1 Corinthians 11:24 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And when he had given thanks The word ευχαριστησας, thus rendered, is the term used also by Luke, whence Macknight infers, that the word ευλογησας, used by Matthew and Mark, ought to be understood, not of Christ's blessing the bread, but of his blessing God for saving sinners through his death, See on Luke 22:19. He brake it Into several pieces; and Distributing it to his disciples who were present, said With great sweetness and solemnity, This is my body which is broken for you “As the clause, which is broken, cannot be taken literally, because it would imply that Christ's body was broken, or put to death on the cross, at the time he said this, contrary to truth; so the clause, this is my body, cannot be taken literally: for the two clauses making but one proposition, if the clause, this is my body, which is the subject of the proposition, be interpreted literally, the predicate, which is broken for you, must be so likewise. Consequently the proposition will import, that the bread in our Lord's hands was converted into a thing which at that time had no existence. Both the doctrine of the Papists, and that of the Lutherans, therefore, [on this head,] ought to be rejected, as implying an evident falsehood; namely, that Christ's body, at the time he spake, was broken, or put to death.” In other passages of Scripture, we frequently find expressions perfectly similar to, this is my body, as is proved in the note on Matthew 26:26, which see. The evident meaning of our Lord is, This bread is the representation of my body, which is to be broken for you. “The Papists contend, that in every age, by the priests pronouncing what they call the words of consecration, the same change is made in the bread and wine, which they affirm was made in these elements by Christ's saying, This is my body, &c. But, to gain credit to their doctrine, they ought to show from Scripture, that the power of working that miracle was promised by Christ to all his faithful servants in the ministry to the end of the world. But this they cannot do. Besides, that St. Paul did not possess any such power is evident from 1Co 11:26-28 of this chapter, where he calls the elements bread and wine after their consecration, as he had named them before.” Macknight. This do in remembrance of me In an humble, thankful, obedient remembrance of my dying love, of the extremity of my sufferings on your behalf, of the blessings I have thereby procured for you, and of the obligations to love and duty which I have by all this laid upon you.