Replies

You stopped your quote, John 6:53, early and thus missed the context. John 6:63 says, "It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." Also read verse 46. So it's God's Word that gives life, not drinking wine and pretending it's blood.

You should have been here yesterday. We were discussing this very passage and I was wondering why Jesus' words being "spirit and life" means that they are not to be taken literally. Even though Jesus repeats time and again that His flesh is real food?

I was wondering why Jesus' words being "spirit and life" means that they are not to be taken literally.

Because, Dave, you can't simply disregard 2000 years of belief without a "scriptural snippet." Just a spoonful of scripture makes the dogma go down.

As Havoc might say, it sounds like you are using "carnal reason" here. Because you can not imagine that God gave His Flesh for us to eat, because you find it "straining" your "intelligence," you turn your back on the gift God gave us.

God gave us the ability through His Spirit to understand and apply sound doctrine to our lives. He expects us to think and use our intellect regarding doctrinal matters so we aren't fooled, at least too long, by something that isn't rational. That's not diminishing the fact that God's thoughts and ways are far above ours, but He has revealed His complete will to us in His Word. God's gift is through Christ's death on the cross, which demonstrates His love to us.(Ro. 5:8) This in no way rejects God's gift, it is simply not making something of His Word that just isn't there when He's speaking metaphorically.

Tell me, doesn't the idea of God lowering himself to be man straing your intelligence? Does the idea of God dying strain your intelligence?

You know the answers as well as I do. I choose, however, not believe in superstitious explanations regarding the body and blood. That's not throwing rocks, it is my candid belief.