Pão
O pão é símbolo central na Bíblia: do maná no deserto ao pão da vida — Jesus. A Escritura usa o pão para ensinar sobre provisão divina, comunhão e dependência espiritual.
O maná do céu
Deus alimentou Israel no deserto com pão do céu. O maná era diário, fiel e suficiente — retrato da provisão constante de Deus.
Forsooth the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
I heard the grutchings of the sons of Israel; speak thou to them, At eventide ye shall eat flesh, and in the morrowtide ye shall be filled with loaves, and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.
Therefore eventide was made, and curlews went up, and covered the castles [or the tents]; and in the morrowtide dew came before the face of the castles [or the tents].
And when it had covered the earth, a little thing, and as pounded with a pestle, in the likeness of an hoarfrost on the earth, appeared in the wilderness.
And when the sons of Israel had seen that, they said together, Man na? which signifieth, What is this? for they wist not what it was. To whom Moses said, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
And the house of Israel called the name thereof manna, which was white, as the seed of coriander, and the taste thereof was as of flour with honey.
And he commanded to the clouds above; and he opened the gates of heaven.
And he rained to them manna for to eat; and he gave to them bread of heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels; he sent to them meats in abundance.
And thou bringest forth hay to beasts; and herb to the service of men. That thou bring forth bread of the earth;
and that wine make glad the heart of men. That he make glad the face with oil; and that bread make steadfast the heart of man.
O pão da vida
Jesus declarou: 'Eu sou o pão da vida.' Quem vem a Ele nunca terá fome, e quem nele crê jamais terá sede. Ele é o sustento eterno.
Therefore Jesus saith to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you very bread from heaven;
for it is very bread that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world.
Therefore they said to him, Lord, ever[more] give [to] us this bread.
And Jesus said to them, I am bread of life; he that cometh to me, shall not hunger; and he that believeth in me, shall never thirst.
I am [the] bread of life.
Your fathers ate manna in desert, and be dead.
This is bread coming down from heaven, that if any man eat thereof, he die not.
I am living bread, that came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live without end. And the bread that I shall give, is my flesh for the life of the world.
And he tormented thee with neediness, and he gave to thee meat, manna to eat, which thou knewest not, and thy fathers knew not, that he should show to thee, that a man liveth not in bread alone, but in each word that cometh out of the Lord’s mouth.
Which answered, and said to him, It is written, Not only in bread liveth man, but in each word that cometh forth of God’s mouth, [or A man liveth not in bread alone, but in every word that cometh forth from the mouth of God].
Partilha e comunhão
O partir do pão une o corpo de Cristo. Na Ceia, na generosidade e na partilha, expressamos a comunhão com Deus e uns com os outros.
And when he had taken bread, he did thankings [or graces], and brake, and gave to them, and said, This is my body, that shall be given for you; do ye this thing in mind of me [or into my commemoration].
For as oft as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall tell [or show] the death of the Lord, till that he come [or till he come].
Whether the cup of blessing which we bless, is not the communing of Christ’s blood? and whether the bread which we break, is not the part-taking of the body of the Lord?
For we many be one bread and one body, all we that take part of one bread and of one cup.
And thus ye shall pray, Our Father that art in heavens, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come to; be thy will done in earth as it is in heaven [or thy will be done as in heaven and in earth];
give to us this day our each day’s bread;
He that is ready to give mercy shall be blessed; for of his loaves he gave some to a poor man.
And he answered, and said to them, Give ye to them for to eat. And they said to him, Go we, and buy we loaves with two hundred pence, and we shall give to them for to eat.
And he saith to them, How many loaves have ye? Go ye, and see. And when they had known, they say, Five, and two fishes.
And he commanded to them, that they should make all men sit to meat by companies, on [the] green hay.
And they sat down by parts [or by parties], by hundreds, and by fifties.
And when he had taken the five loaves, and two fishes, he beheld into heaven, and blessed, and brake [the] loaves, and gave to his disciples, that they should set before them. And he parted two fishes to all;
and all ate, and were full-filled [or fulfilled].
And they took the remnants of broken meats, twelve coffins full, and of the fishes.
Provisão divina
O justo não é desamparado e seus descendentes não mendigam pão. Deus provê com fidelidade o alimento de cada dia.
I was younger, and soothly I waxed eld; and I saw not a just [or rightwise] man forsaken, neither his seed seeking bread.
And when his disciples came over the sea, they forgot to take loaves.
And he said to them, Behold ye, and beware of the sourdough of Pharisees and of Sadducees.
And they thought among them-[selves], and said, For we have not taken loaves.
But Jesus witting said to them, What think ye among you of little faith, for ye have not taken loaves?
Yet ye understand not, neither have mind, of five loaves into five thousand of men, and how many coffins ye took?
neither of seven loaves into four thousand of men, and how many baskets ye took?
Why understand ye not, for I said not to you of bread, Be ye ware of the sourdough of Pharisees and of Sadducees?
Then they understood, that he said not to beware of [the] sourdough of loaves, but of the teaching of Pharisees and of Sadducees.
Send thy bread [up] on waters passing forth, for after many times thou shalt find it.
Give thou parts seven, and also eight; for thou knowest not, what evil shall come [up] on earth.