true blood
Active Member
I respect both of your views but I believe you are misunderstanding, especially in what Paul was telling the Corinthian Church. The only rule I spoke of was the use of a metaphor. Without this usage Jesus would of had to literally feed the disciples his flesh and blood. He would of had to slice into his flesh, cut out some pieces and catch some of the blood falling from the wound. Maybe they were cannibal vampires. In this literal sense, people then partake in a mock memorial where in their minds they believe they are actually eating human flesh and drinking human blood. Now about the Apostle Paul, according to the Epistle to the Corinthians, rebuked them and endeavored to correct them for being sick because they did not properly discern the Lord's body. They did not realize that Jesus, sacrificed, had accomplished something for them in His body. Paul pointed out that it was no longer necessary to suffer sickness and disease. Paul wasn't asking them any questions at all. He rebuked them. Paul probably thought that something obviously was wrong when members of the Church are still weak and sickly and people dying prematurely. Paul knew that the elements of the Passover for Israel are equivalent to Holy Communion for the Church. The Passover lamb had two important parts: blood and flesh. So also, the death of the lamb of God had two elements: blood and flesh, symbolized in Holy Communion by the cup and the bread. There are two parts: sin and disease, one is removed by the blood of the lamb and the other by the flesh of the lamb. Isaiah 53:5 prophesies the the Messiah was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastiesment of our peace upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Again, two elements: forgiveness and healing. Wholeness has two parts: spiritual and physical. These are the steps to discerning the Lord's body that Paul was speaking about.
To sum it up the cup in the Holy Communion represents the blood of Jesus Christ. The bread represents the body of Christ. Since Jesus bore my sin and sickness on Calvary's cross, then when I come to the Communion in remembrance of Him and eat of that bread and drink of that cup I have healing and forgiveness of sins because "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree...by whose stripes ye were healed." And it's not just the "doing" but "doing in remembrance of Christ". To have remembrance of anyone or anything, one must first have knowledge concerning that person or thing. In simple, born-again terms, Communion teaches "By believing, receive and thank God for physical as well as spiritual wholeness." It is also a symbol of the making of a new covenant with Israel, a covenant involving the shedding of blood. As stated in Matthew 26:27-29. For me, learning about all of these things is discerning the Lord's body. But pretending to drink blood and eat flesh seeking a feeling of some presence? Imo, those are the teachings of the False Prophet.
To sum it up the cup in the Holy Communion represents the blood of Jesus Christ. The bread represents the body of Christ. Since Jesus bore my sin and sickness on Calvary's cross, then when I come to the Communion in remembrance of Him and eat of that bread and drink of that cup I have healing and forgiveness of sins because "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree...by whose stripes ye were healed." And it's not just the "doing" but "doing in remembrance of Christ". To have remembrance of anyone or anything, one must first have knowledge concerning that person or thing. In simple, born-again terms, Communion teaches "By believing, receive and thank God for physical as well as spiritual wholeness." It is also a symbol of the making of a new covenant with Israel, a covenant involving the shedding of blood. As stated in Matthew 26:27-29. For me, learning about all of these things is discerning the Lord's body. But pretending to drink blood and eat flesh seeking a feeling of some presence? Imo, those are the teachings of the False Prophet.