1 Corinthians 11:24,25 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And when he had given thanks, &c.— This is a remarkable instance, among a thousand, to prove the authenticity of St. Luke's Gospel. The Apostle, finding it necessary to reprove the Corinthians for their behaviour at the Lord's supper, labours to convince them of the heinousness of their conduct, by shewing how unsuitable it was to the nature and end of that solemn institution: but when he comes to explain the institution itself, though he acquired the knowledge of it by immediate revelation, yet it is very remarkable that he expresses himself in the words of the Evangelist, Luke 22:19-20 intending, it should seem, by this quotation, to make them sensible, that though they might plead the frailty of their memory, in excuse of their forgetfulness of what himself had delivered on this subject by word of mouth, theywere nevertheless extremely culpable, in not attending to the information of the Gospel that they had then in their hands; which, if duly regarded, would have effectually restrained them from such infamous proceedings. If this be allowed, and St. Paul had actually an eye to St. Luke in this passage, we have seen a pretty clear proof that his Gospel was written before this 1st Epistle to the Corinthians; that is, before the year fifty-seven, and may thence conclude, that we cannot be far distant from the truth in fixing the date of its publication to the year fifty-three. See Owen's Observations on the four Gospels, p. 47, &c. The word γαρ, for, 1 Corinthians 11:26 has the force of an illative particle; accordingly we may read it therefore. Instead of testament, some read covenant.