1 Corinthians 11:24

24. [λάβετε φάγετε] after εἶπεν. The student of the Gospels is familiar with the constant efforts on the part of the copyists to assimilate the language of the various narratives. It need surprise no one, therefore, if such attempts appear also here. The familiarity with the words as used in the Church service would increase the tendency. Perhaps on account of the great interest attaching to the question a fuller account than usual may here be given of the evidence. אABCDEFG support the omission. KLP are against it. The Vetus Lat. (the oldest translation) is in favour of omitting the words, as are the Sahidic and Coptic. The MSS. of the Vulg. are divided, but the words are retained in the authorized edition. The Syriac versions have the words. No very early Father seems to have cited the passage. It is worth noticing that the omission of Luke 22:19-20, which (see Westcott and Hort’s Greek Testament) is considered doubtful by modern critics, has the support of the newly found ‘Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,’ which places the consecration (or what is regarded by some as such) of the cup before that of the bread. If the passage in St Luke be really spurious it makes it still more probable that the additions to the text in the present verse are also examples of the tendency to assimilate the various accounts of the institution of the Lord’s Supper.

[κλώμενον] after ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, rec. with EFGKLP, Peshito and some copies of the Vetus Lat. אABC support the text. D has θρυπτόμενον. The Sahidic, Coptic, and Armenian have διδόμενον which has the support of the Vulg., a copy of the Vetus Lat. and Cyprian. The evidence makes for the text having been considered deficient in early times, and for various additions having been considered necessary to complete it.

24. εὐχαριστήσας. St Mark has ‘blessed,’ St Matthew, according to some copies, ‘blessed,’ according to others, ‘gave thanks.’ St Luke agrees with St Paul. From this word the sacrament derives its name of Eucharist, or thanksgiving.

εἶπεν. Inasmuch as the words of institution have been the occasion of one of the longest and bitterest controversies that have ever divided the Church of Christ, it is well to inquire very closely what He said. See Critical Note. The words of institution, as recorded by St Paul, are as follows: ‘This is My body, which is [being broken] for you; this do in remembrance of Me,’ i.e. to serve as a memorial of Me, or to preserve My memory. Let us next take St Luke’s account of it, derived either from St Paul or from the same source as his. ‘This is My body, [which is given for you; this do in remembrance of Me.]’ (Westcott and Hort put the latter words in brackets.) St Matthew and St Mark simply give the words, ‘Take, [eat]: this is My body,’ the word ‘eat’ being omitted in St Mark by many of the best MSS.

ἀνάμνησιν. The word here translated ‘remembrance’ signifies (1) the act of recollection, and (2) that which enables us to recollect, reminds us of a thing. In the Septuagint it is used in the heading of the 38th and 70th Psalms as a translation of the Hebrew word signifying ‘to bring to remembrance.’ In Numbers 10:10 the Septuagint uses it (3) to translate a Hebrew word signifying memorial, i.e. some visible and tangible object which exists in order to bring to mind a past event. Cf. Hebrews 10:3. Both (2) and (3) are included here.