Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 11:23

"For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread;" — 1 Corinthians 11:23 (ASV)

For, etc. To most effectively check the evils that existed and bring them to a proper way of observing the Lord's Supper, the apostle proceeds to state distinctly and particularly its design. They had mistaken its nature; they supposed it might be a common festival.

They had made it the occasion of great disorder. He therefore refers to the solemn circumstances in which it was instituted, the particular object it had in view—the commemoration of the death of the Redeemer—and the purpose it was designed to serve. This purpose was not that of a festival, but to keep before the church and the world a constant remembrance of the Lord Jesus, until He should return again (1 Corinthians 11:26).

By this means, the apostle evidently hoped to recall them from their irregularities and bring them to a correct manner of celebrating this holy ordinance. He did not, therefore, denounce them even for their irregularity and gross disorder; he did not use harsh, violent, or abusive language. Instead, he expected to reform the evil by a mild and tender statement of the truth and by an appeal to their consciences as followers of the Lord Jesus.

I have received from the Lord. This statement cannot refer to tradition or mean that the information had been communicated to Paul through the other apostles. Instead, the whole spirit and scope of the passage indicates that he derived his knowledge of the institution of the Lord's Supper directly from the Lord Himself.

This revelation might have occurred when he was on the road to Damascus, though that does not seem probable, or it may have been among the numerous revelations that had been made to him at various times (Compare 2 Corinthians 12:7). The reason Paul states here that he had received it directly from the Lord is, doubtless, so that he might show them it was of divine authority.

"The institution to which I refer is what I myself received an account of from personal and direct communication with the Lord Jesus Himself, who appointed it. It is not, therefore, of human authority. It is not of my own devising, but is of divine warrant, is holy in its nature, and is to be observed in the exact manner prescribed by the Lord Himself."

That which also I delivered, etc. Paul founded the church at Corinth, and, of course, he first instituted the observance of the Lord's Supper there.

The same night in which he was betrayed. By Judas. (See Matthew 26:23-25, 48-50).

Paul seems to have mentioned the fact that it was on the very night on which He was betrayed to lend it greater solemnity. He evidently wished to bring before their minds the deeply affecting circumstances of His death, and thus to show them the utter impropriety of their celebrating the ordinance with riot and disorder.

The idea is that to celebrate it in a proper manner, it was necessary to throw themselves as much as possible into the very circumstances in which it was instituted. One of these circumstances most suited to affect the mind deeply was the fact that He was betrayed by a professed friend and follower. It is also a circumstance the memory of which is eminently suited to prepare the mind for a proper celebration of the ordinance now.

Took bread. Evidently, this was the bread used at the celebration of the Passover supper. He took the bread that happened to be before Him—such as was commonly used. It was not a wafer, such as Roman Catholics now use, but was the ordinary bread eaten on such occasions. (See Barnes on Matthew 26:26).