The text above in RED from Paul's 1st Letter to the Corinthians seems a bit harsh for something that is merely a "symbol" - don't you think?
The plain fact of the matter is that the Real Presence is something that was taught and believed in from the very beginning of the Church. ALL of the Early Church Father UNANIMOUSLY believed in and taught this truth. There was not ONE single exception in the Early Church. In fact - the first time we read about people rejecting this truth is AFTER the Protestant Revolt in the 16th century. WHY is that??
Why don't we read about these Protestant objections for 1600 years??
WHY did the Romans accuse the Early Christians of "cannibalism"??
Why did men like Ignatius of Antioch, who was a student of the Apostle John write that the Eucharist was the SAME flesh and blood that died for our sins and was raised from the dead (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2-7:1 [A.D. 110]??
In the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6 - Jesus explains that we must EAT His flesh and DRINK His blood.
Interestingly enough - the Greek word used here for "eat" is NOT the usual word for human eating (Phagon). No - the word used here describes the way an animal rips apart his food (Trogon). This is hyperbole used to drive home an important point.
After most of the crowd leaves Him in John 6:66 - WHY didn't He explain to the Apostles in John 6:67 that He was just speaking "figuratively"?? Instead, He turns to them and asks "Do you ALSO want to leave?"
In Mark 4:33-34, we read:
With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Tell me - WHY didn't Jesus tell the Apostles that He was only speaking "figuratively" in John 6 if the passage above says He explained "EVERYTHING" to His inner circle??
I eagerly await your well-researched response.
Brother, and I do call you brother even though I am not Catholic, the disagreement that you and I have is based on how to read John 6th chapter. You read it as if Jesus is talking about communion. I read it as Jesus was talking about how to be saved.
The problem here is that Jesus was answering the request given by the Jews to give them this bread of life. Jesus told them how; by coming to and believing in Him, but Jesus went on to say they believe not BECAUSE their mindset was on eating an actual bread like their fathers did in eating manna.
So you have to decide if you want to not hear Him in how to receive the bread of life like the Jews didn't do when their mindset was on actually eating bread or you ask Him to help you see beyond what you have been taught by the Church what He was really saying to those that would believe in Him.
You can get lost in the sarcasm that Jesus spoke to the bread eating mindset non-believing Jews or you can ask Him to pay close attention to what He was saying in John 6th chapter on HOW to receive the bread of life in verse 35 right after the Jews had asked in in verse 34.
John 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but
my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
If you doubt the true message of His words, then read it again below how he was not talking about receiving the bread of life like their fathers did with manna.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Jesus said again and again how to receive that bread of life by believing in Him to receive eternal life, but their mindset was on eating that bread of life, not by coming to and believing in Him.
If you read verse 35 above, if Jesus was talking about communion, then we would only eat it one to so that we do not make Him look like a liar in eating and drinking communion again for that would mean we are hungering and thirsting for it again when He said we would not be doing that.
So John 6th chapter cannot be about communion because His words would be denying His promise that we would never hunger nor thirst for that again. Jesus was talking about how to receive eternal life in reference to Him being that bread of life by coming to and believing in Him.
His promise is not matching how the CC is applying His words to communion or the Mass, but because the unbelieving Jews were having a hard time of it, is because their mindset was on eating that actual bread when Jesus was referring to Himself as being that bread of life, and His words to the unbelieving Jews whose mindset was eating that bread, could not get beyond that mindset as they were still rejecting coming to & believing in Jesus Christ for eternal life when they thought He meant eating His body and drinking His blood when He resorted to sarcasm because of their unbelief.
I see it as sarcasm when they kept failing or refusing to see how to receive that bread of life like He told them to... by coming to & believing in Him.
