“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?”
The full verse · 1 Corinthians 10:16 · KJV
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Asked by
Paul: the apostle writing to the church at Corinth, warning them to "flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14)
Asked to
Corinthians: the believers in "the church of God which is at Corinth" (1 Corinthians 1:2)
The Scene
Having told the Corinthians, "flee from idolatry," Paul asks them as "wise men" to judge what he says (1 Corinthians 10:14-15).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionPaul wants the Corinthians to see why they cannot take part in feasts held in honor of idols. He starts with something they already know: the Lord's Supper. Barnes thinks Paul's aim is to show that by sharing in the Supper, Christians are solemnly devoted to the service of the Lord Jesus. The first question asks whether the cup is not a sharing in Christ's blood. The second asks the same about the bread and Christ's body. Both expect the answer yes, and that yes becomes the ground for the warning that follows (1 Corinthians 10:21).
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe answer is plainly yes, and Paul builds on it at once: "For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:17). He then adds the example of Israel's altar (1 Corinthians 10:18) and draws the conclusion: "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils" (1 Corinthians 10:21).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe word translated "communion" is koinonia, meaning partnership, sharing, or fellowship; the ESV renders it "participation." Barnes explains that koinonia is "that which is in 'common,'" so believers "partake alike" in the benefits of Christ's blood. "The cup of blessing" is the cup of the Lord's Supper. Barnes gives two explanations: it is so called because over it Christians praise or bless God for redemption, or, by a Hebrew idiom, it is "the blessed cup," which he calls the more literal interpretation. He adds that blessing the cup cannot mean "that the wine is anything but wine," but that it is set apart for a sacred use. Gill likewise says the cup is set apart for its service, with "the name of the Lord called upon over it."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyAt the Lord's table, believers share together in what Christ's body and blood have won for them. Barnes puts it simply: Christians "share the same blessings." This is why Paul can say the many are "one body" (1 Corinthians 10:17). Barnes says that by sharing the cup believers showed "that they were united to him and to each other."
That shared belonging is exactly why divided loyalty is impossible. Matthew Henry writes, "To partake of this Christian feast was to have communion with Christ." If eating at the Lord's table means fellowship with Him, then eating at an idol's feast cannot be treated as harmless. Paul draws that line in 1 Corinthians 10:21.
Look Closer
Why does Paul bring up the Lord's Supper at this point in his letter?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You have given me a share in Your body and blood; what in my life is competing for the loyalty that belongs only to You?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- When you take the Lord's Supper, what does it tell you about whose you are?
- Share a time when taking communion with other believers made you feel part of one body.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Every time you take the Lord's Supper, you are saying something: you belong to Christ, and you share in what His death has given you. You also share it with every other believer at the table (1 Corinthians 10:17).
That belonging shapes the rest of the week. Paul's point is that you cannot share Christ's table and also give your heart to something that competes with Him (1 Corinthians 10:21). Ask what claims your loyalty, and bring it back under the One whose table you share.
This does not make the Supper a test you must pass to be loved. It is a gift that reminds you whose you are.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?”
“What say I then? That the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?”
“Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?”
“What? Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this?”