Simply Christian

John Chapter 6

-It is very interesting that in this chapter Jesus says some things that are very hard to understand. He speaks of "eating His flesh" and "drinking His blood" and that unless one does this, they will not inherit eternal life. If someone were to take this scripture out of its context (which many people do, including Christians...) you would probably think, "what a strange thing for the leader of a religion to say." If you continue on in the chapter, even John admits that these things were very difficult for Jesus' disciples to understand. So much so, that many of His disciples left Him. We see that the Bible is such a completely honest book and that is one of the many things that makes it so beautiful. Jesus says something that is pretty much a mind trip and John doesn't try to cover it up, he admits that it is! Other works of false religions often sound so ceremonial and flowery and fake. On the other hand the Bible is very much a book of blunt reality.
-Jesus sometimes said things that were hard to understand, the Bible concurs and clarifies. Paul speaks of things that are high and lofty and Peter says, "our brother Paul says some things that are difficult to grasp." He admits that even he had a hard time wrapping his brain around some of the things that Paul wrote. He doesn't try to sound like a Stalinist era Russian newspaper, he talks openly and honestly about the writings of Paul and the fact that they are challenging at times. But, he goes on to equate Paul's writings with "the Scriptures," in other words, the canonical Word of God.
-Another thing, consider Peter himself. As you study his life, there is no rosy portrayal of this man. He cuts people's ears off, acts as the very spokesman of Satan and is rebuked by Jesus, and then goes on to deny even knowing Jesus! Thankfully, God's grace pulled him through. However, even after preaching his powerful sermon on the day of Pentecost and becoming a leader of the early church, he was called out by Paul for his hypocrisy in not wanting to associate with Gentiles. This is something that sets the Bible apart. As we read about the lives of the people in scripture, there is no attempt to glamorize or sugar coat their lives. The Bible is ruggedly real. God's Word is the stuff of real life.