What does John 6:56 mean to you?

Ken Rank said:

Sorry, I don't personally know any Christian of the many thousands I know who believe that it is literal. I don't condemn you for it... it's your belief, it is the belief of many, and perhaps I am wrong? But he hadn't even broken his body yet when he held up that matzah at that Passover dinner and so, to me, he was speaking metaphorically. Like I said, the bible says God >>IS<< a rock. But He isn't a "rock" but like a rock He is steadfast. He is also said to be a "fortress," but that doesn't mean I can drive to Ft. Knox and expect to see God. These are metaphors.

Even Paul refers to himself a drink offering... is he REALLY a drink offering? No... but the picture it presents can be aligned to his work to depict a deeper picture. The bible is full of metaphors... they have literal meanings but they themselves aren't meant to be taken literally. Otherwise, I can go out into my driveway and pick up God.

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The people you know are the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations of the reformation. There were some who saw abuses by the clergy of the Roman Church and set out to end it. By the time they finished they hadn't reformed the Church but reformed the doctrines of Christianity.

It soon became a free for all against all things "catholic". The result was that protestants who wanted to distance themselves from Rome ended up distancing themselves from Christianity.

HTacianas said:

The people you know are the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations of the reformation. There were some who saw abuses by the clergy of the Roman Church and set out to end it. By the time they finished they hadn't reformed the Church but reformed the doctrines of Christianity.

It soon became a free for all against all things "catholic". The result was that protestants who wanted to distance themselves from Rome ended up distancing themselves from Christianity.

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I study first century Christian culture... I have worked forward through all the councils... I get why you are where you are and that is between you and God, not you and I. I don't agree with you, that's all. Drinking blood is an abomination, it is included in the Acts 15 letter to non-Jews. Either we have a serious contradiction or Yeshua's words were not meant to be taken literally but rather to depict the work he did on our behalf. We now take the bread and wine and remember his sacrifice for us... but I don't drink literal blood. Be blessed.

friend of said:

Thanks. What I want to k own now is:

Is his flesh symbolic of the Word (scriptures)

Thereby reading His word we are participating in communion.

Of that makes sense

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Pay attention to who you follow! (Matthew 10:24, John 10:4-6). Maybe reflect upon why you are asking a question that seems so obvious!

ewq1938 said:

That is exactly what he was saying. It was symbolism. Only symbolism nothing else.

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That is what you say, and this puts you at odds with what the first Christians believed.

friend of said:

John 6:56

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Does Jesus mean this symbolically? As in by reading and studying His word we are eating of His flesh (he is the Word made flesh, after all) or is this passage symbolic and Jesus is talking about the sacrament of communion where we eat a wafer that represents Christs body? Is it talking about being in prayerful communion with Jesus or something more? What do you think?

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Jesus answers here:

John 6: NASB

60Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62“What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

With His words, Jesus could only mean what His Church (the pillar of truth) has taught from the very beginning: this is my body. Jesus dared to call Himself the bread of life and declared that the bread which would give life to the world is His flesh. We wouldn't suppose that Jesus here meant anything but the flesh which suffered on the cross. It's this same flesh which He instructs us to eat, and the blood of the New Covenant which would be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins is nothing less than the blood which was poured out from His side on that same cross. This He instructs us to drink, and for the exact reason that He had forbidden the drinking of blood in the Old Covenant: the life is in the blood.

The gospel writers believed we should know that Jesus is the Lamb of God. They felt it important to indicate that He was crucified during the Passover. They let us know that His legs were spared while those of the thieves were broken. This all comes together in order to tell us one thing, which Paul teaches us: that Jesus is our paschal sacrifice. And he, like the gospel writers, wanted us to know that, as our Passover, Christ has to be consumed. The Apostolic Churches have maintained this for 2,000 years, and the rejection of this teaching in favor of those proposed by men and women separated from the time of Christ by over a millenium puts one at odds with God Himself.

Communion is a way of remembering Gods sacrifice for us.

ewq1938 said:

That is exactly what he was saying. It was symbolism. Only symbolism nothing else.

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Ah, no.

Catholics, Orthodox, and most Protestants are united in disagreeing with you, although there is disagreement on how Christ is present in the Eucharist.

ewq1938 said:

Jesus was not born from Mary with a body of bread. Bread did not die for our sins on the cross. That proves symbolism was used by Christ.

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It proves nothing of the sort. That's the craziest thing I've heard in months.

The fact that Jesus born from Mary and died on the Cross in no way prevents Him from being spiritually, metaphysically, and/or objectively present in the Eucharist (as the overwhelming majority of Christians believe Him to be).

friend of said:

John 6:56

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Does Jesus mean this symbolically? As in by reading and studying His word we are eating of His flesh (he is the Word made flesh, after all) or is this passage symbolic and Jesus is talking about the sacrament of communion where we eat a wafer that represents Christs body? Is it talking about being in prayerful communion with Jesus or something more? What do you think?

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It is one of the more divisive doctrinal issues in Christianity, but whether Christs words are understood literally or symbolically, I am sure that he was referring to the sacred meal that was in front of him when he instituted the observance, not to something abstract.

John 6 may be seen differently, but not the words of institution themselves, spoken on the day before he was crucified. (Luke 22)

friend of said:

John 6:56

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Does Jesus mean this symbolically? As in by reading and studying His word we are eating of His flesh (he is the Word made flesh, after all) or is this passage symbolic and Jesus is talking about the sacrament of communion where we eat a wafer that represents Christs body? Is it talking about being in prayerful communion with Jesus or something more? What do you think?

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Communion - is a reminder (of His sacrifice) - proclamation.

Jesus is the bread of life .... through His sacrifice (his body & blood) we (believers) are saved.

John 6:51 ESV

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (the sacrifice of His body)

Ephesians 1:7

In Him we have redemption through His blood (the sacrifice of His body), the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

1 Corinthians 11:25

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

1 Corinthians 1

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

He said as a reminder (remember His sacrifice) , a proclamation - declaring/celebrating openly His death for the remission on sin (sacrifice) on the cross

Greek - proclaim

kataggelló: to proclaim
Original Word: καταγγέλλω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: kataggelló
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ang-gel'-lo)
Definition: to proclaim
Usage: I declare openly, proclaim, preach, laud, celebrate.

To think little wafers and wine/grape juice can somehow "magically/mysteriously" be transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ (if that is what is being put forth) is just totally absurd to me.

Yes, symbolic but communion is a solemn (sincere) occasion. Just as baptism is a solemn (sincere) occasion. Both of which are symbolic of our Lords great sacrifice for mankind and us acknowledging this openly and sincerely.

Some believe so, I agree to disagree.

God Bless.

Is there some reason that the Communion service cannot be a remembrance and something else as well? None of the churches that consider the sacrament to be more than a symbol deny that the service is also a remembrance.

You are what you eat, they say.
It is the same with spiritual things.
His words were certainly a metaphor. The reason he used such words that seem to command cannibalism because he wanted to shake off the riff-raff. That is, people who only have personal gain in mind. Those people would not understand what Jesus meant because they were not in tune with his nature and character. But those who knew him did not leave. As puzzled as they were, they kept listening, thinking and asking questions so as to try and figure out what he really meant.

So if we spend much time in study and prayer, we ARE in a sense eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
And as they say, you are what you eat, you certainly will become what you consume. Both physically, mentally and spiritually.

Jesus is talking about His words and the Spirit and not bread and wine.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

eleos1954 said:

To think little wafers and wine/grape juice can somehow "magically/mysteriously" be transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ (if that is what is being put forth) is just totally absurd to me.

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Well, that all depends on what you mean by "actual." For some denominations, Christ is spiritually present in the Eucharist. For others He is metaphysically present. And not everybody uses wafers.