What I said was that Jesus said the words He spoke were spiritual words. That means, imo, they are symbolic.
Ok so it’s your opinion. Thank you for clarifying, I appreciate it mate.
But let me show you how wrong you are in your conclusion. Please read this all the way through, it’s a bit long I know, but it needs a complete explanation. Thanks in advance.
“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. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” 1 Cor 2:14-16.
This is the context of Jesus words, in trying to convince people of a literal reality but believed in Faith spiritually.
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64
Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.”
So in context, Jesus is talking about their lack of belief in His literal words, not that His flesh profits nothing.
Because “ 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.”
The natural man is the flesh that profits nothing and will not believe Jesus.
So Jesus teaching that they must literally eat His Flesh and drink His Blood, they could not believe as the natural man the flesh.
“This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
The natural man, the flesh or human reasoning cannot accept eating Jesus flesh and drinking His Blood, it’s foolishness to him, a hard teaching impossible for him to believe.
So who did believe Jesus words, and how? That Jesus Flesh was real food and Blood was real drink, and that they must eat His Flesh and drink His Blood.
The Spiritual man believed Jesus words.
“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.”
68 “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to
believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Peter made a supernatural act of Faith in Jesus
words.
So Jesus words were very literal but only believed spiritually by Faith.
Peter didn’t humanly know or understand “ How “ Jesus would give His Flesh to eat, or “ How “ Jesus Flesh could be real food, and Blood real drink.
But Peter believed in Faith by The Spirit. Only later at the Last Supper did Peter understand how Jesus would institute this, giving His Body and Blood to eat and drink.
So both those disciples that left Jesus and those that stayed, understood Jesus was speaking literally, but were exposed by Jesus Words, as either the natural man the flesh that profits nothing, in human reasoning, and the spiritual man that believes in Faith by The Spirit.
Catholics today will tell you, we only believe it because Jesus said it. Human reasoning of the natural man, the flesh will profit you nothing. You must face Jesus shocking literal words and hard teaching here by Faith by The Spirit to believe.
The natural man can not pass through this singularity of Faith, only the spiritual man by The Spirit, the flesh profits nothing.
It is mysterious who will be given to believe Jesus words here, it is only granted by The Father to believe The Son.
“This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
My explanations will fall short in essence, only The Father can grant you to believe Jesus words here.
The Apostle Paul says the Lord’s Supper proclaims His death until He comes again. That is symbolic.
Not symbolic. The Eucharist proclaims Jesus death because we partake of that sacrifice and death which made Jesus Flesh and Blood available to us to eat and drink as He commanded.