The Eucharist - Continued

For My Flesh is true food, and My Blood is true drink.

Here is a common argument made against the Eucharist:


Christ is only speaking metaphorically when He said, "this is My Body, this is My Blood", because when He said in John 10:9,"I am the door" or in John 15:1,"I am the true vine", He was only speaking metaphorically

There are some real problems with this argument.

In my previous treatise on the Eucharist (here) I stated that Christ used very graphic words like "trogo" (to gnaw). In Greek there are two word for "eat": the word phago and the word trogo. Phago means merely to eat. Like when I tell you to eat your vegetables. The word trogo literally means to "chew" or to "gnaw". Would I say to you, "gnaw your vegetables"?

If Christ was only speaking metaphorically then He would have used the phago not the word trogo.


The point is that there is no real link between John 10:9, John 15:1 and John 6:35. In John 10:9 and John 15:1 it would make sense for Christ to speak as He did. But it would not make sense if, in John 10:9, Christ was speaking metaphorically. He took His statement far beyond mere metaphorical-ism into to shear reality using strong words and forceful statements.

The brunt of the Protestant argument rests in the ending verse of John chapter 6. John 6:63: "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." Protestants say that Christ is saying that eating flesh is to no avail.

If we take this point of view and look at John 6 in full view we would come up with this:

Christ says to His apostles, "Eat My Flesh and Drink My Blood, if you do not then you will have no life within you. But whoever eats My Flesh will have eternal life."

Then He Says, "Do what I have commanded you, but its really a waste of time and it is to little avail."

The above seems totally absurd, but in truth it is exactly what the Protestants are saying.

The truth is that mans flesh doesn't avail, but the Flesh of Christ does. If it did not why would He become incarnate?

I'll write more on this very important issue later.