Start with the text.
World English Bible Updated · public domain. The passages below are source text, not AI quotations.
Luke 22:14-20 Read passage
14When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles.
15He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in God’s Kingdom.”
17He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves,
18for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until God’s Kingdom comes.”
19He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”
20Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 Read passage
16The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?
17Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.
1 Corinthians 11:23-29 Read passage
23For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.
24When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”
25In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.
Read this in context.
Luke narrates the supper before Jesus’ arrest. First Corinthians 10 speaks of participation and one body. In chapter 11, divisions and humiliating those with little food precede the familiar account of the bread and cup.
What we can observe.
Luke 22:19 includes remembrance. First Corinthians 10:16 describes participation in Christ’s body and blood. First Corinthians 11:21-22 describes one person hungry while another is drunk, making the community’s conduct part of the problem.
A reading to consider.
A reading focused only on private self-examination can miss Paul’s concern for the gathered body. Remember the social context alongside the words spoken over the bread and cup.
Where Christians differ.
Catholic and Orthodox traditions affirm a real sacramental presence, with different theological explanations. Lutheran and Reformed traditions also describe Christ’s presence in distinct ways. Memorial readings emphasize remembrance and proclamation. Each engages the supper narratives and 1 Corinthians 10-11; a short guide cannot collapse them into two simple camps.
Read it for yourself.
What does Paul’s concern for a hungry participant add to your understanding of approaching the table?
A question of your own?
Take what you have read into a guided study. Begin with the passages, explore their context, and keep room for your own reflection.