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Orthodox Outlet for Dogmatic Enquiries | Orthodoxy - Mysteries |
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Does the Body of Christ vivify us during
Holy Communion?
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Patristic quotes for the interpretation of John 6:63: "It
is the Spirit Who quickens; flesh is of no benefit: the words that I
speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life".
Source of Patristic passages : “Memorandum on the Gospel according
to John v.63” - by P.N.Trembelas
In two previous (Greek) articles on this topic, we provided the
Orthodox interpretation of John v. 63, which is maltreated by
various Protestant religions in their attempt to convince that the
Body and Blood of Christ are only symbols and not the true Body and
Blood of the Lord (even though He Himself had clearly stated it).
We intend to present Patristic passages here, which evidence that
the Church has always perceived this passage correctly – and in the
same manner – as early as the first years of the ancient Church.
We remind the reader of the verse being examined (highlighted in
red), in its context:
“54 Whoever eats of My flesh and drinks of My blood has
eternal life, and I will resurrect him on the last day. 55 For My
flesh is truly food and My blood is truly drink. 56 He who eats of
My flesh and drinks of My blood lives in Me, and I in him. 57 Just
as the living Father sent Me and I live through the Father, thus he
who eats of Me will live through Me. 58 This is the bread which has
come down from heaven—not as your fathers, who had eaten the manna
and died; he who eats of this bread will live forever.” 59 These
things He said in the synagogue while teaching in Capernaum. 60 Many
of His disciples when hearing this, said, “This is a hard speech;
who can listen to it?” 61 When Jesus perceived within Him that His
disciples were muttering about it, He said to them, “Does this
scandalize you? 62 What, then, if you were to see the Son of Man
ascending to where He was before? 63 It is the
Spirit Who vivifies; flesh is of no benefit. The words that I
speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
Having taken this last phrase literally - that the reference
supposedly pertains to Christ, Whose flesh (Body) is supposedly NOT
beneficial – the Protestants have claimed that the reference is
merely a symbolism. They have brazenly ignored Christ’s preceding
words, where He clearly says: “For
My flesh is truly food and My blood is truly drink… he who eats of
Me will live through Me…”
So, are we to assume that our Lord Jesus Christ is contradicting
Himself? Or is it they
who can’t understand what they are reading?
From P.N. Trembelas’ tome: “Memorandum on the Gospel according to
John”, we shall now quote the following Patristic excerpts, which
evidence how, even back then, they had interpreted those words of
the Lord:
According to Zigavinos:
(Efthymios Zigavinos – “Interpretation of the Gospel according
to John”).
“Spiritual
and life-giving are they
(=My words);
for this,
they should not be seen simply, but rather, comprehended
spiritually”.
And as Saint John the Chrysostom says:
(John Chrysostom - “Homily 47 on the Gospel according to John”).
“And
what is a “comprehending by the flesh”? To look simply at what
is before you, and not imagining something further. That is what
“by the flesh” means.
It is necessary… that all the
mysteries be examined by the inner eyes; for that is what
“spiritually” means.”
“…having
nothing of the flesh… they (Christ’s
words)
lie even
above the laws that prevail here, as having a differed meaning.”
Saint Cyril of Alexandria provides us with yet another dimension
of the topic, as follows:
(Saint Cyril of Alexandria, "On the Gospel according to
John" IV ch.3).
(The Holy Spirit) “…can
vivify”… “But
when the nature of flesh per se is regarded separately and
alone, it is not life-giving… rather, that which vivifies should
prevail: given that it (=flesh)
becomes joined
to the life-giving Logos, it becomes entirely vivified”.
In fact, Saint Cyril of Alexandria also stresses the detail that
the verse does not specifically refer to Christ’s flesh, because
it does not say “My
flesh”, but generally, that “flesh
is of no benefit”.
“For
neither Paul’s perchance
(flesh),
nor
Peter’s – that is, someone else’s – can work this within us”
and vivify us;
“so that, for all the others, the statement that ‘flesh is of no
benefit’ is true; it is however rendered invalid in Christ’s
case
only,
given that life dwells within it
(His flesh)
– that is, in the Only-begotten One”.
(Christ’s words) are
“…spiritual and about the Spirit”,
and they are
“vivifying
and they speak of the natural life”.
Saint Athanasios the Great states it even more clearly:
(Saint Athanasios the Great, “On the incarnate advent of God the
Logos”, and “Against Arians”, 16 Migne 26, 1011).
“For
the flesh of the Lord is a vivifying Spirit, because it was
conceived of the vivifying Holy Spirit. For that which is born
of the Spirit is a spirit.”
(John 3:6)
Saint Augustine says the exact same thing:
“My
words must be taken spiritually”.
In conclusion
As evidenced in both of our previous relevant articles, but also in
this one, Christ’s Church has perennially interpreted the words of our
Lord in the same, spiritual manner.
Christians know that Christ – having clearly stated that eating of
His flesh and drinking of His blood is LIFE-GIVING, and that His
Body and His Blood are TRULY food and drink – then afterward, when
His audience became scandalized, He clarified things in the following
manner:
“Do not try to perceive in the flesh the things that I
said, because your flesh will not be of any benefit to you.
I
furthermore did NOT imply that any, common flesh can vivify you. It is the
Holy Spirit Who can give life, and because the Holy Spirit is inside
My flesh, you will be vivified by partaking of My flesh and My Blood.
The Lord Jesus Christ – as the Logos of God – has in His words a
Creative and Life-giving energy. His words are not a mere expression
of His mind, such that can be comprehended by our flesh.
They are the incarnating and the imparting of Spirit and
Life.
Amen.
 Translation: E.M. & A.N. |
Article published in English on: 3-4-2018.
Last update: 3-4-2018.
