1 Corinthians 10:16 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
1 Corinthians 10:16 kjv
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 10:16 nkjv
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 10:16 niv
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 10:16 esv
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 10:16 nlt
When we bless the cup at the Lord's Table, aren't we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren't we sharing in the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 10 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 26:26-28 | "Take, eat; this is my body... this is my blood of the covenant..." | Institution of the Lord's Supper; New Covenant. |
| Mark 14:22-24 | "Take, eat; this is my body... This is my blood of the covenant..." | Institution; blood poured out. |
| Luke 22:19-20 | "This is my body, which is given for you... This cup is the new covenant..." | Institution; body given, new covenant in blood. |
| 1 Cor 11:23-26 | "For I received from the Lord... do this in remembrance of me." | Paul's direct account of institution, remembrance. |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you..." | Blood as means of atonement. |
| Heb 9:12 | "...through his own blood, he entered once for all into the holy places..." | Christ's blood as eternal redemption. |
| Heb 9:22 | "Indeed, under the law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and..." | Blood required for forgiveness of sins. |
| John 6:53-56 | "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood..." | Spiritual nourishment and eternal life from Christ. |
| Col 1:21-22 | "...he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death..." | Reconciliation through Christ's physical body. |
| 1 Cor 1:9 | "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son..." | Koinonia/fellowship with Christ himself. |
| Phil 2:1 | "If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any fellowship" | Koinonia/fellowship in Spirit. |
| 1 John 1:3 | "what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you...that you too may have fellowship" | Fellowship with God and with one another. |
| Exo 24:9-11 | Moses and elders ate and drank in God's presence as covenant meal. | OT type of covenant fellowship meal. |
| Mal 1:7, 12 | "You offer defiled food on my altar... 'The Lord's table is contemptible.'" | Warning against desecrating God's table. |
| Psa 116:13 | "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD." | Symbolic "cup of salvation" (thanksgiving/deliverance). |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | Immediate context: Paul's exhortation against idolatry. |
| 1 Cor 10:20-21 | "...they sacrifice to demons and not to God... You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons." | Incompatibility of Christ and pagan feasts. |
| 1 Cor 8:9-11 | Eating idol food might cause a weaker brother to stumble. | Ethical implications of participation in pagan rituals. |
| Gal 3:27-28 | "...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves..." | Union with Christ in baptism. |
| Rom 6:3-4 | "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus..." | Union with Christ's death and resurrection in baptism. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers." | General principle of separation from incompatible allegiances. |
| Heb 10:19-20 | "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus" | Access to God through Christ's blood. |
| 1 Cor 12:13 | "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body..." | All believers united in Christ's body. |
1 Corinthians 10 verses
1 Corinthians 10 16 meaning
1 Corinthians 10:16 describes the profound spiritual reality of the Lord's Supper, asserting that the bread and the cup are not merely symbols, but constitute a true participation, or "communion" (koinonia), in the sacrificial blood and broken body of Jesus Christ. It declares that through partaking in these elements, believers enter into a genuine union with Christ in His atoning death and its life-giving benefits.
1 Corinthians 10 16 Context
First Corinthians 10 serves as a powerful warning against idolatry for the Corinthian believers. Paul draws lessons from Israel's failures in the wilderness (1 Cor 10:1-13) to caution against testing God and succumbing to temptation. The chapter then shifts to directly address the issue of Christians attending feasts in pagan temples. Some Corinthians, relying on their "knowledge" that idols are nothing (1 Cor 8:4), felt immune to spiritual harm. Verse 16, however, establishes a fundamental spiritual truth: partaking in a sacred meal constitutes a real fellowship or participation with the entity it honors. If the Lord's Supper creates genuine union with Christ, then, by analogy, participation in idol feasts would necessarily mean communion with the demons believed to be behind such idols (1 Cor 10:20). This verse, therefore, underpins Paul's argument for the complete incompatibility of Christian worship with pagan practices, calling believers to "flee from idolatry" (1 Cor 10:14).
1 Corinthians 10 16 Word analysis
- The cup (τὸ ποτήριον – to potērion): Refers to a literal drinking vessel. In this specific context, it signifies the cup of wine used in the Lord's Supper. It alludes to the third cup of the Jewish Passover Seder, known as the "cup of blessing" or "cup of redemption," which Jesus consecrated into the New Covenant cup.
- of blessing (τῆς εὐλογίας – tēs eulogias): This noun signifies divine favor, praise, or speaking well. Here, it likely means the cup over which a blessing prayer has been pronounced, reflecting the Jewish custom of offering praise to God over food and drink. This act transforms the ordinary into something sanctified, dedicated to God.
- which we bless (ὃ εὐλογοῦμεν – ho eulogoumen): The verb "eulogeō" (we bless) directly connects to the "cup of blessing." It highlights the liturgical action of the believers or the presiding minister in consecrating the cup through prayer and praise to God. It confirms that the cup is specifically designated for this sacred purpose.
- is it not (οὐχὶ – ouchi): This is a rhetorical particle in Greek, expecting an affirmative answer. Paul uses it to emphasize a self-evident truth that he expects his audience to acknowledge, underscoring the undeniable spiritual reality of the Supper.
- the communion (κοινωνία – koinōnia): A profound and central term. It means "fellowship," "participation," "sharing," "partnership," or "joint participation." It implies a real, tangible, and deep spiritual union with what is being shared, not merely a symbolic representation or a mental remembrance. Believers are genuinely partaking in the blood and body of Christ, making their sacrifice their own in a spiritual sense.
- of the blood (τοῦ αἵματος – tou haimatos): Signifies the life and the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. In Old Testament theology (e.g., Lev 17:11), blood held the power of atonement. Christ's shed blood establishes the New Covenant and provides redemption and forgiveness of sins.
- of Christ (τοῦ Χριστοῦ – tou Christou): Refers to Jesus, the Messiah. It anchors the communion directly to the person and work of the Son of God.
- The bread (τὸν ἄρτον – ton arton): A common staple food. In the Lord's Supper, it refers to the broken loaf, representative of Christ's physical body. Like the cup, it is sanctified for this holy purpose.
- which we break (ὃν κλῶμεν – hon klōmen): The verb "klō" means "to break." The breaking of the bread, a standard practice at shared meals, specifically symbolizes the breaking of Christ's physical body through His suffering and death on the cross. This act represents His complete self-giving sacrifice.
- of the body (τοῦ σώματος – tou sōmatos): Refers to Christ's physical body offered as a sacrifice. It connects directly to His incarnation and His atoning death. Beyond His individual body, it also implies connection to the corporate body of Christ, the Church (as seen in 1 Cor 10:17).
- Words-group: "The cup of blessing which we bless": This phrase echoes Jewish blessings over wine at sacred meals, particularly the Passover Seder's third cup. It transforms an ordinary drink into a sacred covenant meal, establishing its holiness and special significance. The blessing isn't just a wish, but a declarative act of consecration.
- Words-group: "is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?" and "is it not the communion of the body of Christ?": These parallel rhetorical questions forcefully convey that participation in the Eucharist establishes an actual, shared connection with Christ's sacrificial death. The double "communion" emphasizes the integral connection to both aspects of His atoning work—His life poured out (blood) and His body broken. This communion is active, a real participation in the benefits of His sacrifice, offering forgiveness, life, and union.
1 Corinthians 10 16 Bonus section
The profound concept of koinonia in this verse not only highlights a spiritual union between individual believers and Christ but also implicitly underscores the unity of the body of believers. As shown in the following verse, 1 Corinthians 10:17, "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread." This connection reveals that communal participation in the Lord's Supper simultaneously forges and reflects the collective unity of the Church in Christ. Our shared participation in His body and blood makes us one body in Him. This spiritual reality serves as a powerful call to examine both our relationship with Christ and our relationships with fellow believers, guarding against division and worldly compromises.
1 Corinthians 10 16 Commentary
1 Corinthians 10:16 serves as a foundational declaration of the spiritual power inherent in the Lord's Supper. Paul is not speaking metaphorically, but asserting a profound reality: when believers partake in the bread and the cup, they are genuinely participating in (koinonia) the efficacy of Christ's atoning sacrifice. This "communion" signifies a spiritual identification and union with Christ's blood, which ratified the New Covenant and cleanses from sin, and with His body, which was broken for redemption. This intimate union means the believer shares in the very life and benefits of His death. The rhetorical questions demand an affirmative answer, underlining that this shared experience is an undeniable truth for the faithful. Consequently, Paul argues that this exclusive and deep fellowship with Christ makes it utterly contradictory and spiritually perilous to simultaneously partake in feasts offered to idols, which represent fellowship with demons. The verse therefore establishes the distinct and holy nature of Christian worship and its incompatibility with all forms of idolatry.