All foods and drinks that humans enjoy in this world are a result of God’s creative work, as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. God made all plants, including the grapes that make wine, and He called such plants “good” (Genesis 1:11-13). The Apostle Paul affirms this goodness of creation in 1 Timothy 4:3-4, when he says that some false teachers will “forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving.” Forbidding certain foods and drinks is wrong because “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”
Not everyone has to like wine or other alcoholic beverages, but Scripture teaches that Christians are free to consume such drinks in thanksgiving towards God. God allowed the Israelites to buy “wine or strong drink” that they may feast and “rejoice” in His presence (Deuteronomy 14:26). The psalmist even praises God for giving us wine:
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart (Psalm 104:14-15).
In other words, God gives humans wine to make us happy. Jesus Himself enjoyed drinking wine, which is why He was accused of being a drunkard (Luke 7:33-34). He even “manifested his glory” by turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana (John 2:11). It should be noted that Jesus performed this miracle at a celebration where people “drank freely” (John 2:10). (The Greek methusko [μεθύσκω] can vary in meaning, including “to get drunk” or “to drink freely.”)
Of course, like all good gifts of God, wine can be abused. Drinking too much wine leads to drunkenness. A habitual abuse of wine makes one a “drunkard,” and drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10). The Bible therefore warns against drunkenness—“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). Isaiah says, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!” (Isaiah 5:11).
And the Apostle Paul commands, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Rather than filling ourselves with excessive alcohol, which leads to sin, we are to be filled with God’s Spirit, which leads to obedience.
Wine Is a Sign of God’s Blessing
Though wine can be abused, Scripture constantly presents wine as a sign of God’s blessing. Melchizedek brought out bread and wine as part of his blessing of Abraham (Genesis 14:18). Isaac’s blessing of Jacob included a petition for an abundance of grain and wine (Genesis 27:28). God gave the Levites the best of Israel’s wine as a blessing (Numbers 18:12), and He promised to give Israel wine as a blessing for obedience (Deuteronomy 7:13; 11:14).
Moses described the Promised Land as a “land of grain and wine” (Deuteronomy 33:28). The men of Israel celebrated David’s kingship with wine (1 Chronicles 12:39-40), and Jesus used wine as a metaphor for the new life that disciples would enjoy in contrast to the old wineskins of Jewish religious tradition (Matthew 9:17).
Wine is a sign of God’s blessing because it is associated with feasting, as well as Sabbath rest and relaxation. Thus Noah—who his father Lamech prophesied would bring “comfort” from work and toil—planted a vineyard and drank wine after the flood (Genesis 5:29; 9:20-21). Noah is often charged with sin here, but he drank wine to relax and was sleeping in his tent. The “righteous” Noah was not a drunkard (Genesis 6:9). Rather, it was Ham who is charged with sin in uncovering Noah (Genesis 9:24-25).
It is also the case that a lack of wine is associated with cursing. Obedience to the Mosaic covenant would result in fruitful ground for the Israelites (Deuteronomy 28:4, 11), but disobedience would result in vineyards that produce no wine because worms would eat the grapes (Deuteronomy 28:39). God even warned that a foreign nation would come and leave the Israelites with no “grain, wine, or oil” (Deuteronomy 28:51).
Jesus Instituted Wine in the Lord’s Supper
Wine has direct practical significance for Christians because Jesus instituted its use in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus established this covenant meal at the Last Supper before His death, and Christians are to celebrate the Supper regularly both to commune with Christ and to remember His atoning work on the cross (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22).
It is sometimes pointed out that the word “wine” is never used for the Supper, as both Jesus and Paul refer to it as “the cup” (Matthew 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17, 20; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 21; 11:25-28). But while this observation is correct, there should be no question what was in the cup!
There are three reasons we can be certain Jesus and Paul were speaking of wine. First, the “fruit of the vine” was a poetic way of describing wine in that day (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). Second, the Jews in the 1st century used wine at Passover, which was what Jesus was celebrating at the Last Supper (see Mishnah Pesachim 10). And third, there were some Corinthians getting drunk on the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:21), indicating that they were drinking wine of an intoxicating nature.
Jesus instituted wine, along with bread, as the proper elements of the Lord’s Supper. (It is of note to my fellow Presbyterians that the Westminster Confession of Faith identifies the proper element as “wine” and not grape juice—see WCF 29.3, 5, 6, 7.)
Some Christian teachers claim that wine in the Bible was non-alcoholic or of a limited alcohol level. This, however, is contrary to the text of Scripture. Wine in the Bible clearly had an inebriating quality (Genesis 9:21; Hosea 4:11; Joel 1:5). And if the biblical authors wanted to speak of the unfermented juice of grapes, there was another word for that (Numbers 6:3). In the instructions for a Nazirite vow, it specifically says that he “shall not drink any juice of grapes”
(וְכָל־מִשְׁרַ֤ת עֲנָבִים֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁתֶּ֔ה).
More specific to the Lord’s Supper, there were some Christians getting drunk on the wine that was used (1 Corinthians 11:21). Wine in the Bible certainly contained alcohol, and Paul was aware of the potential abuse of this substance. However, instead of changing the substance—as many churches do today—Paul condemned such “unworthy” behavior and called Christians to properly partake of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:27).[1]
The use of wine in the Lord’s Supper is significant not only because it is a sign of God’s blessing, but also because it is a reminder of God’s wrath against sin. Wine was part of the Levitical sacrifices offered to God as a drink offering (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 15:5; 28:14; Deuteronomy 18:14), and it was associated with God’s wrath (Jeremiah 25:15; Revelation 14:10; 16:19). This is why Jesus describes the wine of the Supper as “my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are reminded that Christ propitiated the Father’s wrath against sin and thus we find forgiveness in Him.
Wine in the New Heavens and Earth
Wine is not a result of the fall but part of God’s original creation. It will also be part of re-creation in the new heavens and earth. Thus Isaiah speaks of a mountain on which Yahweh “will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full or marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Isaiah 25:6; cf. Joel 3:18). In context, this passage is referring to a day when God “will swallow up death forever” and “wipe away tears from all faces” (Isaiah 25:8).
Jesus draws on this imagery from Isaiah when He speaks of the messianic banquet— “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). Jesus may have been referring to this banquet when He said to His disciples before His death, “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). Christians should therefore expect to drink wine in celebration at “the marriage supper of the Lamb” when Jesus returns (Revelation 19:9). Like the wedding at Cana and the Lord’s Supper, Jesus always provides wine in celebration.
Wine is a glorious thing. This is why God uses it along with food as a metaphor for the gospel— “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). May we come to the Lord in faith and thanksgiving, and may we eat—and drink—to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
[1] A common argument against using wine in the Lord’s Supper is that we should have concern for alcoholics, or what the Bible calls “drunkards.” The key question in addressing this issue is—do we have the authority to change the elements of the Lord’s Supper?
The Bible teaches that alcohol is a blessing from God that we should drink. Psalm 104:14-15 says,
“You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.”
In this passage, the blessing of alcohol is placed on the same level as the blessing of food. God says that alcohol is supposed to help us enjoy life. When life gets you down, crack open a beer and make life better.
God Gives Alcohol as an Anesthetic
In addition to simply drinking Alcohol, the Jews also used alcohol as a pain killer. Proverbs 31:6 says,
“Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress”
I have often found it funny that many Christians I know are unwilling to drink a single beer. However these same Christians have no qualms about flying high as a kite on morphine if they need to have surgery. Talk about hypocrisy. God has no problem with people appropriately using pain killers, including alcohol.
God used Alcohol to Reveal theMessiah
In John 2, Jesus makes a lot of really good wine. I’m sure he enjoyed a few glasses himself. However if nothing else, this passage shows that Jesus used wine as the object of a miracle, so that people would recognize him as the Messiah.
Jesus Used Wine for Communion
Jesus used wine for communion. Nowadays many Churches use grape juice instead. How do we know Jesus used wine for communion? Well among other things, grape juice wasn’t even invented yet. Grape juice was invented in 1869 AD by Thomas Bramwell Welch specifically so that churches could stop using wine for communion.
What About Water Mixed with Wine?
Many people claim that early Christians diluted their wine with water. The alcohol in the wine helped to purify the water, and the water helped to dilute the alcohol. Therefore although Christians drank wine it had a very, very low alcohol content.
That may be true. However the only time the Bible mentions water mixed with wine, it is in a negative context. Isaiah 1:22 says,
“Your silver has become dross,
your best wine mixed with water.”
Dross is the waste product that you remove as you melt silver out of rock. To say “your silver has become dross” is to say that your silver has become worthless. Since this verse uses Hebrew poetry called parallelism, we know that the second line repeats the idea of the first with different words. In other words, silver that has become dross is worthless. Likewise (according to the Bible), wine mixed with water is worthless.
What About “New Wine”?
The Bible sometimes mentions “new wine” and some preachers equate this to grape juice. They claim that this juice is freshly pressed and therefore has not had time to ferment. However “new wine” does has an alcoholic content. Hosea 4:10-11 says, “they have forsaken the LORD to cherish whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding.”
Likewise during Pentecost, men accuse others of being drunk saying, “They are filled with new wine” (Acts 2:13, see also verse 15). This new wine clearly contains an alcoholic content. Therefore it is different than grape juice and is probably best equated with wine that has not been aged. It is wine made from the most recent harvest.
There is one passage which uses the term of “new wine” to refer to “must”, which is the product of a winepress. Grapes are smashed in a winepress to create a juice that sits in a pomace, which contains the seeds, stems, and skins of the fruit. This mixture of juice and pomace is called must. The juice sits in this pomace for three to seven days. At the end of this time, the “juice” has an 8.5% to 10% alcoholic content, and it is placed in wineskins.
In Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and Luke 5:37-39, Jesus mentions putting new wine into new wineskins. The new wine is put into wineskins to ferment further until the wine is mature with a 12% to 14% alcoholic content. Therefore this specific mention of new wine in the gospels refers to an alcoholic grape juice (8.5% to 10% alcohol), which normally would not be drunk.
God Forbids the use of Alcohol to getDrunk
Now it is inappropriate to use alcohol to get drunk. Ephesians 5:18 says,
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says,
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
God Condemns Drinking Parties
God also condemns drinking parties. 1 Peter 4:3-5 says,
“For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
However we must admit there is a big difference between my wife and I sharing a bottle of wine with cheese in our back yard, and frat boys holding a kegger. God is against debauchery. He is not against romance (see Song of Solomon).
God Condemns Illegal Activity
God also condemns breaking the law. Romans 13:1 says,
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
In relation to alcohol this means that Christians in America should not drink until they turn 21. In addition Christians should not drink and drive, nor should we buy alcohol for minors. To disobey any of these laws is to sin against God almighty himself.
Conclusion
Alcohol is a gift (much like all of creation) that God has given us to use appropriately for the benefit and greater enjoyment of our lives. God gave us water as a gift as well. You can use water appropriately to drink. You can use water unwisely as engine oil for your car. And you can use water for evil by drowning someone in it. Water is good to drink. It is not sinning to use water as engine oil, but you had better plan on buying a new car. Water can also be used to commit the evil act of murder.
Alcohol (in this manner) is similar to water. Alcohol can be used righteously to drink and enjoy life. Alcohol can be used unwisely to bathe in. And alcohol can be used to commit the evil act of getting drunk.
Alcohol is not evil. It is a gift from God. Let’s use God’s gift appropriately, and not pervert it to do evil.
What is wine? Wine is the fermented juice of crushed grapes; an alcoholic beverage that can lead to intoxication if consumed in excess. Most of us know what wine is, though some teachers have attempted to explain that the wine in Scripture is sometimes wine, and sometimes grape juice. The plain truth is the best biblical scholars argue consistently and clearly, that not only is the "wine" of the Bible alcoholic, maintaining unfermented grape juice would be a virtual impossibility. D.F. Watson states it plainly in The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels in his article, Wine, when he says, "All wine mentioned in the Bible is fermented grape juice with an alcohol content. No non-fermented drink was called wine."
Who Drank Wine in the Bible?
Who drank wine in the Bible? Almost everyone. Drinking wine was normative for all Jews, (Gen 14:18; Judges 19:19; 1 Sam. 16:20), though the Levitical priests in service at the temple (Lv 10:8, 9), the Nazirites (Num. 6:3), and the Rechabites (Jer 35:1–3) abstained from wine. In the New Testament John The Baptist also abstained.
Despite what some today claim, Jesus himself drank wine (Lk. 22:18; Matt. 11:18-19; 26:27-29), and was charged with drinking too much by his accusers.
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.””
How is Wine Depicted in Scripture?
Wine was the common drink of the Jews, enjoyed with meals and shared with friends (Gen. 14:18; Jn. 2:3). It was also an essential part in the worship of the people of God in both Testaments.
The “drink offering” consisted of wine (Ex 29:40; Lev. 23:13) and the people of God brought wine when offering sacrifices (1 Sm 1:24). The Jews even kept wine in the temple (1 Chr 9:29). In Isaiah 62:9 the people are blessed by the Lord in such a way as is depicted in drinking wine in the sanctuary before the presence of God. In Deuteronomy 14 we read,
“You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.”
Wine was used in celebrating the Passover and is used in celebrating The Lord’s Supper in the New Testament (Lk. 22:7-23; 1 Cor. 11:17-32). For more information read my blogpost, Wine or Welch's?
It was also used medicinally, to help the weak and the sick (2 Sm 16:2; Prov 31:6; 1 Tim. 5:23).
It isn't a stretch to say that God likes wine. It was associated with life, God’s blessing, and God’s Kingdom. In Judges 9:13 we read that wine is that “which cheers God and men.” Psalm 104:15 portrays wine similarly, saying that wine “makes man’s heart glad” (Ecc. 10:19; Is. 55:1, 2; Zech. 10:7). (See Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible). Even the future fulfillment of the Kingdom of God will be characterized by the abundance of wine (Is. 25:6-8; Amos 9:13).
Of course, not every reference to wine in the Bible is positive. Drunkenness is condemned, and God's people are warned against the danger of intoxication (Is. 28:1-7; Eph 5:18; Is. 5:11; Titus 2:3).
In his book, What Would Jesus Drink, Brad Whittington breaks down the biblical references of alcohol into three types. In all, there are 247 references to alcohol in Scripture. 40 are negative(warnings about drunkenness, potential dangers of alcohol, etc.), 145 are positive (sign of God's blessing, use in worship, etc.), and 62 are neutral(people falsely accused of being drunk, vows of abstinence, etc.) The Bible is anything but silent on the issue of wine. It, like all alcohol, must be treated carefully, seen as a blessing, and received with thanksgiving among those who drink it. It must not be abused.
Was Wine in the Bible Cut with Water?
According to F. S. Fitzsimmonds in his article, “Wine and Strong Drink,” in the New Bible Dictionary, the answer is "no". At least, not in the Old Testament. In the New Testament wine was probably cut with 2 parts water to 1 part wine. Some who oppose the use of wine as a beverage argue that the wine in Scripture was so diluted that it was difficult to become drunk. Scripture itself shows that this is not the case. It appears that the wine in the New Testament, if cut, would have the same alcoholic content as today's beer. (See also, the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible)
What Should the Christian's Attitude Be Toward Wine?
It's important for Christians to understand the whole picture. Wine is seen as the blessing of God, and as a potential means by which people bring destruction upon themselves.
“These two aspects of wine, its use and its abuse, its benefits and its curse, its acceptance in God’s sight and its abhorrence, are interwoven into the fabric of the OT so that it may gladden the heart of man (Ps. 104:15) or cause his mind to err (Is. 28:7), it can be associated with merriment (Ec. 10:19) or with anger (Is. 5:11), it can be used to uncover the shame of Noah (Gn. 9:21) or in the hands of Melchizedek to honour Abraham (Gn. 14:18).”
Christians should exercise caution with wine and strong drink, practicing moderation and self-control. And toward one another it is important that we allow for liberty without passing judgement for either drinking or abstaining. One can drink to the glory of God, while another can abstain for the glory of God.
What is Wine?
Wine is the gift of God. In it we see the love of God in providing life and joy for all people. But we also see a deeper meaning. In wine we see the love of God in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which removes our guilt, satisfies God's wrath, and saves all who believe.
Bread. Wine. Oil.
All three have a place in the sacred rituals of Jews and Christians, yet it is the intoxicating one — wine — that symbolizes celebration and, indeed, can put one in a festive mood.
That's why every Sabbath, Jews say a blessing and down a small cup of wine in the evening and the morning, and why, at seder meals in Jewish homes and synagogues during Passover, they raise their glasses in praise of God four times.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam, boreh p’ri ha-gafen. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
The Cup of Blessing
This phrase is translated two ways in modern translations:
"The cup of blessing which we bless...." (KJV, NASB, NRSV)
"The cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks...." (NIV)
In this case, majority doesn't rule. Let me explain. A common understanding of the Greek words used here, eulogia, "blessing" and eulogeō, "to praise, bless," has been as "consecration" or "to consecrate," and conveys an idea perhaps carried over from the Lutheran and Roman Catholic understanding that the priest's prayer of consecration changes the bread and wine into Christ's actual body and blood.1 With this understanding the "cup of blessing which we bless" would mean "the cup that conveys blessing2 which we consecrate...."
However, recent scholars are convinced that this misses entirely the context of the Jewish meals where blessings and thanksgivings were offered to God at the beginning and end of the meal (and, in the case of the Passover, during the meal). At the beginning of the meal, the first cup would prompt this blessing: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, who have created the fruit of the vine."3
As Marshall puts it: "The cup of blessing was a Jewish technical term for the cup of wine, for which a blessing, i.e. thanksgiving, was given to God."4 In the Passover Seder, the cup of blessing marked a common thanksgiving or praise for the food that occurred at the conclusion of the meal. The head of the house (or chief guest) would say, "Let us pronounce the blessing," followed by the simple blessing.5 Jeremias, who has researched the ancient Jewish literature thoroughly, concludes that in the days of Jesus, the blessing at the conclusion of the meal probably had the following wording:
"May You be praised, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, You who feed the whole world with goodness, grace, and mercy.
We give thanks to You, O Lord our God, that you have caused us to take possession of a good and large land.
Have mercy, O Lord our God, on Israel, Your people,
and upon Your altar and upon Your temple.
Praise be to You, O Lord, who builds Jerusalem."6The Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, a very early Christian document that dates to the end of the First Century AD, records the following thanksgiving to be used for the cup:
"We thank You, our Father, for the holy vine of David your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus your Servant; to You be the glory for ever."
And for the broken bread:
"We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom; for yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever."7
So the "cup of blessing" doesn't designate a cup that conveys blessings, but the phrase "cup of blessing" designates the cup that evokes blessing and thanksgiving towards God for all his blessings toward us, especially forgiveness of sin through the death of his Son.
To summarize, by "cup of blessing," Paul is referring to the "cup of thanksgiving (eulogia) for which we give thanks," with much the same meaning as "and when he had given thanks (eucharisteō), he broke it and said, 'This is my body...'" (1 Corinthians 11:24). Indeed, the early church referred to the Lord's Supper as both the Eucharist and the Eulogia, from these Greek words used to describe the prayers of thanksgiving offered by Jesus at the Last Supper.
Having clarified the actual meaning of the "cup of blessing," let me be quick to say that I acknowledge that the Lord's Supper conveys great blessings to those who partake. However, too often we partake of the Lord's Supper for our own blessing rather than as a service of worship and blessing towards God. We must take care not to be self-focused, but focused on Christ as we partake of the Lord's Supper. It is a feast of remembrance, of proclamation, of blessing God, and of thanksgiving towards him.
Q1. (1 Corinthians 10:16). What does the "cup of blessing" teach us about our focus at the Lord's Supper? Who is to be blessed when the "cup of blessing" is lifted heavenward?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=481We Partake of the One Loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17)
We've considered the meaning of the "cup of blessing," now let us consider the special description of the bread in verse 17.
"Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:17)
The word "bread" (KJV, NRSV, NASB) or "loaf" (NIV) is the common word artos, "a baked product produced from a cereal grain, bread," also, "loaf of bread."8
Bread Making in Ancient Times
Israelite grinding stones, handmill, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.Making bread in ancient times was hard work. Of course, at harvest the wheat (or other grain) was cut, threshed (to separate the grain from the chaff or husks), winnowed (to remove the chaff from the grain), and gathered into a granary or storage container.
Bread was made in each home daily except on the Sabbath. A woman would have taken a measure of grain and then ground it by rubbing the grains between two portable grinding stones (Matthew 24:41). Then the flour was sifted. However, by Jesus' time large community, donkey-driven millstones were in use (Matthew 18:6) and have been found in Capernaum. They may have alleviated the work of grinding in each household. After the flour was made and sifted, water and salt were added and the dough was kneaded in a kneading-trough with a bit of the previous day's dough (which contained active yeast cells). Once the dough had been worked and the yeast distributed throughout the dough, it was put aside to rise. (Of course, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover, the yeast or leaven was omitted entirely to produced unleavened bread.)
After rising, the dough was shaped for baking. We're used to fluffy bread baked in pans, but a round, thin loaf about 7 inches in diameter and perhaps 1/2" high was more typical in Jesus' day. Bread was baked in three ways:
- "Ash bread" was baked on hot stones from the fire, with ashes put over the dough to bake it. The bread was turned during baking. Jesus and his followers may have made this on campfires during their itinerant ministry.
- A pan or plate of iron or pottery over the fire could be used, with perhaps some kind of lid to hold the heat in.
- An oven was made of earth or clay in a round or cylindrical shape. The oven was heated with grass, stubble, thorns, or perhaps cow dung. After the fire had died down, the dough-cakes were stuck on the hot inside walls. The bread would not be turned, but removed from the oven when done. Bread baked in an oven was best -- fairly thin and soft.9
Of course, the bread Jesus used at the Last Supper was unleavened, but we have no record that the early church made an effort to make special unleavened bread for the Lord's Supper. Their normal leavened bread was no doubt used for the occasion.
The One Loaf as a Symbol of Unity
It was the custom in Israel for the head of the house to begin each meal by taking the loaf of bread, giving thanks, and then breaking or tearing it and giving some to each one at the table. Among the disciples, Jesus was the one who broke the bread and began the meals this way. Paul uses this custom as a symbol of unity:
"Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:17)
The verse seems almost parenthetical to the main thrust of the passage. But Paul can't leave his mention of the bread without making a special point about unity. Why?
The Church at Corinth had serious problems with unity. Indeed, much of Paul's letter deals with issues that divided them and produced jealousy and quarreling (1 Corinthians 3:3). Some of the areas that divided them included:
- Allegiance to leaders. Some claimed Paul as their mentor, others Apollos, or Cephas. Still others proclaimed that they followed Christ (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).
- Moral Issues. They didn't have the unity they needed to disfellowship a member who was sleeping with his father's wife. Perhaps the immoral climate of Corinth made them resist godly standards of morality (5:1-13). Paul has to insist on standards of sexual immorality, as well as stealing, greediness, cheating in business, and slander (6:9-20)
- Religious Syncretism (or mixing Christianity with idolatry). Some members felt it was okay to eat foods offered to idols, while others were consciousness-stricken (8:1-13). Still others attended the pagan services with their old friends and trade guild workers (10:6-33).
- Disputes between Members. Members were openly suing each other in secular courts, rather than settling their differences by bringing them to the church (6:1-8).
- Class Distinctions. At the common meals of the church community, the wealthy ate first without regard for the poor getting enough (11:17-22).
- Spiritual Gifts. Spiritual gifts were a problem, with some flaunting their ability to speak in tongues while causing chaos in the church (chapters 12 and 14). Paul had to emphasize the one Spirit who distributed the gifts to the one body (12:12-13).
- Doctrinal Disputes. Some believe in the resurrection of Christ and others denied it (15:12ff).
Understood in this context, our verse must be seen as an attempt by Paul to use the symbol of the one loaf of bread to illustrate another metaphor of unity -- Christian believers as a body with Christ as the head.
It's Me, O Lord
Dear friend, unity must begin with you and me, if it is to spread to others. We must examine our own hearts. We've all been hurt by others -- sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. Against whom do we bear a grudge? (Mark 11:25). Who has something against you? (Matthew 5:23-24). Jesus says we must settle these things before we worship.
Q2. Read Mark 11:25 and Matthew 5:23-24. How do these relate to Paul's teaching on the One Loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17)? What must we personally do to achieve unity to prepare ourselves to partake of the Lord's Supper righteously?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=482The Scandal of Christian Divisions
Paul speaks to our churches, too. Many churches -- perhaps yours -- are rent by divisions between members. Paul's message replicates Christ's high-priestly prayer to his Father on the evening of the Last Supper, "... that they may be one as we are one" (John 17:11). Indeed, for us to have credibility as Christians so that others might be attracted to Christ, we must put aside our divisions.
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20-21)
Many pastors refuse to deal with the mean-spirited, power-hungry, anger-driven members in their churches. Perhaps pastors won't deal with them because they know congregations will not back them up by insisting upon resolution of differences according to biblical principles (Matthew 18:15-20). Church discipline in our day is nearly dead and as a result churches are often undisciplined, sinful, carnal organizations that drive people away from Christ. Brothers and sisters, this must not be! We must confront disunity, as did Paul, or we will never see Jesus' command for mutual love and prayer for unity fulfilled in our congregations.
Q3. In what ways do the divisions in Corinth sound familiar in our own congregations? Don't pick on another congregation; how about your own? How serious was the need for unity? Can bickering congregations partake of the Lord's Supper without sin?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=483But the problem in our day is not just within our congregations, but betweenour congregations. One of the scandals of Christendom is that the three Christian bodies that control holy sites in the Holy Land are constantly bickering. Of course, that is just a microcosm of the arrogance of our sectarian attitudes towards those in other Christian denominations. We have the gall to exclude Christian brothers and sisters from the Lord's Table at our churches because we doubt the purity or authenticity of their faith, due to differences in their traditions from ours.
Pope John-Paul II set us all an example when he publicly confessed the sins of his Church and sought to reach out to both Protestants and Jews. His humility and love (however imperfect you may see it) were answered with a degree of reciprocal warmth. But when he reached out to the Orthodox churches, he was rebuffed. One ancient tradition cannot forgive the sins of another ancient tradition, even after a thousand years!
Too often, my beloved brothers and sisters, we cling to our own peculiar brand of doctrinal purity rather than to love that can bridge the differences between us. I'm not suggesting that we embrace sin or neglect doctrinal accuracy. We must maintain integrity. But even more important than our cherished interpretations is love for brothers and sisters who are just as sincere and devout as we. As a Protestant pastor I don't agree with all the practices or understandings of Catholics and Orthodox believers. But I must not be so filled with pride as to think that my supposed rightness is an excuse to be unloving. If we are one in Christ, then we must act like it, not in some kind of organizational unity so much as in a demonstration of the spiritual unity of all true believers in Jesus, regardless of tradition, nationality, and denomination.
Q4. (1 Corinthians 10:17) How does Paul's teaching on the One Loaf affect our relationships and love for those of other Christian denominations and traditions? How does blanket judgmentalism towards the faith of other Christian groups sometimes seem to excuse us from Jesus' command to love one another?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=484Paul's words over the Lord's Supper to the divided Corinthians span the centuries to speak to us today:
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)
Available as e-book and paperback.First, the Lord's Supper is an occasion of blessing God. It is a time of heartfelt thanksgiving for our salvation, at the awful cost of Christ's death. Second, the Lord's Supper must be a time of unity with our brothers and sisters. When we are alienated from one another, we must seek reconciliation, since we are "one body ... one loaf." Grant it, Lord Jesus!
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