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Matthew 26
Original Sources: First Users and First Functions Paul in ~55 at 1 Cor 11:23s: “I received from the lord what I also delivered to you, that the lord Jesus on the night when he was turned in took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body which is for you. Do this in memory of me. And in the same way the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in memory of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the lord’s death until he comes.” (Paul’s original version is best kept by later Luke, qv.) Clement in ~200 (P2,2) is first to add: “and blessed it, Take,” but with the cup. Not until Irenaeus in ~185 do we see “and he gave it to his disciples” probably meaning that it had to be given to the people by the clergy (AH 5,33,1). There is no recitation of these words again until
Justin Martyr in ~150 (FA66) probably giving the basis
for Matt / Mark’s later versions. “Do
this in memory of me. This is
my body. This is my blood.”
Function: Note that the first of these three
lines of Justin’s are retained at Lk 22:19. The other
two are kept only at Matt and Mark.
Irenaeus in ~185 (5,33,1) amends it further to what Matt preserved: “After he had given thanks while holding the cup, and had drunk of it, and given it to the disciples he said to them: Drink of it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which shall be shed for many for the release of errors.” Note that Matt has gone into past tense while Irenaeus kept the future. Function: vs. the Gnostics who want to go to a “super-celestial place,” Irenaeus has Christ say all this “to Abraham!” to assure him that the promise to him and Isaac would now come true on earth! and in the new flesh! “But I tell you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I will drink it new with you in my father’s kingdom.” Function: vs. the Gnostics, the promise of a physical restoration of all things: “to drink the issue of the vine requires flesh and not spirit.” Also at final ch.5,36,3. |
Text as known since ~350 in  and B,
unless otherwise indicated.
The oldest manuscripts for Mt 26 are Papyri64/67 from ~200, containing verses 7-8, 10, 14-15, 22-23, 31-33; Papyrus 53, from the 200s, held at Ann Arbor, Univ. of Mich., verses 29-40; and Papyrus 37 from 200s-300s also held at Ann Arbor, Univ. of Mich. with verses 19-52. 26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessing it, broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And taking a cup, when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 28 Drink of it, Everyone; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many into release of errors. 29 But I tell you, I may never drink again of this product of the vine until that day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my father. (P53, ~250) |
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