Is communion symbolic or literal?

[LovethroughDove]

Hi Jim. I grew up Catholic and I don't bash the Catholic Church cause I know they are a key to the body of Christ. (key, no pun intended)
There is just too much connection to Jesus being the bread of life and not literal bread. I have consumed much of him and I am sustained. Also, his blood is what God used as revelation to me personally. He had me question what that blood is made up of. Part human? Part God? Yes.

So when we say actual flesh and blood, he is the Word manifested in flesh and his blood is the New Covenant. The New Covenant means that God can enter flesh now, because up until the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost........the blood of bulls and goats were needed for the remission of sins

I just had another Revelation as I was reading up on the last Supper. I have been having a somewhat of an allergic reaction to wine lately. Valentine's Day I had a white sangria and started to have a horrible reaction and things like that have been happening after I drink. I wonder if I am supposed to do what he did? Mark 14:25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."

 

[Jim Parker]

There is just too much connection to Jesus being the bread of life and not literal bread. I have consumed much of him and I am sustained. Also, his blood is what God used as revelation to me personally. He had me question what that blood is made up of. Part human? Part God? Yes.

100% human and 100% God.
And, "You are what you eat." Hmmmmmmm........

I have been having a somewhat of an allergic reaction to wine lately. Valentine's Day I had a white sangria and started to have a horrible reaction and things like that have been happening after I drink. I wonder if I am supposed to do what he did? Mark 14:25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."

I suggest that you purchase 1000 mg vitamin C capsules and carry a few with you.
Whenever you get an allergic reaction, take one. (with water! Don't chew them. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid and will "burn" your tongue. Just swallow one.<<I take 2 every morning>>)
I believe you will find that you will experience relief from the allergic reaction in very short order.

 

[ezra]

It seems that "do this in remembrance of me" suggests that we partake in communion to remember Jesus, what He accomplished on the Cross on our behalf and to do so reverently and thankfully. It is not to be taken lightly.

yes exactly

 

[Willie T]

Two men stand before God.
One says "I pretended that I actually ate your physical body in a ceremony."
And the other says, "I fed your sheep whenever I found them hungry."
I think I know which He thanked for continuing His work.

 

[Papa Zoom]

I'm pretty convinced that the bread and wine are symbolic. And the act of communion is done to remember the Works of Christ, particularly the Cross. As for the elements, saying this is my body (the bread) isn't the same as saying this is my body (pointing to the body). They are to be regarded not as simply bread and wine, but to be regarded as His body and His blood. We ought not get hung up on the actual vrs symbolic. The act of communion with a proper heart to God is what matters IMO.

That said, we ought to be more charitable to people of differing beliefs in all matters. There's nothing gained for example in bashing Catholics when we differ in our views.

Ravi Zacharias says that when we throw mud, we simply lose a lot of ground. Wise words.

Communion is serious business. Just read what is said about it.

For those interested, there is this I found:
The word Paul uses here, is αναξιως, a compound word consisting of αν + αξιως. So, it means "not" + "appropriately" or "inappropriately".

In 1 Corinthians 11:24-25, Paul records how Jesus instituted the memorial service. He:

• gave thanks for the bread
• broke the bread and invited the disciples to eat it in order to recall his body that was about to be broken for them (flesh torn away by the scourge, etc)
• gave thanks for the wine ("in like manner")
• drank the wine and invited the disciples to drink it in order to recall his blood that was about to be shed for them.

It is a solemn memorial service, so any attitude or action that didn't befit the solemnity of the occasion would be considered as behaving "unsatisfactorily", or "unworthily" or in an "unworthy manner".

To shed further light on this word, it is worth investigating Paul's use of αξιως in his letters.

You can read more here. https://hermeneutics.stackexchange....n-by-unworthy-manner-in-1-corinthians-1127-32

Be salt and light. Love the brethren. Treat others as better than yourselves. Be a servant. Let your words be with gentleness and respect. IF you don't do what I've just written, you're disobeying the Word of God! I have to guard myself against this very thing! Let's be charitable peeps!

In Christ ~ Papa

 

[chessman]

That is a modern innovation dating back less the 500 years and arises from those in rebellion against the Roman church.

Peter was not modern but original:

And if you are calling - upon as Father the One judging without-respect-of-persons according to the work of each person — conduct the time of your stay with fear, knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way-of-life handed-down-from-your-fathers not with perishable things, silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without-blemish and without-spot;​

1 Peter 1:17-19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1 Peter 1:17-19&version=DLNT

Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter. And as a lamb before the one having sheared it is silent, so He does not open His mouth. In His humiliation, His justice was taken-away. Who will describe His generation? Because His life is taken-away from the earth” [Isa 53:7-8]. And having responded, the eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom is the prophet saying this— about himself or about some other?” And Philip— having opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture— announced Jesus as good news to him.​

Acts 8:32-35 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Acts 8:32-35&version=DLNT

For as-often-as you eat this _____ and drink the _____, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord, until which time He comes.​

1 Corinthians 11:26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1 Corinthians 11:26&version=DLNT

A. Bread, cup
B. Flesh, blood

 

[chessman]

We are to examine ourselves that we by faith believe in Christ and His finished works on the cross before we partake. Many are unworthy as they do not discern the finished works of the cross.

I agree. And many are confused as they do not discern that the faith we have been given to believe is in Christ, not in ourselves lest any man should ...

For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some of the ones commending themselves. But they — measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves— do not understand.​

2 Corinthians 10:12 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=2 Corinthians 10:12&version=DLNT

 

[LovethroughDove]

100% human and 100% God.
And, "You are what you eat." Hmmmmmmm........

I suggest that you purchase 1000 mg vitamin C capsules and carry a few with you.
Whenever you get an allergic reaction, take one. (with water! Don't chew them. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid and will "burn" your tongue. Just swallow one.<<I take 2 every morning>>)
I believe you will find that you will experience relief from the allergic reaction in very short order.

I guess you look at DNA differently than I do. I picture DNA 1/2 my mom's and 1/2 my dad's

Thank you for the advise. I will see if that helps the situation, cause I like wine and don't want to cut it out completely.

 

[WIP]

This thread is in the Theology Forum and there are rules that apply. One of which is this thread is not open to RCC doctrinal discussions. Second is that posts must address the topic and not persons. Third, responses should include Scripture references that support the position presented.

I'm closing this thread for clean-up. Not likely to have a chance to do that for at least a day.