Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: lae@io.UUCP (Larry Enos) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Importance of sacrifice Message-ID: Date: 16 Aug 90 17:17:41 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Interleaf Inc, Cambridge, MA Lines: 35 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article 2670, Brian Finnerty promotes the erroneous doctrines of the "real presence" of the body and blood of Christ in the bread and wine by quoting John chapter 6: > > I cannot answer this question fully. I accept on faith that > Christ has given me His Body and His Blood. In John 6, the > Jews ask him a similar question: "How can the man give us his body > to eat?" Christ told them "Unless you eat my body and drink my blood > you have no life in you...For my body is food indeed and my blood is > drink indeed." The Jews could not believe him, so they left him. > But like the apostles, I will remain and say,"Lord, to whom shall > we go? You have the words of everlasting life." > In doing so, he takes these verses out of context, and therefore misses what Jesus said to further explain his word about eating His flesh and drinking His blood: "It is the spirit that gives life: the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have given you are spirit and are life." (John 6:63) Like the Jews who were stumbled by the Lord's words at that time, many nominal Christians even today do not understand that the food and drink Jesus provides are spiritual in nature (not physical), and are found in His WORD--both His constant word (logos) written in the bible, and His instant word (rhema) spoken through the Holy Spirit in our regenerated spirits. We receive all the benefits of the Lord's death, resurrection, and ascension by taking in His word and believing it (see John 6:64). Thus, the bread and wine are merely the outward, physical symbols of the spiritual reality of His body and blood found in His word. May God enlighten us all so that we can partake of this true food and drink. Amen.