'This is my body' and 'This is my blood,' and the church has always recognized a real presence of Christ at His table, while describing it differently. The historic views range from the bread and wine becoming His body and blood to a spiritual presence received by faith to a memorial of His once-for-all sacrifice. All agree on what matters: Christ is the host and the gift, the Supper is communion with Him, and His sacrifice is not repeated but proclaimed.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/how-is-christ-present-in-the-lords-supper · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
1 Corinthians 11:23-29
As you read: This is my body; this cup is the new covenant in my blood; you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
23For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.
24When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”
25In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
29For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.
1 Corinthians 10:14-22
As you read: The cup is a sharing in Christ's blood and the bread a sharing in His body.
14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
15I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say.
16The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?
17Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.
18Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
19What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
20But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you would have fellowship with demons.
21You can’t both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.
22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Luke 22:14-20
As you read: The body given and the blood poured out, and the command to do it in memory of Him.
14When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles.
15He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves,
18for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.”
19He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”
20Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 24:28-35
As you read: The risen Jesus is recognized by His disciples in the breaking of the bread.
28They drew near to the village, where they were going, and he acted like he would go further.
29They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.
30When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave to them.
31Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight.
32They said one to another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
33They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them,
34saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
35They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
At the table Jesus took bread and said, 'This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me,' and the cup, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.' Matthew records, 'this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.' These are the anchor words, and every view of the Supper is an attempt to take them seriously.
“He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”Luke 22:19-20
“When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.””1 Corinthians 11:24-25
“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.”Matthew 26:26-28
“For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.”1 Corinthians 11:23
The church has described Christ's presence in four main ways. The Catholic view holds that the bread and wine become His body and blood (transubstantiation). Luther held Christ is truly present 'in, with, and under' the elements (consubstantiation). The Reformed view holds a spiritual presence received by faith, not in the physical elements. And the memorialist view sees the Supper chiefly as a remembrance of a Christ who is present in His church by His Spirit. And the text the views divide over most sharply is not in the upper room at all: in the synagogue at Capernaum, long before the Supper, Jesus said, 'unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don't have life in yourselves,' and 'my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.' Catholic and Lutheran readers hear the Supper in those words; the Reformed and memorialist readings take them as feeding on Christ by faith, which is how He explains the eating Himself: coming to Him is the eating, and believing in Him is the drinking. Each reading has honored the text and sought to guard the reality of Christ's presence and the once-for-allness of His sacrifice.
“He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”Luke 22:19-20
“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.”Matthew 26:26-28
“When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.””1 Corinthians 11:24
“He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.””Luke 22:19
“Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.””John 6:53-58
Whatever the precise mode, Paul is clear about the meaning: 'The cup of blessing which we bless, isn't it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn't it a sharing of the body of Christ?' The word means participation and fellowship. At the Supper the believer genuinely communes with the crucified and risen Christ, receiving Him by faith. And because 'we, who are many, are one body,' the table is also communion with the whole church, the body of Christ.
“The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?”1 Corinthians 10:16
“Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.”1 Corinthians 10:17
“For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.”1 Corinthians 11:29
“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.”Acts 2:42
The Supper proclaims a sacrifice that is already finished, not one that is repeated. Christ 'did this once for all, when he offered up himself,' and 'he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.' Paul says that 'as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes': the Supper announces the once-offered sacrifice and brings us into its benefit; it does not reoffer Christ.
“who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.”Hebrews 7:27
“but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;”Hebrews 10:12
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”1 Corinthians 11:26
“or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”Hebrews 9:26
The safest and most biblical summary is reverence before a mystery. Paul says those who take the bread 'discern the Lord's body,' which is why he warns against coming carelessly. In the breaking of bread on the Emmaus road, the risen Lord made Himself known to His own; it is the table where the church meets its risen and present Lord. We may describe the mode differently, but we agree that Christ Himself is the host and the gift, that He is truly present to His people by faith, and that we approach His table with love, faith, and a thankful heart.
“For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.”1 Corinthians 11:29
“When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave to them. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight.”Luke 24:30-31
“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.”1 Corinthians 11:27-28
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”1 Corinthians 11:26