Original Languages Of John 6

[goldenchild17]

Hey, I'm in a discussion with someone on the Eucharist. This person mantains that Christ is speaking as "spiritually" eating the flesh and blood of Christ. So I gave Him some of the original Greek... This is what I gave
[quote]John 6:23-53 - however, a symbolic interpretation is not plausible. Throughout these verses, the Greek text uses the word "phago" nine times. "Phago" literally means "to eat" or "physically consume." The disciples take issue with Jesus' literal usage of "eat." So what does Jesus do?

John 6:54-58 - He uses an even more literal verb, translated as "trogo," which means to gnaw or chew or crunch. He increases the literalness and drives his message home. Jesus will literally give us His flesh and blood to eat.

Matt. 24:38; John 13:18 - for example, the word "phago" is used here too, and it means to literally gnaw or chew meat. "Phago" is never used metaphorically in Greek. There is not one verse in Scripture where "phago" is used symbolically, and yet this must be your argument if you are going to deny the Catholic understanding of Jesus' words.

John 6:55 - to clarify further, Jesus says "For My Flesh is food indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed." This phrase can only be understood as being responsive to those who do not believe that Jesus' flesh is food indeed, and His blood is drink indeed. Further, Jesus uses the word which is translated as "sarx." "Sarx" means flesh (not "soma" which means body).

John 1:13,14; 3:6; 8:15; 17:2; Matt. 16:17; 19:5; 24:22; 26:41; Mark 10:8; 13:20; 14:38; Luke 3:6; 24:39 - these are other examples in Scripture where "sarx" means flesh. It is always literal.

John 6:55 - further, the phrases "real" food and "real" drink use the word "alethes." "Alethes" means "really" or "truly," and would only be used if there were doubts concerning the reality of Jesus' flesh and blood as being food and drink. Thus, Jesus is emphasizing the miracle of His body and blood being actual food and drink[/quote]

Now, I may expect Him to tell me that Christ spoke Aramaic so this whole point is moot. I also believe that Christ would have been speaking in the normal Aramaic. So, is there any way to see that Christ's use of the Aramaic is also in a literal use?
Sorry, this post may be kind of confusing. I'll clarify if you need me to.

[Adeodatus]

Frankly, we do not know with certainty what language Jesus spoke. You would expect Him to have spoken Hebrew being a Jew. But because He lived in the post-exilic period, He would probably have known Aramaic. It is quite likely that He would have spoken Greek in the Decapolis region, and to Hellenic Gentiles. Did He speak Latin? We don't know. Maybe. I do not know Aramaic myself, but Hebrew (which I do know) will admit a range of nuanced terms such as we find in the Koine Greek. Presumably Aramaic, being another Semitic language, can do the same. In any case, this line of argumentation will not lead to anything fruitful beyond a whole lot of speculation about Jesus's "REAL" words.

What we do have is the writings of the New Testament, God-breathed and inspired, and written by humans in a human language, Koine Greek. If the evangelist John takes such pains as to change verbs like 'phago' (consume) to 'trogo' (munch), and expressions like 'sarx' (flesh) over 'soma' (body), and emphasises the reality of all this with 'alethes' (true), then we can say that these emphatic terms correspond to what Jesus was saying to his interlocuters, no matter what language He spoke to them in.

If your debating partners appeal to the unknown original exact words of Jesus over Scripture, then it seems to me that they have lost the plot. If they seriously mean that, then they can NEVER appeal to the Scriptures at all. But as Catholics we believe the Scriptures are divinely inspired (God-breathed), and whatever is written in Koine Greek substantially reports the words, acts, intentions of Christ our Lord. And moreover, the Holy Spirit Jesus breathed upon the apostles still acts in the same Catholic Church today, guiding us into all truth and helping us to interpret the Scriptures. God bless you.