The mythical meaning of the “Lord’s Supper” was revealed to Paul by Christ, not by any man

by Doug Mason 7 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Doug Mason

  The following is from: Christian Beginnings, Geza Vermes pages 91, 92, 98

  Paul inherited from his predecessors a second great cult practice, the communal meal, referred to as the ‘breaking of the bread’ as well as ‘thanksgiving’ or eucharist in Greek. As in the case of baptism, Paul supplied a new meaning to the community meal and turned it into an imitation and repetition of the ‘Lord’s Supper’. …

  Paul implies that the mythical significance of this meal was revealed to him directly by Christ: ‘I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you’ (1 Cor. 11:23). He does not say that it came to him through apostolic tradition as the story of the death, burial and resurrection of the Saviour: ‘I handed over to you what I in turn had received’ (1 Cor. 15:3). If my understanding is correct, the mystical significance of the Last Supper must not be attributed to the Synoptic evangelists composing their accounts between ad 70 and 100, but to Paul writing in the early 50s. It seems that the idea entered the tradition of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew through Luke, Paul’s disciple, whose Last Supper account mirrors that of his teacher. Only Paul and Luke mention Jesus’ command relating to the repetition of the ritual. For Paul the rite comprised a twofold allegory: the participation of the believers in the redemptive acts of the death and resurrection of Christ, and their assimilation into the mystical body of Jesus and the church. … The breaking of the bread or the ‘Lord’s Supper’, as perceived through Paul’s eyes, became the cornerstone of the cultic edifice of Gentile Christianity in his day and has remained so ever since.

  None of the letters of Paul include a general code of behaviour for members of his churches. As a rule, he offered them, in the concluding part of several of his letters, a long or short list of moral rules inspired by, and reflecting, the Jewish ethics of the age….

  It is remarkable that neither the Pastoral Epistles nor the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles assign any particular role to the bishops and presbyters in the conduct of the Lord’s Supper. Their duties were exclusively didactic and pastoral. The Eucharist was a communal ceremony and the other principal rite, baptism, also could be administered by anyone.
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  Half banana

  When examining the "last supper" it is worth considering the ritual within the experience of Romans familiar with their favorite cult; that of the Great Shepherd and Saviour, Mithra.

  Paul wrote in Antioch which at the time was a centre of Mithraism and in the first century with no Christian Bible available, Paul was in a position to dictate his personal vision and write it down. Posterity and the Roman Church deciding that his words would constitute the orthodox view.

  Mithraism was a mystery cult in other words it was for initiates only, as in any such group the holy 'secrets' would have leaked out and the last supper of Mithras with its symbols for blood and body is a template for the Pauline version. This was part of the synchretising of dogma; the absorption of much of pagan belief and ritual culminating in the all embracing nature or "catholic" belief of the early church.
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  Doug Mason

  half banana,

  I touch only briefly on Paul's Hellenism on pages 76-77 of my Study, "The Babylonian Exile shaped the future" (mentioned in the above Thread: : http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Babylonian_Exile_shaped_the_future.pdf). As I write in my Study, I skip across a lake of deep, moving waters, barely touching the surface.

  I am very tempted to flesh out your idea on Paul's non-Jewish influences, so I would appreciate any scholarly references. I already have Maccoboy's book and another whose name is just outside the reach of my memory,

  Take Paul out of the NT (and those writings by his adherents) and very very little is left. And Paul had no idea he was writing Scripture - his focus lay with the imminent Coming and Kingdom of God.
  

  Doug
  
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  Connie

  Hi Doug,

  My research on the Last Supper showed the roots were with the rabbinical practice called Todah. The rabbi would gather his followers and break bread with them. I think I came across this in the Jewish Encyclopedia. It seemed to make sense to me as he gathered his closest followers for that final meal. I did not see it as a Cultic practice but merely descendent from its Jewish roots. I also thought that Mark was the first gospel written.

  Have you read "The Lost Gospel" by Simcha Jacobovici and Barrie Wilson? They have some extraordinary ideas and theories about the religious movement that antedates that of Paul's, the Church of Mary Magdalene.
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  peacefulpete

  Doug, I see your work here and it is quite delightful. It has been a few years but I've read on this topic as well. It seems our difficulty understanding Pauline Christology is further clouded by our having the later Gospel story in our minds. When we read Paul's recounting a visionary experience we unfortunately visualize the 'last supper' Sedar drama of the Gospels. It may well have been Ignatius who formally cemented the historization of the once purely spiritual experience, we may never know, but ultimately the Gospels were among the scores of later literary attempts to ground the story in tangible, less esoteric, terms. Paul was one of a number of itinerant "apostles" preaching about a Christ that had formerly shared with the initiated, mysteries hidden from the invisible archons of the world. His unique, and not always welcome, message was a "Christ Crucified" and a Christ that was now alive showing himself in vision to announce his imminent return. The particulars of this 'vision' no doubt were the result of years of participation in similar meals combined with rather radical interpretation of certain OT passages colored through acquaintance with the mystery cults of the period. And maybe a touch of madness.
  
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  truthseeker100

  CONNIE who the hell are you?
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  truthseeker100

  i LIVE NEAR AMHERSTVIEW ONTARIO COME AND GET ME IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS?"
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  truthseeker100

  All I have to say to Connie is : Fair Wind in Your ass.