the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life" (vv.^^"^). By this conversation, the idea of a sacred meal is carried further than it had been in the miracle itself. An act of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ is anticipated as the way in which His disciples will participate in the life which is in Him.
To dissociate this teaching from the Eucharist is to take away the key to its meaning which is sup- plied by the comparison of the phraseology used in it with that employed by our Lord at the In- stitution. This fact 'may be illustrated by the \iew of Arthur XX' right (Si/nojjsis of the Gospels in Greek-, p. 140, XT Problems, pp. 134-146) that the Eucharist had been observed by our Lord fiom the first as 'a covenant of service' or 'union,' since the language of Jn 6 would not have been intelligible unless the Eucharist had been already in common use. XX'right's view must be rejected as (a) lacking positive support; (b) not really afl'ording a parallel to the existence of a rite of baptism (3- 4'- -) before the institution of Chris- tian Baptism (Mt 2i<^) ; (c) being contrary to the tenor of Jn 6, Avhich implies that, to the disciples as well as to the multitude, the teaching had the element of difficulty which shows that the Euchar- ist was not yet instituted ; and (d) as contrary to the i>arallels'by which the discourse about Baptism in Jn 3 is prior to the institution in ^It 28^", and the teaching about forgiveness in Mk 2*-" ( = Mt 9*-^ Lk 5^-=^) is prior to Jn 20-'-^ ; but its plausi- bility at first sight is a significant indication of the truth that the discourse in Jn 6 was destined to find its explanation in the Institution of the Eucharist. Thus the teaching may be taken as anticipatory of the Eucharist. As such it suggests (a) a real spiritual participation on the part of the communicant in the human nature of Christ bj' the ix)wer of the Holy Ghost, and a consequent union ^^^th His Di%-ine Person ; (,3) connexion \\"itli His death, indicated in the words ' the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world,' and with His resurrection, indicated bj- the references to 'the bread of life' and 'the li^-ing bread.' Consequently the communicant feeds on the living risen 1x)dy and blood of the Lord which have pas.sed through death.
The interpretations of the discourse which need be mentioned are the foUowing- : (1) that there is no connexion with the Holy Communion, but the feeding on Christ referred to is simply acceptance of His teaching or faith in His work, a view which ob\iously fails to allow for the distinctive character of the phraseology- ; (2) that the primary and special reference is to the Holy Communion, the interpretation which best satisfies all the conditions ; (3) that the teaching, while not excluding the Hol.v Communion, is rather to the general verity of spiritual communion with our Lord than specifically to the Holy Com- munion, a view which, though it may be expressed so as to come very near the interpretation here accepted, does not account for the peculiar phrases used in the discourse and their remarkable likeness to, and explanation by, the words used in the Institution of the Eucharist. The objection that, if the primarj' reference were to the Eucharist, Jn fr>*-5S would re- quire that mere reception of Communion, even by one who should receive unworthily, would confer the gift of life, is not weighty, since any reasonable treatment of the passage regards it as referring to those who communicate with such dispositions as may preserve them from receiving unworthily.
2. Accounts of the Institution.— (1) 1 Co ll^^-^s. The earliest historj- of the Institution wliich we possess is that heregiven by St. Paul. It records our Lords words Avith reference to the bread : ' This is my body, which is for you : this do as my memorial ' ; and with reference to the cup : ' This cup is the new covenant in my blood : this do, as oft as ye drink it, as my memorial.' The inter- pretation of these words is concerned with two .subjects : —
(a) The meaning of 'This is my body.' The word ' this ' is the subject of the sentence. X'iewed in connexion ^\"ith the introductorj' words ' took bread,' ' He brake it and said,' it cannot
LORD'S SUPPER
LORD'S SUPPER
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