If you were to agree that everything from the Old Testament was symbolic of the New Testaments reality?

Question

Why do so many think that Holy Communion is symbolic? If it is regular bread and wine it is just this worlds food and not the BREAD THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. Do you agree?

Jesus himself called himself "The Bread that came Down From Heaven" He further went on to say "Anybody who eats this bread will live forever and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world"

Answer 1

the Old Testament symbolisms pointing to Jesus are greater and far above any other type of symbolism because they are of God and too many people tend to play down the greatness of this for a worldly view, that is much lesser meaning.
Jesus spoke lots of parables and these have been interpreted pretty well by Christian churches, but when Jesus said `This is My Body take it and eat it`, and again this is My Blood take and drink it`, AND AGAIN when H e said , `unless you eat my flesh and drinkl My blood you shall not have life within you, here He was not talking parable nor symbolically, this was a solemn and direct command, and some Christians still fail to see this.
Holy Communion is the Real body and blood of Christ and it would be meaningless to receive it otherwise.

Answer 2

Communion represents a commemoration of events at the Last Supper. Jesus broke bread, and shared wine with the Apostles.

The bread was symbolic of His body which was to be broken on the cross.
The wine represents His blood which was shed, and poured onto our lives.

Answer 3

hmmmm. your question is kinda confusing....

but concerning communion it obviously is symbolic. It is not real flesh and blood or else people would gag, be horrified,etc. It is obviously meant to be mean more than plain food so the only answer left is that it is symbolic.

Symbols are not empty but full of meaning... Symbols fill the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Answer 4

what is commonly refered to as "communion" is a cerimonial remembrance of Jesus The Christ... The only thing Christ said was to "..do this in remembrance of me"... it is a symbolic act. communion has nothing to do with Salvation or the actual Blood and Body of Christ... communion may be shared whenever two or more of his people gather in His name... I was a truck driver and away from my church home for a time... when I knew that my church family would be shareing communion I would stop wherever I was and even though I was alone in the physical sense, I took out a waffer and some juice and joined them... even when we were 2000 miles apart... it is The Remembrance that is the act.

Answer 5

The first bread that came down from heaven was the Manna in the desert, which kept the Israelites alive, and made it possible for them to eventually take posession of the Promised Land.

As such, Manna was real food. Not symbolic.

Jesus Christ is the true bread that came down from heaven, and when we partake of his glorified and risen flesh and blood (not simply bread and grape juice) Jesus makes it possible for us to one day take posession of the Promised Land of heaven.

As such, AUTHENTIC holy communion is real spiritual food ... the original "SOUL FOOD" ... and not in any way symbolic.

But non-Catholics are right when they claim THEIR version of communion is only symbolic, because when they broke away from the Catholic church, they voluntarily separated themselves from the true church, which has always exclusively and authoratively celebrated the real and substantial presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Answer 6

SHOW ME IN SCRIPTURE THAT THE BREAD CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN?

NONE.

All true Christians must study the Word of God for themselves. The Bible.

Supposedly making a wafer into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ? That is idolatry.

Making a wafer into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ? It is also blasphemy think about it.

The priest says that the wafer ACTUALLY BECOMES the body and blood of the Son of God.

This makes the pope and priest, the creator of THE CREATOR.

That's surely a fulfillment of prophecy when the Bible says this about antichrist.

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

The Pope and the Priest have the power to create THE CREATOR, that would put them superior to God.

Answer 7

"The bread that came down from heaven" Now, seriously, stop and think about how ludicrous that sounds, just for a minute.

And if you were to agree that everything from the OT was symbolic of the NT's "reality", then you would be using the age old trick of manipulating the Bible to fit YOUR "reality".

Answer 8

The manna in the Exodus and the Bread of the Presence in the temple were definitely prefigurements of communion. However real communion is Jesus' flesh and blood, under the appearance of bread and wine.

John 6:48 - 69
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, 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 you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 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 will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever." This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um. Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

He lost many followers because he refused to water down the literal sense of his flesh and blood. Very important.

Does it make sense that God designed the Bible, his Word, for individual interpretation on every point, where we reinvent the theological wheel every time for every individual? He has one truth, safeguarded by one Church. Individual interpretation on doctrine leads to 10,000 different denominations.

Answer 9

"The New Testament's Reality....? That's one of the funniest things I've read tonight!!!!!!

Answer 10

dunno i think communion is gross. its ritualized cannibalism, the pretending of eating flesh and drinking blood. doesnt matter their reason its still gross.