Thanking God for Grace
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Introduction
Ok, if you have a Bible this morning, I’d like for you to turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1.
Last week, we considered Paul’s introductory remarks in verses 1-3, and we also gave a brief overview of the whole letter.
We saw that Paul, in his introduction, is painting the target that he will continue to draw the Corinthians attention back to.
We said, that he is reminding them WHO they are in Christ, in order that they might fix WHAT they’ve become. As we said, Paul will address problems within the church such as:
dis-unity
Poor understanding of what it means to be a church
Mis-guided worship
And an over-realized eschatology
This morning, we come to Paul’s “thanksgiving” portion. It was typical to have a “praise” section in the beginning of letters....but notice, Paul’s praise is directed entirely to God, and not to the recipients of the letter.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—
6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—
7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
When things are hard, when your problems are many, it’s hard to focus upon positive things.
Take for example, a child expecting a new toy to have arrived in the mail, while they were at school. All day, the expectation would have built. I can manage through school, because I have something I’m looking forward to. Only to find out that the mail didn’t bring the toy…and now the child’s world comes crumbling down around them, as evidenced by the water works that flows from their eyes.
Whether you are a child and you’re expecting to receive a new toy to come on Thursday, and it doesn’t come....and your whole world crumbles.
What is a young child going to do at that moment? They’ll become upset. They’ll need to be consoled. Life isn’t hard…but in their mind, THAT THING which would make them happy, has just been taken.
They see nothing positive…only the negative
And when the negatives overwhelm you…it’s hard to see the positives.
Or you’re on your job and everything that could go wrong with the project is seemingly going wrong.
- Whether you’re on a job that has A LOT of negative qualities.
- Or perhaps your house has A LOT of things wrong with it.
The same is true if they receive the toy, but it doesn’t measure up to the high status it had in the brain, prior to receiving it. With excitement they open it, but soon lose interest, because it just doesn’t match the expectation.
Or everything you own breaks at the same time (washing machine; AC; car battery)
Or the car you drive, is held together by the rust that makes it have a unique aesthetic character
When the negatives seem to pile up, it’s hard to see the positives.
When the negatives are obvious…it’s hard to see the positives.
And then, when I’m frustrated over the many problems I’m seeing, and someone comes along and says, “Now, now....let’s focus on the positives here,” I confess, I do not like them at that moment.
“I don’t care that there are 15 things going right here. Do you not see the 2 things going wrong?!”
In fact, if you’re like me, the people that try to point them out…annoy me.
I don’t care that these 15 things are going well…look at these 2 that aren’t!
However, in some ways, I’m going to be that guy today.....or really, Paul is.
Because…no where is this reality of focusing too much upon the problem more true…than in the church. Paul is writing a letter to the church at Corinth. The city where this group of believers are, is a wicked port city, on an isthmus, a thin strip of land between Greece and the Pelopponesian peninsula.
They have many cultures and many religions mixing and mingling
They have the Temple of Aphrodite and much sexual sin that is taking place
And we saw last week in our overview, that Paul writes to the ekklesia, the called out, assembled people of God....in Corinth. And as he does, he addresses MANY problems within the church....as we’ve already noted.
Problems that show us that the gathered people of God in Corinth, had allowed too much of Corinth into their circle.
But as Paul begins his letter, he begins this way:
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
I give thanks to my God ALWAYS; at all times; in all circumstances.....FOR YOU
At all times, Paul gives God thanks, for the Corinthian believers
There are some commentators that believe Paul is expressing gratitude with a sense of irony and sarcasm…and I just don’t believe that’s the case.
I believe his thanksgiving is intentional…and I believe that it is presented in the manner it is, to begin the process of correcting the Corinthians’ thinking....
But…Paul offers an expression of REAL gratitude to God....not sarcastic
Thanksgiving that both thanked God, and taught the Corinthians.....but real thanksgiving
And that stands out to us, because of the contents of the remainder of the letter.
That in a letter filled with identifying and correcting very real, very clear, un-biblical, worldly problems within the church at Corinth....Paul is able to express such clear gratitude to God for His work in their midst.
And I think the central truth of this passage, teaches us a great deal as well....
....that Paul gives thanks to God, for His grace given in Christ, which has enriched the Corinthians with all things necessary, and will continue to be given until Christ’s return.....
We too are called to offer gratitude to God for the very same thing in our own life.
To sum that up more, my hope for us from this text this morning is: That we would always be thankful, for God’s trustworthy grace.
Now…Paul’s statement in verse 4, “I give thanks to my God always....” is really the main heading, underneath which, the rest of this long sentence (through verse 8) is found.
In other words, Paul expresses gratitude to God in the beginning of verse 4, and then through at least verse 8, with a concluding reflection in verse 9, Paul gives the BASIS for his gratitude....he tells us WHY he’s thankful for God’s grace
God’s unmerited favor....that is IN Christ....meaning His redeeming grace, and not His common grace (common grace being that which is given to wicked and righteous alike…rain, food, protection, etc.).
God is worthy of thanksgiving, because of what He’s done....we acknowledge this.
This is redeeming favor from God.
But here, Paul gets specific…Paul is thanking God for God’s grace.
Grace, is favor, which is unmerited by the recipient
And Paul says, the grace given to the Corinthians, is found IN CHRIST
So this is distinct from common grace....that favor of God which allows food, rain, clothing, shelter…to be given to both the wicked and the righteous
This is God’s REDEEMING grace…given to those IN CHRIST
And Paul thanks God…for this redeeming unmerited favor given to the Corinthians in Christ. But this redeeming grace of God, given to the Corinthians, is traced out by Paul in an almost chronological fashion.
And I want to use that type of chronological reflection upon grace, as the basis for an outline this morning. There are 4 points: Paul thanks God for: 1)Past grace; 2)Present grace; 3)Future grace; 4)The Faithful God of Grace
1. Past Grace
1. Past Grace
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
Notice how he phrases this in the past tense (was given)
Here, Paul speaks at least firstly, about the grace given to them, as the gospel came to them, and they believed. (In that passage we read last week)
In other words, the grace of God in Christ....that is favor that is salvific; favor that saves them
We see that clearly in verse 6
One is, God’s grace was GIVEN TO THEM....in Christ Jesus…in that they were saved, and transformed by it
6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—
The testimony…the witness....here meaning the proclamation of the gospel (about Christ)…it was confirmed
That there was evidence it had been effective
It had effectually worked faith into their hearts…they had actually believed…and the primary evidence that this happened, confirming the preaching about Christ, is their radically transformed lives by the power of the Holy Spirit
That’s the evidence of the Gospel’s effectiveness
4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
The demonstration of the Spirit and of power, is the impact it had on their lives
The fact that they went from pagan Corinthians with no desire to serve only the true God....to now having such a desire
"Have these people truly believed? Well, let’s look at the fruit.”
But Paul here, is giving a secondary evidence of the grace of God that WAS given to THEM....and I say secondary because of the way Paul divides it into two distinct things....and because it is seen as the evidence of saving grace, not something separate.
Let me show you what I mean
5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—
Paul says in verse 6, “even as,” which tells us that God’s grace given to them in Christ (v.4), that enriched them in speech and knowledge (v.5), was at the same time, and in the same manner in which the gospel was confirmed among them (v.6)
But, because it was, “even as,” it was obviously distinct from such
So…we have primary evidence of God’s grace in Christ: “trusting in Christ resulting in transformed lives”
Secondary evidence of God’s grace....or secondary evidence that they had received unmerited favor, and were in Christ:
- You were made rich…God caused you to become wealthy
5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—
You were made rich…God caused you to become wealthy
IN CHRIST
In particular ways.....in speech and knowledge
In speech: probably referring to the gifts related to speech he will deal with later in the letter (tongues, prophecy, etc.)
Knowledge: seemingly referring to their spiritual insight
And we know from verse 7, and from the letter itself, that Paul is referencing “supernatural gifts”
Speech gifts, would seem to convey all gifts related to speech (tongues, prophecy, etc)
And these gifts, are themselves, given by God’s grace
And what is most likely not coincidental, is that these are the two main areas, the Corinthians struggled with a proper view of gifts.
They prioritized speech gifts, elevating people that had the gifts of tongues for example, as if they had something special that others didn’t
Knowledge would be just that
And their knowledge…was not a knowledge coupled with wisdom so that one uses it rightly....it is a knowledge that, as Paul would say, “puffs up.”
So Paul will later in the letter say this:
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And I think that’s something we could learn from in many ways....let me give you 3 in this introduction:
One, if we’re not careful, we can love the idea of a healthy church, more than the people of the church, and the God of the church
This causes us to focus more on the problems that still need work.....than the things God has already done
Two, if we’re not careful, we can feel we’ve arrived at a completed state, that we are still far away from
Apply
But don’t see the problems so much, that we miss the thanksgiving
Their issue was not in the gifts God gave them....God’s gifts are perfect, and they are given perfectly
Their issue was in their heart attitude that caused the abuse of those gifts
And their pride is even beginning to be attacked in this thanksgiving…for they have nothing to brag about when it comes to their giftedness
It’s....a....GIFT....how are you going to brag about a gift?
It’s from the same word as “grace”
It’s a grace-gift....God has give “graces,” if you will…in the form of these abilities to do particular tasks in Corinth, that would build up the Christians in Corinth....how are you going to brag about what gift you received Corinth?
But here…Paul is focused not on the problem....Paul is focused upon the graciousness of God’s gift
Apply
So, let me ask you....
How often do you thank God for the Gospel being preached to you when you were enslaved to sin?
How often do you thank God for the gift of faith He gave to you to trust in the Gospel message?
How often do you thank God for the new heart He created, causing you to desire Him and to desire to turn from sinfulness?
How often do you thank God for the abilities He has given you to be used in the service of the church, the gathered people of God?
MAY WE THANK GOD FOR PAST GRACE!!!!
2. Present Grace
2. Present Grace
7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Notice the shift to the present tense by the Apostle
“you are not....”
Presently…there isn’t a gracious gift, that you need, that you are lacking....as you (notice what they’re doing during this time) wait (the word conveys an eager expectation; or an eager anticipation) for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ
So…Paul says, “hear me, gathered people of God in Corinth. While you are eagerly anticipating and awaiting our Lord’s revealing of Himself in His return, God’s grace has been so sufficiently given to you, that there is not one gift you need, that you lack.”
That’s an amazing statement of confidence-building truth.
Are they in a city of rampant wickedness? YES
Are they in a city of religious pluralism? YES
Are they fighting against too much of Corinth’s moral compass creeping into the church? YES
So what do they need for the church to be strengthened and built up?
Some fresh touch? Some new move? Some new way God will bring strength and edification? NO
Paul says, “I thank God always for what He HAS done…because that which He did, has sufficiently supplied His grace for you RIGHT NOW, as you wait for Christ’s return.”
Illustrate
And of course, this is taught elsewhere in Scripture, teaching us that this is true for ALL Christians
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Has blessed....now will, or can....but already has
10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
KJV: You are COMPLETE in Him
But isn’t there times when we need God to revive the church? Absolutely
And we should indeed pray for such. That God would revive His church so that His name will not suffer reproach.
I think it was Sinclair Ferguson who said something like this....
“When we pray for revival, we aren’t praying for God to move through extraordinary means, we’re praying for God to move extraordinarily through His common means.”
Apply
It’s easy for you and I to convince ourselves we need something extra
Individual Christian: your particular sin struggle; your family situation; your work situation....is so bad, suddenly you feel as if you can’t make it through
Congregation: the society is so bad; no one is interested in so much Bible and praying in church services....
The problems we need to “solve,” become so much the focus…that we forget about His present tense, sufficient grace.
The Corinthians lacked no gift....we lack nothing we need either
For just like Paul, we should learn:
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Now you may be here and you’re saying, “I get all that....but my anxiety is not over what He has done, or what He is doing....I worry about the future, and whether I should trust now, that my future is secure.”
We see it as something infused into us, that we must cooperate with, in order to be in Christ.
So when the grace tank gets low....we run back for more.
That’s fine for today, but what about tomorrow?
Well…Paul not only thanks God for past grace, and present grace
Paul thanks God right now....for the grace He’s going to give, into the future.
3. Future Grace
3. Future Grace
Paul is thanking God for the grace of God given to the Corinthians in the PAST....which enriched them with His gracious gifts... which were sufficient in the PRESENT....and he continues this sentence of thanksgiving in verse 8 this way:
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice, the progression, of the helping verbs in this passage.
Verse 4-6: was, were (past tense)
Verse 7: are (present tense)
Verse 8: will (future tense)
The “who” is referring to Christ from the previous verse
Paul says to the Corinthian church, “Christ will sustain....”
Establish; confirm; (same word as “confirm” in v.6)Christ’s “confirmation” that you are His, will be a confirmation to the end....to the day of our Lord Jesus Christ
A more specific SENSE of this word in this verse: to make someone or something settled securely and unconditionally
So…Paul says....Christ will settle you securely.....and the “you” is plural
“Hey, gathered people of God in Corinth, Christ will establish y’all....” till when?
The end: telos; end; result
Notice the description of them in the end, because of the confirming, sustaining work of Christ....guiltless; blameless; irreproachable
Sense: not subject to, deserving, or worthy of a charge of wrongdoing
In the day of our Lord Jesus Christ…which is the same as His revealing; His coming; His return to take His ekklesia home, pour out His wrath upon the earth, and establish His kingdom.
In the day of our Lord Jesus Christ…which is the same as His revealing; His coming; His return to take His ekklesia home, pour out His wrath upon the earth, and establish His kingdom.
Now…hold on for just a minute before we allow our minds to go to the fact that this is CORINTH, with all their problems, to whom he’s writing. We’ll consider that in a moment.
And just pause to consider this point to Corinth in a general sense....
This truth, of the guaranteed, successful completion, of the guiltless presentation of each of those God has called to Himself in salvation, is a truth repeated throughout the N.T.....that’s true for ALL God’s people everywhere.
Meaning
Let me just give you a few passages:
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Whoever LOOKS (presently)....WILL be raised (future)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Over, and over, and over again…we are told to trust completely in God’s keeping power into the future… to the very end.
“God’s giving is part of his faithful provision on the ground of which believers will be kept firm to the end, free from any charge, on the day of our Lord …” (v. 8). When charges may be put forward at the last judgment, Christians cannot be accused because in Christ they are unimpeachable or legally blameless. Everything has been “put right.”” ~Anthony Thiselton
Apply
If you’re not a Christian....by that I mean you aren’t a person who has Jesus as the Lord of their life, trusting in Him for salvation, and is following Jesus and actively seeking to become more and more like Him.....then I certainly don’t want to give you false hope for your future.
So let me be clear, you have no reason to trust God’s grace will keep you to the end, and present you blameless before Him on judgement day.
You have every reason to trust that His wrath will unleashed upon you…on judgement day.
Because you are like us…you’ve rebelled against God
He said don’t lust, and you’ve lusted
He said don’t steal, and you’ve stolen
He said love Him perfectly, and you haven’t
You are worthy of hell....just as all of us are
That which separates the Christian from the non-Christian....is that we HAVE (past tense), received God’s favor in Christ
That is available to you NOW....in the present. How?
Turn from your sins....trust in Jesus (stake your soul’s destiny upon the promise of God that Christ died for you and rose from the dead…and you will be saved)
And if you are a Christian....then what I hope God’s Word does for you today, is literally FILL YOUR HEART with a confident trust in His future grace that causes you to rejoice in Him
You see, because we’re often prone to fear the future
What if the country starts persecuting Christians? Will I really be able to stand?
I’m so spiritually weak right now…I genuinely trust in Jesus, and I see His grace that has sustained me thus far....but years into the future? Pastor, I just don’t know.
I’ve wasted a large portion of my spiritual life poorly studying God’s Word…surely God will judge me for that.
Brother....sister....the evidence of past grace in Christ....is the GUARANTEE of future grace in your life. Rest in this reality, He has promised to keep you, all the way to the end. And thank God NOW for the grace He will continue to provide, to the very end!
And…if you’re still struggling with this....then think about this. This is CORINTH.
I’m not saying everyone who heard the letter made it to the end…but I am saying, everyone who heard the letter, who was truly in Christ, made it to the end…even though they were a part of God’s ekklesia, that was a mess.
And that PROMISE of future grace, was given to them, while they were in the middle of that mess.
How can that be? It can be, because the guarantee of future grace is not founded upon the faithfulness of the beneficiaries of grace, but upon the faithfulness of the Gracious Benefactor.
Which brings us to our last point....Paul thanks God for past grace, present grace, future grace…and he does so, because God is.....
4. The Faithful God of Grace
4. The Faithful God of Grace
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is a verse, we could camp out in, for about a month or so.
God is faithful: essentially conveying the idea that God is trustworthy
By whom: by God....
You were called: same word again…you were summoned by God
INTO
The fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord
Fellowship is a word probably overused in the church today
It means more than a meal…or sharing conversation. The word we translate as fellowship here, is the Greek word, koinonia. It has the idea of REAL togetherness....participation…partnership.
And the church’s “togetherness,” is not in politics or hobbies....but in Christ Jesus.
Christ is the center. We are united in Christ, by the saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We aren’t trying to become united in Christ....all believers ARE united in Christ, and we’re called to live like it.
God’s giving is part of his faithful provision on the ground of which believers will be kept firm to the end, free from any charge, on the day of our Lord …” (v. 8). When charges may be put forward at the last judgment, Christians cannot be accused because in Christ they are unimpeachable or legally blameless. Everything has been “put right.”
Paul said, it’s by God, that you’ve been summoned, into togetherness in Christ Jesus.
“Paul has in mind their sharing in Christ (objective genitive), which means far more than merely being together as a fellowship of friendly faces: it signifies sharing “the status of being-in-Christ and of being shareholders in a sonship derived from the sonship of Christ” (Thiselton 2000: 104). Common-union with Christ creates common-union with other Christians and precludes common-union with idols (10:14–22).” ~David Garland
Paul has in mind their sharing in Christ (objective genitive), which means far more than merely being together as a fellowship of friendly faces: it signifies sharing “the status of being-in-Christ and of being shareholders in a sonship derived from the sonship of Christ” (Thiselton 2000: 104). Common-union with Christ creates common-union with other Christians and precludes common-union with idols (10:14–22).
Apply
In other words, we don’t have to attempt to make churches centered around things that unite us.
Clown church; biker church; cowboy church
I’m not talking about evangelistic outreaches and things....that it is what it is, and we can discuss what would be most prudential
But when a church has to intentionally target a particular demographic so that the church can be united....we’ve missed the point completely
We, individually, have a “common-union” with Christ....which creates a “common-union” with others who are in Christ.
That’s huge for the Corinthians, as we’ll see throughout the letter. And it’s huge for you and me.
But don’t miss how Paul opens this verse.... GOD IS FAITHFUL.
This is the point…God is trustworthy, and this trustworthy God, has called them into this fellowship.
That is the basis of Paul’s thanksgiving to God for His overly abundant grace poured out upon the Corinthians.
This is OT language here Paul is using
9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
In this, he shows the Corinthians, and you and I, that this is the God revealed in the OT as the Creator, as the One who created a people called Israel, as the One who faithfully guided Israel because of His covenant faithfulness through all their failures, and all their rebellions.
Apply
You see brother and sister, if you and I wait for the time when we become perfectly faithful before we allow assurance to rise in our hearts…then we’ll never be assured.
But as we pursue holiness…and as we seek to put all sin to death…and as we grow in our hatred of sin…we REST…not in how well we’re doing. We rest in our faithful God.
God is faithful....the God who called you into common-union with Christ....is faithful
Conclusion
So, in conclusion…there’s always a danger in seeing the churches problems so much, we miss the grace given already. But may we reflect upon God’s grace given to us this morning.
So in conclusion, yes…we must pray for God to grant us repentance and to change our hearts…to conform us more and more into the image of Jesus.
But may we never see our problems so much…that we fail to thank Him for His grace now.
His past grace, that found us while rebels against Him, content to live our lives in sin, and gave us new hearts that now desire to serve Him and love Him.
His present grace, that is sufficient for us, while we await His return.
His future grace, which isn’t a question mark as to whether or not it will come…but is settled and sure.
Because…God is faithful!
Paul said, “I give thanks to my God always....”
May we do the same....for His grace given to us individually, His grace given to other individuals we know of that love the Lord, and His grace given to this gathered people of God, in Covenant Community Church, in Lake Butler, Florida.
Prayer
Today, we respond to the audible Word of God, with activity given to us FROM God, as a sign of His New Covenant with us.
This sign, this meal…is only for those in Christ, who have received the first sign of baptism, as we now gather around the Lord’s table to receive the ongoing sign of Communion.
In this meal, we memorialize our Lord’s broken body and shed blood, the great price paid for our salvation.
In this meal, we examine our own hearts in response to God’s Word…even that Word we heard this morning.
In this meal, we celebrate our Lord’s victory over sin…as we proclaim to each other our common-union with Christ, and one another....as we all await our Lord’s revealing.
Let us pray once more in preparation to receive these elements in faith.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”