How do jw's answer this? John 6:54 & blood issue

by carla 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  carla

  I happen to be cruising around the net and stumbled upon this question on a different forum. How do jw's answer Jesus words in John 6:54 today?

  "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

  You've got eating flesh and drinking blood something jw's find repulsive. Their yearly reject Jesus memorial does not allow them to take part in communion, how do they hand the 'whoever' part? some Bibles say 'whosoever' and does not limit it to a number such as 144,000.

  Or does their version of the Bible simply remove John 6:54? just wondering what the current light is on that one.
• 

  sir82

  As with every other inconvenient Bible verse:

  If a bible quotation seems to contradict a WT teaching, that verse is "symbolic". If the quotation seems to support a WT teaching, it is "literal".

  So drinking Jesus' blood in that verse is "symbolic".
  

  To be fair, many other Christian religions follow that same formula ("symbolic" vs. "literal" verses) to bolster their doctrine.
  
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  Vanderhoven7

  They say that only the 144000 are entitled to partake. Members of the Great Crowd are not part of the New Covenant.
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  EverApostate

  John 6: 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me, and I in union with him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. It is not as when your forefathers ate and yet died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

  As per the above Jesus's Supposed Sayings, no one gets Eternal life unless they eat Jesus flesh and drink his blood. Clear cut. No Excuses for anyone who professes to be a Christian. WT does a whole bunch of Biblical gymnastics to make believe that this is for 144K

  Another dimension to this is Symbolic Cannibalism, which is disgusting.
• 

  waton

  The convoluted wt teaching is, that the partaking of the remnant gives the "anointed" the right to "everlasting life" on earth (like the second Adam) ,--but then they have to sacrifice that privilege for the better hope of immortality in heaven.

  That explanation does not address the fact though, that the non-partaking "Other Sheep" sooner or later will have to partake too, in order to have everlasting life like Adam, and be resurrected.

  wt has never put those 3 steps in one sentence, because it too would expose their error of confusing the new covenant with the one for the priesthood and kingdom rule, and highlight the command to eat, drink all of you, not anointed yet.
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  Finkelstein

  That's why most Christian based adherents partake of the emblems of bread and wine.

  The WTS crooks twisted this commandment from Jesus to only mean the chosen 144,000.

  Its just another stupid idiotic theology twisting the WTS, leaders created for themselves.

  This separation or distinction was created from the leaders of WTS (GB members) who self proclaimed themselves the anointed class (144,000) as they wanted to elevate their own personal stature with special or greater spirituality.

  There is a lot of theological bullshit the WTS created over the years but it was done so to sustain their power and prominence as the controlling leaders.

  One must also keep in mind how rigidly the WTS enforces its doctrines over the rest of the followers, they do this with repetitive indoctrination.
  
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  The Fall Guy

  Probably the Revised Revision of the Updated New World Translation will give "new light" interpretations of some verses, e.g. 1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and 144,000 men, a man, Christ Jesus."
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  TD

  I think the problem with John 6:54 is a little more subtle than it is typically presented on the internet.

  As any JW with two brain cells to rub together would point out, the act of eating Jesus' flesh and blood is only metaphorical.

  What happens when we follow that idea through to its logical conclusion though?
  

  Christians metaphorically partake of Jesus' flesh and blood via the sacraments of communion. (Emblems of Memorial in JW parlance.)
  

  The blood of animals was therefore no longer sacred in the sense that it pictured Jesus' blood, as that symbolism was transferred by Jesus' own command to the bread and the wine.

  JW's can argue that they're honoring Jesus' sacrifice via their blood doctrine until the cows come home, but that argument ultimately rests on an anachronistic reading of their proof-texts.

  Jesus changed all that and John 6:54 is a direct allusion to his intent to do so.
  
  
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  waton

  Jws might argue that the bible was written for the anointed, and those listening to Jesus sayings in John 6, were of the [later] anointed generation of his day.

  Ignoring the fact that it would be only one flock, eating one food, not the two tier Christianity that wt invented in the 1930,
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  Finkelstein

  One thing that can and should be accepted is ancient mythological writings can be interpenetrated in many various ways.

  Could the great crowd as spoken about in the NT be those who didn't partake and therefore are to live on earth when earth is returned to its paradise state ?

  Irregardless I think the rest of Christendom has the correct interpretation in that "all" faithful followers should partake in following Jesus's instructions , from there god is supposed to choose who goes to heaven as the anointed.
  

  1 Corinthians 11:23-26New International Version (NIV)

  23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.