Journal: Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
Volume: JOTGES 34:66 (Spring 2021)
Article: The Table Of The Lord: Part 1
Author: Eric Svendsen

JOTGES 34:66 (Spring 2021) p. 31

The Table Of The Lord: Part 1

Eric Svendsen1

I. Chapter 1: Paul’s Concern For Unity In 1 Corinthians 11

First Corinthians 11 has long been the standard Lord’s Supper text used by Protestants in their communion services to recite the words of institution; and rightly so. The Pauline version of the Last Supper is the only one which we may be certain was written primarily for liturgical purposes.2 It alone is found in the context of a discussion about the Lord’s Supper, whereas all others were (apparently) written to record the historical fact of the Last Supper.3 Consequently, Paul’s account is helpful in that it offers insight into other avenues of the Lord’s Supper not specified by the other accounts. This is not to say that Paul is exhaustive in his treatment—indeed, we would not have even this much if there had not been abuses of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth—but that what he offers by way of explanation exceeds that offered by the other accounts. In other words, whereas the Synoptic accounts purport to record the historical event and give only minimal reflection as to its ramifications for the Lord’s Supper,4 Paul’s account is

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just the opposite; his includes only minimal treatment of the historical event (11:23–25) and much reflection on its ramifications.5 For this reason special consideration must be given to Paul in discussions where the primary focus is the Lord’s Supper.6

It is precisely because Paul expands on the traditional words of institution that we may begin to see other related aspects of the Lord’s Supper that would be difficult at best to ascertain from the Synoptic accounts. One such aspect, unity, is particularly strong in 1 Corinthians 11, 7 and it is to this aspect that we may now turn.

A. The Problem At Corinth

In order to understand what Paul says about the Lord’s Supper in this text one must first understand what he is battling. The views on this, though varied, do not deviate severely from each other. Regardless of which view one takes about the problem at Corinth, few deny that the underlying problem is...