We believe what Jesus said about His Body and Blood in John 6. How could you hear those powerful words, those precious promises concerning His Body and Blood, and say anything other than Amen?
We believe what Paul said in 1 Corinthians about the unworthy reception of the Sacred Body and Blood.
We interpret Scripture with Scripture.
You do too, I betcha!
Yes, which is why I consider it figurative.
The eating of blood was VERY STRICTLY forbidden by God and it one of the few commands reiterated by the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, validated by the Holy Spirit. The blood is for atonement, not to be eaten. There are absolute commands by God throughout the OT regarding that.
The Passover was a symbolic meal. During that meal, the blood was poured out, NOT eaten. Peter said he never ate anything unclean (Acts 10). Jesus could not have demanded that His disciples make themselves unclean by eating blood, causing them to sin.
Besides, once Jesus blood was shed, it was gone.
It’s not the sacrificing, the suffering and dying present tense, which cleanses for sin and obtains forgiveness, but the DEATH. The FINISHING of the sacrifice.
The only payment for sin is death, not dying, not suffering, not works, not baptism, not communion, but death.
Participating in His death doesn’t cut it either. We must be crucified in Him, having died in Him, to have new life. You cannot get new life unless the old one is passed away.