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,

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Revelation was completely fulfilled in 70 AD, with the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple.” <<

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The chief tenets of Satan’s cult of the blind!

The Revelation was written at least 22 years after the destruction of Jerusalem. And Yochanan was not a history teacher, he was a major prophet.

[CynicalBear]

>>Revelation was completely fulfilled in 70 AD, with the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple.<<

Ah! We have a Preterist among us! And I suppose you believe that Israel was replaced by the church as well correct?

Revelation was written around 96AD and in the first verse of the first chapter we read this.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

So it’s your contention that John was given a vision of things that must yet “come to pass” and that what he was shown was a “prophecy” were things that had already happened? Seriously?

Both internal and external evidence show Revelation to have been written near the end of the first century around 96AD. Preterists have been proven wrong over and over again.

[terycarl]

Just look at the vile disgusting conspicuous accumulation of Worldly wealth at the vatican and you can see Satan’s face glowing red

you realize, of course, that the Vatican treasures are basically in a museum for the whole world to enjoy...you can visit the Vatican easier thyan you can visit the White House...do you think that you would ever be able to see the pieta if it were sold off to a private owner, and the money given to the poor?????not a chance!!!

[editor-surveyor]

A museum of worldly nonsense built with the wealth that was to go to Yeshua’s sheep!

Disgusting.

[terycarl]

Reading your posts makes me feel like taking a shower.

great idea, the atmosphere that you live in is probably more than a simple shower can overcome....might try the SACRAMENT of penance.....might do the job!!!!

[terycarl]

INCOMPLETE??? What the HELL does THAT mean?

well, do you enjoy the seven Sacraments....do you enjoy the true Eucharist.....are you able to have your sins forgiven through Penance......(remember, whose sins you shall forgive etc)....can you enjoy the sacramental benefit of marriage or do your ministers have the benefit of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.....are you sacdramentally confirmed...is your denomination protected by Christ's promise of infallibility.....NO??? then your church is incomplete....maybe a nice church, mybe a good pastor...but incomplete

[editor-surveyor]

That is the foul thing that should make every catholic take a shower after every mass.

[smvoice]

I'll tell you what's 'incomplete', terycarl. Your church. The ROman Catholic Church, aka, Spiritual Israel. Do you know that your church, who claims to be spiritual Israel, is in complete disobedience on a covenant promise made to Israel, so I suppose, in your minds, made to you? Yes, it's true.

According to Exodus 19:5,6, God said to Israel ..."And ye shall be unto Me a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, and AN HOLY NATION. These are the words which though shalt speak unto the children of Israel.". And...

"But YE SHALL BE NAMED THE PRIESTS OF THE LORD: MEN SHALL CALL YOU THE MINISTERS OF OUR GOD..."(Isa. 61:6). Why is this so important?

If you are truly spiritual Israel, then your ENTIRE congregation of believers would be PRIESTS. Not JUST A FEW, tending to the faithful. EVERYONE in the RCC would be a PRIEST.

So, why is it that all of you are not? You are completely out of the will of God and His Covenant with Israel, if you are not following His own promise.

[terycarl]

When Jesus started to WRITE on the ground, the ACCUSERS slithered away. Why? Could they READ what Jesus was WRITING perhaps

a couple of answers...Jesus was God and of course He could do as He wished....the accusers were the higher ups in the Jewish religion and it is very possible that they could read....the common person couldn't.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “allowed” is not necessary in this context and you know it. In the first through about the 16th centuries, books were neither common nor necessary for the average person. <<

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Garbage!

Yeshua’s followers went to the synogogue every sabbath to read, or hear read the scriptures that were read in that manner for 1500 years or more.

Read Acts 15:19-21 if you are unfamiliar with this fact.

[terycarl]

You mean the FIRST one to be called SATAN by Jesus? The FIRST one who was CLEARLY in error? (2:11-14) Galatians 2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. What a way to START a church!

yes on both accounts, a sinner and one in error...amazing, isn't it how God works!!!even Paul, the troublemaker, became a major part of Christ's new religion.....the Lord works in mysterious ways!!!

[terycarl]

"Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent"

was that a quote from the Mormon church???

[editor-surveyor]

>> “....the accusers were the higher ups in the Jewish religion and it is very possible that they could read....the common person couldn’t.” <<

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More garbage!

Young Hebrews had to study and learn to read, and demonstrated this ability at their Bar Mitzvah.

If you don’t know the truth, please don’t post.

[terycarl]

So THIS group of fallible men come up with INFALLIBLE doctrine? I think that is wonderful!

that's exactly what happens...fallible men make infallible statements....Christ promised it and thus far has fulfilled that promise....AMAZING I'd say!!!!!

[terycarl]

By definition, a Christian is someone who has been made complete in Christ.

and who follows the church that He founded and does not go off on a tangent with some man made denomination ...

[editor-surveyor]

>> “even Paul, the troublemaker, became a major part of Christ’s new religion” <<

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Yeshua brought no “new religion.” He denounced all “religion” as from Satan, and showed us how he had fulfilled the only form of worship acceptible to Yehova.

Nothing new was needed because what Yehova had given was shown to be perfect. The only new thing is that gentiles had been openly and fully invited to share this bounty.

Paul explained it all in his letter to the Romans.

Your post proclaims exactly the reason that all catholics are utterly lost. There’re looking for something that simply is not there.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “and who follows the church that He founded and does not go off on a tangent with some man made denomination” <<

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Roman catholicism is the man made “religion” that attempts to replace what Yehova has given us.