[HarleyD]

Salvation-I don't think you get the gist of what the Pope is saying. "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you" (Jn 6:53).

Daniel1212-Thus only Catholics who believe in and partake of the "Real Presence" are Christians, and saved.

This is the conundrum Catholics have put themselves into. Either only Catholics are saved or they are following false doctrine. I'm pinging Mrs. Don-O to this comment for we were just talking about this.

BTW-In looking this passage up this morning "drink his blood" refers to the cup of blessing referred to by Paul.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

I always thought the cup went back to the Passover but actually, according to the Jews, it goes back to when Abraham celebrated the weaning of Issac:

Gen 21:8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Jewish tradition says the cup of blessing was actually used in a celebration of Isaac. It set him apart from Ishmael who did not receive a celebration or a cup of blessing. Hagar was cast out in the next couple of verses of the same chapter. The cup of blessing did not save but was a sign of blessing and inclusion into the covenant.

I found it especially interesting what the Jews say about the cup of blessing. This comes from Gill's commentary:

This cup is so called in allusion to the cup of wine used at common meals, or at the passover among the Jews, which they used to take and bless God with, and give him thanks for their mercies, and was commonly called "the cup of blessing" (c).

"Three things (says R. Judah (d)) shorten a man's days and years; when they give him the book of the law to read, and he does not read, "the cup of blessing to bless with", and he does not bless, and when he accustoms himself to government.''

It interesting how smart many of these commentators were and they didn't have search engines.

[metmom]

Jesus Himself called the cup *the fruit of the vine*, recognizing that it was wine. He did not claim that He had drunk his own blood.

Matthew 26:27-29 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

Mark 14:24-25 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 22:17-19 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”