JoeT
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You can refer back to my post #60 of this thread showing Jesus for a fact used figurative, symbolic language.
Particularly where Jesus equated "eatheth my flesh" of John 6:54 to the "words" He spake in John 6:63.
Often this is understood as, 'spirit gives life', which can be accepted in a broad sense. However, instead focus on the distinctive quality of the individual human (i.e 'person') the essence of which are of two primary elements, the soul (the supernatural) and the body (the carnal). The soul animates or moves the body through the intellect. Whereby 'to quicken' can be seen as the strength of movement of the soul vivifies the carnal body toward Christ, the animating soul compels the person toward God's charity. The body cannot and does not move on its own, without soul the body is dead, so much meat for the market; however we find, "the body is perfected by being quickened by the soul, and the air by being enlightened by the sun. (St. Thomas, Summa). Death, therefore, is appropriately defined as that state of the body where the soul no longer resides. Likewise, life is the union of carnal body and the supernatural soul.
This is quite well known. Saint Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem in the fourth century A.D., discusses the Lord’s Prayer: Common bread is not supersubstantial, [Cf. Matthew 6:11- I explained supersubstantial (Epiousios) elsewhere], but this Holy Bread is supersubstantial [Mystagogic Lectures, 23.15] as did other Early Church Fathers. We see in Matthew 6:10 the coming of the Kingdom, expected is sacrificial meat and blood, bread and wine. The Lord’s Prayer is definitely eschatological in nature. Hence, for the Jew on the mountainside the Lord’s Prayer including the petition for a daily bread would have several meanings, including manna, or "bread of the presence (of Yahweh)" as a super-substantial bread. The Jew of the first century was told to seek first the Kingdom of God; not to be apprehensive or anxious of earthly things to sustain life here on earth [Cf. Matthew 6:25-33]. It would profit none of those sitting on the mountainside, or us in our homes an office to pray for more stuff, more food more cloths. As Christ pointed out the flesh does not profits from the manna that is Himself, rather it is the soul that is quickened to eternal life. [Cf. John 6:64]
Also John 6:56 those who eat Christ's flesh results in Christ abiding in them and they abiding in Christ. Parallel verse to John 6:56 is 1 John 3:24 where keeping Christ's commands likewise results in one abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in him just as in John 6:56.
Hence eating Christ's flesh is symbolic and equivalent to literally keeping Christ's commands (words).
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Dish - for an entire plate of food.
"That fancy fish dish you made was the best of the evening".
No one literally ate the dish itself but it was the contents of the dish that was eaten. Likewise Jesus did not tell them to literally drink the cup itself, with "cup" refering to content of the cup.
As already pointed out by other posters here, Jesus was not literally a door John 10:9 nor a literal vine John 15:5 nor were the disciples literally salt Matthew 5:13. Your argument fails for you are not consistent with figures of speeches Jesus used. You see the figures of speeches when you desire to see them and reject them when you desire to reject them simply because they do not fit your preconcieved ideas.
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No, Jesus is not literally the door, the gate, the vine, etc. However in each case the metaphor is clear. And in John 6 we hear Christ say, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven." [John 6:51]. So, is He saying He is a metaphor from Heaven? He says "This [Jesus Christ] is the bread that came down from heaven."
Are you saying that Christ did not come down from heaven, just an cross lumber without corpus Christi.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. [59] This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever." [John 6:58-59]
But, the hardest thing to explain is why so many of His own disciples turned their back on Christ in Capharnaum if it was all symbol. Metaphors don't have no reality but Christ's reality a manna from heaven, is the Real Presence.
Obviously, only in your own mind. Just as obvious to me there is a reason you can't accept the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.Matthew 26:26-29 the contents never changed, what Jesus first called 'blood' was later called 'fruit of the vine' and it was 'fruit of the vine' that was given to the disciples to drink. If the content was first blood why did He not continue to call it blood? Paul referred to it as "bread" and "cup" 1 Corinthians 11:26-27. No indication at all the disciples tho't they were literally eating Christ's flesh and blood.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 Paul calls the church "bread" so is the church literally eating its own flesh in taking communion? Did Israel literally eat the altar, 1 Corinthians 10:18? OBVIOUSLY the language is symbolic about the communion.
Yes the Apostles, disciples and all the early Church thought they were eating the Body of Christ and Drinking the Blood of Christ just as they taught those that succeeded, i.e. the Church.
JoeT
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