Communion - Our Daily "Bread"
By Hal Dekker
2009.05.14
Last update: 2017.10.06
Last update: 2024.01.30
Throughout this presentation of what is our daily “bread” I’m going to use literal quotes of what the ancient writers said in the Greek texts so there can be no mortal-made, opinionated paraphrases to get in the way between the reader’s eyes and exactly what the ancient writers wrote. I’ll use a pair of parentheses, ( ), to show you the exact morphological spellings of any of the most important Greek words in the ancient texts which are used in this study, so the reader can look them up for him or herself in a lexicon if there is any question as to the meanings I apply to them in this study.
This is not a study containing a single lesson to be learned, but contains many important spiritual lessons throughout, which knowledge and understanding of them are requirements for discipleship to Jesus Christ. The subject of Communion - Our Daily "Bread" is considered by apostle Paul to be a “milk” subject in God’s Word, not a “meat” subject. This subject matter is foundational “milk” which we must learn in order to be prepared to move on into the “meat” of God’s Word.
The God Our Heavenly Father Promised Us Physical Healing!
I would like to begin by showing you the most prominent prophecy in God’s Word through which our heavenly Father has promised to heal our sicknesses and diseases, Isa. 53:5, which new covenant benefit our heavenly Father gives to us on account of the physical beating, whipping and trauma Jesus Christ received and suffered in his physical body in the process of his crucifixion.
Isa. 53:5 (LIT) He was being profaned for our transgressions; [he was] being crushed for our iniquities.
The chastisement for our wholeness [was] upon him; and in his blow he caused himself to heal us!
This promise our heavenly Father gave to us, on behalf of his son’s personal sacrifice for us, is so fantastic that most followers of Jesus Christ simply can’t believe it. But yet believing the efficacy of our heavenly Father’s promise is required to receive it into manifestation in our lives as a living reality (Heb. 11:1-6).
The two obvious aspects of Christ Jesus' personal sacrifice for us:
1. his traumatized body - for healing now.
2. his shed blood and death - for pardon for the penalty of our sin, pardon for both now and in the future.
Of the two most obvious aspects of Christ’s sacrifice for us, our Father’s benevolence to us through the shedding of Jesus’ blood is most commonly preached, taught, and known. But the aspect of the Father’s benevolence to us through Jesus’ traumatized body is traditionally less known. I believe what is known and taught about this aspect is usually very diminutive in it’s scope and depth. Therefore today many disciples of Christ Jesus are not receiving the reality of these related great and precious promises in their lives, the healing in our physical bodies, which our heavenly Father promised to us on account of Jesus’ personal sacrifice of his own physical body for us.
Traditional teachings of Christianity focus upon the Father’s benevolence to us which we shall receive after the return of his son Jesus Christ and/or our resurrection, whichever may come first. But the greatness of his promise in Isa. 53:5 is for our healing now, before we die, before Jesus Christ returns for us, and is to comfort us and give healing (Gk. iaomai) to us while we wait for Jesus’ return.
Jesus' traumatized body provides healing for us now, in the here and now time frame, while we are alive and await Christ's return for us. Jesus' shed blood relieves us of the penalty for our sin both now and in the future. In the future when we are raised up to be together with him we'll have our new spirit-based bodies which shall be immune to sickness and disease.
Then, under the old covenant of the law, which covenant has now passed (Rom. 3:21), God, our heavenly Father, made provision for the healing and health of the children of Israel through various animal sacrifices (Leviticus). But now, under the new covenant in Jesus’ shed blood for the remission of our sins, and our subsequent righteousness without spot or blemish before God’s eyes, Jesus Christ was the last sacrifice, the once and for all sacrifice (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 26, 28; 10:10; 1 Pet. 3:18); and his traumatized body is specifically for our healing now, from our sicknesses and illnesses which come upon us now from our sin nature passed down to us from Adam.
From my studies I believe God’s promise for our healing applies to both our complete mental and physical wholeness. Here I’m presenting only a brief confluence and synopsis of the many detailed studies I’ve done on this subject, since I wish to present this promise in God’s Word to you in its whole form, but yet without prolonging the reader’s comprehension of it with the presentation of endless supporting details.
So now let’s go straight to the greatness of God’s Word and see this fabulous promise from our heavenly Father for our own healing and health now, and let’s begin to eat our daily “bread”, i.e., all of the milk and meat of this subject.
The Prophet Isaiah Prophesied We Are To Receive Miraculous Physical Healing
Please turn your Bible to Isaiah 53:5.
Isa. 53:5 (LIT) He was being profaned for our transgressions; [he was] being crushed for our iniquities.
The chastisement for our wholeness [was] upon him; and in his blow he caused himself to heal us!
in his blow – God’s plan and precious promise to us is that through the destruction of Jesus Christ’s physical body miraculous healing has been made available for our own bodies, for all those who believe upon the precious name of Jesus!
he caused himself to heal [us] – (Heb. rāpā) Please notice Isaiah’s prophetic use of the simple reflexive perfect tense of the verb, stating the action of our future healing as though it has already been accomplished at the time of Isaiah’s writing of his vision. The promised coming messiah had not yet come at the time of Isaiah's prophecies, and would not come for about another 646 years. Isaiah wrote during the period of about 649 to 603 BCE, give or take a few years.
I believe Isaiah's prophetic statement in the past tense, of our heavenly Father's promise for our healing through the messiah's death, is a figure of speech, to draw our attention to the certainty of the coming to pass of the future event and its outcome for us. In the beginning our heavenly Father made his plan for our complete healing, health and wholeness, and now nothing can stop it from coming to pass in our lives, except our own lack of belief in our own hearts of his great and precious promises (2 Pet. 1:2-4; Heb. 1:1-6). If you need belief, ASK God your heavenly Father for it, in Jesus' name! (Mat. 7:7; James 4:2) When you go to the bank and stand there at the teller's window starring at someone, he or she is not going to give you any of your money until you ask for it! Right? ASK him! And then THANK him! And then wait patiently.
Apostle Peter Taught We Are To Receive Miraculous Physical Healing
Please turn your Bible to 1 Pet. 2:24, where we can see apostle Peter's quote of Isaiah's passage.
Here apostle Peter substantiates and verifies for us that the Father absolutely did promise us physical healing on account of the physical beating, and whipping, and trauma to the physical body of his son Jesus Christ, which Jesus suffered in the process of his crucifixion.
1 Pet. 2:24 (LIT/UBS4) who (hos) himself (autos) brought up (anēnenken) the (tas) sins (hamartias) of us (hēmōn) in (en) the (tō) body (sōmati) of him (autou) upon (epi) the (to) tree (xulon);
in order that (hina) we having caused ourselves to become away from (apogenomenoi) the (tais) sins (hamartiais) [of us, RE], we may live (zēsōmen) for the (tē) righteousness (dikaiosunē) [of him, RE];
of which (hou) [righteousness, RE], for the (tō) bruising (mōlōpi) of him (autou), you were healed (iathēte)!
of whom for the bruising of him you were healed – Please notice apostle Peter’s preservation of Isaiah’s use of the perfect tense verb to describe our promised healing, Peter stating, "you were healed!”. Apostle Peter must have taken special notice of Isaiah's special figurative usage of a verb, to be careful enough to repeat it accurately in his letter as well. WHY do you suppose it is so important for both of them to be so careful to use the past perfect tense verb for stating our promised healing, stating it as though it has already occurred?
I believe it is a deliberate figurative usage of speech to emphatically draw our attention to the point that the God, the heavenly Father, has already done (perfect tense) EVERYTHING for us that we need for our complete healing, health and wholeness, through his son Jesus Christ! From the point of view of Isaiah, at a future time, for those who recognize and believe to receive the coming messiah, their healing shall certainly be a done deal!
But NOW, the new covenant burden is upon us to do our part, to believe God’s fantastic Word, to believe the greatness of his promise for us. Can you believe God’s Word here for you? Can you believe it in your own heart? Can you believe it now? Belief is required to receive anything from our heavenly Father (Heb. 11:1, 6)!
We should say, “Father, your Word is so great to me that I can hardly take it in. Please help my unbelief. I believe upon the name of your son Jesus Christ, and accept him as the payment for my sin, and I accept him as my Lord and savior. Thank you Father! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”.
That our heavenly Father has promised us healing, health and wholeness for our minds and bodies while we yet wait for the return of his son Jesus Christ, is absolutely undeniable, because it is written in God’s Word which I am showing you here. Please look closely at the last part of 1 Pet. 2:24, in which apostle Peter states, "
in order that (hina) we having caused ourselves to become away from (apogenomenoi) the (tais) sins (hamartiais) [of us, RE], we may live (zēsōmen) for the (tē) righteousness (dikaiosunē) [of him, RE];
of which (hou) [righteousness, RE], for the (tō) bruising (mōlōpi) of him (autou), you were healed (iathēte)!"
The God, our heavenly Father, desires to heal us, first of all he desires to heal us who believe upon Jesus' name. And secondly, he desires us to be healed in order that we may become living, walking and talking examples of the God's righteousness here upon earth now, while we wait for Jesus' return for his one body. How can any believer remain sick and feeble, while at the same time the God, their heavenly Father, desires to heal them, on account of Jesus shed blood and broken body, and death, for our complete forgiveness of sins, wholeness and righteousness? What did Jesus Christ require from everyone he healed, according to the biblical records, belief! Nothing has changed; God hasn't changed, Jesus Christ hasn't changed, God's Word to us hasn't changed. Our heavenly Father is still asking people, "Do you believe that I can do this?"
I’ve shown you the Isaiah 53:5 prophecy. I’ve shown you apostle Peter’s reference to Isaiah’s prophecy. Apostle Peter’s recognition and reference to Isaiah’s prophecy, and especially to Isaiah's use of the perfect tense of the verb, indicates that the knowledge and understanding of this prophecy must have been commonly taught and preached by Jesus Christ and his apostles among the first century believers.
Now, I believe if we are not receiving this precious promise into reality in our own lives that we should not conclude that it is the God, our heavenly Father, who has changed, or retracted any of his great and precious promises, or that perhaps he is not desiring and willing to heal us. But maybe it has something to do with our own failure to fulfill our own end of the new covenant Law of Belief, which most important responsibility is to believe God’s Word; because without belief in God’s Word it is impossible to please him (Heb. 11:6). But, how can we believe something if we don't know it?
Mat. 3:3 quotes some of Isa. 40:3:
Mat. 3:3 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) this (houtos) [preaching, v1, RE] is (estin) the (ho) [preaching, v1, RE] having been stated (rhētheis) through (dia) Esaias (Esaiou), the (tou) prophet (prophētou), saying (legontos), "[A] voice (phōnē) of shouting (boōntos) in (en) the (tē) desolate place (erēmō), ‘Make ready (hetoimasate) the (tēn) way (hodon) of [the] Lord (kuriou, YHWH)!
Make (poiete) the (tas) paths (tribous) of him (autou) straight (eutheias)!'"
In Isa. 40:3 The Hebrew word for Lord is YHWH, the Tetragrammaton', and the last part of v3 states "[a] straight [highway, derek, RE] in the plains of the God (Elohim)." I believe this passage is figurative, and that the "plains" are masses of humanity, and the "highway" of the God is people's hearts, wherein he looks diligently for belief in them. When a person's heart becomes full of belief in God's Word, then that person's heart becomes "straight", which means, "righteous and thereby acceptable" to the God and his son Christ Jesus. In Mat. 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4 and John 1:23 the apostolic writers didn't clarify in their partial quotes of Isa. 40:3, that the Lord, YHWH, is the God, as the prophet Isaiah has clarified the Lord to be in his writing. Not until some decades after Jesus' ascension were apostolic writings, and writings from others, produced, some of which are now part of the new covenant books of the biblical texts. Jesus and his disciples fed upon God's Word through all of the books of the Law, the Psalms and the prophets, so that in their minds, since Isaiah says "God" is the being who is doing the looking/searching, they understood that the God was working together with his son, Jesus Christ, to find those who believed to be healed. Please review these passage references, *John 5:19, *10:36-38, *4:8 - 11, 28.
John 14:10
(LIT/UBS4) Do you absolutely not
believe (ou pisteueis) that
(hoti) I (egō)
[am] in (en) the (tō)
Father (patri), and (kai) the (ho)
Father (patēr)
is (estin) in (en)
me (emoi)!?
Please see 2 Sam. 7:5-16, Joel 2:28-29 and Rev. 21:3 for God's promise to pour out himself into us, his children, and live with us in his "tent" which God built with his own hand (Exod. 15:17; Heb. 8:1-2; 9:11; Acts 17:24; Isa. 66:1-2; Acts 7:47-50; Exod. 25:22), which "tent" is the one body of Christ, the Kingdom of God. Under God's new covenant in Jesus' shed blood and death, Christ Jesus himself is the new "Ark of the Covenant". Everyone is still looking for the old Ark of the Covenant, which old covenant law is now almost invisible (Heb. 8:13). Maybe God allowed it off of the stage for a reason, so we might look for another "Ark" of some kind, an Ark into which we also may be safely kept, the one body of Christ!
Under the old covenant we were to keep on doing the works of the law. The old Mosaic law was a Law of Works as apostle Paul tells us in Rom. 3:27. But that old Law of Works has been replaced with the changing out of the old covenant into the new covenant through Jesus’ shed blood and death. And the new “law” for this age of God’s grace is the Law of Belief (Rom. 3:27). Under the old covenant individuals were required to keep and do certain services, based upon the details of the law, to keep their own covenant responsibilities toward God. In that covenant, if the children of Israel, individually or corporately, did not keep their end of the covenant responsibilities, then God the heavenly Father was not accountable and liable to keep his end of the covenant promises to meet their needs. And as the scriptural records show, many times God the heavenly Father withdrew his hand of protection from being over the children of Israel, and disastrous calamity always resulted. The devil was, and still always is, waiting for an opportunity to jump in and steal, kill, and destroy (Rom. 10:9) believers, through "feeding" them lies (John 8:44, and context).
Under the new covenant in Jesus’ shed blood, reciprocity is still a very critical factor in our own covenant responsibilities. In response to our heavenly Father’s great and precious promises to us through his son Jesus Christ’s self-sacrifice, WE are required to reciprocate by knowing and then believing in our hearts his promises, his Word. And likewise, if we do not believe, then our heavenly Father is not held liable to keep his promises for us, because we are not keeping our end of the new covenant deal. We must live our lives by God’s rule book, not our own. God’s rule book, simply stated, says if you don’t believe you don’t receive, because if we do not believe then we do not ask (Mat. 7:7; James 4:2). As we have already seen, unbelief displeases God (Heb. 11:6).
This is the new covenant Law of Belief as Jesus Christ, apostle James and apostle Paul all taught, and as James recorded to the dispersed Judean believers, and as Paul recorded in his letter to the believers in the Rome area, recorded in Rom. 3:27, and which he mentions and alludes to many more times throughout most all of his writings!
God our heavenly Father desires us to be standing before him without spot or blemish, totally healed, healthy and whole (Eph. 5:25-27), so we can glorify him in every way in this world in which we live now; showing all those around us as a witness to them of him, how God’s Word comes to pass into reality in the lives of those who BELIEVE upon the precious name of Jesus, and who keep his commandments and are pleasing in his sight.
Apostle James Taught We Are To Receive Miraculous Physical Healing
Please turn your Bible to James 5:14.
Apostle James, Jesus Christ’s half-brother (Gal. 1:19), who was one of the “pillars” (Gal. 2:9) who gave the “judgment” of the apostles and elders of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 15:13-21), taught that we are to expect to receive physical healing from our heavenly Father, WHEN we believe and do exactly as God’s Word says, as recorded out of the mouths of all of the apostles and prophets.
James 5:14 (LIT/UBS4) [Is] anyone (tis) disabled (asthenei) among (en) you (humin)?
Let him cause himself to call aloud to (proskalesasthō) the (tous) elders (presbuterous) of the (tēs) assembly (ekklēsias), and (kai) let them cause themselves to be well-thankful to4336 (proseuxasthōsan) [God] over (ep’) [the sake] of him (auton), oiling (aleipsantes) him (auton) to olive oil (elaiō) in (en) the (tō) name (onomati) of the (tou) lord (kuriou).
James 5:15 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (hē) vow (euchē) of the (tēs) belief (pisteōs) shall make whole (sōsei) the one (ton) being weary (kamnonta), and (kai) the (ho) lord (kurios) shall arouse (egerie) him (auton);
and if perhaps (kan) [there] may be (ē) sins (hamartias), [a sin] having been done (pepoiēkōs), it shall be let go (aphethēsetai) to him (autō).
James 5:16 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), cause yourselves to confess out (exomologeisthe) to one another (allēlois) the (tas) sins (hamartias), and (kai) cause yourselves to make a vow (euchesthe) over (huper) one another (allēlōn), it so being that (hopōs) you may be healed (iathēte).
A prayer of need (deēsis) of a righteous one (dikaiou) is much stronger (polu ischuei), it causing itself to be energized (energoumenē)!
(For a believer's Spirit, prayer of need, and belief, all being energized by love, see Gal. 5:6; James 5:16)
Please notice James’ prescription for our physical healing, which definitely states that healing from our heavenly Father is absolutely available now, since we are still in that same age of grace which began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). James’ “spiritual prescription” is to those believers who are weak, i.e., sick and/or ill, which prescription affords instructions for all believers.
Please notice the individual elements in James’ prescription:
- The elders of the assembly should utter towards God over the sick ones (v14),
- oiling the sick and ill in olive oil (v14), which was typically applied to the forehead of the sick and ill,
- thanking God for their healing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (v14).
- The one being sick and/or ill should make a vow of belief toward the heavenly Father (v15),
- through which reciprocation the Lord shall “arouse”, i.e., heal the sick and/or ill one (v15),
- and any sins which that one may have done shall be forgiven, lit., let go from that one (v15).
- We are to confess out to one another the sins we commit against one another (v16),
- and vow over one another our repentance and forgiveness to one another so that we may be healed (v16),
- A prayer of need of a righteous one is a stronger prayer, because that righteous one can be and is energized (v16), having Christ in them (Col. 1:27).
Why does James, in his letter in 5:15, say that the sins which the sick or ill one may have done shall be forgiven, let go to that one? Because in James 1:13-15 apostle James explains that through our giving in to temptation to sin, and subsequently sinning, that through that sickness and/or illness is produced, which eventually leads to death. Elsewhere in the ancient texts mortal’s propensity toward sin is described as our sin nature, as passed down to us from the first ones, Adam and Eve (Rom. 11:24; Eph. 2:3).
When the sin is forgiven, i.e., the penalty for the sin is let go from the sinner on account of Jesus’ bruised body and shed blood, then the healing can occur. I believe the healing which occurs is miraculous because it occurs as a result of the letting go of the penalty for a person’s sin, and the person’s and the elder’s believing and following of God’s Word, and their following of James’ inspired spiritual prescription.
All through the holy scriptures I see physical and/or mental weaknesses coming from at least two distinct sources or causes:
1. Physical and/or mental weaknesses on account of the sin nature passed down to the posterity of Adam, which weaknesses occur on account of the genetic degradation of the human body, the degradation caused through the continuing influence of sin nature of the devil in the physical body of mortalkind. Whatever are the physical and mental capacities with which we are born, they come to us from hand-me-down genes. Whatever is the condition of that DNA passed down to us is what determines the initial "hand" we are dealt, which is the opportunity we are given to make the most of it.
When I read all of the records in God's Word of people being healed by the power of God's Spirit, no matter through what agency they may receive their healing, the vast majority of the healings recorded in God's Word occur for people with a weaknesses based upon genetic incapacities of some kind. For example: blind from birth; lame from birth; the man with the withered hand from birth; the woman with an issue of blood her whole life; women unable to bare children, i.e. conceive, etc.
I believe the physical bodies of Adam and Eve, in their original states of perfection before they sinned, were so genetically sound that they could fight off and conquer any microscopic organisms which now, to us, seem "empowered" to cause conflict, damage and death to our degraded physical bodies. In the beginning, Adam and Eve, through their sin, brought the degradation of their physical bodies upon themselves, and subsequently the weaknesses to which they became susceptible, and to which we, their posterity, are now all susceptible.
According to the holy scriptures, Adam and Eve had a choice whether to sin, and to subsequently bring upon themselves their own physical degradation and subsequent death (Gen. 2:17, 3:19). We, the posterity of Adam, were not given a choice over their decision to sin. We were all handed the death sentence with no say in the matter; which is why we needed a promised redeemer.
2. Weaknesses we bring on ourselves and/or family members, self-inflicted weaknesses in our lives which are manifested through living a life style contrary to the truth in God's Word, a lifestyle of sin, based upon the nature of death in us, handed down to us.
I believe the record in James 5:14-16, which we read, applies to both of these sources or causes. But concerning the second cause, I see a caveat in the holy scriptures clarifying the new covenant conditions, recorded in at least 2 Pet. 2:20-22 and Heb. 4:6-8. If one has a weakness based upon genetic incapacities, the records in the holy scriptures, especially in the gospel records, clearly show that one is certainly eligible to receive healing from it according to that one's belief upon the name of Jesus. And if one has a weakness which he has brought upon himself through his own lifestyle of sin, repentance to God for that sin and his belief upon the name of Jesus causes him to receive healing as well. But if after one's repentance and belief one turns back to a life style of sin, then for the subsequent weaknesses which develop from that sin there is no longer healing, because that return to sin breaks the rules of one's required responsibilities under the new covenant in Jesus' shed blood.
2 Pet. 2:20 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) if (ei) they having fled away from (apophugontes) the (ta) contaminations (miasmata) of the (tou) cosmos (kosmou) in (en) experiential knowledge (epignōsei) of the (tou) lord (kuriou) of us (hēmōn) and (kai) [a] savior (sōtēros), Jesus (Iēsou) Christ (Christou), but (de) they having been entangled (emplakentes) again (palin) to these things (toutois), they are causing themselves to become inferior (hēttōntai)!
For them (autois) the (ta) last (eschata) [contaminations, RE] have become (gegonen) <sic> worse ones than (cheirona) the (tōn) first ones (prōtōn)!
2 Pet. 2:21 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) is it being (ēn) [a] stronger position (kreitton) for them (autois) not (mē) to have experientially known (epegnōkenai) the (tēn) way (hodon) of the (tēs) righteousness (dikaiosunēs), or (ē) having experientially known (epignousin) [the way, RE] to return (hupostrepsai) out (ek) of the (tēs) holy (hagias) injunction (entolēs) having been passed along (paradotheisēs) to them (autois)?
2 Pet. 2:22 (LIT/UBS4) The (to) [dog, RE] of the (tēs) true (alēthous) wayside saying (paroimias) has walked together with (sumbebēken) them (autois) – [a] dog (kuōn) having turned back (epistrepsas) upon (epi) the (to) vomit (exerama) of its own (idion);
and (kai) [a] hog (hus) having bathed itself (lousamenē) [it turned back, RE] into (eis) [a] wallowing (kulismon) of dung (borborou).
Heb. 6:4 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) [each one] of the ones (tous) [is] an inherently unpowered one (adunaton), they once (hapax) having been illuminated (phōtisthentas), both (te) having caused themselves to taste (geusamenous) of the (tēs) gift (dōreas) of the (tēs) heavenly one (epouraniou), and (kai) having been caused to become (genēthentas) partners (metochous) of holy (hagiou) Spirit (pneumatos);
Heb. 6:5 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) they having caused themselves to taste (geusamenous) a beautiful (kalon) statement (rhēma) of God (theou), and (te) inherent powers (dunameis) of an age (aiōnos) being about (mellontos) [to be];
Heb. 6:6 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) they having fallen aside (parapesontas) to refreshen up (anakainizein) again (palin) into (eis) repentance (metanoian), staking up (anastaurountas) to themselves (heautois) the (ton) son (huion) of the (tou) God (theou), and (kai) making sideshows (paradeigmatizontas)!
Apostle James Explains How Our Sin Leads to Weakness, and Sometimes Death
Please turn your Bible to James 1:13.
James 1:13 (LIT/UBS4) [Let] not one (medeis) being tested (peirazomenos) say (legeto) that (hoti), “I am tested (peirastos) from (apo) God (theou)”.
Because (gar) the (ho) God (theos) is (esti) untested (apeirastos) of malicious things (kakōn).
But (de) he tests (peirazei) absolutely not one (oudena) himself (autos)!
“I am tested/tempted from God” – Apostle James taught that no one should say that they have been or were tempted from our heavenly Father. Why?
and he tests absolutely not one himself – Please notice apostle James’ use of the emphatic particle of negation, oud, in the compound word oudena, a compound of both oud meaning absolutely not, and hena meaning the numeral one. Here, the apostle James declares emphatically that the God, our heavenly Father, absolutely does not test/tempt/try even one person, to see if they will sin based upon that testing/temptation/trying. That is absolutely not the way our heavenly Father deals with us as his children. We all chose to sin for ourselves, either ignorantly or deliberately.
Apostle James says God absolutely does not test/tempt/try us, absolutely not even one person! If it is succumbing to temptation which leads us to sin, then we absolutely cannot blame that temptation upon our heavenly Father, can we? Because apostle James says our heavenly Father absolutely does not test/tempt/try us!
Put your finger here in James, and please turn your Bible to Psalm 103:10.
Therefore, that supposedly Christian concept that first God tempts us to do sin, and then when we do it he is waiting to beat us over the head with a baseball bat, is totally from the pit of hell! That teaching and belief is from the devil himself, and absolutely no one else! God, our heavenly Father, prophetically says through David the Psalmist:
Psalm 103:10 (Darby) He hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
us – These are the children of Israel whom our heavenly Father adopted as his own children when he made a covenant with them. But now in this age of God’s grace, since the day of Pentecost, all those who believe upon the name of Jesus to receive the new birth above in God’s gift of holy Spirit are now his children by paternal birth, absolutely not adoption as many poor English translations may say. The new birth above in God’s holy Spirit is a new birth, as Jesus taught Nicodemus in John 3. Apostles Peter and John say we have received God’s “seed” in us, which makes us paternal sons and daughters by paternal birth (1 Pet. 1:23; 1 John 3:9). Our heavenly Father’s promises for our healing and health, and all of his covenant promises, are not to the unbelievers in this world, but only to his adopted and paternal sons and daughters.
This is a verse of scripture which states that our heavenly Father does not sit around waiting for us to sin so he can treat us accordingly. The consequences of our sin absolutely does not come from our heavenly Father! Let’s read that verse 100 times until we finally get it into our heads. The consequences of our sin absolutely does not come from our heavenly Father! He does not deal with us according to our sin.
The sin which is in the world came from the devil, not from our heavenly Father! When Adam and Eve were lied to and tricked by the devil, and thereby tempted into believing what he said to them, then they sinned, because of their own choice as to what to believe, the devil’s lie or God’s Word! We can choose exactly what to believe also, just like they could choose. As apostle James states, we beat ourselves over the head with a baseball bat because of our own choices, based upon our own lusts for things. The consequences of our sin absolutely does not come from our heavenly Father! So then where do those consequences come from?
Put your finger in Psalm 103, and please turn your Bible back to James 1, verse 14.
James 1:14 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) each one (hekastos) is tested (peirazetai) under (hupo) the (tēs) lust (epithumias) of his own (idias), being allured (deleazomenos) and (kai) being drawn out (exelkomenos).
James 1:15 (LIT/UBS4) Thereafter (eita), the (hē) lust (epithumia) having been taken together with (sullabousa) [[a] testing, v12, RE] bears (tiktei) sin (hamartian).
But (de) of the (hē) sin (hamartia), from sin having been caused to come to completion (hamartia apotelestheisa), death (thanaton) gestates from (apokuei) [it].
But of the sin, from sin having been caused to come to completion – Sin produces sicknesses and illnesses which eventually lead to death. That is how I believe sin produces death; i.e., “the rations (Gk. opsōnia) of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Please notice apostle Paul’s careful selection of the word opsōnia, meaning a soldier’s food ration, to make his point metaphorically that as we sin we are “eating” death into ourselves. This is the opposite of “eating” God’s Word, the words of life (John 6:63).
This is why God sent his Word and is healing (imperfect tense) us (Ps. 107:20)! God our heavenly Father has already sent his Word, and it is his Word which is healing us, now! his Words of life have already been given (1 John 1:1-3). It’s God’s Word in our hearts and minds which heals us (John 6:63) when we believe it. Here’s a little more out of Psalm 103 which states King David’s belief of God’s desire to heal us.
Please turn your Bible back to Psalm 103.
Psalm 103:1 (Darby) Bless Jehovah, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Psalm 103:2 (Darby) Bless Jehovah, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalm 103:3 (Darby) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases;
Psalm 103:4 (Darby) Who redeemeth thy life from the pit, who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies;
Psalm 103:5 (Darby) Who satisfieth thine old age with good things;
thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Our heavenly Father has already given us his Word, and as we learn it and put it into our minds and hearts it is healing us as we believe it. Our belief in God’s Word is built into our minds and hearts through hearing God’s Word (Rom. 10:16-17). How can we believe something we’ve never heard? Now here comes Isaiah 53:5 again. Hear it, and then believe it. Put it in your mind and treasure it, because it is an exceedingly GREAT and PRECIOUS promise from our heavenly Father (2 Pet. 1:4).
Our belief in God’s Word is built in our heart through our building the knowledge of God’s Word in our heart (Rom. 10:16-17). Yes, I believe God can help our unbelief. But I believe that it is up to us also to first put the knowledge of God’s Word in our life, through our own deliberate, conscientious, hard-working effort to learn and know not mortal-made theological theories, BUT, God's Word! There is a huge difference between Truth and theological theories. There is no spiritual power of God in mortal-made theological theories. The power of God is in the depth of the knowledge of his Word, which Word builds belief in our hearts to receive his great and precious promises (John 6:63; Rom. 10:17)!
So if we have health problems in our lives, then our new covenant responsibility makes it incumbent upon us to first know God’s promises for our health and wholeness, and then BELIEVE those precious promises through building the knowledge and belief of God’s Word into our minds so we can apprehend them into reality into our lives. Our heavenly Father said to us through his prophet and messenger Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6, KJV).
Please turn your Bible to 2 Pet. 3:9.
2 Pet. 3:9 (LIT/UBS4) [The] lord (kurios) absolutely does not tarry (ou bradunei) of the (tēs) promise (epaggelias), as (hōs) some (tines) cause themselves to be led (hēgountai) of slowness (bradutēta)!
BUT (alla), he is patient (makrothumei) into (eis) you (humas), wishing (boulomenos) some (tinas) not (mē) to destroy themselves (apolesthai)!
BUT (alla), [he is wishing] all (pantas) to find room (chōrēsai) into (eis) repentance (metanoian)!
Next, I would like to show you the specific knowledge and understanding I believe we must have, believe and practice, to bring the Father’s wonderful Isaiah 53:5 promise to pass and into reality into our lives. I have known and have practiced “communion”, as it is called, much of my life according to my understanding of exactly what has been written in the ancient texts by Matthew, Luke and apostle Paul, as they have witnessed that Jesus Christ taught it to his disciples. Please allow me now to show you those specific records, as well as what is stated in the Greek texts of each of those records, so you can see, hopefully as clearly as I do, HOW to apprehend the Father’s great and precious promise in Isaiah 53:3 into reality into your life.
What is the “bread”?
Please turn your Bible to Mat. 6:5.
Matthew records Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray, in Mat. 6:5 to 6:13, and Luke records it in Luke 11:1 to 11:4. Now please take a moment to read both of these passages to familiarize your mind once again with what Jesus Christ said in his example of prayer to his disciples.
Looking at Mat. 6:11, a literal translation of the Greek text shows that the KJV
Mat. 6:11 (LIT/UBS4) The (ton) bread (arton) of us (hēmōn), the (ton) [bread] over the morrow (epiousion), give (dos) [the bread] to us (hēmin) today (sēmeron).
over the morrow - Notice Matthew’s use of the Greek word epiousion. Strong’s defines its meaning as “tomorrow’s”, Robertson (RWP) says, “on the coming day”, “the next day”, and several other scholars suggest similar wording but the same meaning.
So according to the actual Greek text, we can see that Jesus spoke of a “bread” that is coming tomorrow, i.e., in the sense of a time in the very near future. In the very near future a “bread” which his disciples did not yet have in their possession would be coming to them. As you can see, virtually all English translations ignore the Greek text of what Jesus actually said, about a “bread” of some kind coming tomorrow, i.e., in the very near future.
What kind of “bread” was Jesus speaking of which was yet to come in the near future, which time period Jesus refers to as upon tomorrow? Whatever kind of future “bread” it was to which Jesus referred, Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the heavenly Father for him to give this “bread” to them today (sēmeron), this very day.
Please turn your Bible to John 6:31.
Jesus’ disciples enunciated to Jesus,
John 6:31 (LIT/UBS4) The (hoi) fathers (pateres) of us (hēmōn) ate (ephagon) the (to) manna (manna) in (en) the (tē) desolate place (erēmō), down as (kathos) it is (estin) having been written (gegrammenon), ‘He gave (edōken) to them (autois) bread (arton) out (ek) of the (tou) heaven (ouranou) to eat (phagein).’”
This of course is a reference to Ex. 16:11-15, if you may wish to look it up.
Jesus responds to his disciples question saying the following:
John 6:32 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) enunciated (eipen) to them (autois), “Truly (amēn), truly (amēn) I say (legō) to you (humin), Moses (Mōusēs) has absolutely not given (ou dedōken) to you (humin) the (ton) bread (arton) out (ek) of the (tou) heaven (ouranou)!
BUT (all’), the (ho) Father (patēr) of me (mou) gives (didōsin) to you (humin) the (ton) bread (arton) out (ek) of the (tou) heaven (ouranou), the (ton) true (alēthinon) [bread, RE]!
John 6:33 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) the (ho) bread (artos) of the (tou) God (theou) is (estin) the (ho) [son, v27, RE] stepping down (katabainōn) out (ek) of the (tou) heaven (ouranou) and (kai) giving (didous) life (zōēn) to the (tō) cosmos (kosmō).”
John 6:34 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), they enunciated (eipon) to (pros) him (auton), “Lord (kurie), always (pantote) give (dos) this (touton), the (ton) bread (arton), to us (hēmin).”
John 6:35 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) enunciated (eipen) to them (autois), “I (egō) am (eimi) the one (ho), the (tēs) bread (artos) of life (zōēs).
The one (ho) causing himself to come (erchomenos) to (pros) me (eme), no (mē), absolutely not (ou) may [that one] pine (peinase)!
And (kai) the one (ho) believing (pisteuōn) upon (epi) me (eme), no (mē), he shall absolutely not thirst (ou dipsēsei) ever, at any time (pōpote)!
We can clearly see that the “bread” to which Jesus referred to in Mat. 6:5 - 6:13 and Luke 11:1 - 11:4 was Jesus Christ himself! Jesus Christ was the “bread” for which he told them to pray to the Father to give to them, to give them tomorrow’s “bread” today. But if Jesus was right there with his disciples today, why does he pray to his Father for him to give Jesus Christ to them tomorrow, in the form of a “bread” of some kind? Why did Jesus in Mat. 6:5 - 6:13 and Luke 11:1 - 11:4 refer to himself as “tomorrow’s bread”?
I believe it’s because at this time when Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father, Jesus himself had not yet been crucified, shed his blood and died, and had not yet been resurrected so that the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ shed blood could not yet be instituted and applied to all those who believe upon his name. That phase of the implementation of God the heavenly Father’s plan for the redemption and salvation of all mortalkind could not yet be put into effect until AFTER Jesus had done those things, which were coming “tomorrow”, i.e., in the very near future, as I believe Jesus meant. Jesus’ shedding of his blood, his death and resurrection was coming “tomorrow”, i.e., in the very near future. I believe Jesus is saying that in the very near future, after his shedding of blood, death and resurrection, he was going to become a “bread” of some kind to them, to which the manna in the days of Noah was a type or symbol.
As I mentioned previously, with Jesus’ shedding of his blood, his death and resurrection, the old Mosaic law covenant passed away into history, and God the heavenly Father established a new covenant with mortal-kind based upon Jesus’ shed blood, for the forgiveness of the sins of the entire cosmos, all of God’s creation. I believe Jesus was speaking about the new covenant which was coming “tomorrow”, and which came specifically upon the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) in which the Father, THROUGH his agent, his son Jesus Christ (Mat. 3:11), poured out his Spirit upon all those believing upon the name of his son Jesus, and they received the baptism in God’s gift of holy Spirit (Acts 2:16-21, 37-41), receiving the new birth above in God’s Spirit as Jesus taught Nicodemus was to come to pass (John 3).
In John 6:35 Jesus said, "And (kai) the one (ho) believing (pisteuōn) upon (epi) me (eme), no (mē), he shall absolutely not thirst (ou dipsēsei) ever, at any time (pōpote)!"
When I take this record into consideration with John's record in John 4:10, where Jesus said to the woman at the well,
John 4:10 (LIT/UBS4) … "If (ei) you had seen (ēdeis) the (tēn) gift (dōrean) of the (tou) God (theou), and (kai) who (tis) is (estin) the one (ho) saying (legōn) to you (soi), 'Give (dos) to me (moi) to drink (pein)', [what if] perhaps (an) you (su) requested (ētēsas) of him (auton), and (kai) perhaps (an) he gave (edōken) to you (soi) living (zōn) water (hudōr)!?"
this indicates to me that Jesus had the authority and ability to give, i.e., baptize in the gift of the Father's holy Spirit, those who believed into Jesus while he was yet here on earth in his earthly ministry, before the day of Pentecost which was the "official" day of the outpouring of the gift of holy Spirit upon all those believing into the name of Jesus, the Christ. I understand the record in John 4:10 as Jesus clearly stating that his father God, who was IN him, THROUGH him could and would give to the woman at the well the baptism in his gift of holy Spirit, i.e., the "living water"!
Jesus taught his disciples to “eat” this “bread”, i.e., we are to “eat” him!
Now let’s jump ahead in John 6 to verse 48 and start with the record of Jesus teaching again that he is the “bread” of life, and the true manna which has come down from heaven.
John 6:48 (LIT/UBS4) I (ego) am (eimi) the (ho) bread (artos) of the (tēs) life (zōēs).
John 6:49 (LIT/UBS4) The (hoi) fathers (pateres) of you (humōn) ate (ephagon) the (to) manna (manna) in (en) the (tē) desolate place (erēmō), and (kai) died away (apethanon).
John 6:50 (LIT/UBS4) This (houtos) [manna, v49, RE] is (estin) the (ho) bread (artos), the (ho) [son, v42, RE] stepping down (katabainōn) out (ek) of the (tou) heaven (ouranou);
in order that (hina) anyone (tis) may eat (phagē) out (ex) of him (autou) and (kai) may not die away (mē apothanē).
John 6:51 (LIT/UBS4) I (egō) am (eimi) the (ho) bread (artos), the (ho) living (zōn) [manna, v49, RE], the (ho) [son, v42, RE] having stepped down (katabas) out (ek) of the (tou) heaven (ouranou).
If perhaps (ean) anyone (tis) may eat (phagē) out (ek) of the (tou) bread (artou) of this (toutou), he shall live (zēsei) into (eis) the (ton) age (aiōna).
And (kai) the (ho) bread (artos), but (de) the (hē) flesh (sarx) of me (mou) which (hon) I shall give (dōsō), is (estin) over (huper) [the sake] of the (tēs) life (zōēs) of the (tou) cosmos (kosmou).”
Here Jesus has stated two very important points for us to remember:
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The “bread” is Jesus’ "flesh",
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We are to “eat” this “bread”, i.e., we are to “eat” his "flesh"!
Obviously Jesus spoke here using figures of speech, and we are not to take him literally, else we would be cannibals and there would not be enough of Jesus’ flesh to feed the whole world, generation after generation. Now we can see how the feeding of the masses of people with the loaves and fishes was a type to Jesus feeding the world his own “flesh” on the cross as the “bread” which fed the whole world, nourishing them from the effects of their own sin back to health and wholeness, and in fact, all the way into eternal life!
John 6:52 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), the (hoi) Judeans (Ioudaioi) were being caused to fight (emachonto) toward (pros) one another (allēlous), saying (legontes), “How (pōs) [can] this one (houtos) inherently power himself (dunatai) to give (dounai) to us (hēmin) the (tēn) flesh (sarx) of him (autou) to eat (phagein)?”
It's obvious that some among the crowd, who heard Jesus speak, absolutely did not understand figures of speech. Apparently it didn't cross their minds that Jesus may be speaking figuratively, as he often spoke. What caught them by surprise is that they couldn't readily understand what Jesus meant. Their surprise and subsequent foolish statement comes out of their own self-realization that they did not have the spiritual ability to follow along with what Jesus is saying. They are obviously not experienced at studying, being familiar with, being associated with, being around, having anything to do with God's Word. But, they have come to hear Jesus speak, and maybe through “hearing” they may learn and believe (Rom. 10:17) his words.
John 6:53 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) enunciated (eipen) to them (autois), “Truly (amēn), truly (amēn) I say (legō) to you (humin), if perhaps (ean) you may not eat (mē phagēte) the (tēn) flesh (sarka) of the (tou) Son (huiou) of the (tou) Mortal (anthrōpou), and (kai) you may [not] drink (piēte) the (to) blood (haima) of him (autou), you absolutely do not hold (ouk echete) life (zōēn) in (en) yourselves (heautois)!
There are several clues which Jesus Christ and apostle John have given us to understanding what Jesus means when he uses the metaphors 'eat' and 'drink' in these verses. And there are other clues as well.
The first clue to help us understand exactly what we are to ‘eat’ and ‘drink’ is in the local context;
John 1:14a (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (ho) Word (logos) caused himself to become (egeneto) flesh (sarx), and (kai) he tented (eskēnōsen) among (en) us (hēmin).
The flesh of Jesus Christ was the Word of the God.
The second clue is right here in the local context;
John 6:63c, (LIT/UBS4) “The (ta) statements (rhēmata) which (ha) I (egō) have spoken (lelalēka) to you (humin), [each one] is (estin) Spirit (pneuma) and (kai) [each one] is (estin) life (zōe)!”
Jesus Christ, the Word (logos) which became flesh, spoke statements (Gk. rhēmata), each one being Spirit and life. In the new covenant writings, a statement (Gk. rhēmati) is defined through usage as either an individual word, or a phrase, a clause, a sentence, or a very short paragraph. Whereas the term logos generally refers to the broad scope of a subject, including all of the associated subject matter.
The third and fourth corresponding clues, which give us characteristics of Jesus Christ’s meaning of exactly what we are to ‘eat’ and ‘drink’, are in the remote context in 1 John 1:1-2;
1 John 1:1 “…the (tou) Word (logou) of the (tēs) Life (zōēs)”
1 John 1:2 “And (kai) the (hē) life (zōē) was manifested (ephanerōthē), … ), the (tēn) ageless (aiōnion) [life],…”
There are other clues, but these first four in the new covenant writings seem the most relevant to me. From only these four clues in the new covenant writings we can see that what Jesus was saying we are to ‘eat’ and ‘drink’ are his spoken words!
But in my opinion, the fifth and most revealing clue to exactly what Jesus is saying figuratively is in the old covenant writing of Jeremiah, in a context remote to John 6:53, in Jer. 15:16, which is the key to understanding exactly what Jesus said and meant at the “last supper” about his disciples “eating” his flesh, the manna, the true bread, and “drinking” his blood:
Please turn your Bible to Jer. 15:16.
Jer. 15:16 Thy words have been found, and I eat them. And thy Word is to me for a joy, and for the rejoicing of my heart. For thy name is called on me, O Jehovah, God of Hosts.
Thy words (plural) have been found - Implies that Jeremiah was searching out the words of God's Word, individually. Jeremiah didn't do 60 mph drive-through readings of God’s Word, as if it was a fast-food restaurant. I believe God’s word was never meant to be simply and only read, but to be studied, i.e., to be “gnawed on” as Jesus said, and as apostle John accurately recorded for us. Jeremiah paid particular attention to each and every word of God's Word, that he “ate”. When Jeremiah searched God's Word to know and understand it, he was not casual, unplanned nor irregular in his search, but he was systematic and thorough, as to take no chance in misunderstanding what the God of the heavens and universe said.
Jeremiah searched for and found every morsel of God’s Word he could find, and he ‘cleaned his plate’ so to speak. Jeremiah ate it all, all of God’s Word he could find. This is what Jesus is saying about us ‘eating’ his bruised “body”, his “bread”, i.e., down to each and every statement (Gk. rhēmati) which he has spoken, is speaking, or shall speak out of his mouth; because each and every statement is Spirit and life (John 6:63c)!
and I eat them – Jeremiah ate God’s statements (Gk. rhēmati) and Word (Gk. logos). The idea of objectively eating the subjective meanings of words, is not only a figure of speech, but is a Hebraism, a Hebrew figure of speech. A Hebraism is figurative saying typical of Hebrew. Jesus spoke in Aramaic, a kindred language of Hebrew.
Please turn your Bible to Ezek. 2:8.
In Ezekiel we see again this Hebrew figure of speech of "eating" God's words.
Ezek. 2:8 ‘And thou, son of man, hear that which I am speaking unto thee: Thou art not rebellious like the rebellious house, open thy mouth, and eat that which I am giving unto thee.’
The mouth is where the food enters in to the body; and similarly, the mind is where knowledge, wisdom and truth enter into a being.
The voice, not going against Ezekiel's free will, asked Ezekiel to open his mouth, i.e., allow God’s Word into his mind, and allow the Spirit to speak to him in his mind. In Ezek. 3:2 Ezekiel agrees to this, "And I open my mouth", and allows the Spirit to cause Ezekiel to "eat" the roll. The Spirit put the words of God's Word into Ezekiel's mind rather quickly, through the vision.
Ezek. 2:9 And I look, and lo, a hand is sent forth unto me, and lo, in it a roll of a book,
Ezek. 2:10 and he spreads it before me, and it is written in front and behind, and written on it are lamentations, and mourning, and woe!
Ezek. 3:1 And he saith unto me, ‘Son of man, that which thou findest eat, eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel .’
Ezek. 3:2 And I open my mouth, and he causes me to eat this roll.
Ezek. 3:3 And he said unto me, ‘Son of man, thy belly thou dost feed, and thy bowels thou dost fill with this roll that I am giving unto thee;’ and I eat it, and it is in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
and I eat it, and it is in my mouth as honey for sweetness - as was the manna to the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sin (Ex. 16:31).
This establishes that the manner of speaking Jesus chose to use, as recorded in John 6, is not only highly figurative, but an ancient Hebraism, meaning to eat and drink God’s Word, and in this case, the exact words of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Jesus was emphatically telling them to put his words, the words he was speaking, which words were Spirit and life, into their minds!
Please turn your Bible to John 6:54.
John 6:54 (LIT/UBS4) The one (ho) gnawing (trōgōn) the (tēn) flesh (sarka) of me (mou), and (kai) drinking (pinōn) the (to) blood (haima) of me (mou), holds (echei) ageless (aiōnion) life (zōēn).
And I (kagō) shall stand him up (anastēsō auton) the (tē) last (aschatē) day (hēmera).
John 6:55 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) the (hē) flesh (sarx) of me (mou) is (estin) true (alēthēs) food (brōsis), and (kai) the (to) blood (haima) of me (mou) is (estin) true (alēthēs) drink (posis).
John 6:56 (LIT/UBS4) The one (ho) gnawing (trōgōn) the (tēn) flesh (sarka) of me (mou), and (kai) drinking (pinōn) the (to) blood (haima) of me (mou), he stays (menei) in (en) to me (emoi), and I (kagō) [stay] in (en) to him (auton). – fellowship with Christ Jesus.
John 6:57 (LIT/UBS4) Down according to as (kathōs) the (ho) living (zōn) Father (patēr) sent (apesteilen) me (me), and I (kagō) live (zō) through (dia) the (ton) Father (patera), the one (ho) also (kai) gnawing (trōgōn) me (me), that one also (kakeinos) shall live (zēsei) through (di’) me (eme).
John 6:58 (LIT/UBS4) This (houtos) [manna, v49, RE] is (estin) the (ho) bread (artos), the (ho) [son, v53, RE] having stepped down (katabas) out (ex) of heaven (ouranou);
absolutely not (ou) [manna, v49, RE] down according to as (kathōs) the (hoi) fathers (pateres) ate (ephagon), and (kai) they died away (apethanon)!
The one (ho) gnawing (trōgōn) this (touton) [manna, v49, RE], the (ton) bread (arton) [of me, v55, RE], he shall live (zēsei) into (eis) the (ton) age (aiōna)!”
shall live into the age – Who shall live into the age? Jesus said the one gnawing this [bread], the bread [of me]… shall live into the age. What age, which one, there’s been several, past, present and yet future. I believe Jesus’ implication is for the age in which “tomorrow’s bread” comes. That age began on the day of Pentecost in about 30 A.D., the day of God's institution of the age of his grace, under his new covenant, which age still continues now at this present time and shall continue until its completion with the gathering of Christ's one body.
If we die then we are obviously not going on living. We can’t keep on living into this age if we die. The implication I see in the text is that this “bread” is going to help us to keep on living into, going forward in this age we are in, now. This “bread” is going to heal us and help us to go on living in this present age. This “bread” is going to not only help preserve our life and provide healing, as the manna did for the children of Israel in the wilderness, which the heavenly Father gave to them daily, but through this “bread”, Jesus’ words, we shall receive the fulfillment of the Isa. 53:5 prophesy, healing of our physical bodies on account of the bruising of Jesus Christ’s physical body, as our heavenly Father has promised.
Breaking Bread How Often?
Please turn your Bible to Luke 22:19.
Luke 22:19 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) having taken (labōn) [a] loaf of bread (arton), he having given thanks well(eucharistēsas) he broke (eklasen) [it].
And (kai) he gave (edōken) [bread, RE] to them (autois), saying (legōn), “This (touto) [bread, RE] is (estin) the (to) body (sōma) of me (mou), the (to) [broken body, RE] being given (didomenon) over (huper) [the sake, AE] you (humōn)!
Do (poieite) this (touto) into (eis) the (tēn) remembrance (anamnēsin) of mine (emēn)!”
Do this – Do what? What did Jesus tell them to do? The first four verbs in the verse tell us exactly what Jesus told and showed them to do: having taken bread, having given thanks, he broke [it], and he gave [it]. As we have seen Jesus said he is the true manna which has come down from heaven (John 6:58). He is the true bread our heavenly Father has given to us to feed us into complete physical health now, according to the Isaiah 53:5 prophecy.
this is the body of me – I believe we can safely conclude that the bread Jesus broke was not the actual physical body of him, but that Jesus was using the bread to illustrate, through a metaphor, that the bread is to represent his physical bruised body in our memory, in our remembrances of him and his sacrifice for us. The bread is to be symbolic of Jesus’ physical body, which was the Word of the God made flesh. I believe Jesus’ reference to bread as being symbolic of his physical body is to instill in our minds that since bread is such a basic commodity to our daily existence, that the Father’s promise (Isa. 53:5) for our health and healing through his bruised body for us is just as valuable and needful for our daily existence, if not more valuable and needful to us for our daily health and healing.
Apostle Paul gives us the final revelation and clarity as to the beneficial effects of “eating”, gnawing on and “drinking” Jesus’ bruised body and blood respectively, and the fulfillment of the Isaiah 53:5 prophecy in this age of God’s grace in which we now live.
In Paul’s first letter to the believers in the Corinth area, he gives them some teaching, reproof and straightening up, some child-training concerning how they were eating with one another when they came together to fellowship with one another and praise God.
Please turn your bible to 1 Cor. 11:17
1 Cor. 11:17 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) I give this instruction (touto parangellōn):
I absolutely do not praise (ouk epainō) [you, AE], because (hoti) you absolutely do not cause yourselves to come together (ouk sunerchesthe) into (eis) the (to) stronger position (kreisson), BUT (alla), into (eis) the (to) inferior position (hēsson)!
Apostle Paul implies that when the assembly of believers come together it is supposed to make them stronger as a collective part of the spiritual one body of Christ. But the opposite is occurring, because they are not one minded concerning their eating habits with one another, and especially concerning their collective recognition and remembrance of Jesus Christ’s bruised body and shed blood for their health and healing. When they ate together they were not all eating together; they were not all participating together in the remembrance of the Lord’s bruised body as Jesus requested they do. They were not all breaking bread together as being one-minded in purpose.
1 Cor. 11:18 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) first (prōton), truly (men), of you (humōn) causing yourselves to come together (sunerchomenōn) in (en) to [an] assembly (ekklēsia), I hear (akouō) of schisms (schismata) among (en) you (humin) to be under control (huparchein) [of you, RE}!
And (kai) of [a] certain (ti) part (meros), I believe (pisteuō)!
On account of they were not all eating and drinking together as being one-minded in purpose, and subsequently not collectively recognizing Jesus Christ’s bruised body for their health and healing, schisms were occurring among the believers. Some believers were being left out of the communing over the Lord’s bruised body, and this disunity caused apostle Paul great concern.
1 Cor. 11:19 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) it is required (dei) of heresies (haireseis) also (kai) to be (einai) among (en) you (humin), in order that (hina) the (hoi) approved ones (dokimoi) among (en) you (humin) may cause themselves to become (genōntai) manifested (phaneroi) also (kai).
Apostle Paul implies that their disunity over their eating and drinking habits with one another when they assembled, was being caused by heretics among them. And that this heresy over the recognition and communion over the bruised body of Christ is in order that the approved ones may become manifested among them. This implies that the manifestation of the approved ones will shed the true light of God’s will, desire and Word on the issue and resolve it through the recognition and expulsion of those causing the disunity and heresy over Jesus Christ’s bruised body and its purpose for fulfilling God’s promise for our health and healing.
1 Cor. 11:20 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), of you (humōn) causing yourselves to come together (sunerchomenōn) over (epi) [the sake, AE] of the (to) [assembly, v18, RE], is (estin) it (auto) absolutely not (ouk) to eat (phagein) [the] lord's (kuriakon) dinner (deipnon)!?
Apostle Paul seems stunned and surprised that when they come together, and when they eat together at these times, how is it that they can be completely ignorant, or take so lightly, the remembrance of the Lord’s bruised body for their health and healing, that he requested at his last supper before his death? What is it? Are they simply going through the motions of acting religious, but yet completely mindless of what they are actually doing, or supposed to be doing when they are gathered together for fellowship with one another, and in recognition and remembrance of the Lord’s bruised body?
1 Cor. 11:21 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) each one (hekastos) takes beforehand (prolambanei) the (to) dinner (deipnon) of his own (idion) in (en) to the (tō) [assembly, v18, RE] to eat (phagein);
and (kai), truly (men), [there is] one who (hos) pines (peina), but (de) [there is] one who (hos) is drunk (methuei)!
1 Cor. 11:22 (LIT/UBS4) [Is it] because (gar) no (mē), you absolutely do not have (ouk echete) houses (oikias), to eat (esthiein) and (kai) to drink (pinein) into (eis) the (to) [houses, RE]!?
Or (ē) do you think down upon2706 (kataphroneite) the (tēs) assembly (ekklēsias) of the (tou) God (theou), and (kai) put down to shame (kataischunete) the ones (tous) not (mē) having (echontas)?
What (ti) may I enunciate (eipō) to you (humin)?
May I praise (epainesō) you (humas) in (en) this (toutō)?
I absolutely do not praise (ouk epainō) [you]!
Some brought with them food and drink, while others had not any. And they didn’t share with one another, and so some of the believers went without eating and drinking, while the others who did have some staples ate and drank their own, thusly alienating, subordinating and discounting the importance of the other brothers and sisters in Christ, thusly elevating themselves and making themselves to be more elite than others in the assembly. This put to shame the ones not having food and drink.
Please notice apostle Paul’s use, twice, of the emphatic particle of negation ouk in verse 22. This indicates that he is disgusted with their behavior, with their disunity and subordination of one another, and especially their lack of recognition of the Lord’s bruised body, and his request for his disciple’s remembrance of it which he made at his last supper before his death.
Next apostle Paul begins to explain how Jesus Christ’s bruised body fulfills the Father’s Isaiah 53:5 promise for our health and healing. Because this is the knowledge and teaching which was lacking in the minds of some ignorant believers in the Corinth area, necessary for their practical application of eating and drinking with one another in an assembly in recognition of Jesus’ bruised body for all believers, which is to be recognized and practiced through the breaking of bread among them, among all of them.
1 Cor. 11:23 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) I (egō) received alongside (parelabon) from (apo) the (tou) lord (kuriou) the (ho) [traditions, v2] I passed along (paredōka) also (kai) to you (humin);
that (hoti) the (ho) lord (kurios), Jesus (Iēsous), in (en) the (tē) night (nukti) which (hē) he was being passed aside (paredideto), took (elaben) [a] loaf of bread (arton).
Because I received alongside from the Lord the [traditions, v2] I passed along also to you – I understand this to mean that apostle Paul received his knowledge and understanding of Jesus’ request for his disciple’s remembrance of his bruised body and shed blood by revelation from Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11-12).
1 Cor. 11:24 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) having given thanks well (eucharistēsas) he broke (eklesen) [bread, RE], and (kai) he enunciated (eipen), “This (touto) [bread, RE] is (estin) the (to) body (sōma) of me (mou), the (to) [broken body, RE] over (huper) [the sake] of you (humōn)!
Do (poieite) this (touto) into (eis) the (tēn) remembrance (anamnēsin), mine (emēn)!
In Luke 22:19, and here in 1 Cor. 11:24, the word do in the Greek texts is poieite, which morphology (specific spelling) is in the imperative mood, which makes it a command of the Lord Jesus Christ. He commanded his disciples, and by extension us who follow him as well, to remember his bruised body and shed blood as often as we may eat and drink.
1 Cor. 11:25 (LIT/UBS4) In the same manner (hōsautōs) the (to) cup (potērion) also (kai), with (meta) the (to) [giving of thanks well, v24, RE] to sup (diepnēsai), saying (legōn), “This (touto), the (to) cup (potērion), is (estin) the (hē) new (kainē) covenant (diathēkē) in (en) the (tē) blood (haimati) to me (emō)!
Do (poieite) this (touto) as often as (hosakis) if perhaps (ean) you may drink (pinēte) [the cup, RE], into (eis) the (tēn) remembrance (anamnēsin) of me (emēn)!”
Please notice that apostle Paul quotes Jesus Christ as saying, “as often as if perhaps you may drink [the cup, RE].” To my understanding as often as means every time we do it. In the Greek text, hosakis means the same as every time we may eat bread, or every time we may drink out of a cup, which is in reality, daily!
We don’t eat and drink only once a year, or once a month! Was Jesus Christ’s bruised body bruised so we could have health and healing only once a year, or once a month, on a day mortal-made religious tradition has set aside as a day of communion? Was the God the heavenly Father’s promise (Isaiah 53:5) meant to be in effect only once a year, or once a month, on a day mortal-made religious tradition has set aside as a day of communion?
If we want health and healing in our life then what are we going to do regarding the Father’s Isaiah 53:5 promise, and what Jesus Christ and apostle Paul say to us about eating bread and drinking of a cup? Are we going to wait again until next year’s communion day rolls around and pray and thank God again on only that single day for our health and healing, to see if we can get lucky this year and snag it? Why not remember and thank God the heavenly Father for his Isaiah 53:5 promise to us, and Jesus’ bruised body and shed blood for us, every day of our life, as often as, which is literally daily, every day we may eat bread or drink out of a cup, as both Jesus Christ and apostle Paul clearly and plainly state!
If we want health and healing in our lives, why not do what God’s Word says, as opposed to mortal-made religious traditions of men? Why not do what both Jesus Christ and apostle Paul taught? Why not thank God the heavenly Father for his promise for our health and healing, and for allowing his son Jesus Christ to die for us for our health and healing, every day? Why not daily, as the original language source Greek texts actually say? What do we wish to do? Do we wish to follow mortal-made religious tradition, or do we wish to please God and do what is said in his Word? We must chose wisely.
1 Cor. 11:26 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) as often as (hosakis) if perhaps (ean) you may eat (esthiēte) the (ton) bread (arton) of this (touton), and (kai) you may drink (pinēte) the (ton) cup (potērion) [of this, RE], you report down (katangellete) the (ton) death (thanaton) of the (tou) lord (kuriou), until (achris) of which (hou) [time] he may come (elthē).
Because as often as – According to Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, author of The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, the meaning of the Greek word hosakis, as used in this verse, means “as many times as you do”, and “each time that you do so”. This is the interpretation which I believed the biblical writer of the text, apostle Paul, was making explicit before I knew Dr. Zodhiates believed this as well.
Jesus said he was the true manna which came down from heaven (John 6:32). The manna our heavenly Father gave to the children of Israel, he gave it to them daily (Ex. 16:21), because they needed it daily, for forty years (Ex. 16:35).
Nowhere in the ancient texts is there verification and substantiation for a once a year or once a month tradition of “holy communion”. But, I see plenty of clear evidence in God’s Word, which book, chapter and verse evidence I’m showing you now, for the remembrance of Jesus’ bodily sacrifice for our healing to be remembered as often as, i.e., daily, or whenever we may eat bread; and likewise whenever we may drink something out of a cup. I see evidence in Acts 20:7 which indicates that the disciples broke bread together at least once a week.
In Luke 24:30-31 Jesus met two men on the road to Emmaus. Later that evening he took bread and eulogized over it (thanked his heavenly Father), then broke it and gave it to the two men, whose eyes were then “opened”, and they knew him. From what Paul says here in 1 Cor. 11:17-34, Jesus didn’t break bread only once a year, or once a month. In Luke 24:30-31 Jesus was in their home, not in the temple, a synagogue or another place of worship, but in their home, where they lived. And there is no evidence that this day was a special day, a sabbath or a feast day. If it was a sabbath day then all three of them would have bruised the “sabbath’s day’s journey rule”, by traveling over a distance greater than the distance from the temple mount to the Mt. of Olives. Any further than that breaks the rule.
They were all on the road to Emmaus. It was no special day of the week or year. The only thing which made it special is that the risen Lord and Savior of us, Jesus Christ, was with them. Jesus said in Mat. 18:20, “Where there are two or three having been gathered together in the name of me, there I am in the midst of them.” If Jesus Christ is present spiritually when only two or three believers gather together, then is that not a good enough reason to remember his bruised body and shed blood again, to remember his great sacrifice, and for our healing and health?
From these records I conclude that Jesus’ habit, after his resurrection and throughout the time before his ascension, was to break bread every day, and every time he ate bread, maybe two or three times a day, and with anyone. Jesus, after his resurrection, appears to me to be breaking bread daily, anywhere, at anytime, with anyone. And after Jesus ascended, I believe his disciples carried on breaking bread together at least once a day, remembering Jesus’ bruised body every time they ate food, every time they ate bread, and/or drank something out of a cup.
What mortal man is it who feels so self-righteous that he believes he has the right to impose his own opinion on how often, or under what conditions, anyone else should remember Jesus’ bruised body and shed blood for their own healing? It’s up to leadership, first and foremost, to know and understand God’s Word, on any subject matter, and especially on subject matters of the renewed mind; on subject matters which are vital to the healing and health of all believers, such as this Isa. 53:5 prophecy and the remembrance of Jesus Christ’s bruised body and shed blood.
1 Cor. 11:27 (LIT/UBS4) And so (hōste) perhaps (an) whoever (hos) may eat (esthiē) the (ton) bread (arton), or (ē) may drink (pinē) the (to) cup (potērion) of the (tou) lord (kuriou) unworthily (anaxiōs), he shall cause himself to be (estai) one liable (enochos) of the (tou) body (sōmatos) and (kai) of the (tou) blood (haimatos) of the (tou) lord (kuriou).
may eat, may drink – Please notice apostle Paul’s use of the present tense, active voice, subjective mood verbs esthiē and pinē for may eat and may drink respectively. The subjunctive mood is used to suggest the future possibility of the action of the verb occurring, i.e., “may eat” the body and “may drink” the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
may eat and may drink unworthily – This is not recognizing and imitating Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us through giving his own body to be destroyed. See Rom. 5:6-9. How can anyone recognize and remember Jesus’ bruised body and shed blood for them, and yet not love their fellow man? Those are the ones who eat and drink unworthily. They’re simply imposters, going through the motions of pretend remembrance to only appear righteous to others. Our heavenly Father is doing the accounting and keeping score, and his record-keeping is absolutely correct.
1 Cor. 11:28 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) [let] a mortal (anthrōpos) prove (dokimazetō) himself (heauton);
and (kai) thusly (houtōs) let him eat (esthietō) out (ek) of the (tou) bread (artou), and (kai) let him drink (pinetō) out (ek) of the (tou) cup (potēriou).
[let] a mortal prove himself – A believer must examine his or her own self, look into his or her own heart, and determine for his or her own self whether he or she eats and drinks the Lord’s remembrance in true love, trust and loyalty to the God our heavenly Father, and to his son the Lord of us, Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:2-3; 2 Cor. 8:8; 13:4-5; Gal. 6:2-5; 1 Thes. 5:21).
let him eat, drink – If after a believing disciple of Jesus proves to himself or herself that he or she is absolutely walking in Christ as a part of his one body, then that believer must eat of the bread and drink of the cup, in order that he or she may receive the blessing of God the heavenly Father’s promise in his or her life for the healing and health he promises to provide to his children. Remembering the Lord Jesus Christ’s bruised body and shed blood is a requirement and prerequisite to receiving God’s promise for health and healing, for it to literally come to pass into reality in a believer’s life.
1 Cor. 11:29 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) the one (ho) eating (esthiōn) and (kai) drinking (pinōn) eats (esthiei) and (kai) drinks (pinei) [a] judicial decision (krima) to himself (heautō), [through] not (mē) thoroughly questioning (diakrinōn) the (to) body (sōma) [of the lord, v27, RE].
not thoroughly questioning – In our modern Western culture our similar idiom is, ”not thinking it through”. Doing anything without first thinking it through usually results in a failure to achieve the desired results. The desired results in this study is to obtain the health and healing which our heavenly Father promised to us. We cannot expect to achieve that healing and health if we do not think through to the end of literally believing that our heavenly Father absolutely does desire us to be healed and in health, and that is was Jesus Christ, through his bruised body, which legally acquired for us physical healing. That was part of the greatness of the Father’s plan for our complete salvation/wholeness (Gk. sozo).
If we believe that our heavenly Father desires us to be sick and/or ill for some reason, then we have defeated ourselves, or whomever taught that lie to us has defeated us, spiritually. You show me book, chapter and verse out of God’s Word where it says our heavenly Father, God, desires you or I to be in sickness and illness! You find it and show it to me! You will not find it! But, you will find just the opposite! Do you know why? Because the assertion that our heavenly Father desires us to be sick and/or ill for some reason is a lie from the pit of hell! If for any reason you do not believe that our heavenly Father desires you to be absolutely healed and in health through Jesus’ sacrifice of himself, then it will not come to pass in your life, on account of your unbelief, especially regarding his Isaiah 53:5 promise to us. Receiving any of our heavenly Father’s great and precious promises requires belief on our part (Heb. 11:1, 6).
eats and drinks justice to himself – The one eating and drinking, but not recognizing what our heavenly Father has done for our healing and health through Jesus’ bruised body and shed blood, misses the opportunity to stop the sin in us from making us sick and ill, which sickness and illness subsequently and eventually leads to our death. I’m not saying we can live forever if we keep on remembering the Lord’s bruised body and shed blood when we eat and drink, that’s not what God’s Word says. But I am saying that I believe God’s Word is saying that we can prolong the days of our lives, actually lengthen our life, as well as enhance the quality of our lives while we are still living, if we keep on remembering the Lord’s bruised body and shed blood for our healing and health, and for our forgiveness of sins respectively. Remembering the lord’s bruised body and shed blood may even cause our lives to be saved from an untimely death (Acts 27:33-36).
not judging through the Lord’s body – We are to specifically think through all of the knowledge in God’s Word about our healing and health though Jesus Christ’s bruised body! Find all of those books, chapters and verses in God’s Word where our heavenly Father desires us to be without spot or blemish, totally healed and in health through Jesus’ bruised body, and then pound them and drill them into your head until you believe them (Eph. 5:27; 1 Tim. 6:11-14). Then you shall receive literally the promise of our heavenly Father in Isa. 53:5 come to pass in your life.
In the old covenant writings the promised land, promised to the children of Israel during their exodus from the bondage and slavery in Egypt, was a type to the abundant life our God and heavenly Father promised to us through the sacrifice and death of his son Jesus Christ (John 10:9-10), as the final and true sacrificial lamb he offered and allowed to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. All of the great and precious promises our heavenly Father made to the children of Israel, recorded in Deut. 28 and elsewhere, which were available to the children of Israel through the sacrifice of various animals, are all available to us now in this grace administration through Jesus bruised body and shed blood, he being a more excellent sacrifice (Heb. 9:26b, 10:12); and even more is available to us than to the children of Israel because we can receive the new birth above in God’s gift of holy Spirit, and the children of Israel could not.
Read all of those great and precious promises in Deut. 28:1-14! Now see if you can find anywhere that says our heavenly Father desires you or I to be in sickness and in illness, to have spots and blemishes, that our heavenly Father wishes for his children to “glorify” him through sicknesses, illness and diseases and so on. That’s a lie from the pit of hell!
Now read Deut. 28:15-68. If you can identify more with the curses in those verses in your life than with the blessings in the first 14 verses, then let that tell you whether you are believing God’s Word correctly! Let it prove to you where your head is at, where your believing is at. If you’re accepting a curse in your life as a blessing then you’re believing a lie that our heavenly Father wants you to be sick and ill. That lie comes from the devil himself. The fact that you are believing that lie shows your lack of knowledge of God’s Word, and how out of touch you really are with our heavenly Father’s heart’s desire for your healing and health.
If you desire to be healed then repent from your lack of knowledge and wrong belief, and then vow a vow to the heavenly Father to believe his Isaiah 53:5 promise to you, and to believe what Jesus says in John 10:9-10, that he came so you could have life more abundantly, free from spot and blemish (Eph. 5:27), free from sickness and disease; because with Jesus Christ’s bruises "he has healed us" (Isa. 53:5)! Confess to the Father, God, John 10:9-10 with your mouth, and then thank him in the name of Jesus Christ, that you believe what Jesus says! Thank God that he makes all of his blessings to come upon you (Deut. 28:2-14), through Jesus Christ’s bruised body for your and all believer’s health and healing.
1 Cor. 11:30 (LIT/UBS4) Through (dia) this (touto) many (polloi) among (en) you (humin) [are] disabled ones (astheneis), and (kai) arrested ones (arrōstoi);
and (kai) [a] suitable number (hikanoi) are at rest (koimontai).
are at rest – A sleep metaphor, which is a gentle way of referring to those who are dead. See Jesus’ use of this metaphor for Lazarus (John 11:11-14).
weak ones, and arrested ones – Are not only more susceptible to become sick or ill, but have become sick and ill.
Through this – Through what? Through not judging through the body, i.e., through absolutely not remembering the Lord’s bruised body and shed blood! It can be only one or both of two things which can stop a believer from receiving into reality the God the heavenly Father’s great promise for his children’s complete salvation/wholeness, which includes mental (2 Tim. 1:7) and physical healing:
1. either a believer lacks the knowledge of our heavenly Father’s precious promise for our complete healing through Jesus’ sacrifice of his physical body;
2. and/or a believer does not yet believe it in their heart and mind, perhaps because that believer does not yet feel “good enough” to deserve it. The fact that you and I were not good enough to earn our own healing and salvation is exactly why our heavenly Father sent his son, Jesus Christ, who was good enough to earn our healing and salvation for us. That is exactly what you must believe! You must believe that Jesus Christ was good enough to earn your healing and salvation for you! BELIEVE IT! That’s the Word of Reconciliation which Jesus’ apostles preached!
Our human, mortal bodies are already born in sin, sin being in the blood (Lev. 17:11), and our bloodline coming down to us from the first two mortal’s Adam and Eve, who’s sin acquired for us our sin nature. As I have already shown you, as James says (James 1:13-15), sickness and illness develops in us on account of our sin nature, which makes us susceptible to death, as apostle Paul verifies here in 1 Cor. 11:30. Therefore, the natural outcome of our lives, on account of that sin nature already in us, is sickness and illness, which eventually leads to death.
1 Cor. 11:31 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) if (ei) we were thoroughly questioning (diekrinomen) ourselves (heautous) perhaps (an) we would absolutely not be being judged (ouk ekrinometha)!
But, if we were thoroughly judging ourselves – I take this to mean that we are to examine ourselves, judge our own selves as to whether we are actually believing God’s Word, his promises for our healing and health, such as the Isa. 53:5 promise.
I believe apostle Paul, in Rom. 14:23, clarifies what he means here in his letter to the Corinthian believers:
Rom. 14:23 (LIT/UBS4) But (de), the one (ho) causing himself to thoroughly question (diakrinomenos) [what he approves, v22, RE] has been condemned (katakekritai) if perhaps (ean) he may eat (phagē), because (hoti) [he eats, RE] absolutely not (ouk) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs)!
But (de) everything (pan) which (ho) [is] [eaten, RE] absolutely not (ouk) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs) is (estin) sin (hamartia)!
But the one [not] causing himself to judge [it] thoroughly – i.e., not remembering the Lord’s bruised body and shed blood and what all those things mean to a believer under God's new covenant, when eating and drinking.
As you can see here in Rom. 14:23 apostle Paul is again talking about eating food and drinking drink, but doing it without believing God’s promises for our healing and health through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, through not recognizing his, 1. bruised body, and 2. shed blood, and the spiritual significance of each and their associated precious promises from our heavenly Father for wholeness in every area of our life. Jesus’ sacrifice delivered us from every kind of bondage their could possibly be in our lives. The Father, through his son, delivered us completely! That’s exactly how BIG is our deliverance! This is what we must get into our heads, and BELIEVE IT, to apprehend the full abundance of life Jesus Christ came to make available to us now (John 10:9-10)!
But everything which [is] absolutely not out of belief is sin! – Apostle Paul qualifies not only eating and drinking, but ANYTHING we may do in life, if we do not do them in light of God’s Word, within the boundaries of what our heavenly father says is pleasing to him, and in the BELIEF to in return receive his great and precious promises to come to pass in our lives, then anything we may do is sin! This is the level of the bar of the walk of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Anything we may do, if it is not done out of belief to receive back from our heavenly Father because we are pleasing in his sight, then it is done in sin! That is the bottom line to everything we may do in life! You have read it here in Rom. 14:23 for yourself. This is God’s Word. I didn’t write it. It’s our choice what we believe in God’s Word, and what we subsequently decide to do, to either ignore the great and precious promises in God’s Word for our healing and health when we recognize the Lord Jesus’ bruised body and shed blood, as often as we may eat and drink, or not recognize it and receive the consequences of becoming weak and arrested, and go to an earlier death as we have read (1 Cor. 11:30).
1 Cor. 11:32 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) we being ones judged (krinomenoi) under (hupo) [authority, AE] of the (tou) lord (kuriou) are child-trained (paideuometha), in order that (hina) we may not be condemned (mē katakrithōmen) together with (sun) the (tō) cosmos (kosmō).
are child-trained – Apostle Paul states that those of us who do not yet know, understand and believe this knowledge in this passage here in 1 Cor. 11:17- 34, which he is teaching to the believers in the Corinth area and us now as well, are still children in the Lord; that we are still children who need to be child-trained in this area of spiritual maturity. Paul implies that those of us who are not only ignorant of this knowledge and understanding, but are not practicing it in our lives as often as we may eat and drink, that we are still spiritually immature children, children who need to lean and BELIEVE this knowledge to grow up more spiritually. Apparently apostle Paul considers this subject matter as foundational “milk” of God’s Word.
1 Cor. 11:33 (LIT/UBS4) And so (hōste) brothers (adelphoi) of me (mou), ones causing yourselves to come together (sunerchomenoi) into (eis) the (to) [stronger position] to eat (phagein), cause yourselves to receive out from (ekdechesthe) one another (allēlous)!
cause yourselves to receive out from one another – Share food and drink with one another so we all can remember the Lord Jesus Christ’s bruised body and shed blood together, as the one body in the Lord.
1 Cor. 11:34 (LIT/UBS4) If (ei) anyone (tis) may pine (peina) let [him] eat (esthietō) in (en) [his] house (oikō), in order that (hina) you may not cause yourselves to come together (mē sunerchēsthe) into (eis) a judicial decision (krima)!
But (de) the (ta) remaining things (loipa) I shall cause myself to thoroughly arrange (diataxomai), perhaps (an) when (hōs) I may come (elthō).
If anyone pines he must eat in [his] house – Apostle Paul appears to me to be indicating that when the Corinthian believers came together that they were too hungry; too hungry to share their food with one another and thereby celebrate the remembrance of Jesus Christ’s bruised body properly, as one body of believers in Christ. So then Paul is saying if they are that hungry that they should eat at home before coming together, and so they can celebrate the precious promises for believer’s healing and health in the bruised body and shed blood of Jesus Christ.
in order that you may come together not into justice – I believe the “justice” apostle Paul speaks of is the default sickness and illness which manifests itself on account of our natural sin nature. If we do not remember the Lord’s bruised body and shed blood as often as we eat and drink, or if we recognize and practice it while being unworthy, i.e., with an unrepentant heart, then that “justice”, sickness and illness shall prevail, as matter of our own sin coming into manifestation.
SUMMARY
The God, our heavenly Father, has absolutely promised us, his children, miraculous healing on account of his son Jesus Christ’s bruised body (Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24). The prophet Isaiah, Jesus Christ, and apostles Paul, Peter and James all taught that we are to receive miraculous healing in our physical bodies when we believe our heavenly Father’s great and precious promise to us in his Word, on account of what he did for us through his son’s bruised body and shed blood.
Yes, we are not good enough to earn our healing for ourselves, but Jesus Christ was good enough to earn it for us, and he did! That’s exactly what we must believe to receive it into manifestation in our lives! Thank our heavenly Father for it in the name of his son Jesus Christ! And then thank Jesus Christ also for his wonderful sacrifice for us!
Those of us who need physical healing should follow James’ teaching on how to receive that healing in our lives, following closely his words recorded in James 5:14-16.
When sicknesses or illnesses come upon us we should not blame God our heavenly Father, as though he is testing/tempting/trying us. As apostle James said, it is not our heavenly Father who is testing/tempting/trying us. But we become tested/tempted/tried to sin, and then that sin produces sickness and illness, and even death, when we are drawn away based upon our own lust for things (James 1:13).
And then when we are drawn into sin through our own lust for things, let us not blame the subsequent calamity which may follow on our heavenly Father, because as the Psalmist David has said, "He hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:10)."
Again in Psalm 1:1-5 the Psalmist David says,
Psalm 1:1-5 Bless Jehovah, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless Jehovah, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfies your old age with good things;
your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
In John 6 Jesus taught us that he was the true “bread” which came down from heaven. Jesus taught us that the bread which he broke at his last supper is symbolic of his broken body; and the cup which they drank was symbolically filled with his blood. And we learned the ancient Hebraism of “eating” and “drinking” God’s Word and words, which Jesus Christ was, the Word of God made flesh and which dwelled among them. Jesus taught that his disciple were to “eat” and “drink” his flesh and blood, which is a metaphor for “eating” and “drinking” all of God’s Word which comes out of his mouth, because each word is Spirit and life (John 1:14; John 6:31-35; John 6:48-63; Jer. 15:16; Ezek. 2:8-10; Ezek. 3:1-3).
Then we did a detailed examination of apostle Paul’s recollection of the meaning of the remembrance of Jesus Christ’s bruised body and shed blood, and what he said the the misbehaving believers in the Corinth area who were not sharing their food and drink with other believers who had none, and so they collectively could not properly recognize Jesus Christ’s bruised body and shed blood as a part of the one body of Christ (1 Cor. 11:17-34).
In 1 Cor. 11:28-30 apostle Paul declares that believers are weak and arrested, and a suitable number are at rest, i.e., dead, because when they eat and drink they are not recognizing the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ, who’s body was bruised for our healing (Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24).
1 Cor. 11:28 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) [let] [a] mortal (anthrōpos) prove (dokimazetō) himself (heauton);
and (kai) thusly (houtōs) let him eat (esthietō) out (ek) of the (tou) bread (artou), and (kai) let him drink (pinetō) out (ek) of the (tou) cup (potēriou).
1 Cor. 11:29 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) the one (ho) eating (esthiōn) and (kai) drinking (pinōn) eats (esthiei) and (kai) drinks (pinei) [a] judicial decision (krima) to himself (heautō), [through, AE] not (mē) thoroughly questioning (diakrinōn) the (to) body (sōma) [of the lord, v27, RE].
1 Cor. 11:30 (LIT/UBS4) Through (dia) this (touto) many (polloi) among (en) you (humin) [are] disabled ones (astheneis), and (kai) arrested ones (arrōstoi);
and (kai) [a] suitable number (hikanoi) are caused to rest (koimontai).
Our heavenly Father has made his son Jesus Christ to be our complete dinner, and thereby our complete deliverer, if we so choose to "eat"! Not only through our belief in his name and our confession of it with our mouth do we receive salvation and eternal life, but through our belief in God’s Word and confession of it with our mouth do we receive complete physical healing now, through Jesus Christ’s bruised body and shed blood. Now, for you and I, our physical healing is no longer an issue of our own lack of knowledge of God’s Word, of his desire for us to be completely healed without spot or blemish, to be healed, healthy and whole as he desires his children to be, but a matter of what do we choose to "eat", and thereby what do we choose to believe? Do we choose to believe lies from the devil, endless and confusing mortal-made theological theories, or do we choose to believe God’s Word, still recorded in the copies of the ancient texts of the Bible, and elsewhere?
May our heavenly Father's new covenant promises to us, through Jesus' shed blood, be coming to pass in your life!
Brother Hal Dekker