John 6:53 - Unless you eat My flesh

http://proclaimingthegospel.org/equip/articles/47-john-6-53-unless-you-eat-my-flesh ^ | Unknown | Mike Gendron

[jodyel]

"Unless You Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and Drink His Blood You Have No Life In You"

Are these words of Jesus from John 6:53 to be taken literally or figuratively? The Roman Catholic Church teaches the context of John chapter six and the above headlined verse 53 are literal. Thus Jesus is giving absolute and unconditional requirements for eternal life. In fact, this literal interpretation forms the foundation for Rome's doctrine of transubstantiation -- the miraculous changing of bread and wine into the living Christ, His body and blood, soul and divinity. Each Catholic priest is said to have the power to call Jesus down from the right hand of the Father when he elevates the wafer and whispers the words "Hoc corpus meus est." Catholics believe as they consume the lifeless wafer they are actually eating and drinking the living body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is a vital and important step in their salvation and a doctrine they must believe and accept to become a Catholic.

If priests indeed have the exclusive power to change finite bread and wine into the body and blood of the infinite Christ, and if indeed consuming His body and blood is necessary for salvation, then the whole world must become Catholic to escape the wrath of God. On the other hand, if Jesus was speaking in figurative language then this teaching becomes the most blasphemous and deceptive hoax any religion could impose on its people. There is no middle ground. Therefore the question of utmost importance is -- Was the message Jesus conveyed to the Jewish multitude to be understood as literal or figurative? Rome has never presented a good argument for defending its literal interpretation. Yet there are at least seven convincing reasons why this passage must be taken figuratively.

Counterfeit Miracle

There is no Biblical precedent where something supernatural occurred where the outward evidence indicated no miracle had taken place. (The wafer and wine look, taste and feel the same before and after the supposed miracle of transubstantion). When Jesus changed water into wine, all the elements of water changed into the actual elements of wine.

Drinking Blood Forbidden

The Law of Moses strictly forbade Jews from drinking blood (Leviticus 17:10-14) A literal interpretation would have Jesus teaching the Jews to disobey the Mosaic Law. This would have been enough cause to persecute Jesus. (See John 5:16)

Biblical Disharmony

When John 6:53 is interpreted literally it is in disharmony with the rest of the Bible. "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you," gives no hope of eternal life to any Christian who has not consumed the literal body and blood of Christ. It opposes hundreds of Scriptures that declare justification and salvation are by faith alone in Christ.

Produces Dilemma

It appears that the "eating and drinking" in verse 6:54 and the "believing" in verse 6:40 produce the same result - eternal life. If both are literal we have a dilemma. What if a person "believes" but does not "eat or drink"? Or what if a person "eats and drinks" but does not "believe?" This could happen any time a non-believer walked into a Catholic Church and received the Eucharist. Does this person have eternal life because he met one of the requirements but not the other? The only possible way to harmonize these two verses is to accept one verse as figurative and one as literal.

Figurative In Old Testament

The Jews were familiar with "eating and drinking" being used figuratively in the Old Testament to describe the appropriation of divine blessings to one's innermost being. It was God's way of providing spiritual nourishment for the soul. (See Jeremiah 15:16; Isaiah 55:1-3; and Ezekiel 2:8, 3:1)

Jesus Confirmed

Jesus informed His disciples there were times when He spoke figuratively (John 16:25) and often used that type of language to describe Himself. The Gospel of John records seven figurative declarations Jesus made of Himself -- "the bread of life" (6:48), "the light of the world" (8:12), "the door" (10:9), "the good shepherd" (10:11), "the resurrection and the life" (11:25), "the way, the truth and the life" (14:6), and "the true vine" (15:1). He also referred to His body as the temple (2:19).

Words Were Spiritual

Jesus ended this teaching by revealing "the words I have spoken to you are spirit" (6:63). As with each of the seven miracles in John's Gospel, Jesus uses the miracle to convey a spiritual truth. Here Jesus has just multiplied the loaves and fish and uses a human analogy to teach the necessity of spiritual nourishment. This is consistent with His teaching on how we are to worship God. "God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). As we worship Christ He is present spiritually, not physically. In fact, Jesus can only be bodily present at one place at one time. His omnipresence refers only to His spirit. It is impossible for Christ to be bodily present in thousands of Catholic Churches around the world.

When Jesus is received spiritually, one time in the heart, there is no need to receive him physically,

[terycarl]

Well, even if you really don't know, history tells us. It's called the *Inquisition

not a history buff, are you??? The inquisition was an absolutely normal human response to what people, at the time, saw as an attact on the truths of Christianity. A group of Christians, Catholics, who, up until then were the only Christians on earth saw a threat to their Christian beliefs and reacted accordingly. To protect the christian religion, they attacked the interlopers....kind of like the crusaders attacking the enemy at that time, the muslims.

[terycarl]

Luther had no choice about leaving the Catholic church. They ex-communicated him.

only after he left.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Catholics, who, up until then were the only Christians on earth...” <<

.
Delusion like that is worthy of a life estate in a mental hospital!

Catholicism has been from its inception, Satan’s answer to Yeshua’s gospel.

[editor-surveyor]

Nah! - No sense, no feeling.

[Salvation]

Why do you say that?

Have you ever attended a Catholic Mass to see for yourself?

Or are you believing a minister who hates the Catholic Church?

Or are you reading pamplets and repeating their lies?

BTW, your post is quite rude and very false in my opinion.

[terycarl]

The gospels and the letters had gone around the world 200 years before the Roman Catholic church was founded by Constantine, the brutal pagan destroyer.

wherever the gospels and letters went for the first 200 years, they were carried by the Catholics...Constantine legalized the church in his jurisdiction, he had NOTHING to do with the founding of Catholicism.......(if Catholics didn't spread the word for the first 200 years, who did??)

[editor-surveyor]

Take the antidote, please!

[terycarl]

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, Galatians 4:4 Christ was born under the Law of Moses to fulfill the Law of Moses.

WOW, thanks for the warning....Now I'll be circumcised and zip down to the synagogue!

[editor-surveyor]

>> “if Catholics didn’t spread the word for the first 200 years, who did?” <<

.
The followers of Yeshua’s Way. Keepers of his commandments, observers of his sabbath, and of his prophetic feasts.

A large number of them were slaughtered by Constantine’s troops simply for obeying their savior’s commandments.

[terycarl]

Is there no evil which a pope can commit that won't be condemned by Catholics? It's no wonder your church is such a mess. Nobody in it is willing to take a stand against the sin within

where in the world did you get the idea that evil doings by people in the church, even popes, is not recognized??? I merely stated the truth....no Pope has ever made an error in matters of faith and morals as taught by the church. If a pope were to commit an immoral act, he would not be proclaiming is as Catholic doctrine....just his own personal sin....see the difference,,,,sheese

[terycarl]

So, no, He could not have told them to drink blood and no, He could not have changed the Law.

so all men had to be circumcised until after the Crucifixion....I didn't know that....and the no pork thing, I thought that they did away with that also....

[terycarl]

I don’t need a church, a pope, or anyone to explain to me the main and essential elements of biblical Christianity

obviously you do....see the dangers of self interpretation??

[terycarl]

>> “if Catholics didn’t spread the word for the first 200 years, who did?” << . The followers of Yeshua’s Way. Keepers of his commandments, observers of his sabbath, and of his prophetic feasts. A large number of them were slaughtered by Constantine’s troops simply for obeying their savior’s commandments

oh good grief....hopr they weren't Lutherans or Methodists or Baptists....

[terycarl]

The followers of Yeshua’s Way. Keepers of his commandments, observers of his sabbath, and of his prophetic feasts.

those would be the Catholics...the only Christians around!!

why do you keep calling Jesus Yeshua???

[WVKayaker]

BTW, your post is quite rude and very false in my opinion.

I don't need to go to a Catholic mass, nor listen to someone, or read a pamphlet to know that the lies come from Rome. The Roman Catholic organization does not speak for God no matter how much you want it to seem that way. I know that we always hear about how important it is to follow your masters and the Roman conclave, but if we have the Holy Spirit operational in our life, ceremonies in elegant surroundings mean nothing. Absolutely nothing!

The presumption of the Roman Catholics on these threads is anathema to a proper understanding of the Scriptures. The complaints we commonly hear about “sola Scripture” are irrelevant to those of us who have been filled with the Spirit and are following after God. We don't need some fancifully dressed men telling us that we must belong to the organization in order to be saved. It is ridiculous to think that so many people can be fooled, but every time I see posts like yours, I think of PT Barnum.

My post with that graphic were directed concerning a statement by another Christian. His statement was his opinion concerning your group. I am in full agreement, and posted that pic because I know that truth hurts. The truth is that God is in heaven, and heaven isn't centered in Rome. The truth is that your man made religion is only that, a religion. It depends on your remaining true to the organization. If you are not willing to defend on them and listen to them, they will threaten you with damnation. God sent Jesus Christ so that we may live through faith in him. Not from some men in some building on Earth.

So, go ahead and play with your rosaries, and your repetitious prayers. But know that God has already spoken. He declares that what you do and that your organization does in their worship of idols and dead saints, the prayers to the dead, and all of the ceremony is worthless. There is only one way to heaven. God is a Spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Sorry, you are not a winner this time. But, thanks for playing anyway.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

We don't need some fancifully dressed men telling us that we must belong to the organization in order to be saved.

"If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector." --Jesus

[Iscool]

now I realize why the bible warns against self interpretation...pathetic

Not spiritual eh??? When you get hungry for Jesus you go into the sanctuary and pick up some 'finger' food???

I knew you wouldn't be able to respond to the verses...No Catholic ever can, intelligently, that is...

But just for the record, I didn't interpret anything...I basically asked how the one verse is not literal but the other one is, in the Catholic mind...

[Iscool]

but are still under old testament laws when Christ gives us the direct order to eat of the flesh of the son of man and drink of his blood?????

Yes they are...But regardless, people in the NT are told not to drink blood as well...

[Iscool]

all popes, so far, have had normal human frailties...however, isn't it amazing that in spite of their weaknesses, not one of them has ever erred in matters of faith and morals....just as Christ promised!!!

Huh??? You had openly queer popes...Murdering popes...Insane popes...But yet they didn't err in matters of faith and morals??? Perhaps you should quit repeating what they tell you and start using your own brain...

[cva66snipe]

you mention several old testament prohibitions against drinking blood....O.K., but are still under old testament laws when Christ gives us the direct order to eat of the flesh of the son of man and drink of his blood?????

And what did He in fact hand them to eat? His body and His Blood or bread and wine and using it symbolically?

the Catholic church, like it or not, is the only source that you have for the new testament books. The old testament would have undoubtedly have been brought up to date and preserved by the Jews, but the Catholic church did that for you also....Be thankful...without the Catholic church you wouldn't even know what a bible was....in fact there wouldn't be a bible for you to know.

No actually The Holy Spirit IS THE SOURCE. Who taught Paul? Within a couple of days after being struck blind by Jesus Paul was preaching The Gospel. Better yet who gave The Disciples their utterance at Pentecost? Paul gives us a clue.

Romans ch 10 5For Moses wrote that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.£ 6But the way of getting right with God through faith says, “You don’t need to go to heaven” (to find Christ and bring him down to help you). 7And it says, “You don’t need to go to the place of the dead” (to bring Christ back to life again). 8Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, “The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”£
9For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.”£ 12Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them. 13For “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”£
14But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”£
16But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?”£ 17Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news—the Good News about Christ. 18But what about the Jews? Have they actually heard the message? Yes, they have: “The message of God’s creation has gone out to everyone, and its words to all the world.”£

But how could this be they had no written New Testament.... yet :>} By The Holy Spirit. Churches can write books and can brag about such I suppose. GOD writes His Word in our hearts. No Church can do that.