# John 6:51-63



## INsearch (Jan 24, 2010)

> John 6:51-63 (King James Version)
> 
> 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
> 
> ...



Back in my days of wanting to be Catholic or Orthodox or even Lutheran! I used to use this verse as the end all, to me it was the perfect spelled right out for you verse that proves the real presence of Christ in Communion, I remember reading in the apologetics for Catholicism how Christs continuing to say "eat my flesh" and not correcting the Jews when they said it was hard to understand ment that he really did intend and mean that his flesh and body will be present, however after re-reading this, I was wondering if the answer to whether it be real presence or not lie in the last verse I quoted?

"the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

The fact that Jesus says that what he just told them is spirit, would this not indicate that he wasn't being very literal? also it says that "the flesh profiteth nothing" thus it would seem again that it is unlikely for Christs real bodily presence to be in Communion because the flesh profiteth nothing. Any insight guys?


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## au5t1n (Jan 24, 2010)

I think you've got it. Also note that Jesus is speaking primarily about his sacrifice here, not directly about communion, but of course, he repeats the same language when establishing the Lord's Supper. So the two passages are indirectly related, not directly. In both the John 6 passage and the Lord's Supper institution, he is talking about his sacrifice.


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## louis_jp (Jan 24, 2010)

D.A. Carson notes the following, in his Commentary on John (p.297):

"Verses 54 and 40 are closely parallel: 'Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (v.54)'... 'everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (v.40)'....

"The conclusion is obvious: the former is the metaphorical way of referring to the latter.... Small wonder that Augustine of Hippo wrote, 'Believe, and you have eaten'".


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