April 19, 2023
Christian Conversion Verses Cannibalism
“Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, ‘How can this man give us His flesh to eat?’ So, Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.’” John 6:52-58 (NASB)
Transubstantiation: the idea that during Mass, the bread and wine used for Communion become the body and blood of Jesus Christ is central to the Catholic faith. Indeed, the Catholic Church teaches that “the Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’” But a new Pew Research Center survey finds that most self-described Catholics don’t believe this core teaching. In fact, nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine used in Communion “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” Just one-third of U.S. Catholics (31%) say they believe that “during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus… The vast majority of those who believe that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ – 28% of all Catholics do know that this is what the church teaches.”[1] One third believe?
“Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, ‘How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” The veiled illustration by Jesus continued to show their lack of understanding. The Jews were hardwired by outward signs, much like the 31% of Catholics reported above. Their livelihood was steeped in external acts, and they couldn’t see beyond their own eyes. “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” They were perplexed, “His flesh to eat?” “As if we were cannibals! They could not comprehend, though some apparently were against this literal interpretation of “flesh.”[2] This argument was too much for the Jews to swallow. It caused an argument among each other. This arguing is a picture of what occurred in the wilderness. Their responses were likely by mere chance since both events (the wilderness and now the remarks of Christ) concentrated on food and drink. “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Some use this verse to refer to cannibalism. The context of the verse, however, is this meaning is not intended. Cannibalism in the Bible is never endorsed. The word, “to eat,” is phagomai, meaning to eat (which is said of food). This important verb however is written in the future tense. This action is a future event in time “which all will see,” not applying to immediate consumption. Jesus is referring to an action in the future which will be for all to see. As they see His sacrifice, they will see and believe, trusting Him for their salvation. When they believe upon His Name, they will “abide in Me and I in him” (verse 56). This is a wonderful picture of Jesus’ sacrificial death for mankind.
I can’t imagine today taking the Eucharist so literally. It would be a gross and horrific experience if we were to dip our glasses in to Christ’ blood and rip His flesh to eat. It is symbolism to each of us, not cannibalism…
[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/05/transubstantiation-eucharist-u-s-catholics/
[2] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Jn 6:52.