The Chalice and the Eucharist in Early Christianity

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Direct teaching

... If the flesh does not attain salvation, then the Lord did not redeem us with His blood, nor is the cup of the Eucharist a communion of His blood, nor the bread we break a communion of His body. Blood can only come from veins and flesh, along with everything else that makes up the substance of a person, just as the Word of God was truly made. He redeemed us by His own blood, as His apostle states, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins." Since we are His members, we are also nourished by the creation (which He Himself grants us, as He causes His sun to rise and sends rain when He wishes). He has recognized the cup (a part of creation) as His blood, from which He nourishes our blood; and the bread (also part of creation) He has established as His body, from which He nourishes our bodies.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Direct teaching

When, therefore, the mixed cup and the made bread receive the Word of God, and the Eucharist of the blood and body of Christ is formed, from which the substance of our flesh is grown and sustained, how can they claim that the flesh is incapable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life, when this flesh is nourished from the body and blood of the Lord and is a part of Him? Just as the blessed Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians, that “we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” He does not speak of some spiritual and invisible person, for a spirit does not have bones or flesh; but he is referring to the arrangement by which the Lord became an actual man, consisting of flesh, and nerves, and bones,—that flesh which is nourished by the cup that is His blood, and grows from the bread that is His body. And just as a branch from the vine planted in the ground bears fruit in its season, or as a grain of wheat falling into the earth and breaking down, rises with abundant growth by the Spirit of God, who holds all things, and then, through the wisdom of God, serves human use, and having received the Word of God, becomes the Eucharist, which is the body and

Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching

...e forever, it is clear that those who partake of His body and receive the Eucharist by the right of communion are living. So, on the other hand, we must fear and pray lest anyone who is kept from communion, and is separated from Christ’s body, should remain far from salvation, as He Himself threatens and says, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall have no life in you.” John 6:53 And therefore we ask that our bread—that is, Christ—may be given to us daily, so that we who remain and live in Christ may not depart from His sanctification and body.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness

This food is called among us [the Eucharist], and only those who believe that our teachings are true, have been washed with the washing for the remission of sins and renewal, and live as Christ instructed, are allowed to partake. We do not receive these as common bread and drink, but in the same way that Jesus Christ our Savior became flesh by the Word of God and had flesh and blood for our salvation, we have been taught that the food blessed by His word and prayer, which nourishes our blood and flesh through transformation, is the flesh and blood of Jesus who became flesh. The apostles, in the writings they composed, which are called Gospels, have passed down to us what Jesus instructed them: that He took bread, gave thanks, and said, "Do this in remembrance of Me, this is My body;" and in the same way, after taking the cup and giving thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone. The wicked devils have imitated this in the mysteries of Mithras, commanding the same actions. You either know or can learn that bread and a cup of water are used with certain incantations in the mystical rites of someone being initiated.

Didache, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles Direct teaching

...ng, or Eucharist, give thanks in this way. First, about the cup: "We thank You, our Father, for the holy vine of David Your Servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant. To You be the glory forever." And about the broken bread: "We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge that You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant. To You be the glory forever." Just as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and then was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom. For Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever. But let no one eat or drink of your Thanksgiving, or Eucharist, except those who have been baptized into the name of the Lord. For about this also the Lord has said, "Do not give what is holy to dogs." Matthew 7:6

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

Always be thankful, as faithful and honest servants. And concerning the Eucharistic thanksgiving, say this: “We thank You, our Father, for the life that You have made known to us through Jesus Your Son. Through Him You made all things, and You take care of the whole world. You sent Him to become man for our salvation. You allowed Him to suffer and to die. You raised Him up, were pleased to glorify Him, and set Him at Your right hand. Through Him You have promised us the resurrection of the dead. O Lord Almighty, everlasting God, gather Your Church together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom, just as this grain was once scattered and has now become one loaf. We also thank You, our Father, for the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed for us, and for His precious body, of which we celebrate this representation, just as He Himself appointed us, to show His death. 1 Corinthians 11:26 For through Him glory is to be given to You forever. Amen.” Let no one eat of these things unless he is initiated, but only those who have been baptized into the death of the Lord. But if anyone who is not initiated hides himself and partakes of them, he eats eternal damnation, because,

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

...is my body, which is broken for many, for the remission of sins." In the same way, He also took the cup, mixed it with wine and water, sanctified it, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink all of this, for this is my blood, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. Do this in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show my death until I come. Therefore, remembering His passion, death, resurrection from the dead, return into the heavens, and His future second appearing, in which He is to come with glory and power to judge the living and the dead, and to repay everyone according to his works, we offer to You, our King and our God, according to His constitution, this bread and this cup. We give You thanks through Him, because You have counted us worthy to stand before You and to sacrifice to You. And we beg You to look mercifully upon these gifts set before You, O God, who stand in need of none of our offerings. Accept them, to the honor of Your Christ, and send down Your Holy Spirit upon this sacrifice, the Witness of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, that He may show this bread to be the body of Your Christ, and the cup to be the blood

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

and to the cup which He gave us to drink, in remembrance of His own blood, with giving of thanks.

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

...s is how we should understand it. For when the Lord came, He showed the truth about baptism and the cup. He commanded that the faithful water, the water of eternal life, should be given to believers in baptism. But by the example of His own authority, He also taught that the cup should be mixed by joining wine and water together. For when He took the cup on the night before His passion, He blessed it and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Drink all of this; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many, for the remission of sins. I say to you, I will not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father." Matthew 26:28-29 In this passage we find that the cup which the Lord offered was mixed, and that what He called His blood was wine. From this it is clear that the blood of Christ is not offered if there is no wine in the cup, nor is the Lord's sacrifice celebrated with a proper consecration unless our offering and sacrifice correspond to His passion. But how shall we drink the new wine of the fruit of the vine with Christ in the kingdom of His Father, if in the sacrifice to God

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

Know, then, that I have been warned that, when offering the cup, the Lord’s tradition must be observed, and that we must do nothing except what the Lord first did on our behalf. This means that the cup offered in remembrance of Him should be offered mixed with wine. For when Christ says, "I am the true vine," John 15:1, the blood of Christ is certainly not water, but wine. And His blood, by which we are redeemed and made alive, cannot seem to be in the cup if there is no wine in the cup, by which the blood of Christ is shown, as it is declared by the sacrament and the testimony of all the Scriptures.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

But because the intoxication of the Lord's cup and blood is not such as is the intoxication of the world's wine, since the Holy Spirit said in the Psalm, Your inebriating cup, He added, how excellent it is, because doubtless the Lord's cup so inebriates them that drink, that it makes them sober;

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

Matthew 26:28-29 In which portion we find that the cup which the Lord offered was mixed, and that that was wine which He called His blood.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

In like manner also He took the cup, and mixed it of wine and water, and sanctified it, and delivered it to them, saying: Drink all of this;

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

And the mixture of both — of the water and of the Word — is called Eucharist, renowned and glorious grace;

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

For the blood of the grape — that is, the Word — desired to be mixed with water, as His blood is mingled with salvation.

Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians (Short Version) Direct teaching

...ke care, then, to have only one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to show the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants: so that, whatever you do, you may do it according to the will of God.

Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans (Long Version) Direct teaching

...ugh their office. Let no one do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let a proper Eucharist be considered as such when it is administered either by the bishop, or by someone he has entrusted it to. Wherever the bishop is present, let the multitude of the people also be there; just as where Christ is, there the whole heavenly host stands by, attending to Him as the Chief Captain of the Lord’s might, and the Governor of every intelligent nature. It is not lawful to baptize, offer, present sacrifice, or celebrate a love-feast without the bishop. But whatever seems good to the bishop is also well-pleasing to God, so that everything you do may be secure and valid.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

...n out. As for the deacons, after the prayer is over, let some of them attend to the oblation of the Eucharist, ministering to the Lord's body with fear. Let others watch the crowd and keep them silent. But let that deacon who is at the high priest's side say to the people, "Let no one have any quarrel against another; let no one come in hypocrisy." Then let the men give the men, and the women give the women, the Lord's kiss. But let no one do it deceitfully, as Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss. After this let the deacon pray for the whole Church, for the whole world and its several parts, and for its fruits; for the priests and the rulers, for the high priest and the king, and for the peace of the universe. After this let the high priest pray for peace upon the people and bless them, as Moses commanded the priests to bless the people, in these words: "The Lord bless you, and keep you: the Lord make His face shine upon you, and give you peace." Let the bishop pray for the people, and say: "Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance, which You have obtained with the precious blood of Your Christ, and have called a royal priesthood, and a holy nation." After this let t

Early Liturgies, Liturgy of Adaeus and Maris Supporting witness

...ay, he makes a small split in it where it has been dipped in the blood. He puts part of it into the chalice in the form of a cross. The lower part is placed toward the priest, and the upper part toward the chalice, so that the place of the split faces the chalice. He bows, and after rising, says:

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Supporting witness

... half in his right hand and the other half in his left. He dips the half in his right hand into the chalice, saying:

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Supporting witness

... half. Then he immediately begins to divide it and, before everyone, to give a single piece to each chalice, saying:

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Supporting witness

And when he has put the chalice back on the holy table, the Priest says:—

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. James Supporting witness

And this cup the precious blood of Your Christ.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

and when he gives it, say, The blood of Christ, the cup of life;

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Typology

...required to be presented on behalf of those purified from leprosy, was a symbol of the bread of the Eucharist. This celebration, our Lord Jesus Christ established in remembrance of the suffering He endured for those purified in soul from all sin. This allows us to thank God for creating the world and everything in it for the sake of humanity, for delivering us from the wickedness we were in, and for overthrowing principalities and powers through Him who suffered according to His will. Thus, God speaks through Malachi, one of the twelve prophets, as I mentioned before, about the sacrifices presented by you at that time: 'I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord; and I will not accept your sacrifices from your hands: for from the rising of the sun to its setting, My name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure offering: for My name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord: but you profane it.' So He then speaks of those Gentiles, namely us, who in every place offer sacrifices to Him, such as the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of the Eucharist, affirming that we glorify His name, while you profane it. The command of

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

And we have a symbol of gratitude to God in the bread which we call the Eucharist.

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

..., “I baptize with water, but He who comes after me is stronger than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” To this we reply that the Word of God, in His character as something to be drunk, is to one group of people water, and to another wine, which makes glad the heart of man, and to others blood, since it is said in John 6:53, “Unless you drink My blood, you have no life in you.” And in His character as food, He is understood in different ways as living bread or as flesh. So also He, the same person, is baptism of water, and baptism of the Holy Spirit and of fire, and for some, also, of blood. It is of this last baptism, as some hold, that He speaks in the words of Luke 12:50, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am distressed until it is accomplished!” And this agrees with what the disciple John says in his Epistle, in 1 John 5:8, about the Spirit and the water and the blood being one. Again, He declares Himself to be the way and the door. But clearly, He is not the door to those to whom He is the way, and He is no longer the way to those to whom He is the door. Therefore, let all who are being instructed in the first lessons of the oracles of God, and who c

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

...Gospel according to John, the Lord showed this by symbols when He said, “Eat my flesh, and drink my blood,” John 6:34. By metaphor He clearly described the drinkable nature of faith and of the promise. By these, the Church, like a human being made up of many members, is refreshed and grows. It is joined together and made firm out of both: faith, which is the body, and hope, which is the soul, just as the Lord is of flesh and blood. For in truth the blood of faith is hope, by which faith is held together like a life-giving principle. And when hope dies out, it is as if blood has flowed away, and the life of faith is destroyed. If, then, some object and say that milk means the first lessons, like first food, and that meat means those spiritual understandings that they reach by lifting themselves up to knowledge, let them understand this: when they say that meat is solid food, and the flesh and blood of Jesus, their own vain wisdom brings them to the true simplicity. For blood is found to be a primary product in man, and for this reason some have dared to call it the substance of the soul. And this blood, changed by a natural process in the mother during pregnancy, through the mutu

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

Further, the Word declares that He Himself is the bread of heaven. For He says, "Moses did not give you that bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Here the mystery of the bread should be noted, since He speaks of it as flesh, and therefore as flesh that has risen through fire, just as wheat springs up out of decay and germination. And truly, it has risen through fire for the joy of the Church, like bread that is baked. But this will be shown more clearly a little later in the chapter on the resurrection. But since He said, "And the bread that I will give is My flesh," and since flesh is moistened with blood, and blood is figuratively called wine, we are instructed to understand that, just as bread, crumbled into a mixture of wine and water, takes in the wine and leaves the watery part, so also the flesh of Christ, the bread of heaven, absorbs the blood. That is, it takes in those among men who are heavenly, nourishing them to immortality, and leaves only the desires of the flesh