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QUESTION 87:
Could you please explain John 6:53, where it speaks of "eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ? It this not the Mass or Holy Communion?

ANSWER:
It could not scripturally mean that, because neither the "Mass or Holy Communion" is mentioned in the Bible. These are traditional inventions of the mind of man.

The context of the verse in question is a discourse Jesus has with people who are following Him for what they can get to eat. He has feed the five thousand John 6:5-14. They follow Him for more bread, John 6:26. He speaks to them of the "manna" their fathers ate in the wilderness, John 6:31-32. He tells them this was not the true bread from heaven. In John 6:33. He says He is the true bread from heaven, and if they come to Him, and believe on Him, they will never hunger or thirst John 6:35 So, in John 6:53 where He talks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood He is using this language figuratively. He later says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." John 6:63. He is merely talking their language and saying if they come to Him and believe on Him they will be partaking of the great salvation He has provided through His body and blood shed at Calvary. To take this verse literally would make one a cannibal. The answer then is clear, "Absolutely not!"

Have you trust Him yet? There is danger in delay. Hebrews 2:3.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen