John 6:53 and 54

[Apple]

I was advised to read the Gospel of John after I said the prayer of salvation 5 weeks ago.

I have come to another bit that I don't understand. Can somebody help me please?

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" - John 6: 53 and 54

Now my understanding of this is literal - ie unless you take the Eucharist, you can not have eternal life.

Now due to my poor health, I have not been to church for a very long time, so I certainly have not taken the Eucharist since saying the prayer of salvation.

So, if my understanding of this verse is correct, I do not have eternal life.

BUT THAT IS NOT MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I HAVE READ ON THIS FORUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought that the prayer of salvation was the crux of salvation (hence the name!!!!!!!!!).

Ummmmm!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to be confused again!!!!!!!

 

[Cody]

Hey Apple, Don't be sorry about being confused about the Bible. God Bless you for studying it and wanting to learn more about it.

When I read this, I see it being symbolic. When we accept Jesus as our savior, we then have eternal life. It is good to practice these things to remember him by, but remember you have eternal life because you believed in Jesus.

God Bless

1 John 5:13
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

 

[Apple]

When I read this, I see it being symbolic.

Thanks for your reply but, symbolic of what?

I understand what the bread and wine in the Eucharist are symbolic of, but that doesn't fit in with your answer. What do you mean?

 

[Cody]

It is symbolic for the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins. His blood will cleanse us from our sins, if we believe.

 

[Apple]

Thanks for the post, but I still do not understand what you mean.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" - John 6: 53 and 54

I have no problem understanding the symbolism in the Eucharist. But the verse is not talking about that. It is talking about the need to eat the flesh and drink the blood to have eternal life.

What I am asking is how does these verses fit in with the idea of the prayer of salvation for eternal life? These verses say one thing, the prayer of salvation says another thing.

I hope Cody that you understand what I am asking, but if you don't, don't feel obliged to have a third attempt at explaining this to me!!!!

 

[ladylovesJesus]

Dear apple

This is what Jesus is talking about.

1 Cor.11.
The Lord's Supper
17In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

I attend a corps now and they do not take the communion. We are saved by faith for salvation.

I am in no doubt I will go to heaven.

God bless

Love in Christ :rainbow: :rose:

 

[Apple]

Thank you for the reply. I am frustrated in the fact that, to my understanding, my question has not been answered, but I suppose that I should just be content to know that you don't have to take the Eucharist to have eternal life.

 

[Snowrose]

Dear Apple,

Your hunger for God’s word and the longing to live for Him is so wonderful but don’t allow legalism frustrate you or even blind you to what He really desires for you. Just rest in Him and He will show you the answers to your questions. I am pray fully thinking of an answer that might be of some help. The taking of the bread & wine is (like our sister and brother has said) is a symbolism of what Jesus has done for us on the cross and a way of remembering.

I have read a commentary about the verses (John 6: 53 & 54) you have quoted from the site Bible Gateway and this is what it has said:

Jesus begins by revealing more sharply our need of the life he offers: I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you (v. 53). He claims that the life he is talking about is not merely some optional gift that we can afford to ignore. Apart from the life he offers, we are dead. Here is a claim as demanding as are his earlier claims about his own identity and what he offers to those who believe in him (vv. 30-51). Our utter neediness is seen clearly when set against the greatness of his offer: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (v. 54). Jesus is promising a new quality of life now and resurrection in the future.
He says, my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink (v. 55). What does real mean here? C. K. Barrett captures part of what Jesus is saying when he explains, "My flesh and blood really are what food and drink should be, they fulfill the ideal, archetypal function of food and drink" (1978:299). This insight is confirmed by what follows: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him (v. 56). The eating and the drinking has to do with shared life, mutual indwelling. In the physical realm one of the most powerful examples of shared life is eating and drinking--the laying down of life by a plant or animal and the interpenetration of life as molecules are transferred, thereby nourishing life. So once again Jesus' mystifying words are referring to something that could not be understood until after his death, resurrection and ascension and the coming of the Spirit. His death will be the ultimate laying down of life; his resurrection, ascension and sending the Spirit bring onto the human scene the new possibility of actually sharing in the life of God (cf. 17:21-23) as he, the incarnate one, has shared in our life.

You have receive eternal life as you have received Jesus – just like that the criminal who died (and who didn’t take the Eucharist) beside Him. This man repented and accepted Jesus and went with Him in glory on that day. So my dear sister, this is my thoughts that it is a “shared life, mutual indwelling” of Jesus in our hearts who has given us a new hope and future with Him today and for eternity.

I hope this is of some help. You will be in my heart and prayers. So "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." (Mark 10:49) for “He knows the plans He has for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) God bless you.

Snowrose

 

[sunshine307]

Dear Apple,

Your hunger for God’s word and the longing to live for Him is so wonderful but don’t allow legalism frustrate you or even blind you to what He really desires for you. Just rest in Him and He will show you the answers to your questions.

Very well said Snowrose.

So my dear sister, this is my thoughts that it is a “shared life, mutual indwelling” of Jesus in our hearts who has given us a new hope and future with Him today and for eternity.

Snowrose

Snowrose, thank you for finding this answer. I was pondering over this yesterday and couldn't put it into words best to convey what I was thinking. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood is simply living our lives in Jesus, living totally for Him.

 

[Apple]

Eating His flesh and drinking His blood is simply living our lives in Jesus, living totally for Him.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Snowrose and Sunshine.



Now I understand!