After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:25KJV
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1 Corinthians 11:25 (KJV)

What does 1 Corinthians 11:25 mean?

1 Corinthians 11:25 describes how Jesus, during his last meal with his disciples, took a cup of wine and told them it represented a new covenant established by his blood, instructing them to drink it in remembrance of him whenever they did so. The verse highlights the symbolic act of drinking the cup as a way for believers to remember Jesus and the new relationship with God that he made possible.

Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth, reminding them of what Jesus did and said at the Last Supper. The verse is part of Paul's instructions about the Lord's Supper, emphasizing that this practice is not just a ritual but a meaningful act of remembering Jesus' sacrifice and the new agreement between God and people.

The Greek behind 1 Corinthians 11:25

  • διαθήκη (diathēkē, G1242) — "testament" or "covenant": This word means a binding agreement or contract. Here, it refers to the "new covenant" Jesus established, which would have reminded Jewish listeners of God's promises in the Old Testament, now fulfilled in a new way.
  • ἀνάμνησις (anamnēsis, G364) — "remembrance": This word means more than just recalling a memory; it carries the sense of actively bringing something to mind and honoring it. Paul is stressing that the act of drinking the cup is meant to be a living, ongoing remembrance of Jesus.
  • αἷμα (haima, G129) — "blood": In the ancient world, blood represented life and sacrifice. By saying "my blood," Jesus was pointing to his coming death and the cost of the new covenant.

Why 1 Corinthians 11:25 matters

  • 1 Corinthians 11:25 clarifies that the Lord’s Supper is not just a tradition but a way for believers to remember and honor what Jesus did for them.
  • The verse connects the Christian practice of communion directly to Jesus’ own words and actions, grounding it in his authority and intention.
  • By calling the cup the "new covenant," Paul shows that Jesus’ death brought about a new way for people to relate to God, replacing the old system of sacrifices and laws with a relationship based on grace.

Where else these words appear

“as” Greek G3740 · used in 3 verses

  • 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
  • Revelation 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

“supped” Greek G1172 · used in 4 verses

  • Luke 17:8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
  • Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
  • Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

“remembrance” Greek G364 · used in 4 verses

  • Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
  • 1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
  • Hebrews 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

“manner” Greek G5615 · used in 17 verses

  • Matthew 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
  • Mark 14:31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
  • 1 Timothy 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;