ONE BREAD

[Doug]

10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17


Paul was admonishing the Church to flee from idolatry. Paul in addressing the Church, referred to breaking bread. The Church is that bread. Just as Jesus spoke of that bread being his body, so the church is partaker of Him. The Church is one with Christ, and is one body.

2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Ephesians 2:16

Believers in Christ, Jew and Gentile, are one in Christ by his cross. Both are reconciled to God and the seperation between Jew and Gentile and God is removed, as well as the seperation between Jew and Gentile.

 

[BreadOfLife]

Paul is referring to the Eucharist.
In the very next chapter, Paul speaks to the reality of the Eucharist and the severity of the consequences to those who take this lightly:

1 Corinthians 11:27-30
“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying.”

This directly correlates to the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6, where Jesus stated in no uncertain terms:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you EAT the flesh of the Son of Man and DRINK his blood, you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”

The usual Greek word used for human eating is “phagon”, however, this is not the word used in these passages. St. John uses the word, “trogon”, which means, to munch or to gnaw - like an animal. Jesus was again using hyperbole as he often did to drive his point across so that the crowd would understand that he was NOT speaking metaphorically. He meant what he said.
Just as the Paschal Lamb was to be eaten under the Old Covenant, it is also true for the Lamb of God under the New Covenant.

There’s no “symbolism” here regarding the Church. Jesus meant what He said and that’s why MOST of His followers left Him that day (v. 6:66). They simply couldn’t handle what he was saying to them.

Did He explain to them what he “really” meant like He ALWAYS did? NO. He said:
“Do you ALSO want to leave?” (v.6:67)