How remarkable would it be for John 6 to introduce the concept you believe pertains to the Lords Table and yet fail to mention it being performed in the upper room discourse (John 13-17)!! John is the only gospel to not include the Lords Table! Sorry, it strains exegetical credibility beyond all hope to assume John 6 pertains to the Lords Table but John 13-17 doesn't mention it at all. And please, the "that's an argument from silence ... it doesn't count" is bogus. In this case the silence is thunderous.
I also noticed you skipped over verse 47, which makes my previous point again ... "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life." Present active verb form ... he HAS eternal life.
True, it falls on the background and that context is clearly in favor of the Eucharist --> the feeding of many from a small initial amount. We read this as a significance of how Christ's body can feed the multitudes of believers
How remarkable would it be for John 6 to introduce the concept you believe pertains to the Lords Table and yet fail to mention it being performed in the upper room discourse (John 13-17)!! John is the only gospel to not include the Lords Table -- irrelevant to the point. The Gospel of John was written after the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. There may be no need to describe a known blessing (and NOTE the didache, dating from AD 70, before the Gospel of John shows how this , the Eucharist was being followed) -- the ?In this case the silence is thundero is incorrect. There is no silence if a known historical fact is not repeated by the Gospel of John, which we KNOW focuses more on the deeper meaning behind the actions and deeds, hence the emphasis on the eating of His body
Verse 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. ties in to Verse 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and verse 27 food that endures to eternal life and this is emphasised in Peter's response in verse 68 to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Jesus died on the cross to save us all from sin and the eternal separation from God that sin causes
the promise of eternal life is a gift, freely offered to us by God.
Like ours, his human nature is destined for eternal life; but unlike ours, it is perfectly exempt from sin, the cause of death Rom 5:12
| 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned |
| 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. |
| 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. |
| 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. |
| 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. |
| 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers |
| "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." |