St. Paul says that they who eat this bread [the Eucharistic bread] and drink of this cup unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of Our Lord. He tells us clearly: this is what it really is. Check out all the translations you want,1 Corinthians 11:27 (Multiple Versions), the truth of it is unavoidable.
Yes of course, we proclaim Him: by eating His Body and drinking His Blood, we proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes again.
Those who do not discern the Lord's Body --- that this is really His Flesh --- eat and drink unworthily; they eat and drink condemnation on themselves. 1 Corinthians 11:29 (Multiple versions.)
It is what it is.
Not to me...There was nothing special about Jesus' flesh...Jesus became one of us...He was not born with a 'Godly' flesh...That's why Mary was involved...So Jesus could have a weak, fragile, human flesh that was susceptible to pain, suffering and decay...
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth;
QUICKENETH
ζωοποιέω
zōopoieō
dzo-op-oy-eh'-o
From the same as G2226 and G4160; to (re-) vitalize (literally or figuratively): - make alive, give life, quicken.
the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Yes, Jesus was speaking of himself...And Jesus was speaking of all in the flesh...
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
It is the Spirit that raises people to heaven...Eating flesh can not possibly do it...And you can not get the Spirit of God to live in you and you in him by eating anyone's flesh...
Joh 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
It may be literal but it is not physical...It's spiritual...And you can't turn physical into spiritual...What goes into your stomach does not transfer into your soul...It's a heart issue...A belief issue...It's a spiritual consumption of the spirit of God...
Under your apparent understanding, anyone who has ever eaten the wafer handed out by a priest is going to heaven...Ain't gonna happen...
Nope...That part you added does not belong there...
Discerning His Body is connected to accepting the reason you are attending communion in the first place...Remember in Corinthians where the people were criticized for showing up just for the free food...
We are to participate in this practice not only to remember Jesus' Body, but to connect the tearing of the bread (which incidentally no one does now days) with his limbs being ripped apart and are to drink of the cup to remember that his blood was shed (for us) thus, discerning the Lord's Body...
And if one participates in this communion just because he's hungry, or because it's the religious thing to do when it's supposed to be a commemoration of Jesus, you ultimately will at some time be in big trouble...