"Eat My Flesh, Drink My Blood"

Adiel Jezneel -

John 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

The “called” and the “chosen”

In general, the “disciples” of Jesus Christ were the great multitudes that followed Him.

Mat 4:25  And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan. “

They were those whose bellies (Phil 3:19) were filled with the loaves of bread our Lord fed them. However He told them that they did not even see the miracles.

Joh 6:26 …Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Christ’s true “disciples” were the “poor in spirit” (Mat 5:3) , the humble “like little children” (Mat 18:3, 11:25) . These were the “chosen few” who remained with Him because they understood what our Lord said. This is what our Lord meant when He said they “saw the miracles.”

  • Joh 6:53  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.
  • Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
  • Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
  • Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

The multitudes following Him who were only after their bellies (material-physical benefits) did not see the miracles (spiritual blindness) strove among themselves, saying:

Joh 6:52  …How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Joh 6:60  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

It was at this point that our Lord asked His real disciples:

Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.(enthused by heavenly and not earthly benefit)
Joh 6:69  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

The basis for those who remained with our Lord was their clear recognition of Him. That indeed Jesus is the CHRIST, the SON of the living God.

Perhaps many people overlooked that recognizing Jesus requires the revelation of the Father. This was demonstrated with the people at Caesarea Philippi who saw and heard our Lord speak and had diverse identification of Him:

Mat 16:13  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

In contrast with Jesus’ real disciples:

Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Simon Peter volunteered to answer:

Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and bloodhath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Like Simon Peter, Jesus’ real Disciples are those who recognized Him. Identifying Jesus is “a miracle” as it came from the revelation of the Father. This is the characteristic of the “chosen few” (Mat 22:14) , the “poor in spirit” (Mat 5:3) . They are the “babes and suckling” endowed with divine knowledge and wisdom (Luk 10:21, Isa 28:9) and gifted with the grace of God.

Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Jam 4:6 …Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Without humility, the antidote to Lucifer’s pride that caused his downfall, there is no way for anybody to recognize the true Christ. A good illustration is the Scribes and Pharisees who stalked our Lord and even argued with Him. Yet together with other religious leaders, they had to pay Judas Iscariot 30 pieces of silver to identify Him. As earlier stated, this was proven at Caesarea Philippi. This truth has not passed away in our time. Let us remember Jesus is the Word:

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

People hear, read, study and memorize the Holy Bible that contains the Word. But look!

  • Some people say, “Jesus is only a man and not God.”
  • Others say, a derivative, “Jesus is only a mighty God for there is a supreme or Almighty God.”
  • Still others say, “JESUS CHRIST is the name of the Father and the Holy Spirit.”
  • Many say, “Jesus is both God and man, and He is the second person of the Trinity.”

True to what is written, without God’s endowment of divine wisdom, people who are zealous learning His words wind up with many “mysteries” including His true identity.

2 Tim 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

“Flesh and blood” of Peter

Simon Peter did not identify Jesus with “his flesh and blood” implies that he did not use his intellect, feeling, and other human faculties to recognize Jesus (This actually refers to the Old Testament prohibition on eating blood (Lev 7:26, 17:12, 19:26). This was also revealed to Paul in:

Gal 1:16  To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.

This is in contrast with Jesus’ “eat my flesh and drink my blood.” After Peter recognized Jesus “by the revelation of the Father,” it was then that our Lord told him:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Thereafter, Peter received the following benefit that our Lord promised for “eating His flesh and drinking His blood” becoming “His dwelling place.”

Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

This is what Paul meant in his letter to the chosen in becoming the “temple” of God!

1 Cor 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

For clearly identifying Jesus, Peter identified the Father also. With this “unseen miracle” bestowed on Peter, no longer was he subject to the following rebuke.

Joh 8:19  Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

The “flesh” of Jesus

Jesus is the Word!

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…

Jesus is called the Word of God:

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

The “flesh” of Jesus therefore refers to the “letter” of the word which is accessible to all, just as He was visible and seen by many people in His time.

“Eating the flesh of Jesus”

Jeremiah “ate the word” of God, therefore he must have “eaten the flesh” of Jesus!
Jer 15:16  Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

David “ate the words,” therefore like Jeremiah he must have “eaten the flesh” of Jesus :

Psa 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

So was John the apostle, as he was exiled in the isle of Patmos. The angel told him to eat the “book.”

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up…10  And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up…

The “blood” of Jesus

Without the shedding blood, there is no remission of sins. Jesus said:

Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

It is the shedding of blood on the cross that fulfilled the Testament, and with this made the Holy Spirit available to all. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals great things from the “letter” of the word. He is the Teacher!

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost…he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
1 Joh 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth…

Hence the “blood of Jesus” relates to the “Holy Spirit” or more fittingly symbolizes Him. It is with the shedding of blood on the cross that the Holy Spirit is made available to all who have the persona of “conversion and become as little children.” Therefore, divine knowledge and wisdom of the Disciples is proof of “drinking the blood” of Jesus:

Luk 10:21  …Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
2 Tim 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

“Thou art the Christ”

Some points on Peter’s recognition of Jesus:

1. Christ means Savior, Redeemer, the Messiah. In many verses, salvation was planned by Father God by making a covenant in the Old Testament, the fulfillment of which requires the death of the testator to make it “in force.”

Heb 9:16  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb 9:17  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

FATHER God could not have fulfilled His testament being a Spirit. As a shadow of its fulfillment, God required the offering of blood of animals. Many verses attest to this.

Exo 12:5  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep…7  And …take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses…
Heb 9:18  Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

The foregoing is a clear prefigure of Jesus and His death on the cross. Abel offered the “blood of a lamb.”

Gen 4:2  …And Abel was a keeper of sheep…4  And …brought of the firstlings of his flock… And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering.

The “blood of Jesus” is the reality of the Old Testament’s shadows of things to come. Thus,

Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Here is Peter writing about this great revelation:

1 Pet 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Clearly Peter “saw” Jesus as FATHER God in declaring, “Thou art the CHRIST.”

So also to apostle John when he wrote:

1 Joh 3:16  (Bishops Bible & KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us…

And to Paul when he asked, “Who art thou, Lord (Acts 9:5?)” His Savior replied, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” Then Paul wrote Timothy:

1 Tim 3:16 (Bishops Bible & KJV) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit…

How many people see Jesus as FATHER God in the flesh? This cannot be accepted because human wisdom, represented by the intellect, sense of sight and hearing, and other faculties of man would surely refute this truth.

No wonder to the real disciples who have the persona of “babes and suckling,” devoid of human wisdom, that this great revelation on the identity of Jesus was given. Hence, our Lord declares the first step to salvation:

Mat 18:3  …Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

With this “babe-suckling like attribute” of the chosen, the following taboos are avoided:

  • Jer 17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man… and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
  • Prov 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
  • Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Martha like Peter recognized Jesus by the “revelation of the Father” when she declared:

Joh 11:27  She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

So with Nathanael:

Joh 1:48  Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Joh 1:49  Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

This is the characteristic of the “chosen few” and therefore received these promises of our Lord:

Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Joh 6:57  …he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever…

“Thou art the Son of God”

Simon Peter, Martha, Nathanael, and the chosen clearly see Jesus in His role as “Son of God.”

Jesus as their model:

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Jesus showed them the Way of humility:

Joh 5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do…
Mat 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Luk 18:18  And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Jesus reminded them that they would suffer like Him:

1 Pet 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

On the Cross:

The two roles of Jesus are clearly demonstrated:

Jesus in His role as SON of God:

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Jesus in His role as FATHER God:

Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

In the Old Testament, Spirit FATHER God symbolized the fulfillment of His covenant or testament with the shedding of blood of animals (many verses). The chosen in that period were saved “by faith” as revealed to Paul in:

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them…

Jesus in His role as FATHER God therefore is the Messiah, Savior, or Redeemer. Never can Jesus be in His role as SON of God! The general belief that Jesus the Son of God is the

Savior is contrary to Peter’s declaration:

Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

FATHER God refutes this general belief about Jesus in His role Son of God as the Savior:

Isa 43:11 [Father God speaking] I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

“Beside” indicates position or location. The Natural Man’s (1 Cor 2:14) perception that Jesus, the Son of God is “sitting at the right hand of the Father” as savior is nullified by the spiritual meaning of “right hand” that refers to power of God:

Exo 15:6  Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Luk 22:69  Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

Jesus Christ said in Joh 6:26, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, NOT BECAUSE YE SAW THE MIRACLES, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” The “miracle” of our Lord therefore actually refers to His real identity that the “disciples” who left Him failed to see.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

There is a sin that leads unto death:

Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Recognition of Jesus is the “revelation of the Father.” Later, God will tell who the Holy Ghost is and whose revelation is being rejected. Jesus demonstrated the “kind of sin that leads unto death.”

Joh 8:24 (Bishops Bible/KJV)  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Isa 52:6 (Father God speaking) Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

If we will notice, Father God had not yet given His name in the Old Testament with the phrase, “my people shall know my name.” How many people are aware that the following purported names of Father God are but invention of man?

“Jehovah”

In the Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. 7, p. 88 is this: "The reading Jehovah is a comparatively recent invention. Jehovah is generally held to have been the invention of Pope Leo the 10th's Confessor, Peter Galatin (De Arcanis Catholic Veritates 1518, Folio XLIII), who was followed in the use of this hybrid form by Fagius Drusius. Van de Driesche, who lived between 1550 and 1616, was the first to ascribe to Peter Galatin the use of Jehovah, and this view has been taken since his day."

“ Yahweh ”

The Samaritan pronunciation Jabe approaches the real sound of the Divine name. The other early writers transmit only abbreviations or corruptions of the sacred name. Inserting the vowels of Jabe into the original Hebrew consonant text, we obtain the form Jahveh (Yahweh), which has been generally accepted by modern scholars as the true pronunciation of the Divine name. It is not merely closely connected with the pronunciation of the ancient synagogue by means of the Samaritan tradition, but it also allows the legitimate derivation of all the abbreviations of the sacred name in the Old Testament.

(Note: Almost all Bible versions including the Authorized Version published in 1611, adopted these names of Father God.)

Warning

God’s warning regarding the preaching of “another Jesus” that was revealed to Paul:

2 Cor 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit …or another gospel… ye might well bear with him.

Since God is speaking in parables, to “eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus” means to rely on the “revelation of the Father” in recognizing the true Christ.  “Flesh and blood of man” refers to human wisdom, with the use of the intellect and other faculties that Simon Peter, Martha, Nathanael, and the chosen of God have avoided in identifying Jesus. This is the explanation for the prohibition of “eating blood” in the Old Testament:

Lev 3:17  It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat not blood.
Lev 7:27  Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

New Testament believers then still followed the “letter” of the word for the prohibition on eating blood.

Act 15:20  But that we write unto them, that they abstain from …things strangled, and from blood.

But Paul warned of this misinterpretation and gave the qualification of the “ministers of the New Testament.”

2 Cor 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Following the “letter” of the word would not give any spiritual benefit but on the contrary would even instill pride for doing so. God emphasizes the “unseen” in:

2 Cor 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Counterfeit recognition

Counterfeit recognition of Jesus is exposed by the following rebuke of our Lord that cannot be avoided:

Joh 8:19  …Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

To evade further inquiry regarding the identity of Father God, the following stratagem is heard from the pulpits:

“The infinite Father God is incapable of clear identification with the finite mind of man. We will come to know Him when we meet Him in heaven. Let us not lose faith. Just believe in the Trinity for if we try to comprehend it we will lose our mind, but to deny it we will lose our soul.”

The Holy Spirit

In the Testament of Father God, He promised Himself to be the inheritance (Ezek 44:28)

Num 18:20  …I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

The “priests” are revealed to Peter in:

1 Pet 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The priests are the real believers! Thus, David said:

Psa 16:5  The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup…

The intended beneficiaries cannot receive the Father for He is a frightening God:

Exo 20:18  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet…and when the people saw it, they …stood afar off. 19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

It is by divine revelation that the Holy Spirit is now clearly identified. After the fulfillment of the Testament, at Pentecost, the chosen of God received the Holy Spirit. He must be Father God in His amiable form symbolized by a dove (Acts 2:1-4)!

Second Coming of Christ (?) (!)

Today, many people are waiting for the Second Coming of Christ. Have they “not heard” the following promise of our Lord Jesus?

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, came and Jesus promised the following:

Mat 28:20  …I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The “chosen few” are distinguished from the “called ones”:

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

“Flesh and blood” or human wisdom cannot accept Jesus has already come the 2nd time. This truth is anathema to the dictate of the intellect, senses, and other faculties of man! This truth can only be comprehended with the clear identification of Jesus by “the revelation of the Father” or, as understood now,  from the “teaching of the Holy Spirit.”

What the “chosen few” are waiting for is the Second Appearance of Jesus:

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

That time will come and they will have the same glorified body Jesus!

1Joh 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Mary Magdalene was in a hurry to attain this form when she tried to touch Jesus after His resurrection.

Joh 20:17  Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father …and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

How could anybody grasp this “mystery” about Jesus in relation to the identity of the One True God with “man’s flesh and blood,” without “eating the flesh and blood” of Jesus Christ?

Magdalene was enthused with the glorified body of Jesus that she wanted to touch Him. Jesus refused because to attain this kind of body, He had to undergo all the trials, sufferings, and tribulations that Mary had yet to suffer.

Moreover, Jesus in His role as Son refused to be touched saying, “I am not yet ascended to my Father” because He does not yet deserve the kind of adulation Magdalene wanted to pour on Him having not yet taken the form of Father God. We are reminded of Jesus refusing to be called “good Master” in this role.

Luk 18:18  And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Who could have imagined Jesus, while still on earth, took the two roles of FATHER God (the Christ) and SON of God as model to the chosen? And now, who can “see” the Holy Spirit in His two roles?

  • As FATHER God promising Himself to be the inheritance in His Testament, and
  • JESUS who promised the chosen to be with them until the end of the world?

Simon Peter, to whom “eating the flesh and drinking the blood” of Jesus was demonstrated, at the same time received this revelation of the true name of God. Jesus told His Disciples:

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Exposing the counterfeit, they do not obey the command but simply repeat it by, “baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

To Simon Peter however was revealed the name of the Father, name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Ghost in:

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christfor the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Finally, the One True God that the chosen will meet in heaven and to be with in eternity is revealed!

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (human body of Jesus)
Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father …
1 Joh 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

With the divine recognition of Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God, Simon Peter, Martha, Nathanael, and all the Apostles and real Disciples became the “temple of God.”

1 Cor 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

To them was built the “church” that our Lord spoke of in:

Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

God revealed this is the real significance of Jesus’ declaration in:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

In contrast to man’s perception of “church” as referring to the organization or sect, it actually refers to the individual believer. “The gates of hell” are the doctrines of the Scribes and Pharisees to whom our Lord cast the sharpest of all rebuke. Never did we hear these rebuke hurled to murderers, thieves, idolaters, or adulterers, but to these religious leaders:  

Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mat 23:13  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Reading the whole of Matthew 23 would give us a glimpse of the Word of God that, indeed, it is a “living word.”

For the continuation of this treatise, read the articles:

Upon This Rock – Part I

http://www.purechristianity.org/index.php?module=articles&func=display&ptid=1&aid=27

Upon This Rock – Part II and III

http://www.purechristianity.org/index.php/news/Upon_This_Rock_-_Part_II_and_III

Final reminder:

“Flesh” and “blood” of Jesus actually represent the “letter” of the word and the Holy Spirit. They are the “two witnesses to the truth” that our Lord spoke of in the following:

Joh 8:17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

Without them, never can JESUS CHRIST be identified and TRUTH from the words be revealed. He said:

Joh 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
Joh 8:18 I am one [“letter of the word] that bear witness of myself, and the Father [Holy Spirit] that sent me beareth witness of me.

In truth, real praise to God is through His words. Thus,

  • Psa 56:10  In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
  • Psa 56:11  In God have I put my trust…
  • Psa 56:12  Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
  • Psa 56:13  For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

END

  • Phi 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
  • Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
  • Mat 11:25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
  • Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.
  • Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Luk 10:21  In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
  • Isa 28:9  KJV Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, anddrawn from the breasts.
  • Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest…
  • 1 Cor 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
  • Eze 44:28  (Father God speaking) And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance…
  • Eze 44:15  …the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary …