Posted on 09/17/2013 8:25:21 PM PDT by 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,
The law specifically called for the stoning of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus prevented them from following this law. Was that a sin?
Jesus allowed his followers to glean wheat from the fields on the Sabbath. This was a clear violation of the law. Was this a sin?
Jesus healed on the Sabbath, a clear violation of the law. Was this a sin?
If He engineers such circumstances in my life, then that is where I will be standing firm in Him and witnessing about Him.
Strangely, such circumstances were the subject of today's Oswald Chambers devotion:
Are you going on with Jesus? The way goes through Gethsemane, through the city gate, and on outside the camp (Hebrews 13:13). The way is lonely and goes on until there is no longer even a trace of a footprint to follow but only the voice saying, Follow Me (Matthew 4:19)
What people should do is read the Bible for themselves to see what it really says. After reading it perhaps and hundred times, and in-depth study for years, I don’t need a church, a pope, or anyone to explain to me the main and essential elements of biblical Christianity. It’s such a shame to see how Catholics have a ring in their nose and are led around by those who have no idea what they are talking about.
Speaking of bead counting, I will offer my rosary tonight for your conversion.
Thank you I have booked marked it to read later.
>> “The law specifically called for the stoning of the woman caught in adultery” <<
.
The law specifically called for the stoning of the woman AND the men caught with her. Yeshua did not prevent them from following the law, he pointed out that they themselves would also need to be stoned, because they were not without that sin.
>> “Jesus allowed his followers to glean wheat from the fields on the Sabbath. This was a clear violation of the law” <<
No, it most certainly was not. Yeshua explained why not, why did you not post that too?
You have changed his word, is that a sin?
The partaking of His Body and His Blood however, in my mind, remains spiritual in nature.
Thank you all for the wonderful scripture references. I just can not (yet, perhaps?) see where the communion wafer and wine physically becomes Christs Body and Blood.
I hesitate to read something into scripture that either is not there or has yet to be revealed to me. These are the issues that make discussion worthwhile.
Thank you all.
You might research who gets to 'cast the first stone'... then you will be able to answer yourself.
Jesus allowed his followers to glean wheat from the fields on the Sabbath. This was a clear violation of the law. Was this a sin?
Show me in the Torah where plucking a few grains is 'gleaning'. You will find it in the Talmud, not the Torah.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath, a clear violation of the law. Was this a sin?
Show me in the Torah where it is unlawful to heal on the Sabbath.
Sorry, I shall remain a follower of Yeshua in acxcordance with his word.
I cannot imagine why anyone would convert to your Godless pagan idolatrous coven.
I'm seeing these words of Jesus in a new way:
"If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector."
while Catholics are , indeed, born again, it is everyones prerogative to reject Christ's gifts, some of them do, most don't. You don't judge the character of a church by pointing out they some of her members are idiots.
sometimes you actually make intelligent statements, this isn't one of them. The Catholic Church did not change anything that makes it the true church of Christ. She did, however, chenge some minor things like removing the communion rail, saying Mass in the vernacular rether than in Latin, changes that we could see, not changes that affected our belief system, it was already perfect.
>> “If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.” <<
.
You have changed Yehova’s word.
I hope you understand the penalty for doing that.
I disagree He will send them back in to stay. To minister and to teach momentarily, but not for good. And the synagogues in Jesus’ day were a whole lot different than the Catholic churches of today. I cannot imagine them letting in Paul or any of the other Apostles to teach a Gospel contrary to Catholic teaching.
Here we are, believers born again and filled with the Spirit, just as the believers were then and see how they treat us when we come telling the truth in His name. They cannot bear it and gnash their teeth and practically foam at the mouth to be told what we know in our hearts and have been given witness to by the Spirit.
This sums it up and this is what they cannot bear:
The way is lonely and goes on until there is no longer even a trace of a footprint to follow but only the voice saying, Follow Me (Matthew 4:19).
Very few are willing to do what it takes to follow Jesus. They just cannot do it...safer to stay inside “the church” or their religion than it is to come out and be sent who knows where by the Spirit. If they only knew how thrilling it is to live this way. But it is not for the faint of heart.
I really love the testimony of this lady, a former nun, who left and was born again. She is precisely the type of believer I would like to know. Full of the Spirit of the Lord, but with humor and joie de vivre!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOR3JuQuvqo
God wants people who are not afraid to stand up and proclaim His name and speak truth no matter what!
God bless you,
jodyel
This one is yours again, guys.
Done with her/him/it.
I didn't indicate that bringing the bible through early history got anyone saved, I just indicated that it happened.....you have your copy of the bible, or what you didn't remove from it, thanks to the Catholic Church....she brought you the whole thing, in its entirety....no readers digest version.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. - John 10:1-5
Agreed.
Thanks for posting.
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