Communion

[Heidi]

Most catholics I know do not understand what "eating my flesh and drinking my blood" means. They see bread as bread and wine as wine, or they pretend that when they are eating the bread that that is Christ's body and when drinking the wine that that is Christ's blood. Why do you think Jesus wanted us to do that? Was it a game? He told us that as a REMINDER that when the HS came into us, it is the body and person of Jesus Christ Himself. When He told His disciples that, they of course had no understanding of what He meant. That's when a lot of them left Him.  "Porfessed christians" today, still don't understand what that means because they do not have the body and blood of Christ inside them. They have the same reaction that the disciples did when Christ told them that.

True born again Christians DO know what that means because we KNOW we have the body and blood of Christ in us. We know it's not a game or an exercise in church. It is real. THAT is what a personal relationship with Christ is. We have an intimate knowledge of Him through the Holy Spirit. Without the spirit, we only see the bible as "rules taight by men." That's what Jesus meant by people not being able to enter the kingdom of heaven until they're "born of water and the spirit." And, "Now this is eternal life; that you KNOW the only true God and Jesus christ whom He sent." And "The kingdom of heaven is within you." And "we(my Father and I) will come and make our home with you." And that is why "No one can snatch them out of my hand." And, "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven....Many will say on that day, 'Lord Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name did we not drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never KNEW you. Away from me, you evildoers!" He makes a clear distinction between KNOWING Him and men who obey "rules taught by men." The first one saves, the second one does not. "Apart from the vine, the branch withers away and dies." Without a personal relationship with Christ, we will never enter heaven, even if we prophesy in His name, cast out demons in His name, and perform many miracles in His name.

[Nickolai]

Nothing you said is correct.  It was mearly ignorant babbling abotu stuff you don't even understand.

[Heidi]

Then what do you think Christ meant by communion? Do you even have a clue?

[_Christopher_]

Then what do you think Christ meant by communion? Do you even have a clue?

I have a clue.  Do you promise to read it all if I give you my view of it?

[Rich]

Nickolai, i second the motion.
Lets see her get out of this one, it should be real interesting.
There really arn't many scripture passages or much evidence
we can use to defend this one ya know. Heehee,NOT.

[Nickolai]

Then what do you think Christ meant by communion? Do you even have a clue?

Ye,s he meant that we would literaly eat of his flesh and drink his blood.  it is a mystery that gives Grace to the recipiant.  and helps to heal the soul and body in order to besome closer to Christ in his Church.  

[Rich]

She's always talking about faith, may'be she doesn't have enough to accept what he really means by it.

[Heidi]

It isn't a mystery to me at all! It's only a mystery to those who"though seeing they do not see, though hearing they do not understand." It's not a mystery to those who understand. It is to those who do not.

[Nickolai]

It isn't a mystery to me at all! It's only a mystery to those who"though seeing they do not see, though hearing they do not understand." It's not a mystery to those who understand. It is to those who do not.

You don't understand what mystery means when used in that context.  Mystery basically means sacrament.  We use the word mystery because as Orthodox,  we try not to overexplain things.  Or try to act like we know how God does everything.  It's a mystery how He transforms it into literal Body and Blood, but He does it.

[_Christopher_]

Heidi-

Here are my thoughts on it.  I hope you take the time to read it.

http://www2.ministries-online.org/s0uljah/defense/eucharist.html

[Heidi]

I read it and it is clear that the catholics think that the bread and wine are the blood and body of Christ instead of wine and bread.  Jesus said "do this in remembrance of me." Remembrance of what? What should eating His flesh and drinking his blood remind us of? Why specifically, "eating and drinking"? He didn't simply tell us to remember His death for us. He said "eating and drinking specifically. Think it though, Christopher. If you have Christ inside of you in the form of the Holy Spirit, you should know EXACTLY what that means!

[_Christopher_]

I read it and it is clear that the catholics think that the bread and wine are the blood and body of Christ instead of wine and bread.  Jesus said "do this in remembrance of me." Remembrance of what? What should eating His flesh and drinking his blood remind us of? Why specifically, "eating and drinking"? He didn't simply tell us to remember His death for us. He said "eating and drinking specifically. Think it though, Christopher. If you have Christ inside of you in the form of the Holy Spirit, you should know EXACTLY what that means!

Wow, you read fast.

Anyway, if you knew what the Hebrew idea of "rememberance" was and how it differed from our modern term, you might understand our view.

[Rich]

WE do know EXACTLY what it means, you don't, does that mean you don't have the Holy Spirit in you. It is NOT just the Catholics who believe this, all the early churches do. So are you telling us that the Holy Spirit left for 1800 years and now
has just come forth again in the last 200 years or so, and givin
all you 'true Christians' all knowledge and understanding and
your going to correct us poor misled ignorant sinners? You need to take a long hard look at the facts before you go inventing new doctrines, as stated before you REALLY need
to take up studying the early church fathers and Christians,
i'll put more stock in what they say and teach anyday, after all they were around shortly after Christ and were instructed
by the apostles.
    Now who is the one coming up w/ man made doctrines and
rules, now put your predjudices aside, and think it through.
 
 

[Heidi]

I know what Jesus means by the eating and drinking of His blood and it's not wine and bread. If He does truly mean the eating of His flesh and drinking His blood, then how shall He say that? Habakkuk: 2:18-19, "Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it"...For he who makes it, trusts in his own creation. He makes idols that cannot speak! Woe to him who says, 'wood, come to life!"  Trying to get life from bread and wine is useless!

Eating bread and drinking wine are symbolic of Christ's body inside of us. It is HIS body in the form of the Holy Spirit that gives us life, NOT bread and wine! Life from the spirit is talked about all through the NT. Communion is just as Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me. We can either believe Him or bog ourselves down with interpretations that lead us away from His words because we don't understand them. They couldn't be any clearer to me.

[michael_legna]

I read it and it is clear that the catholics think that the bread and wine are the blood and body of Christ instead of wine and bread.  Jesus said "do this in remembrance of me." Remembrance of what? What should eating His flesh and drinking his blood remind us of? Why specifically, "eating and drinking"? He didn't simply tell us to remember His death for us. He said "eating and drinking specifically. Think it though, Christopher. If you have Christ inside of you in the form of the Holy Spirit, you should know EXACTLY what that means!

If you really believe that the bread and wine are just symbols then you must be accusing Paul of idolatry because he says you can suffer damnation for treating this "symbol" with disrespect.

1 Cor 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Paul even points out how it is that we partake unworthily - it is by not discerning the Lord's body in the bread and wine.

Sounds alot like what you are doing doesn't it?