The Meaning of "Eating" Jesus' "Flesh" and "Drinking" Jesus' "Blood"
By Hal Dekker
2011.12.12
Last page update: 2024.02.29
All old covenant writings
quoted in this study are courtesy of Young's Literal Translation (YLT). The new covenant writings
are quoted from the Literal Idiomatic Translation.
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, AE] of the (tēs) life (zōēs) of the (tou) cosmos (kosmou).”
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)!?”
A Hebraism
Some among the crowd who heard Jesus speak didn't understand the figure of speech, the ancient Hebraism which Jesus used. Apparently it didn't cross their minds that Jesus may be speaking figuratively, as he often spoke. What caught them by surprise was not so much Jesus' great communication skills, as it was their own lack of ability to keep up. People's own lack of personal due diligence to study and learn the holy scriptures, and thereby lack of development of a certain level of working knowledge of them, is often blamed on the speaker, preacher, teacher for not keeping it simple enough for them (KISS)! The surprise of some, and subsequently their foolish statement, is indicative of their own weak-mindedness, and lack of spiritual ability to understand what Jesus said. This record in God's Word may teach a valuable lesson to some of us, that the burden is upon us to rise up to the level of the bar of the convolution of God's Word. God wrote the rules and conditions for our wholeness. He has set the standard to the level to which we must cause ourselves to stand up out of ignorance and stupidity.
God's Word is
literally from out of this world. Much of it is impossible to
instantly "eat" with our minds, since our minds are accustomed to
thinking in worldly ways about worldly things. Jesus Christ spoke God's Word at the level of
convolution and intricacy which God gave to his holy prophets when he
told them exactly what to say and write, and how to say and write it, as
they were brought under his holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21; Luke 4:18).
Some who heard
Jesus teach that day were obviously not experienced at studying God's
Word, and thereby didn't recognize the ancient Hebraism Jesus used.
But, they have come to hear Jesus speak, and through “hearing” they may
learn and believe (Rom. 10:17) God's word. Those who are
quick to argue should try more to be quiet and listen. It's
difficult to hear God's Spirit teach you in your mind when it's all
wrapped up and preoccupied with argumentation and debate.
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, RE] drink (piēte) the (to) blood (haima) of him (autou), you absolutely do not hold (ouk echete) life (zōēn) in (en) yourselves (heautois)!
Searching through the holy scriptures we can find passages which explain
exactly what Jesus meant when he used the metaphors "eat" and "drink" in
these verses, about his "flesh" and "blood" respectively.
A good first clue is in the local context:
John 1:14 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (ho) Word (logos) caused himself to become (egeneto) flesh (sarx), and (kai) he tented (eskēnōsen) among (en) us (hēmin).
A good second clue is right here in the immediate context:
John 6:63 (LIT/UBS4)
The
(to)
Spirit (pneuma) is (estin) the (to) [life, v54, RE] making one
alive (zōopoioun).
The (hē) flesh (sarx) absolutely does not profit (ouk ōphelei), absolutely not one (ouden) [profit, RE]!
The (ta) statements (rhēmata) which (ha) I (egō) have spoken (lelalēka) to you (humin), [each statement, RE] is (estin) Spirit (pneuma), and (kai) [each statement, RE] is (estin) life (zōe)!
Jesus Christ spoke
statements (rhēmata), each one being Spirit and life.
In the copies of the Greek texts of the new covenant writings the word
rhēma, the root form of rhēmati, is defined through usage as a very
brief communication of some kind, which scriptural examples define it as
either an individual word, or a short sentence, or even a short paragraph.
A closely associated word, logos, is defined through scriptural examples
to refer to a much more complete and exhaustive communication, about a
whole subject matter, such as the subject matter of God's Word.
Good third and fourth corresponding clues to what Jesus may have meant
are in a remote context:
1 John 1:1 (LIT/UBS4) One which (ho) was being (ēn) from (ap’) [a] beginning (archēs), of whom (ho) we have heard (akēkoamen), of whom (ho) the (tois) eyes (ophthalmois) of us (hēmōn) have gazed at (heōrakamen), of whom (ho) we made ourselves spectators (etheasametha), and (kai) the (hai) hands (cheires) of us (hēmōn) have felt (epsēlaphēsan), [was being] about (peri) the (tou) Word (logou) of the (tēs) Life (zōēs).
1 John 1:2 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (hē) life (zōē) was manifested (ephanerōthē), and (kai) we have gazed at (heōrakamen) [the life, RE].
And (kai) we witness (marturoumen), and (kai) we report (apangellomen) to you (humin) the (tēn) life (zōēn), the (tēn) ageless (aiōnion) [life, RE], who (hētis) was being (ēn) toward (pros) the (ton) Father (patera), and (kai) [who, RE] was manifested (ephanerōthē) to us (hēmin).
These four clues from
apostle John's writings seem to be some of the most obvious in the new
covenant writings, related to what Jesus may have meant when he said
believers were to "eat"
his flesh and "drink"
his blood.
In a remote context related to John 6:53, in the subject matter
of "eating" God's Word, in Jer. 15:16 there is a good fifth clue
as to what Jesus may have meant:
Jer. 15:16 (YLT) 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 a 60 mph drive-through readings of God’s Word. Jeremiah
paid particular attention to each and every word of God's Word, that he
“ate”. On account of the abundant intrinsic evidence within God's Word
about how it was and is to be read and studied by believers, to
be tracked, searched, read up thoroughly, through
working hard at it, and that they are to meditate upon it,
there are no examples in it of any believers treating God's Word like a
fast food, drive-through restaurant.
God's Word is deep.
A believer whose knowledge of God's Word amounts to no more than
surface-level generalities, whose general level of knowledge of subject
matters is incomplete, can scantly have built enough belief in his heart
to obtain anything more than sporadic results in his or her prayer life.
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 not one thing of what
the God of the heavens and universe said.
"and I eat them" – The idea of objectively eating the subjective
meanings of words, is not only a figure of speech, but is a Hebraism, a
common Hebrew figure of speech. A Hebraism is a linguistic feature
typical of the Hebrew language. Jesus spoke in Aramaic, a language
cousin of Hebrew.
Eze. 2:8 (YLT) ‘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 into our bodies; and similarly, the
mind is where knowledge, wisdom and truth enter into our beings.
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 Eze. 3:2 Ezekiel
agrees to this, "And I open my mouth", and he allows the Spirit of God
to cause him to "eat" the scroll. The Spirit, God, put his words
into Ezekiel's mind rather quickly, through a vision.
Eze. 2:9 (YLT) And I look, and lo, a hand is sent forth unto
me, and lo, in it a roll of a book,
Eze. 2:10 (YLT) and He spreadeth it before me, and it is
written in front and behind, and written on it are lamentations, and
mourning, and woe!
Eze. 3:1 (YLT) And He saith unto me, ‘Son of man, that which
thou findest eat, eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of
Eze. 3:2 (YLT) And I open my mouth, and He causeth me to
eat this roll.
Eze. 3:3 (YLT) And He saith 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
Back to John 6:
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) [in, AE] the (tē) last (aschatē) day (hēmera).
Jesus said two things,
both of which are major individual aspects of the complete redemption of
mortalkind, of all those believing upon his name, JESUS:
“gnawing
(trōgōn) the flesh of me”
– Jesus’ physical body was broken for the believer’s physical healing (Isa.
53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24). Believers are to gnaw (make sure you get every
bit of it) on God’s Word, specifically about that part of our redemption
accomplished through Jesus’ broken body:
and,
“drinking
(pinōn) the blood of me”
– Jesus’ shed blood was for the remission of our sins (Mat. 26:28;
Rom. 3:25), for our redemption (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 Pet.
1:18-19), to make peace between God and mortalkind, for all who
believe (Eph. 2:14; Col. 1:20), to make us righteous (Rom.
3:25-26; Rom. 5:9), to cleanse our conscience from guilt over dead
works (Heb. 9:14), to cleanse our physical bodies from the effects of
sin (1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5), to give us the new birth above (John
3) and the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit which makes us holy (John
6:56; Heb. 13:12; 1 Pet. 1:2-5), the power of the resurrection (John
6:54), wholeness and salvation (Rom. 5:9).
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 words of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Jesus was emphatically telling them to put his words, the words he was speaking, the words of Spirit and life, into their minds.
An Allusion To Jesus' Pre-existence As A Being Called The Word
In this record in John 6, and others elsewhere, Jesus not only used and important Hebraism to teach believers how God's Word needs to be read and studied, to be tracked, searched, and read up thoroughly, but the whole passage appears to be an allusion to Jesus' pre-existent form of being, who the ancient writer, apostle John, tells us was the Word. As you know, John's scroll begins rather dramatically with his introduction to us of God's Word, that is, the pre-existent being called the Word.
These following passages indicate that the Word, as John has introduced it, was a pre-existent being of some kind, and not simply an idea in God's head.
(*Prov. 8:22-31; Dan. 3:25-28; John 1:1-2, 14, 30, 3:13, 31, 6:33, 38, 41, 50-51, 58-62, 8:23-26, 58, 13:3, 16:27-30, 17:5-8, 24; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 10:4, 15:47; Gal. 4:1-5; Eph. 4:8-10, Phil. 2:6-7; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:4-6, 3:2; 1 Pet. 1:20; 1 John 1:2; Rev. 3:14)
These following passages indicate that the Word was highly important through God's instrumental use of it as his heavenly agent in the creation of the present heavens and earth, which creation record is in Gen. 1.
(John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2)
These following passages indicate God's instrumental use of the being called the Word in delivering prophetic messages to the ancient prophets in his pre-existent heavenly ministry. These are a few of the passages of the Word, the spirit of Christ, witnessing before to us through the prophets.
(Psalm 2, 16, 22, 30, 69, 78; Prov. 8; Isa. 49:1-6; Isa. 50, 61; Rom. 15:3; 1 Pet. 1:10-11, 20)
The following passages indicate that the Word was sent by God into the cosmos to become his earthly agent, to now have an earthly ministry.
(Mat. 10:40; 15:24; Mark 9:37; Luke 4:18, 43, 9:48; John 3:17, 28, 4:34, 5:23-24, 30, 36-38, 6:29, 38-40, 44, 57, 7:16-18, 28-29, 33, 8:16, 18, 26, 29, 42, 9:4, 10:36, 11:42, 12:44-45, 12:49, 13:20, 14:24, 15:21, 16:5, 17:3, 18, 21, 23, 25, 20:21; Acts 3:26, *10:36, *13:26, *28:28; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 1:14; 1 John 4:9-14), and that he stepped down out of heaven (John 3:13, 6:33, 38, 41-42, 50-51, 58; Eph. 4:9-10)
The following passages indicate God's instrumental use of the Word made flesh, Jesus, in his earthly ministry. These passages show that God, the heavenly Father, made Jesus Christ his domicile, his "house"; and that he dwelling IN the mortal man Jesus, he subsequently worked IN and THROUGH Jesus Christ as his mortal agent
(Mark 6:5; Luke 5:17; John 3:2, 5:19-20, 8:16, *29, 9:33, *10:38, *14:10-11, *16-20, 28, 16:32b; *Acts 2:22, 10:38; *2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 3:16-19, 4:6; *Col. 1:19-20, 2:9; 1 John 5:20)
The following passages indicate God's plan to instrumentally use his agent, the Word (in it pre-existent heavenly ministry), and then as Jesus (in his subsequent earthly ministry) to facilitate the coming to pass of the great prophetic promise of the Father, the promise of the outpouring of his gift of his Spirit upon and into all those who may believe in the precious name of Jesus. This is the fulfillment of God's plan to make all mortalkind, as many as may believe, into them being his domicile, his "house", the true "tent" of God built without mortal's hands, but with his hand, the prophesied raising up of the "tent of David!
(Joel 2:28-29; Mat. 3:11; Luke 24:49; John 7:37-39; Acts 1:4-5, 2:16-21, 33, 39, 20:28; Gal. 3:14, 22; Eph. 1:13-14, 3:6; 1 Thes. 5:9-11; 2 Thes. 2:13-14; Heb. 9:11-15, 10:36-39; 1 Pet. 2:4-9)
ALL of these passages are passages of some of the most "nourishing" food within God's Word, which we are to "eat" and "drink".
An Example of "Eating" And "Drinking" God's Word
I'm going to show you an example of how God's Word can be "eaten" and "drunk" to get it's essential Spirit and life out of it and into our minds and bodies, to receive it's cleansing and healing benefits. Closely related in subject matter to these verses in John 6 is what Jesus said as recorded by Matthew.
Mat. 4:4 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [Jesus, v1, RE] having been caused to make [a] decision (apokritheis), he enunciated (eipen), “It has been written (gegraptai), ‘The (ho) mortal (anthrōpos) shall absolutely not cause himself to live (ouk zēsetai) upon (ep) bread (artō) alone (monō), BUT (all’), upon (epi) every (panti) statement (rhēmati) being caused to go out (ekporeuomenō) through (dia) [a] mouth (stomatos) of God (theou)!’”
"The mortal shall absolutely not live upon bread alone..." - This simile compares living upon physical bread to living upon "every statement being caused to go out through [a] mouth of God". All of the ancient prophets and apostles acting as agents of God, acted as "mouths" of God, since they spoke God's Word. In reality the physical bread and the knowledge of God's Word which was spoken and written, are two dissimilar kinds of foods. But the implied resemblance is in the "eating" of the two kinds of foods. Whichever food it is, it must be "eaten" in order to gain the benefits of it.
Every statement going out through a "mouth" of God is being supplied by God. God is our feeder. He's the source of the spiritual food for us, his Word. Through his prophets and apostles he feeds us, and he still is feeding us, as we continue to read and study and learn more.
To the ancient writers of the holy scriptures this kind of spiritual "feeding" and "eating" is all highly intuitive common sense, since God was teaching them. However, for those not being taught by God, then and now, this concept and it spiritual meaning is hidden to them, and they can't "see" it.
The effect produced within a believer from "eating" God's Word is learning God's Word, which result produces precious belief in God's Word (Rom. 10:17).
Rom. 10:17 (LIT/UBS4) So (ara) the (hē) belief (pistis) [is] out (ek) of [a] [Word, RE] heard (akoēs);
but (de) the (hē) [Word, RE] heard (akoē) [is] through (dia) [a] statement (rhēmatos) of Christ (Christou)!
The only way a mortal can participate in God's new covenant for mortalkind, which was put through by Jesus' broken body and shed blood, and his death, is through one's belief in his own heart of the God's Word (Rom. 3:23-28).
Rom. 3:27 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), where (pou) [is] the (hē) boasting (kauchēsis)?
It was closed out (exekleisthē)!
Through (dia) which (poiou) law (nomou), the (tōn) [Law, RE] of Works (ergōn)?
Absolutely not (ouchi)!
BUT (alla), through (dia) Law (nomou) of Belief (pisteōs)!
Rom. 3:28 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) we are caused to count3049 (logizometha) [a] mortal (anthrōpon) to be made righteous (dikaiousthai) for belief (pistei), apart from (chōris) works (ergōn) of law (nomou).
The goal of "eating" and "drinking" God's Word is to learn God's Word, which learning builds one's belief in God's Word. Without belief in God's Word within a believer's heart it is impossible for him or her to please God (Heb. 11:6).
Heb. 11:6 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) without (chōris) belief (pisteōs) [Enoch, v5, RE] [was being] [an] inherently unpowered one (adunaton) to be well agreeable (euarestēsai) [to the God, v5, RE].
Because (gar) it is required (dei) of the one (ton) causing himself to come to (proserchomenon) the (tō) God (theō) to believe (pisteusai) that (hoti) he is (estin);
and (kai) [to believe that, RE] he causes himself to become (ginetai) [a] payer of wages (misthapodotēs) to the ones (tois) searching him out (ekzētousin auton).
According to these passages and many others, a mortal being is not righteous in God's eyes unless he or she has belief in God's Word in his heart. The God's way, the paths, he follows looking for belief is in people's hearts (Mat. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; Acts 13:10 ).
Under the new covenant in Jesus shed blood, which is God's covenant in effect for us now, it is not possible for any mortal to obtain righteousness from the God, nor to obtain salvation/wholeness from him, through doing the works of the Mosaic Law, but through doing only one thing, believing God's Word in one's own heart. In the gospel records we can see that Jesus, in his earthly ministry, saw and commented on people's various levels of belief in their hearts, which Jesus qualified into at least four levels:
1. People who had unbelief (apistian) in Mark 6:1-6.
2. People who had little belief (oligopistos) in Mat. 6:30-33, 8:23-26, 14:30-31, 17:14-20.
3. People who had so much belief (tosautēn pistin) in Mat. 8:5-13.
In Mat. 8:13 Jesus said, "Get underway. As you believed let it be caused to come to pass for you." This statement of Jesus, along with his statements in these other records of the levels of people's belief in their hearts, infers that according to a believer's level of belief in his heart can God work in and through a believer, to be gracious to both the believer and to others through him.
4. People who had great belief (megale pistis) in Mat. 15:22-28.
For a more comprehensive review of the biblical passages detailing various levels of belief in the hearts of people Jesus encountered, and how those levels of belief disqualified or qualified those people to receive a commensurate amount of God's grace, please see my study "Belief And Discipleship - How To Be A Disciple Of Christ Jesus."
How much belief in God's Word do you have in your own heart? Each person can absolutely answer this question for him or herself, through comparing how the God worked in the lives of Jesus' disciples and apostles, in the biblical records, to how much is the God working in your life now, in those same ways.
What is the one inescapable rule at work under God's new covenant in Jesus' shed blood, which cannot be left misunderstood in order to insure one's own success in discipleship to Christ Jesus? A believer's belief must be in God's Word.
There is a huge difference between God's Word and extra-biblical mortal/devil-made religious injunctions invented and added to God's Word over the last two millenniums. Do you know the differences? Unless you make yourself an expert of God's Word, from cover to cover, you'll have no way, no basis, for comparison to anything in any Christian denomination, to determine if what is preached and taught are truly of God's Word. If you're not getting answers to prayers the cause may not be that God's says "No", but that you don't have enough belief in your heart, resulting from knowledge of God's Word in your head, to move God to answer you! Yes, lack of knowledge can disqualify you.
The God so loved that he gave... (John 3:16), so the reason your prayers may go unanswered isn't on God's end of his covenant, but your own inability to partake with the God in his new covenant, because your own depth of knowledge and understanding of God's Word is yet too shallow to qualify you to receive from the God.
Jesus said, about the centurion who's son Jesus healed:
Mat. 8:13 And (kai) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) enunciated (eipen) to the (tō) centurion (hekatontarchē), “Get underway (hupage).
As (hōs) you believed (episteusas), let it be caused to come to pass (genēthētō) to you (soi).”
And (kai) the (ho) child (pais) of him (autou) was healed (iathē) in (en) the (tē) hour (hōra) of that (ekeinē).
Jesus said, "As you believed..."
One's who focus upon building their own complete knowledge and understanding of God's Word are the ones building more and more belief into their hearts, of God and his Word. Discipleship to Christ Jesus is the only way anyone can grow spiritually, and discipleship is all about learning and then practicing God's Word.
So, is a believing disciple's, spiritual walk a walk of doing good works or a walk of belief? Both, from what I've read. A believing disciple of Christ Jesus must first have belief in God's Word, that the God is a payer of wages to the ones searching him out (Heb. 11:6), and that those wages can be earned through doing good works on earth for others, out of God's love within us. Those earned wages are payable both now and in the future, at Christ Jesus' discretion, to whom all judgment has been given (John 5:21-27).
But since God's new covenant through Jesus' shed blood is a covenant in which believers can participate only through belief in God's Word in their hearts, apostle Paul refers to God's new covenant as a Law of Belief, and the old Mosaic covenant as a Law of Works (Rom. 3:19-28).
Salvation wasn't available to mortalkind under the old Mosaic covenant Law of Works, but only through God's new covenant in Jesus shed blood, the Law of Belief. And so thusly, a believer's salvation/wholeness could come through only God's new covenant, only through a believer's belief in God's firstborn son, Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:1-14).
No one can walk by God's Spirit within him without first having God's Word in him as the guiding light to walk by. And no one can have God's Word in them without first believing it. And no one can believe it without first reading it, and no one can read it without first having a desire to know it. How big is our desire to know God's Word? The size of that desire, which can turn into love for the God, determines how far we will go or not go with God.
As a believer's knowledge and belief in God's Word grows, a believer becomes more mature in Christ. Being more mature in Christ Jesus equates to being more pleasing in God's sight.
Eph. 4:11 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai), truly (men), he (autos) gave (edōken) the ones (tous) [being] apostles (apostolous), but (de) the ones (tous) [being] prophets (prophētas), but (de) the ones (tous) [being] evangelists (euangelistas), but (de) the ones (tous) [being] shepherds (poimenas), and (kai) [the ones, RE] [being] teachers (didaskalous),
Eph. 4:12 (LIT/UBS4) for (pros) [the sake, AE] of the (ton) making fit (katartismon) of the (tōn) holy ones (hagiōn) into (eis) [the] work (ergon) of [the] ministry (diakonias), into (eis) [the building, AE] of [a] domed-roof house3619 (oikodomēn) of the (tou) body (sōmatos) of the (tou) Christ (Christou);
Eph. 4:13 (LIT/UBS4) until (mechri) all (pantes) the (hoi) [holy ones, v4:12, RE] may come down adjacent2658 (katantēsōmen) into (eis) the (tēn) oneness (henotēta) of the (tēs) belief (pisteōs) and (kai) of the (tēs) experiential knowledge (epignōseōs) of the (tou) son (huiou) of the (tou) God (theou), into (eis) [a] complete (teleion) male (andra), into (eis) [a/the] measure (metron) of the (tou) fullness (plērōmatos) of maturity (hēlikias) of the (tou) Christ (Christou);
Eph. 4:14 (LIT/UBS4) in order that (hina) we may no longer yet be (mēketi ōmen) infants (nēpioi), ones being caused to surge (kludōnizomenoi), and (kai) ones being brought about (peripheromenoi) to every (panti) wind (anēmo) of the (tēs) [winds, AE] of teaching (didaskalias) in (en) the (tē) die2940 (kubeia) of the (tōn) mortals (anthrōpōn) in (en) shrewdness (panourgia), to (pros) the (tēn) method (methodeian) of the (tēs) Wanderer (planēs)!
How can anyone be taught by the God himself without first having some level of belief in God's Word? That entry point is belief in God's firstborn son, Christ Jesus. Belief in Christ Jesus leads one to belief in his heavenly Father, YHWH Elohim.
John 6:42 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) they were saying (elegon), “Is (estin) this one (houtos) absolutely not (ou) Jesus (Iēsous), the (ho) son (huios) of Joseph (Iōsēph), of whom (hou) we (hēmeis) have seen (oidamen) the (ton) father (patera) and (kai) the (tēn) mother (mētera)!?
Now (nun) how (pōs) does he say (legei) that (hoti), ‘Out (ek) of the (tou) heaven (ouranou) I have stepped down (katabebēka)?’”
John 6:43 (LIT/UBS4) Jesus (Iēsous) was caused to make [a] decision (apekrithē), and (kai) he enunciated (eipen) to them (autois), “Do not (mē) murmur (gonguzete) with (met’) one another (allēlōn).
John 6:44 (LIT/UBS4) Absolutely not one (oudeis) can inherently power himself (dunatai) to come (elthein) to (pros) me (me) if perhaps (ean) not (mē) the (ho) Father (patēr), the (ho) [Father, RE] having sent (pempsas) me (me), may draw (helkusē) him (auton)!
And I (kagō) shall stand him up (anastēsō auton) in (en) the (tē) last (eschatē) day (hēmera).
John 6:45 (LIT/UBS4) It is (estin) having been written (gegrammenon) in (en) the (tois) prophets (prophētais), ‘And (kai) they shall cause themselves to be (esontai) all (pantes) ones taught (didaktoi) of God (theou, YHWH).’
Everyone (pas), the one (ho) having heard (akousas) alongside3844 (para) of the (tou) Father (patros) and (kai) having learned (mathōn), he causes himself to come (erchetai) to (pros) me (eme).
For the prophecies of God himself teaching all of his children, see Isa. 54:13; Jer. 31:34; John 6:12-16, 45; Heb. 10:16-17; 1 John 2:27
So then how shall God teach them and us, if we are his children?
1) First through the coming to pass of the promise of the Father, he placed and is still placing a gift of his own Spirit within all those who believe upon the name of Jesus (Joel 2:28-29; Mat. 3:11; Luke 24:49; John 7:37-39; Acts 1:4-5, 2:16-21, 33, 39, 20:28; Gal. 3:14, 22; Eph. 1:13-14, 3:6; 1 Thes. 5:9-11; 2 Thes. 2:13-14; Heb. 9:11-15, 10:36-39; 1 Pet. 2:4-9), thusly making them his paternal children (1 Pet. 1:23), not adopted, and which gives them the ability to understand, i.e., "see", spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14),
2) and then through one's own desire to ask, search, and knock on the door of God's Word (Mat. 7:7) to "eat/learn" it, and subsequently believe it (Rom. 10:17).
God has both given us his Word, and along with it given us the ability to "eat/learn" and digest it.
If God has both given us his Word, and the ability to "see" it, to understand it, then what do we ask to "see" and learn out of it? What's our own heart's desire to learn from God, our heavenly Father? You can certainly pick your own subject matters. My understanding is that the subject matter possibilities are endless. But the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the starting point, in order for one to begin his or her discipleship to him. First comes discipleship to Christ Jesus, then through that comes sonship to the God, our heavenly Father.
So then let's read a verse of holy scripture which speaks of virtually endless possibilities to learn virtually endless spiritual truths. That verse lies in the beginning of apostle Paul's letter to the new believers in the area of Rome.
Rom. 1:18 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) anger (orgē) of God (theou) is revealed (apokaluptetai) from (ap’) heaven (ouranou) over (epi) [the sake, AE] of all (pasan) impiety (asebeian) and (kai) unrighteousness (adikian) of mortals (anthrōpōn), for the (tōn) [mortals, RE] holding down (katechontōn) the (tēn) Truth (alētheian) in (en) unrighteousness (adikian);
Rom. 1:19 (LIT/UBS4) through the reason that (dioti) the (to) [Truth, v18, RE] known (gnōston) of God (theou) is (estin) manifest (phaneron) among (en) them (autois), because (gar) the (ho) God (theos) manifested (ephanerōsen) [Truth, v18, RE] to them (autois).
Rom. 1:20 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) the (ta) unseeable things (aorata) of him (autou), from (apo) [the] creation (ktiseōs) of [the] cosmos (kosmou), are being caused to stare down (kathoratai), both (te) the (hē) everlasting (aidios) inherent power (dunamis) of him (autou), and (kai) godliness (theiotēs);
they being perceived (nooumena) [through, v19, RE] the (tois) things made (poiēmasin);
into (eis) the (to) [impiety and unrighteousness, v18, RE] of them (autous) to be (einai) without [an] apology (anapologētous);
Rom. 1:21a (LIT/UBS4) through the reason that (dioti) they having known (gnontes) the (ton) God (theon), they absolutely did not glorify (ouch edoxasan) [the God, RE] as (hōs) God (theon), nor (ē) did they give thanks well (ēucharistēsan)!
According to apostle Paul, any mortal which is alive on the face of the earth, and who can, with their five senses, see all of the things of the physical creation which are staring down at them, can "see" the unseeable spiritual things of God, both the everlasting inherent power of God and the godliness of God, which it all represents, if they have received God's gift of his Spirit within them. This first chapter of Romans is a chapter of doctrine, reproof and correction to the ones in Rome who were believers at one time, but then turned their back on God and returned to their own "vomit".
But for those who are son's of god, who can "see", "eat" and learn, all of the visible creation is an example of the unseeable spiritual truths of God's Word, of both his inherent power and of his godliness.
Now let's see if we can "see" and "eat" a record in Luke's writings.
Luke 3:21 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) it caused itself to come to pass (egeneto) in (en) the (tō) [time, AE] for all (hapanta) of the (ton) people (laon) to be baptized (baptisthēnai), Jesus (Iēsou) also (kai) having been baptized (baptisthentos), he was causing himself to be well-thankful to4336 (proseuchomenou) [God, AE], and (kai) for the (ton) heaven (ouranon) to be opened up (aneōchthēnai),
Luke 3:22 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) for the (to) Spirit (pneuma), the (to) holy one (hagion), to come down (katabēnai) upon (ep’) him (auton) [in, AE] [a] bodily (sōmatikō) sight (eidei), as (hōs) of [a] dove (peristeran), and (kai) for [a] voice (phōnēn) out (ex) of heaven (ouranou) to cause itself to come to pass (genesthai), “You (su) are (ei) the (ho) son (huios) of me (mou), the (ho) beloved one (agapētos);
in (en) you (soi) I well-approved (eudokēsa).”
Immediately after the prophet John water baptized Jesus in the Jordan river, and Jesus came up out of the water, God baptized Jesus with his own gift of holy Spirit, making Jesus Christ a son of God, the very first one as a matter of scriptural fact! After Jesus came up out of the water he was praying toward God for the heavens to open up and for him to hear God's voice telling him, and all, that he was now God's son, as Jesus read in the old scrolls that it was prophesied to occur this way (2 Sam. 7:14; Psalm 2:7; Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 11:20; Mat. 3:16-17, 17:5; Mark 1:9-11, 9:7; Luke 3:21-22; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5, 5:5, 8:10; 2 Pet. 1:16-18; Rev. 21:3, 7).
God's gift of his Spirit came down upon Jesus in the form of a bird, supposedly a dove. God wanted everyone to see a bird of some kind, or he would not have done it that way! Do you think God almighty randomly picked a bird to use as an icon, out of all of the things in the entire creation for him to choose from? Or do you think that God accidentally showed to all a visible icon of his Spirit, and that its visibility was not deliberately planned?
God fed the mortal man Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5), the Christ, the knowledge of his Word, through his "mouths". That's how the holy scriptures tell us Jesus learned it (Luke 2:40-49) in the age of the law of Moses. But, scriptural evidence shows also that God talked directly to Jesus Christ after Jesus received his new birth above in God's gift of his Spirit (Mark 6:5; Luke 5:17; John 3:2, 5:19-20, 8:16, *29, 9:33, *10:38, *14:10-11, *16-20, 28, 16:32b; *Acts 2:22, 10:38; *2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 3:16-19, 4:6; *Col. 1:19-20, 2:9; 1 John 5:20).
Have you ever watched to see how birds feed their young? The female or male parent puts its beak into the open and gaping beak of its baby and regurgitates its own food out of its stomach into the mouth of the baby bird! Isn't that fantastic? That's a little part of all of God's creation which is staring down at us to declare to us God's inherent power and godliness! Do you suppose it is a physical type in the senses world of how God, our heavenly Father spiritually feeds and teaches his children? Isn't that an example in the creation of how we ask, search, and knock, and how we "eat" the "flesh" of Jesus Christ, the knowledge of his broken body for our healing, and how we "drink" his shed "blood", the knowledge of our deliverance from slavery to sin and its penalty, death?
God's written Word teaches us, and God's Spirit in Christ, and God and Christ's Spirit in us, living in us, in God's domicile, his house (1 Tim. 3:15), his true prophesied "tent" made with only his hand (Ex. 15:17; 2 Sam. 7:5-7, 11-16; Isa. 8:14; Ezek. 11:16; John 2:18-22; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19; Eph. 2:21; Heb. 8:1-2; Rev. 21:3), teaches us, through regurgitating his Word in our minds (John 14:26), in a word of knowledge and in a word of wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8).
Jesus Christ taught that he was the true manna which stepped down out of heaven. In the wilderness the children of Israel said about that manna, "What is it?" We don't need to ask what is the true manna, it is the inherent power and godliness of God (Rom. 1:20)! Pray for God to feed you. Ask, search and knock; track down and study any discrete topic within God's Word, whatever you may wish to know, search it out, and then "eat" it, and "drink" it. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, let's ask God to feed us, and then cooperate and let him do it!
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) me (emoi), and I (kagō) [stay, RE] in (en) him (auton).
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)!”
Brother Hal Dekker