This Is My Body and Blood Broken for You: Was It in the Original Texts?

 This Is My Body and Blood Broken for You: Was It in the Original Texts?


One of the most famous lines in all of Christianity—“This is my body, which is broken for you; this cup is the new covenant in my blood”—lies at the center of Eucharistic theology. Yet, when we look closer at the manuscript history of the New Testament, this phrase wasn’t as uniform or as original as later Christian tradition assumed.


Missing from the Earliest Manuscripts


The phrase “broken for you” (in Greek, τοῦτο ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κλώμενον) does not appear in the earliest manuscripts of the Gospels of Matthew or Mark. Even in Luke, textual critics note that verses 19b–20—where Jesus says, “This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me”—are missing from some of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, such as Codex Bezae (D) and some Old Latin texts. Many scholars believe these verses were later inserted to harmonize Luke’s account with Paul’s version in 1 Corinthians 11:24–25, which contains the fuller Eucharistic wording.


In contrast, Matthew’s Gospel (26:26–28) simply records Jesus saying:


“Take, eat; this is my body… Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”




There’s no mention of “broken for you” or “do this in remembrance of me.” The tone is covenantal, not liturgical. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ role as the Passover lamb inaugurating a new covenant, but avoids ritual language that would later define Christian communion services.


Luke’s Expansion and Harmonization


Luke 22:19–20, however, adds a distinctly Pauline tone:


“This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. And likewise the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”




Textual critics have long noticed that Luke’s longer version appears to have borrowed directly from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:24–25. This suggests the Lukan scribe or community may have sought to align Jesus’ words with the already-circulating Eucharistic tradition in the Pauline churches. The shorter version of Luke—ending at verse 19a—may represent the more original form, closer to Mark and Matthew, and free from later liturgical additions.


A Shift from Historical to Ritual Meaning


If these phrases were later additions, their purpose was theological: to transform a historical meal narrative into a ritual command. The early Jesus movement—especially under Pauline influence—moved from viewing the Last Supper as a symbolic farewell to understanding it as the institution of a sacred rite. This development mirrors the early church’s growing emphasis on the Eucharist as a central act of worship rather than a simple communal meal.


Conclusion 


The phrase “broken for you” is absent in Matthew, Mark, and the earliest Luke manuscripts.


Luke’s longer reading likely arose from harmonization with Paul’s Corinthian letter.


This shows how liturgical tradition shaped the text, not the other way around.



In short, “This is my body and blood broken for you” may not have been part of Jesus’ original words—but rather the church’s later reflection on what his death meant. Matthew kept the covenant theme, while Luke (and Paul) evolved it into a ritual of remembrance.



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