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"But why did you not start at verse 47???"

OK. You can start there. I just want to know how a Bible Christian would interpret John 6.

Since you don't think our Lord is speaking literally (at least not in this example)....then why would Jesus continue to repeat "...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you"?

He was aware of the crowd's thoughts and concerns because John 6:52 and John 6:67 state this. So why risk alienating his followers? Why didn't the Lord just say "I'm speaking figuratively here"?

John 6:66 continues with "After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him."

So, why would our Lord be willing to lose his followers if he were merely speaking figuratively? (I using a King James Bible for the above quotations)

He was aware of the crowd's thoughts and concerns because John 6:52 and John 6:67 state this. So why risk alienating his followers?

Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

Obviously He did not risk anything...He already knew who wouldn't follow Him...

Why didn't the Lord just say "I'm speaking figuratively here"?

Maybe He wants us to study so we can figure it out for ourselves...

You ask these questions but refuse to answer mine...So what do you do with vs 35???

"I just want to know how a Bible Christian would interpret John 6."

First, you let Scripture reveal scripture. In other words, don't do a cut and paste. How does the verse or verses in question relate to the chapter and book it's written in? How does the idea in the verse or verses in question relate to how the topic is dealt with in the rest of Scripture?

In John chapter 5, Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath, and it created quite a following. One verse of interest is

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

In the beginning of Chapter 6 Jesus does the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The crowd is so excited that they wish to make him king, but Jesus goes up into the mountains. In verse 26, Jesus says that the people were following Him because they got their stomachs filled.

Verse 27, Jesus tells them not to labor after physical food. Verse 29 Jesus repeats that the work of God is to believe on Jesus.

Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

In verse 31 the crowd is telling Jesus that Moses was followed because of the manna. In verses 32 and 33 Jesus says that the true bread will give life to the world. In 34, the crowd says give us this bread. They are thinking physical bread like manna. Then Jesus flips them out with this verse...

6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Jesus begins to clarify to them the meaning of this in the following verses...

Jhn 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Jhn 6:48 I am that bread of life.

Jhn 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

Jesus is saying that eating physical bread, like manna, will still leave you dead. Belief in the spiritual bread of Jesus and you have everlasting life. In verse 58 Jesus clarifies his statements again...

John 6:58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Notice Jesus is saying, "not as your fathers did eat manna." The everlasting bread that Jesus is, is not "eaten" in the same manner as manna. You "eat" it by believing. Jesus does some further clarification in verse 63...

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

Notice the life (eternal as in 3:16, 6:58, and many others)is in the words of Jesus, not in the physical or flesh. You get this life by believing not eating.

A major theme all through the book of John is belief in Jesus. John even ends on the topic of belief...

Jhn 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Obviously, the main point of John is not eating for salvation but believing for salvation. But how does that compare to the other verses dealing with communion?

Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1Cr 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1Cr 11:25 After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.

Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

This bread that they were eating was part of the feast of unleavened bread. Leaven represented sin. Jesus is saying that he was without sin. He wasn't saying take a bite out of me physically. The wine represented the blood, and Jesus says that now it represents his blood, the blood of a NEW covenant. Jesus didn't drain any of his physical blood into the disciples cups! Mark 14 repeats this same thing..

Mar 14:22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake [it], and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Mar 14:23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave [it] to them: and they all drank of it.

Mar 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

In short, just as the Jews of old didn't save themselves by participating in the passover feast (they were remembering God's great mercy and love), we too are not saving ourselves by having communion, simply remembering the great mercy and love poured out to us by God through Jesus.

Sincerely