THE COMMUNION CUP

The word “cup” appears over 100 times in the Bible. And while many of these references are strictly literal in nature, in a number of cases the word is used metaphorically. As Millard states, “Throughout the Bible, cup is used figuratively as containing the share of blessings or disasters allotted to man or nation or his appointed fate.” In that respect, he cites Psalms 16:5; 116:13; Isaiah 51:17; Mark 26:39; and John 18:11, although there are many more.

Hartman and Van den Born make the interesting suggestion that it was the custom of the head of the family to fill the cups of all at the table which gave rise to the metaphorical use of “cup” in the sense of a lot in life which God has destined for each one.

Paul Raabe in his commentary on Obadiah devotes 35 pages discussing the figurative and metaphorical uses of “cup” imagery in the Old Testament. And the subject index to The Dictionary of New Testament Theology has separate listings for the cup of blessing, cup of consolation, cup of fury, cup of salvation, cup of suffering, and cup of wrath. This gives a small indication of the broad application of this figure in the Bible.

In addition, Dictionary of Biblical Imagery notes, “Since a cup can convey love, comfort, strength and fellowship, biblical writers sometimes use cup as a symbol for all the benefits God provides...But in the OT, cup is most often used figuratively as a symbol of God's judgment against sin.”

But there is one occurrence in the NT which is unique in that it refers both to a literal cup and a metaphorical cup at the same time. I am speaking about the cup mentioned during the Last Supper which instituted the Communion Service we celebrate today.

Let us see what the major passages (in NRSV) describing the communion service have to say regarding the subject.

Mark 14:23-24

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them and all of them drank from it. He said to them,”This my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 26:27-29

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

Luke 22:17-18

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

John 6:53-56

Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them.”

This passage, strictly speaking, does not refer directly to the communion service, but it certainly uses quite similar wording and imagery. I was once in charge of giving the reading during the communion service at our church and decided to go with this passage in place of the more usual readings from the Synoptics or I Corinthians. I will never do it again, because the congregation, and even I, started to get more and more queasy with every reading of the word “blood.” It is no wonder that even some of Jesus' disciples who heard Jesus' words in this passage at last complained, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” And remember that although the Jews had no problem with eating meat if it was from a ritually clean animal, they drew the line at drinking their blood since the life of the animal was in its blood and that belonged only to God Himself.

Because of this prohibition, it is no wonder that Luke never says that the cup represents Jesus' blood, but only the new covenant in his blood, as does Paul in I Corinthians. Although I must admit, that it is Matthew's Gospel instead in which I would have expected such a circumlocution to avoid offending the sensibilities of his mainly Jewish audience. But one could always argue in the opposite direction that Luke's mainly Gentile audience might not have picked up on the nuances of Jewish sacrificial laws needed to totally understand Jesus' original words.

I Corinthians 11:23-29

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.”

But what kind of cup does it figuratively represent? In fact, one could argue for a multiplicity of metaphorical images here:

Cup of Communion with the Divine

Since a large portion of Christendom refers to the Lord's Supper as Communion, let us first discuss what that means and whether it is valid terminology for us to utilize. One need only turn to John 6:56 to prove that point: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them.”

Cup of Communion with Fellow Believers

But that is not the only one with which we have communion, as Paul makes abundantly plain to the Corinthian church, whose wealthier members ignored the poorer ones and refused to even share their food with them. It is closer to a company picnic in which each family brings its own food and eats separately from the others. Fortunately, that is certainly not the pattern I have seen at any church pot-luck meals I have attended.

Sometimes this nuance is missed, and preachers have been known quite often to interpret I Corinthians 11:29 (“all who eat and drink without discerning the body”) as referring to Jesus' body represented in the elements. And in fact, there are some ancient NT manuscripts which add “of the Lord” after “body.”

Although NIV adopts that reading, the context, especially vv. 33-34, make it clear that it is the congregation, the church body, that is being referenced instead. As Fee strongly puts it, alternative reading “is secondary on every count. It was added on the analogy of v. 27. Had it been original it is nearly impossible to account for its omission, especially in a liturgical text, where addition not omission is nearly always the rule. It also destroys the sense.” He cites the opinion of the noted textual scholar Bruce Metzger, who argues in the same manner.

Cup of the New Covenant

Four of the five passages above connect the cup at the Last Supper with the institution of the New Covenant spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-34 brought about by Christ's death. “Because Jesus drinks the cup of death, he can offer his followers the cup of the new covenant...All who accept Jesus' sacrifice for themselves can appropriate the blessings of forgiveness, fellowship with God and other believers, and certainty of eternal life that this cup of the new covenant holds.” (DBI)

In light of the above words, it is no coincidence that the three Synoptic Gospels which mention the new covenant also report Jesus' words in the garden uttered not long after the Last Supper in which he prayed that the cup [i.e. of death and suffering] would be removed from him (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:6; Luke 22:42).

Cup of Remembrance

The communion table in our church is inscribed with the words: “In Remembrance of Him.” Only Paul records those words of Jesus in I Corinthians. One of the directions in which we are to look is backwards as we remember the sacrifice on the cross made on our behalf.

Cup of Hope

But there is a second direction in which we are to look as we partake – forward. Only Matthew's rendering of Jesus' words of the Synoptic accounts makes this clear with its mention of Jesus' followers eventually partaking in the heavenly banquet feast along with Jesus (Matthew 26:29).

But in addition, John 6:54 proclaims: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”

Notably, as William Hendricksen points out, the wording in Matthew and Mark (“the many”) indicates neither that (a) only a highly exclusive and small group of people are offered this hope nor (b) does it say “all,” teaching universal salvation.

Cup of Thanksgiving

Because of the hope promised to believers through Jesus' shed blood and broken body, it is natural that celebration of the Lord's Supper should be a time of thanksgiving. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church is quite justified in calling it the Eucharist, derived from the Greek verb meaning “to give thanks,” which occurs in all the Synoptic accounts.

Cup of Prophecy

Closely connected to the forward-looking aspect of the cup is a clear prediction of events which would later occur. The mention of Jesus being in “the kingdom of God” in Mark could refer to the destination of Jesus at the Resurrection, and the similar reference in Matthew could refer to the time when his immediate followers join him in heaven. But the preceding words in both accounts “on that day” are a clear indication that it is the Last Day being talked about. This is made even clearer in Luke's wording (“until the kingdom comes”).

And if that were not enough, I Corinthians 11:26 predicts the Second Coming of the Lord when Paul says that this commemoration should be continued by believers “until he comes.”

Cup of Self-Examination

And there is yet a third direction in which we are to proceed at the Lord's Table – inward. Paul cautions that we are to examine our own lives before we partake to determine whether we have been honestly following the example laid down by our Lord.

Cup of Mercy

The previous category should, however, not cause believers to become so hypercritical regarding their own weaknesses that they refuse to take part in the service. Hugh Anderson brings up an interesting point in relation to the specific note that “they all drank,” which appears in Matthew's and Mark's accounts. He says that this “could have been a reminder to the Church that all, however reprobate (even the betrayer?), were admitted to the fellowship of Jesus and were offered the mercy and love of God in and through him.”

Cup of Wrath

This leads logically to the next aspect of the cup. Paradoxically, this same cup which offers blessings can also lead to God's wrath. As DBI says, “But any who take Jesus' sacrifice lightly or reject it completely will find themselves drinking the cup of God's judgment (see I Cor 11:27-30; Rev 17:3-6; 18:6-8).”

Thus, the symbolism found in the communion cup is truly multifaceted. You might try concentrating on just one of these various aspect the next time you partake.