From Bart Ehrman
Luke 22:19-20 contains the Last Supper speech. Scribes inserted atonement after Luke removed it.
Bart discusses the issues in the podcast as well as his post Why Would a Scribe Change Luke’s Account of the Last Supper? September 30, 2015. and the followup articles here and here. The passage has to do with what Jesus said and did at the Last Supper. His post provides the rational for why the text might have been added and the argument for it being deleted.
Here is the form of the text as found in most of the manuscripts. (he put verse numbers in the appropriate places)
17 And he took a cup and gave thanks, and he said: “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you that from now on I will not drink from the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes.” 19 And taking bread he gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying, “This is my body that is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 Likewise after supper (he took) the cup, saying, “This cup is the new coverant in my blood that is shed for you. 21 But see, the hand of the one who turns me over is with me at the table….”
He said the words in bold and underlined are missing from one of our oldest Greek manuscripts and from some Latin manuscripts. In those witnesses, then, the text reads as follows:
17 And he took a cup and gave thanks, and he said: “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you that from now on I will not drink from the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes.” 19 And taking bread he gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying, “This is my body. 21 But see, the hand of the one who turns me over is with me at the table….”
My Synopsis with highlighting showing the use of Paul’s words in the three Synoptics.
| 1 Cor 11:23-25 | Matt 26:26–28 | Mark 14:22–24 | Luke 22:15-20 | Didache 9:2-3 |
| 23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” | 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. | 22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. | 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. NOTE – Wine was first, then bread then the cup again. | You shall give thanks as follows: First, with respect to the cup: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of David, your child, which you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be the glory forever.” And with respect to the fragments of bread: “We give you thanks our Father, for the life and knowledge that you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be the glory forever” (Didache 9:2-3). NOTE: The Didache does not use anything from Paul. |
Note that Paul has Jesus speaking of a “new covenant”. Paul often talks about a new covenant as he received from Jesus post-resurrection. The other three synoptic gospel writers repeat it. So, they are speaking of Paul’s covenant.
The Eucharist in the Didache
You shall give thanks as follows: First, with respect to the cup: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of David, your child, which you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be the glory forever.” And with respect to the fragments of bread: “We give you thanks our Father, for the life and knowledge that you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be the glory forever” (Didache 9:2-3). [2]
From ChatGPT; John’s Eucharist and eating flesh and drinking blood
The Gospel of John does not include a direct account of Jesus instituting the Eucharist during the Last Supper, as found in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 26:26–29, Mark 14:22–25, and Luke 22:19–20). However, John 6:53–58 contains a discourse by Jesus that many interpret as a theological foundation for the Eucharist:
John 6:53–58 (NRSV):
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.’”
While John does not describe the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, this passage is often understood as Jesus’ spiritual teaching on the significance of his body and blood, which later became central to Christian Eucharistic practice.
John reports an intimate meal Jesus had with His disciples in John 13:1–30, which takes place before the Passover festival. While John does not include the institution of the Eucharist as found in the Synoptic Gospels, he uniquely focuses on Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and teaching them about humility and love.
John 13:1–4 (NRSV) – The Last Supper and Foot Washing
“Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.”
This passage highlights the Last Supper in John’s Gospel but shifts the focus to Jesus’ act of servant leadership through foot washing rather than explicitly instituting the Eucharist.
Additionally, John 13:21–30 describes Jesus revealing that one of the disciples (Judas Iscariot) will betray Him during the meal. This moment of deep intimacy and sorrow is part of John’s unique portrayal of the Last Supper.
Last Days of Jesus–A Final “Messianic” Meal
Dr. Tabor’s paper, embedded below, draws on many of the issues associated with the final week and its variations and misconceptions. The yellow hilites in his paper are by me to help my future reviews quickly note the issues that are:
- Crucifixion was on Thursday not Friday
- Did the Last Supper eat flesh and drink blood symbolically? Where could Paul have gotten that?
- His Brothers were present at the last meal.
- The disciple whom Jesus loved.
Following is a paragraph from this paper:
At every Jewish meal, bread is broken, wine is shared, and blessings are said over each— but the idea of eating human flesh and drinking blood, even symbolically, is completely alien to Judaism. The Torah specifically forbids the consuming of blood, not just for Israelites but anyone. Noah and his descendants, as representatives of all humanity, were first given the prohibition against “eating blood” (Genesis 9:4). Moses had warned, “If anyone of the house of Israel or the Gentiles who reside among them eats any blood I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut that person off from the people” (Leviticus 17:10). James, the brother of Jesus, later mentions this as one of the “necessary requirements” for non–
Jews to join the Nazarene community—they are not to eat blood (Acts 15:20). These restrictions concern the blood of animals. Consuming human flesh and blood was not forbidden, it was simply inconceivable. This general sensitivity to the very idea of “drinking blood” precludes the likelihood that Jesus would have used such symbols. [See those scriptures below.]
Admonitions against drink offerings of Blood
Psalms 16:4-5 Speaks Negatively About “offerings of blood”.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. 5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. NRSV
Deuteronomy 12:20-27, ASV “eat not the blood“
20 When Jehovah thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul desireth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul. 21 If the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to put his name there, be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which Jehovah hath given thee, as I have commanded thee; and thou mayest eat within thy gates, after all the desire of thy soul. 22 Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat thereof: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof alike. 23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh. 24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water. 25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah. 26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which Jehovah shall choose; 27 and thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of Jehovah thy God; and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of Jehovah thy God; and thou shalt eat the flesh.
Leviticus 17:10-14 -…whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that eateth any manner of blood, I will set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life. 12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. 13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who taketh in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. 14 For as to the life of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh; for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Acts 15:19-20 ; …to abstain…from blood.
19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.
Did Jesus serve a loaf of bread?
Note in the synoptic 4-column presentation above the reference to the “loaf of bread” is in bold. The ChatGPT response below addresses the greek word used that refers to a leavened bread—not unleaved as requried by Jewish law for the passover. Was it a Seder?
In the accounts of the Last Supper in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Greek word used for bread is ἄρτος (artos), which generally refers to leavened bread in Greek.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Matthew 26:26 – ἄρτον (arton) (from ἄρτος)
- Mark 14:22 – ἄρτον (arton)
- Luke 22:19 – ἄρτον (arton)
- John 13:18, 26-30 (implies bread but does not use ἄρτος explicitly for the Last Supper event)
Does ἄρτος mean leavened bread?
- In general Greek usage, ἄρτος refers to regular, leavened bread.
- However, unleavened bread (ἄζυμος, azymos) is explicitly called ἄρτος ἄζυμος (literally “unleavened bread”) when distinction is needed.
- The Passover meal required unleavened bread (ἄζυμος, as in Matthew 26:17 and Luke 22:1, 7), meaning the bread Jesus used was likely unleavened.
Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder? by Jonathan Klawans at BAS Library
Also see the pdf version of the article in DropBox/Last Supper. It is a lengthy paper with a lot of great insights. See extract below. Emphasis this web guy.
While three of the four canonical Gospels strongly suggest that the Last Supper did occur on Passover, we should not get too comfortable based on that. The three Gospels that support this view are the three synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark and Luke. As anyone who has studied these three Gospels knows, they are closely related. In fact, the name synoptic refers to the fact that these three texts can be studied most effectively when “seen together” (as implied in the Greek etymology of synoptic). Thus, in fact we don’t really have three independent sources here at all. What we have, rather, is one testimony (probably Mark), which was then copied twice (by Matthew and Luke).
Against the “single” testimony of the synoptics that the Last Supper was a Passover meal stands the lone Gospel of John, which dates the crucifixion to the “day of Preparation for the Passover” (John 19:14). According to John, Jesus died just when the Passover sacrifice was being offered and before the festival began at sundown (see the sidebar to this article). Any last meal—which John does not record—would have taken place the night before, or even earlier than that. But it certainly could not have been a Passover meal, for Jesus died before the holiday had formally begun.
So are we to follow John or the synoptics?5 There are a number of problems with the synoptic account. First, if the Last Supper had been a Seder held on the first night of Passover, then that would mean Jesus’ trial and crucifixion took place during the week-long holiday. If indeed Jewish authorities were at all involved in Jesus’ trial and death, then according to the synoptics those authorities would have engaged in activities—holding trials and carrying out executions—that were either forbidden or certainly unseemly to perform on the holiday. This is not the place to consider whether Jewish authorities were involved in Jesus’ death.6 Nor is it the place to consider whether such authorities would have been devout practitioners of Jewish law. But this is the place to point out that if ancient Jewish authorities had been involved in something that could possibly be construed as a violation of Jewish law, the Gospels—with their hatred of the Jewish authorities—would probably have made the most of it. The synoptic account stretches credulity, not just because it depicts something unlikely, but because it fails to recognize the unlikely and problematic nature of what it depicts. It is almost as if the synoptic tradition has lost all familiarity with contemporary Jewish practice. And if they have lost familiarity with that, they have probably lost familiarity with reliable historical information as well.
MLA Citation
Klawans, Jonathan. “Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?” Bible Review 17.5 (2001): 24, 26–27, 29–33, 47.
