19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
His body given for us, as in sacrificed, dying on the cross.
This is your plain reading of Scripture? Is this the only possible interpretation?
Well, since he was about to DIE and shed His BLOOD
and become the SAVIOR of the world as a
SACRIFICE for all our sins, then what else could
he be talking about ? Not about changing bread
into himself.
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Poured out for us, as in bleeding and dying on the cross for our sins.
Ditto. Is this the only possible way to look at it? Is it impossible that God meant to do more here?
Ditto
It's pure symbolism, yes, we do it in memory of Him, but to then claim men in robes have the power to actually convert bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ is really reaching a bit.
Not if that is what Christ did, and if that is what He tasked the Apostles with doing.
He said "do this in MEMORY of Me", not do this and
then claim you have turned this peice of bread into
Me, so others may receive me through this coverted
bread.
Who helped you reach your interpretation and why should we be convinced that it is the one and only true interpretation?
If you actually read the New Testament, you'll see Jesus uses symbolism and parables a lot and it would not make sense for Him to do this often, except for this one occasion and then not fully explain it.
You assume that He could not have been linking the two? The words "This is my body" mean something different than "This symbolicly represents my body."
Not if that is what Christ did, and if that is what He tasked the Apostles with doing.
He said "do this in MEMORY of Me", not do this and then claim you have turned this peice of bread into Me, so others may receive me through this coverted bread.
He said do "this." That's what we do and the earliest records of the Church in history reflect that the earliest Christians understood "this" to be more than a symbol.
We do what Jesus did and what He told us to do. It's really that simple.
If you actually read the New Testament, you'll see Jesus uses symbolism and parables a lot and it would not make sense for Him to do this often, except for this one occasion and then not fully explain it
Again, it is a fallacy to assume that because Jesus spoke in parables and symbols that nothing He said was meant to be taken any other way. You don't really believe that, do you? Jesus spoke the plain truth many times.
As for your suggestion that He did not explain it, that is unfounded as well. Jesus gave the Bread of Life discourse and painfully explained that He was truly flesh to eat. People walked away from Him that day and He did not correct them, calling them back that it was a big misunderstanding, that He was talking in symbols.
The Apostles stuck with Him in faith, and at the Last Supper saw how He was to make this so. And after the Resurrection, to suggest that Jesus didn't explain anything to His followers is ridiculous.
SD
The key to understanding the phrase "do this in memory of me," is to consider the Jewish understanding of the Seder meal. Jews (like Christ was) believe that the Passover is not simply remembered at the Seder meal, but is actually made present. Similarly, the Crucifixion is made present in the Eucharist or "Lord's Supper," not simply remembered.
This is why Paul can say:
1 Corinthians 1123For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.