wanting everyone's opinion...

[goldy]

I was curious as to what everyone thought of this article. This is from a well-known Catholic apologist.First of all, I want to welcome all the folks from our “Downloaders” database who are now receiving this newsletter. And, I want to give all of you one more chance to decline to receive this newsletter. If you would like to “Unsubcribe,” simply click on the following link and then type in your email address and you will be removed from our database: To be removed from this list, please visit http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/newsletter/unsubscribeWith the addition of our Downloaders, I believe we now have some 20,000+ folks subscribed to our Apologetics for the Masses e-newsletter…onward and upward!Second of all, I’ve had a number of you over the last couple of years ask me to write a book on apologetics. Problem is, though, I’ve just never been able to set aside the time necessary for such a project. But, over the long holiday weekend it finally hit me how I could find the time to write this book.What I plan on doing, probably starting the first of the year, is to start writing my book – chapter by chapter – in this newsletter. And, I would like you guys to be my editors. Let me know if you find misspelled words, or if you think something could be worded better, or if there is a Scripture verse that you think I should have used when covering a particular topic, and so on. I’ll look at all of the feedback and make corrections to the text as needed.Then, maybe sometime in the late Spring or early Summer, I’ll hopefully be in a position to send it off to a publisher. Or, I may just find a good printer and have it nicely bound and then start offering it through my website. I’ll decide on exactly how to publish it once I’ve gotten the thing written.The tentative title is “Apologetics for the Scripturally-Challenged,” and it will be, in essence, the written version of my audio materials. Each talk being essentially one chapter of the book. It will, however, be updated with new materials and will incorporate one or more of the 4 apologetics strategies I teach – 1) The Ignorant Catholic; 2) Being Offensive (Aw-fensive) Without Being Offensive (Uh-fensive); 3) It’s the Principle of the Thing; and 4) But That’s MY Interpretation! – into each chapter. And, with your help, maybe I can put in some end of chapter study questions or some such thing to make it useful not just as a book, but as an apologetics study guide or maybe even a homeschooling textbook or some such thing. I’m open to suggestions.So, that’s the plan. I won’t necessarily do a chapter of the book every week – I’ll still be carrying on some exchanges with non-Catholics and doing some Q&A’s and such – but hopefully I can have most of it, if not all of it, completed by the end of Spring. That’s the plan anyway.IntroductionNow, to this week’s topic. Ever been asked the question: “If you were to die tonight do you have absolute assurance that you will go to Heaven?”That’s a question that many Evangelicals use when approaching Catholics to try and start the process of pulling them out of the Catholic Church. I recently attended a seminar at Briarwood Presbyterian Church (PCA), which is one of the largest – if not the largest – Protestant churches in the Birmingham area. They were holding a series of classes over a several week period on various non-Christian belief systems. They had one on Atheism, on Islam, on Jehovah’s Witnesses, on Mormonism, and then guess which non-Christian faith tradition they covered after Mormonism? You got it! Roman Catholicism! (And please read “Roman Catholicism” with a sort of deep and sinister tone in your head.)Well, I didn’t attend the other classes, but I did go to this one. And, one of the pieces of literature they handed out was on how to approach Catholics so as to witness to them about Jesus Christ. Below is first the text of the “approach” they suggested, and then my comments follow.Challenge/Response/Strategy“A Simple Approach in Witnessing [to Roman Catholics]”1. Don’t attack Roman Catholicism!!!2. Ask them the question, “Are you a Christian?” (They will probably answer, “Yes, I’m a Catholic.”)3. Respond by saying, “Great, then do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior?” (They will probably answer, “Yes”.)4. Ask, “If you died tonight, do you know for sure that you have eternal life, that you will go to heaven and be with the Lord?” (They will probably respond that they hope so or they are trying, or how is it possible to know that.)5. If they indicate that they don’t know for sure then ask: “What is it that separates us from God?” (The answer you want is sin: Rom 3:32, 6:23.)6. Then ask, “Which sin of ours doesn’t Christ fully atone for?” (The answer should be none – He died for all our sins. 1 Pet 3:18; Heb 10:10–12; Rom 8:1; Rom 5:1.)7. State: “To truly receive Christ as your Savior, you must trust in Him alone, that He took all of our sins on the cross that we might know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:11–13).” My Response:Well, we’re good up until Question #4. The first thing I do whenever someone asks me this question is to immediately ask them: “Where is that question in the Bible?” Where does Jesus, or Paul, or Peter, or James, or anyone else ask someone, “If you died tonight do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven?” Ask them to give you book, chapter, and verse. They can’t do it, because that question is not in the Bible. In other words, these “Bible–only” Christians have made up some sort of salvation test that is nowhere found in the Bible…it is a man–made invention.Now, of course they’ll come up with some sort of reply to your question, and then get back to asking you to answer their question. So, when asked if you “know” that you would go to Heaven should you “die tonight,” go ahead and answer the question like this: ”I do not judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but that does not mean I am acquitted. It is the Lord Who judges me.” Now, if they try and point out that the Bible says that we can “know” – which they interpret to mean “have absolute assurance” – that we are saved and heading to Heaven and, therefore, any one who is “really” a Christian would have absolute assurance of their salvation, then simply repeat, “I do not judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but that does not mean I am acquitted. It is the Lord Who judges me.” If they then imply, or come right out and say, that your response is faulty, or somehow wrong, or that your response indicates that you are not saved – which they will eventually do – then simply point out that your response is almost an exact quote from Paul – 1 Cor 4:3–4. Tell them you are simply answering their non–scriptural question with a quote from Scripture itself. And, if they take that to somehow mean that you are not saved, then they are directly insinuating that Paul himself must not have been saved…because those are Paul’s words!Or, another option would be to simply say, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed, lest he fall.” Again, this is a direct quote from Paul (1 Cor 10:12), that will throw your questioner for a loop. Now, if you want to get all the way throug h the test, rather than engaging in battle at Question #4, you could simply answer #4 with something like this: “I am not the judge of such things, God is.” Which is basically what Paul is saying, but since it’s not a direct quote from Scripture they may not recognize that you have responded with a solid scriptural principle – God is our judge, we are not. So, let’s say you answer #4 with, “I am not my own judge, God is,” and they then interpret that as the poor little Catholic taking the bait and they move in to spring the trap with question #5, “What is it that separates us from God?” And you, quite rightly, answer with, “Sin.” They then think they’ve sealed the deal with Question #6, “Which sin of ours doesn’t Christ fully atone for?” What do you do? How do you respond?What I would say in response to the question: “Which sin of ours doesn’t Christ fully atone for,” is this: “The unrepented one.” Now, Christ did indeed atone for all of our sins, repented and unrepented; however, the atonement is not applied to the unrepented sins. So turn around and ask your questioner this: “Does Christ forgive YOUR unrepented sins?” Now this could present quite a problem to your questioner, because this person, based on the fact that they asked you this series of questions, undoubtedly believes not only in salvation by faith alone, but also in the dogma of once saved, always saved. In other words, they believe that once they’ve accepted Jesus, they are going to Heaven no matter what they do after that. So, because they believe in once saved, always saved, they have to believe that Christ forgives their sins whether they repent of them or not. Yet, if they answer your question with a, “Yes,” Christ does indeed forgive their unrepented sins, they are flying in the face of Scripture: 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “If,” we confess our sins. If we repent. If we don’t, we are not forgiven. If we are not forgiven, we are not saved. This can also be very clearly seen in Jesus’ words to the seven churches in Rev 2 and 3.But, if they answer in accord with Scripture and say, “No,” Christ does not forgive their unrepented sins, then how can they believe in once saved, always saved? Because once they’re saved, they could always commit a sin for which they do not repent. God does not force us to repent. Repentance is not automatic, even for a Christian. And, if they have a sin for which they h aven’t repented, which means it hasn’t been forgiven, which means they have lost their salvation since, as they pointed out earlier, sin separates us from Christ…then how can once saved always saved be true?Now, as in any of these situations, they will have undoubtedly have a response…words will come out of their mouths. But, I can guarantee you that it is not a response that will make much scriptural sense. So, no matter what they say in response to your question, examine it very carefully because it will not be consistent either with Scripture, or with one of their earlier statements. There will be a disconnect…an inconsistency…in what they say, guaranteed. You just have to pay attention and just keep coming back to your question until they have given you a logically and scripturally–consistent answer.And, if they ever get to #7, tell them that you agree with that statement 100%. As a Catholic, we believe that we must trust in Christ and in Him alone for our salvation. We believe that His death on the cross paid the full price for our sins that we may know that we have eternal life. However, you don’t necessarily agree with their interpretation of the verses from Scripture that they are alluding to. Again, they interpret the word “know” as meaning “absolute assurance,” which, in fact, it does not necessarily mean, and they wring a “once saved, always saved” dogma out of the Scriptures that they are twisting in order to try and pull you out of the Church. Yet, the dogma of once saved, always saved, flies directly in the face of Scripture. You can conclude by telling your questioner that you believe you were saved by God’s grace alone, but that now that you are saved, in order to run the race to the end, you need to cooperate with God’s grace in your l ife and produce good fruit, or you will be like the branches of the vine in John 15:1–6 that get cut off from the vine, thrown into the fire, and burned. And ask them if they believe they will remain a branch of the vine if they do not produce good fruit. See what they say…In ConclusionThe guy that presented this class at Briarwood Presbyterian is a Protestant apologist who is known nationally for his work with cults – and, yes, he believes the Catholic Church is a cult. I proposed to him at the end of his class that we have a public “dialogue” at Briarwood Presbyterian so that both sides of the issue can be fairly presented. He agreed, and I’m waiting to see if he follows up. If not, I’ll soon follow up with him.I hope all of you have a great week!How to be added to, or removed from, the listIf this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend, and you would like to be added to our distribution list, all you have to do is go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and click on the “Newsletter” page to sign up. It will take you about 10 seconds.To be removed from this list, please visit http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/newsletter/unsubscribe-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- {0} Mark as read Mark as unread Delete Junk Not junk Print View message source © 2008 Microsoft Privacy Legal Help Central Account Feedback

 

[goldy]

By the way, you will have to scroll down to the topic that the apologist is talking about. It has to do with ways that non-Catholic Christians challenge Catholicism.

 

[Christina]

Nothing personal Goldy this is a bible study site we aren't interested in your religion or anyone else's that's a personal choice.We are not a denominational site looking to convert anyone to our religion .. You are going to be questioned/debated on what parts of your religion are not written in scriptures but traditions of men ... Same as all religions that have these men's traditions not written in the word .. rather they be rapture, tongues, day of worship, what one eats ...what ever ... Your religion is no different ..If its not in the Word we should not need lessons on how to say that ..We have a rule about not posting about denominational beliefs , We have allowed you to post on your religion only out of fairness sense so many seem to wrongly think and post about your religion as being the antichrist

 

[goldy]

(Christina;65700)
Nothing personal Goldy this is a bible study site we aren't interested in your religion or anyone else's that's a personal choice.We are not a denominational site looking to convert anyone to our religion .. You are going to be questioned/debated on what parts of your religion are not written in scriptures but traditions of men ... Same as all religions that have these men's traditions not written in the word .. rather they be rapture, tongues, day of worship, what one eats ...what ever ... Your religion is no different ..If its not in the Word we should not need lessons on how to say that ..We have a rule about not posting about denominational beliefs , We have allowed you to post on your religion only out of fairness sense so many seem to wrongly think and post about your religion as being the antichrist
Fair enough Kriss. I am curious to know if you did indeed read it. Also, I followed up with you in regard to those videos you showed me on apparitions. It's on the other thread that I started in case you didn't read it.

 

[waquinas]

HI gody,Have met John and he is a nice guy and enthusiastic about his faith. Have watched several debates between him and a local/popular 7th DayAdventist preacher. They aternate between Friday/Saturday night in various Catholic and Adventist Churches in the same community.I think dialogue between Christians is always good to see. Am not sure I would call John a well known apologist and he is pretty much self trained. He certainly is not bashful about defending the faith. I doubt anyone who is not from Alabama, Catholic and perhaps a frequent watcher of EWTN has ever heard of John.However sometime I wonder what the point of all the us vs them attitude is about. It seems counter productive. When it comes down to I am right and you are wrong I think a of people tune out.Some take themselves way to seriously here however, so just state your case and try not to take the responses personally.

 

[Christina]

Thats because there is no denomination in Gods Word I see it as 2 wrongs trying to make a right will never happen just a game of one upsman ship of men .. Gods Word is for all that believe in the one God one faith one baptism

 

[goldy]

(waquinas;65727)
HI gody,Have met John and he is a nice guy and enthusiastic about his faith. Have watched several debates between him and a local/popular 7th DayAdventist preacher. They aternate between Friday/Saturday night in various Catholic and Adventist Churches in the same community.I think dialogue between Christians is always good to see. Am not sure I would call John a well known apologist and he is pretty much self trained. He certainly is not bashful about defending the faith. I doubt anyone who is not from Alabama, Catholic and perhaps a frequent watcher of EWTN has ever heard of John.However sometime I wonder what the point of all the us vs them attitude is about. It seems counter productive. When it comes down to I am right and you are wrong I think a of people tune out.Some take themselves way to seriously here however, so just state your case and try not to take the responses personally.
Yeah, I have all of John's apologetics cds. You're right, he can sometimes come off as sounding aggressive and trying to prove others wrong. All of us need to remember (myself included) that this isn't a competition. And don't worry, I don't take things on here personally. Have a good one

 

[goldy]

(Christina;65730)
Thats because there is no denomination in Gods Word I see it as 2 wrongs trying to make a right will never happen just a game of one upsman ship of men .. Gods Word is for all that believe in the one God one faith one baptism
Kriss,Let me be very clear: I believe every single thing that's in the Bible. I read it and study it each and everyday. St Jerome once said, "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of God". It's the interpretations that we disagree on

 

[Christina]

I wasnt directecting my remarks at you are anyone Goldly just stateing a personal observation on men and their religions traditions ... I'm right .. no.. I'm right ..mentallity ..Only God is right

 

[bullfighter]

why do you guys have saints(goldy;65758)
Kriss,Let me be very clear: I believe every single thing that's in the Bible. many bibles say differnet things,and can be interpited different I read it and study it each and everyday. St Jerome once said, "Ignorance of scripturei am sure god is in more places then scripture is ignorance of God". It's the interpretations that we disagree on

 

[Alpha and Omega]

(goldy;65758)
Kriss,Let me be very clear: I believe every single thing that's in the Bible. I read it and study it each and everyday. St Jerome once said, "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of God". It's the interpretations that we disagree on
So who says the Catholic churchs interpretation is correct? Other than they themselves.

 

[goldy]

(Alpha and Omega;65770)
So who says the Catholic churchs interpretation is correct? Other than they themselves.
Great question. I'm not here to try to cram my church's beliefs down your throat or anyone else's. I would answer this question with another question: Who's to say yours or anyone else's interpretation of scripture on this forum is correct? I'm only here to help clarify what the Catholic Church truly teaches and not what people THINK the Church teaches. This is a huge difference. As for me, I'll take the Catholic Church's interpretation of certain passages over anyone else's any day of the week. It's your choice as to how you want to interpret scripture.

 

[Christina]

Thats the thing its not any Church's interpretation that matters .... Ive tried to tell you this before GOD INTERPTS HIS OWN WORD if one disgards all men's interpretations .... that's is when Gods truth shines through. Its only when you get men/churches interpreting that we disagree ... Example who disagreeswith obvious scriptures? .. the problem is you must learn how God teaches, So it can be interpreted in his way and churches do not teach how to read and interpret, they just do it for you. So one is left at the mercy of their interpretations. Claiming one church or another has it right is a mute argument ... Even if one has one thing right they have another wrong ... So who is the most wrong is the only real argument... And how can one know what right .. unless you understand how God teaches in his word .. And our churches don't teach it and most don't even want you to know it. Lest we find out how wrong they have been.. This is in my opinion,is something the catholic church is more guilty of that some others. Advocating the idea you can not understand the Word without their interpretations this is one of their greastest sins ...unfortunatly they may be one of the worst offenders but are certainly not alone in this Thus there is a famine in the World for the true Word of God....

 

[goldy]

(Christina;65777)
Thats the thing its not any Church's interpretation that matters .... Ive tried to tell you this before GOD INTERPTS HIS OWN WORD if one disgards all men's interpretations .... that's is when Gods truth shines through. Its only when you get men/churches interpreting that we disagree ... Example who disagreeswith obvious scriptures? .. the problem is you must learn how God teaches, So it can be interpreted in his way and churches do not teach how to read and interpret, they just do it for you. So one is left at the mercy of their interpretations. Claiming one church or another has it right is a mute argument ... Even if one has one thing right they have another wrong ... So who is the most wrong is the only real argument... And how can one know what right .. unless you understand how God teaches in his word .. And our churches don't teach it and most don't even want you to know it. Lest we find out how wrong they have been.. This is in my opinion,is something the catholic church is more guilty of that some others. Advocating the idea you can not understand the Word without their interpretations this is one of their greastest sins ...unfortunatly they may be one of the worst offenders but are certainly not alone in this Thus there is a famine in the World for the true Word of God....
Well, you're right. This is simply your opinion Kriss. So I have a question: If you read, for example, John chapter 6, what does this mean to you? As a Catholic this means that I should eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood to have life within me. I'm guessing you would disagree with me. So who's right, you or me?I find it quite interesting that you constantly accuse the RCC of having traditions of men. But when you tell me this, you are simply stating your opinion and interpreting scripture for yourself. And so here we are today: 33,000 sects of Protestantism.......basically meaning 33,000 different private interpretations of scripture. After all, we only need to go to the Word of God, right?

 

[TWC]

Well, you're right. This is simply your opinion Kriss. So I have a question: If you read, for example, John chapter 6, what does this mean to you? As a Catholic this means that I should eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood to have life within me. I'm guessing you would disagree with me. So who's right, you or me?
In John 6, he is, of course, speaking figuratively. Read John 10:7-9. According to your church's interpretation, since I've walked through the doors of a Catholic church, I must be saved, right?

 

[Christina]

(goldy;65814)
Well, you're right. This is simply your opinion Kriss. So I have a question: If you read, for example, John chapter 6, what does this mean to you? As a Catholic this means that I should eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood to have life within me. I'm guessing you would disagree with me. So who's right, you or me?I find it quite interesting that you constantly accuse the RCC of having traditions of men. But when you tell me this, you are simply stating your opinion and interpreting scripture for yourself. And so here we are today: 33,000 sects of Protestantism.......basically meaning 33,000 different private interpretations of scripture. After all, we only need to go to the Word of God, right?
You prove my point If you were taught how to study the Bible it wouldnt make any difference what I said or your church said you would understand what God saysThe fact is we could argue this all day and it makes no difference, but you can not get past your church teachings to get to Gods Word without seeing it through the filter of your church... so all you can do is claim you are right because your church said so.. I could claim my church says differnt and we have a impass Only what God says should matter to any of us his word is the only thing that will ever solve these arguments of men religions because it only says one thing and its the right thing. As I said failure of religion to teach how to study Gods Word ...

 

[Alpha and Omega]

(goldy;65814)
Well, you're right. This is simply your opinion Kriss. So I have a question: If you read, for example, John chapter 6, what does this mean to you? As a Catholic this means that I should eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood to have life within me. I'm guessing you would disagree with me. So who's right, you or me?I find it quite interesting that you constantly accuse the RCC of having traditions of men. But when you tell me this, you are simply stating your opinion and interpreting scripture for yourself. And so here we are today: 33,000 sects of Protestantism.......basically meaning 33,000 different private interpretations of scripture. After all, we only need to go to the Word of God, right?
Throughout the Bible, context determines meaning. Bible-believing Christians know to take the Bible literally unless the context demands a figurative or symbolic interpretation. Before exploring Jesus’ words in John chapter 6 and elsewhere, let’s review a few examples of symbolism in the Scriptures. All scholars would agree that the following verses are metaphorical. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8). (Try and experience God’s promises to find if they are true.)“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).(For those who receive the gift of salvation, Christ’s Spirit shall dwell in their souls assuring them of everlasting life.)At one point Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews thought He spoke of the literal temple in Jerusalem, but if we keep reading we find that Jesus was referring to His body. On another occasion, Jesus said, “I am the true vine.” Of course we know that Jesus did not mean that He was a literal grape vine twisting around a post. When the Bible says God hides us under His wings, we know that God is not a bird with feathers. God is the source of all life and our provider and protector, and these figures vividly illustrate this. Throughout the Bible, figurative language is used to compare one thing to another so that the listeners can easily visualize and understand. It is apparent from searching the entire council of God that the Lord often uses metaphors to paint images for the reader. In fact the Bible tells us that Jesus regularly used parables to figuratively describe one thing as something else.Jesus Himself stated, “These things I have spoken to you in proverbs (figurative language)…” (John 16:25). However, the Bible should always be interpreted literally unless the context demands a symbolic explanation. So what does the context of John’s Gospel and the other Gospels demand?If we read the entire sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, we not only get the context, but also some startling insights into what Jesus meant when He said we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. John chapter 6, begins with the account of Jesus feeding five thousand, followed by the account of Jesus walking on water. Starting in verse 22, we find that on the following day, people were seeking Jesus for the wrong reasons, which we understand from Jesus’ words in verses 26 and 27: “You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for food which perishes, but for food which endures to everlasting life.” These verses begin to frame the context of the verses that follow, specifically, that Jesus emphasized the need for them to seek eternal life. Jesus goes on to explain to them how to obtain eternal life. And in verse 28, when the people ask Jesus “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus replies (verse 29), “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Here Jesus specifies that there is only one work that pleases God, namely, belief in Jesus. Jesus re-emphasizes this in verse 35. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Notice the imperative is to “come to Me” and “believe in Me.” Jesus repeats the thrust of His message in verse 40 where He states—“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”When Jesus said these words, He was in the synagogue in Capernaum (verse 59), and He had neither bread nor wine. Therefore Jesus was either commanding cannibalism or He was speaking figuratively. If He was speaking literally, then He would be directly contradicting God the Father: “You shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (Genesis 9:4). Therefore, because Jesus Himself said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), He must be speaking metaphorically. And that is exactly how He explains His own words in the subsequent verses.After this, in verse 60, we find that many of His disciples said—“This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” Jesus was aware of their complaints and He responded in verses 61 through 64 saying—“Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Wait a minute, the flesh profits nothing! I thought Jesus said we must eat His flesh? Yet, if the flesh profits nothing, Jesus must be speaking in spiritual terms. And that is exactly what He says—“The words that I speak to you are spirit.”Jesus uses the exact same Greek word for flesh (sarx) as He did in the preceding verses. Therefore we must conclude that eating His literal flesh profits nothing! If the Lord Himself sets the context of the dialogue, we would do well to hear Him. He said that the words that He speaks are spirit and that the flesh profits nothing. If that isn’t clear enough, Peter’s words allow no room for doubt. Immediately following the dialogue with the Jews, in which some disciples went away, Jesus said to the twelve apostles, “Do you also want to go away?” (verse 67). Peter’s response is profound. His reply to Jesus is recorded in verse 68. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Amazing! Peter did not say we have come to believe that we must eat Your flesh to live. He said that we know You are the Christ, and we have come to believe in You as the Christ. This is the confession of faith that leads to eternal life, not eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood.In addition to Jesus’ teaching in John chapter 6, we get additional insight into His message by reading John’s entire Gospel, and we begin to fully understand what Jesus meant when He said “I am the bread of life.” In John’s Gospel, Jesus makes seven “I am” statements. these seven are listed below.John 6:35 I am the bread of lifeJohn 8:12 I am the light of the worldJohn 10:9 I am the doorJohn 10:11 I am the good shepherdJohn 11:25 I am the resurrection and the lifeJohn 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the lifeJohn 15:5 I am the vineNot only is Jesus claiming to be God, but He is defining who God is. Back in the Book of Exodus, Moses asks God what His name is. God responds to Moses by saying, “My name is I AM.” God is the self-existent One. This I AM in the Hebrew is the name of God, the YHWH where we get “Yahweh” and "Jehovah”.And in John’s Gospel, Jesus expounds and explains who God is. If your soul is hungering, Jesus would say: I am the bread of life. If you’re seeking illumination and understanding, Jesus would say: I am the light of the world. Are you looking for the entrance into abundant life? Jesus would say: I am the door. Do you need guidance and protection? Jesus would say: I am the good shepherd. Are you seeking eternal life? Jesus would say: I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus knows your needs better than you do. Whatever your need, Jesus would say: I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the vine. If you abide in Me, I will supply all your needs. What Jesus is saying in John chapter 6 and throughout the Gospel of John is: I am all you need. I created you and I know and understand what you need to be fully satisfied and it is Me. Jesus is our all in all. No matter what we think we need, Jesus, alone can supply our true need. By studying the entire Gospel of John, we see clearly that Jesus is not proclaiming Himself to be literal bread, any more than He is proclaiming Himself to be a literal vine or a wooden door. Rather, He is affirming that as our God and Creator, He, and He alone, is all we need. Understanding the whole counsel of God is crucial.Now short of making this a small novel I could go on for a lot more. There is more to this story some topics for example....John Chapter 6: Unrelated to the Last Supper, John Chapter 13, The Passover Lamb, Jesus’ One Body is in Heaven, Abstain from Blood, Finished Work.

 

[goldy]

(TWC;65819)
In John 6, he is, of course, speaking figuratively. Read John 10:7-9. According to your church's interpretation, since I've walked through the doors of a Catholic church, I must be saved, right?
Amen brother!! I believe every single word in John 10:7-9. I just disagree with you in that Jesus is speaking figuratively in John 6. He never said that it was symbolic.

 

[goldy]

(Christina;65820)
You prove my point If you were taught how to study the Bible it wouldnt make any difference what I said or your church said you would understand what God saysThe fact is we could argue this all day and it makes no difference, but you can not get past your church teachings to get to Gods Word without seeing it through the filter of your church... so all you can do is claim you are right because your church said so.. I could claim my church says differnt and we have a impass Only what God says should matter to any of us his word is the only thing that will ever solve these arguments of men religions because it only says one thing and its the right thing. As I said failure of religion to teach how to study Gods Word ...
Well we definitely could go on forever about this. We can simply agree to disagree. Point to clarify: Catholics don't believe that our Church and the Bible are two separate entities. The two are closely knit together. You may not agree with this, but that's what we believe. Kriss, IT'S NOT ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG. IT'S ABOUT RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING. AFTER ALL, WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF CHRIST!!!!

 

[Christina]

Well we can certainly agree to disagree but your statement about Catholics not believing church and Bible are separate is not what I said nor is it what I believe.. I said they dont teach how to understand how God teaches, So you can discern for yourself what is true or not.. they teach you to believe what they say it says is true... You are not seeing the problem with this because you have accepted they are right ... Its this fact I have no respect for .... Not whether or not they are right ...The fact they inject themselves between You and God ... by teaching they will tell you what God says/means ... That's not necessary.. if they taught you how God teaches and they are right as claimed there should be no problem... So why is it they dont tell/teach you this..unless they have something to hide.. No answer required this is something you should be asking yourself ..