Sorry. Had I known that God instructed you to label the storied disciples cannibals I would have taken your contribution far more serious (if not more meaningful).
Show me where I did that. Where did I say that the Disciples of Jesus were cannibals? Print the quote.
*tick, tock, tick tock...*
**moderator edit**
Although the disciples of Jesus were from various backgrounds, those of them who were the traditional beliefs of Israel were devout followers of a particular diet they held as sacred law. However, in obeying the great command of their Messiah, they wound up violating the laws traditionally practiced by them and their ancestors, so Jesus became their redemption by becoming the required sacrifice, the lamb of God, so that they could continue to follow the will of the God of their understanding as set forth in Leviticus. If Understanding that, if my customary diet regularly consists of eating meat with my meals and someone I highly respect and honor told me to eat a salad for lunch tomorrow because it would be highly beneficial to me, so I trust in that promise, deviate from my normal burger for lunch and just eat a salad instead so I can reap those benefits, then go back to my regular diet of meat with meals, does that mean I am a vegan?
It doesn't matter what we think. God's word is what matters.
Agreed. That is why it is so important to read The Word with understanding.
If you had read a few verses down you would have answered your own question.
My question (as you quoted) was, "What do you think?" My extrasensory perception might not function so well as others, so how could I know what you think? Therefore, how could I answer my own question?
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64However, there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus was speaking spiritually, as He says in the verses above.
Not so. Before you read this, bear in mind that the following text from the 6th chapter of the gospel according to john transpired before the Passover feast known as "the last supper" ~ waaaay before:
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
On a re-read of that verse, two important things he said there jumped out at me. The first to catch my eye was "son of man" and the next was "Verily, verily."
1. "Son of man" is who he referred to himself as ~ not son of god, ever. HE knew who he was.
2. When the man called Jesus said anywhere, "Verily" it meant "Truly." It meant that he was about to say something important. When, however, you see "Verily, verily," whatever came behind that was to be paid undivided attention to. A modern-day translation of "Verily, verily" might be something like, "Listen up for your own good, I kid you not, or you may face consequences..." Whatever followed "Verily, verily" was sure to be seriously profound and taken literally.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.<p> </p>55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.<p> </p>56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.<p> </p>57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.\\
*recovers*
Y
ou should be aware that in the verses prior to that, he had been addressing the crowd in parable mode, but then, you see he cut to the chase and made himself verily, verily crystal clear.
Again, what strikes me is that he said all that BEFORE the Passover observance commonly referred to as the "last supper." Long before. Of how much time elapsed between the two events, I am uncertain. The Passover incident was merely a reminder and a full practice-run for the disciples of what they were expected by him to do: eat his flesh and drink his blood.
So, it is obvious that he concisely made himself perfectly clear and we do especially get this point when we continue in our reading...:
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
Well yes, wouldn't *you* be offended at first if you were just informed that you were required to eat your loved one and drink their blood?
An appropriate Commercial Break: "So You've Decided to Eat Your Loved Ones" video....
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Note that there, again, he referred to himself as the son of man (not son of god). That portion of the 6th chapter of john contains popularly misinterpreted text that clearly requires no special interpretation in the first place. Here is what I mean: "What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?" The question is obviously referring to his predetermined plan to appear to the disciples in astral form, which I will give a little more detail about in Chapter 10. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." As I said earlier, he understood the mechanics of the Human body and he knew the process involved in deliberate Out Of Body Experiences (explained earlier)
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
It now lines up and makes sense when you see clearly how this piece fits into the age-old puzzle. After coming to understand that in order to receive what the man called Jesus had to offer, they would have to first eat his flesh and drink his blood, many *would* opt out of that plan, leave and stop following him. It weeded out the superficial and thin-skinned disciples from his die-hard friends-to-the-end, as it is written that after he said that, the number of disciples he wound up talking to had diminished to 12 when he started with "many" (hundreds). It was those remaining ones who sacrificed him, ate his flesh, drank his blood and "acted with power" when the pentecost occurred, who indeed are as alive today as he is through biblical text of the new testament and who will live as long as those texts are referenced by the masses.
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
PETER proclaimed that the people thought he was the son of god, even though the man called jesus never said that, only referring to himself ever as the son of MAN, and if you observe carefully, you will note it was always only PETER who piped up calling him the son of god.
