Jesus’ use of the phrase “the spirit gives life” means the disciples need supernatural faith, not logic, to understand His words.
I would suggest something a little different... The "Spirit giving life" means giving understanding of what Jesus was saying... That the bread of life is not literal bread, not His literal body, or as Catholics believe, a combination of both, but rather the word of God. Man lives "by every word of God".
In the OT sanctuary, we see several items of furniture. On the left, the candlestick, representing Jesus being the "light of the world". Immediately ahead before the curtain dividing the Holy Place from the Most Holy, the Altar of incense, representing Jesus as sole Mediator/Intercessor between God and man. To the right is the Table of Showbread. Twelve loaves according to the 12 tribes, and eaten by the priest every Sabbath.
KJV John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
KJV John 15:7
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
KJV John 14:23-26
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
KJV Matthew 4:4
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The word of God is that which gives life, sanctifies, teaches truth, gives spiritual growth. It is the word of God we are to chew on, suggest, and assimilate into our lives.
Jesus prayed that we may be one, the basis of true ecumenism. It doesn't mean conglomeration, it doesn't mean Christians of other denominations have to abandon their beliefs, it doesn't mean unity with false religions or ideas, it doesn't mean a "One World Religion". You don't want to know the efforts of the CC to heal the wounds of unity, but you like to make stuff up.
If the following does not describe a global religion and the deception of the masses to a form of worship, then what?
KJV Revelation 13:1-9
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Why don't you go over the article and point out where it is wrong, and explain why it is wrong.
I have read the article previously, and found it to be reasonably accurate except in a few minor details, but can't remember what they were.
Hitler killed 13,674,790 people, but you say the pope is the anti-Christ.
No. I do not say the Pope....
so you make excuses for yourself by claiming it's a series of future a popes, which is equally stupid and absurd.
Nor do I claim a series of future popes, is the Antichrist. It is scripture that claims the institution of Catholicism as the Antichrist. Scripture illuminator. And this can be proved only from scripture. The reformers saw it. In fact it was the one thing they all agreed on. That the Papacy itself was the Antichrist... And because people like Luther and Tyndale and Wycliffe were able to translate the Bible into the common language of the people, they could read for themselves that what the reformers were teaching regarding prophecy, regarding the identity of the Antichrist and the true nature of the Papacy was true, and of all teachings of the reformers, the identification of the Papacy, the Catholic Church institution, as the Antichrist was the one teaching that gave Protestantism it's greatest impetus. Your church was saved from extinction by 2 Jesuits who taught 2 opposing thesis/ hermeneutics and along with the counter reformation after Trent, defused somewhat the swelling ranks of those pouring out of Rome. Oh, of course persecution would have helped too I guess.
But suffice to say, the Catholic institution is the
only entity that completely fulfills all the criteria required to accurately identify Antichrist. The only one. There is no other. All roads lead to Rome.