Eating the Flesh

It is possible to tell John 6 is not speaking of eating the eucharist. Since babes could not kill and eat the Passover they were excluded in counting the number for congregational purposes. Likewise they could not mentally eat in faith. Babes cannot eat physically or in faith.

Babes cannot adhere to Christ's requirement's in the Lord's Supper or any other command. Many believe they do not need to since they have not sinned yet. Even if baptized as babes they wouldn't be able to complete Christ's requirement to eat by faith

Of course Catholics use John 6 for the Eucharist being changed into the body of Christ, but babes do not partake of that either. The chapter is not about the eucharist.

Jesus declared,

Joh_6:53  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.

Catholics use the except clause in John 3:3-5 to be applied to babies; but do not use the except clause in John 6:53 in reference to babies. It is impossible for babies to eat physically or in faith.

This eating and drinking is for those in need of it, otherwise we would have to invent a means to eat in behalf of the babes. Catholics require babes to be baptized but not to eat as Christ said, to have life in themselves. They say baptism is a requirement but not eating as required in John 6. Catholics require baptism of infants and not eating the flesh of Christ, but Jesus said both are necessary. So, even if infant baptism were real, infant baptism wouldn't save without eating Christ's flesh also..

Perhaps babes already have life in themselves, until they sin and are accountable...Thus they wouldn't need baptism either. We could accept both are required for babies or neither is required. The except clause in John 6:53 is clearly not applicable to infants.

Catholics believe John 6 is eating the flesh of Jesus in the Eucharist, babes don't partake. In a since they are hypocrites requiring babes to be baptized but not eat. Both were requirements stated by Jesus, and babes can't have life in themselves until they comply with both under their dogma. We believe it is eating by faith, believing in the death of Christ. It is a requirement for eternal life.

We can prove John 6 isn't speaking of the Eucharist since Jesus used a present and past tense.

"I am the bread that came down from heaven."

Jesus was made the bread of life already, well before the Eucharist, and "came down" has already taken place, it is not a later appearance invoked by a priest on earth.

Also, I believe it isn't speaking of the eucharist because people were considered saved before partaking of the Lord's Supper. This eating, by faith, was required before salvation.

In Acts 2 Peter declared the crucifixion of Christ before their baptism and before they had eaten their first Lord's supper.

Act 2:23  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Act 2:36  Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Acts 2:41 the Lord added to them daily such as should be saved.

In a technical sense they were saved before partaking of the Lord's Supper. In an ongoing sense they would have to partake to comply with God's will.

Peter explained the death of Christ, they believed, they were baptized, they later ate the Lord's Supper.

Can anyone doubt they had life in themselves when believing Peter concerning his death and resurrection, and then following through in baptism. This before eating the catholic idea of eucharist. They were not depending upon the priest re-offering Jesus, but depended upon the original offering.

They ate of Jesus' flesh and blood" when hearing in faith.

Joh 6:32  Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Joh 6:34  They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

Joh 6:35  Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Thus nourishment so we never hunger is through believing and coming to Jesus. it is a broader statement of faith than just eating the Lord's Supper.

Joh 6:36  But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

Joh 6:37  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Joh 6:38  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Joh 6:39  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

Joh 6:40  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

Joh 6:41  So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."

The bread was given, not by a priest invoking the eucharist, but when the father sent him into the world from heaven, to teach salvation. Thus the bread was given years before the first Eucharist.

The catholic idea restricts Christians to eating of Christ in a Eucharist, but Jesus meant for us to eat daily in believing, obedient to Christ's office.