Flesh

This topic is built around a hard saying. In John 6, Jesus calls himself “the living bread which came down from heaven” and says, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” The listeners argue, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” and many disciples say, “This is an hard saying.” Jesus answers that “it is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.” Christians differ on how these words relate to communion. John 6:51 to 63 rewards a slow reading.

13 verses

John

John 6:51

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

John 6:52

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

John 6:53

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

John 6:54

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:55

For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

John 6:56

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

John 6:57

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

John 6:58

This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

John 6:59

These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

John 6:60

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

John 6:61

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

John 6:62

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

John 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

In the Old Testament denotes (1) a particular part of the body of man and animals (Gen. 2:21; 41:2; Ps. 102:5, marg.); (2) the whole body (Ps. 16:9); (3) all living things having flesh, and particularly humanity as a whole (Gen. 6:12, 13); (4) mutability and weakness (2 Chr. 32:8; comp. Isa. 31:3; Ps. 78:39). As suggesting the idea of softness it is used in the expression “heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19). The expression “my flesh and bone” (Judg. 9:2; Isa. 58:7) denotes relationship.

In the New Testament, besides these it is also used to denote the sinful element of human nature as opposed to the “Spirit” (Rom. 6:19; Matt. 16:17). Being “in the flesh” means being unrenewed (Rom. 7:5; 8:8, 9), and to live “according to the flesh” is to live and act sinfully (Rom. 8:4, 5, 7, 12).

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This word also denotes the human nature of Christ (John 1:14, “The Word was made flesh.” Comp. also 1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 1:3).