What is the Blood of Christ? The Gospel of Philip

What is the Blood of Christ? The Gospel of Philip

Gospel of Philip "Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Co 15:50). What is this which will not inherit? This which is on us. But what is this, too, which will inherit? It is that which belongs to Jesus and his blood. Because of this he said "He who shall not eat my flesh and drink my blood has not life in him" (Jn 6:53). What is it? His flesh is the word, and his blood is the Holy Spirit.

Literally, the blood of Christ which was shed on Calvary would be of no use to them. It trickled down his side; it oozed from his hands and feet; it gushed from the spear gash; and fell on the ground and dried away like any other blood, and nobody could find it if they tried, and if they could, it would not be of any spiritual value.

Wisdom steers a middle course, and aims to get that nice equilibrium of facts which results from a comprehensive study of the scriptures.

The 'blood of Christ' refers to the essence, or life-giving properties, of Jesus' teachings.

1 John 4:8  And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: And these three are one.

The spirit and the blood are one and the same:

Jesus shocked everyone by saying: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:53-54).

Jesus tried in vain to explain that he was not speaking about drinking the blood that flows in his natural body.  He was talking of the “blood” that flows in his spiritual body.  He said: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).

If, indeed, the flesh profits nothing, then the blood from Jesus’ natural body cannot provide atonement for sins.  If that is the blood we are required to drink, it would have run out a long time ago.  In any case, God is spirit: he has no physical blood.  The “blood” Jesus was referring to is his spiritual blood.  That spiritual blood is the Holy Spirit.

The soul of a man is in his blood Lev 17:10,11.  When the blood stops flowing, he dies.  The life of God is the Holy Spirit.  Without the Spirit, there can be no spiritual life.  Jesus says: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6).  This means the spiritual man cannot be quickened by natural blood.  He can only be quickened by the Holy Spirit; the equivalent in God of the natural blood in man.  Therefore, in the scriptures, it is the Holy Spirit that is “the blood of Christ.” (Hebrews 9:14).

Without the Holy Spirit, man cannot have eternal life.  When Jesus maintained we must drink his blood in order to obtain eternal life, he was not harking back to pagan mystery religions.  He was asking us to “drink” the Holy Spirit.  He said: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:37-38).  That living water is the Holy Spirit.

Remember blood water and spirit are one and the same

Jesus became “the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:24).  Again, the blood that is sprinkled on believers and the blood that speaks is none other than the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit speaks in our hearts the love and mercy of God.  Therefore, we are counseled: “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.” (Hebrews 12:25).

The Holy Spirit is the true blood of Christ which still is flowing and cleansing us from sin. (Revelation 1:5).  He is: “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death.” (Hebrews 9:14).  Anything washed in natural blood turns red.  However, John talks of those who “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14).  This white blood-washing is the work of the Holy Spirit.

John says furthermore: “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (John 1:7).  The Holy Spirit embarks on a life-long laundry process, whereby he purifies our hearts by feeding us with the true bread of life.  On a daily systematic basis, he brings to our remembrance the words of Jesus.

So doing, he teaches us the righteousness of God.  He also fulfils God’s promise of the new covenant: “I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:25-26).  “I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33).

The Holy Spirit cleanses us of sin by writing God’s commandments with an indelible pen in our hearts and minds.