Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 11:25

"In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me." — 1 Corinthians 11:25 (ASV)

After the same manner. In a similar way; likewise. This means with the same circumstances, ceremonies, and intentions. The purpose was the same.

When he had supped. This means all this occurred after the observance of the usual Passover supper. Therefore, it could not be a part of it, nor could it have been intended to be merely a festival or feast.

The apostle clearly introduces this to show them that it could not be an occasion for feasting, as they seemed to have supposed. It was after the supper and was therefore to be observed in a distinct way.

Saying, This cup, and so on. .

Is the new testament. This refers to the new covenant that God is about to establish with humanity. For us, the word "testament" properly denotes a will—an instrument by which a person disposes of their property after death. This is also the proper classical meaning of the Greek word used here, diathēkē.

However, this is clearly not the sense in which the word is intended to be used in the New Testament. The idea of a will or testament, strictly speaking, is not what the sacred writers intend to convey by the word. The idea is clearly that of a compact, agreement, or COVENANT, to which there is such frequent reference in the Old Testament, and which is expressed by the Hebrew word Berith—meaning a compact or a covenant.

The proper Greek translation of that word would have been synthēkē, meaning a covenant or agreement. However, it is remarkable that the Septuagint never uses that word to denote the covenant made between God and humanity. That translation uniformly uses the word diathēkē—a will or a testament—for this purpose, as a translation of the Hebrew word, when there is a reference to the covenant that God is represented as making with humanity.

The word synthēkē is used by them only three times (Isaiah 28:15; Isaiah 30:1; Daniel 11:6), and in no instance with any reference to the covenant that God is represented as making with humanity. The word diathēkē, as the translation of the Hebrew Berith, occurs more than two hundred times (see Trommius' Concordance). Now, this must have clearly been by design.

The reason that led them to adopt this can only be conjectured. It may have been that, since the translation was to be seen by Gentiles as well as Jews (if it was not expressly made for the use of Ptolemy, as has been affirmed by Josephus and others), they were unwilling to represent the eternal and infinite JEHOVAH as entering into a compact or an agreement with His creature, humanity.

Therefore, they adopted a word that would represent Him as expressing His will to them in a book of revelation. The Septuagint version was clearly in use by the apostles and by Jews everywhere. The writers of the New Testament, therefore, adopted the word as they found it and spoke of the new dispensation as a new testament that God made with humanity. The meaning is that this was the new compact or covenant that God was to make with humanity, in contrast to the one made through Moses.

In my blood. This means through My blood; that is, this new compact is to be sealed with My blood, alluding to the ancient custom of sealing an agreement by a sacrifice .

This do you. This means to partake of this bread and wine; that is, to celebrate this ordinance.

As often as you drink it. This does not prescribe any specific time, nor does it even specify the frequency with which it was to be done. Instead, it leaves it to them to determine how often they would partake of it.

The time of the Passover had been fixed by a positive statute; however, the milder and gentler system of Christianity left it to the followers of the Redeemer themselves to determine how often they would celebrate His death.

They were commanded to do it. It was presumed that their love for Him would be so strong as to ensure frequent observance. It was permitted to them, as with prayer, to celebrate it on any occasion of affliction, trial, or deep interest, when they would feel their need for it, and when they would suppose that its observance would be for the edification of the church.

In remembrance of me. This expresses the entire purpose of the ordinance. It is a simple memorial, or reminder, designed to recall the memory of the Redeemer in a striking and impressive way.

It does this by a tender appeal to the senses—through the presentation of the broken bread and the wine. The Savior knew how prone people would be to forget Him, and He therefore appointed this ordinance as a means by which His memory would be kept alive in the world.

The ordinance is rightly observed when it recalls the memory of the Savior, and when its observance produces a deep, lively, and vivid impression on the mind of His death for sin. This expression, at the institution of the Supper, is used by Luke (Luke 22:19), though it does not occur in Matthew, Mark, or John.