32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I|32 say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise

cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

48 I am that bread of life.

the bread of life to believers.

them bread out of heaven to eat. Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out 33 of heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and 34 giveth life unto the world. They said therefore unto him, Lord, evermore give 35 us this bread. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth 36 on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe 37 not. All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him 39 that sent me. And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and 1I will raise him up at the last day.

40

41

42

The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come 43 down out of heaven? Jesus answered and said unto them, Murmur not among 44 yourselves. No man can come to me,

except the Father which sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last 45 day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is from God, he hath seen the 47 Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, 48 He that believeth hath eternal life. I am

46

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, 49 the bread of life. Your fathers did eat and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

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.

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

the manna in the wilderness, and they 50 died. This is the bread which cometh

down out of heaven, that a man may eat 51 thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove one with

52

1 Or, that I should raise him up.

32. The true bread out of heaven. Christ himself, who is the antitype of the manna.

33. The really heavenly bread is that which comes truly from God's heaven, and has a universal application to the race ("unto the world"), not an application to Israel only.

37-39. The Father. Through his written Word (as shown in chap. 5:37-40). The Father draws men to Christ by his written Word, which is the third witness for Christ. Christ receives and retains all such.

40. It is the beholder of the Son, and believer in him, whom God gives to him.

42. The Jews could not reconcile a Messianic life with a humble condition.

44. Except the Father which sent me draw him. The next verse, regarding the hearing and learning (with the quotation from Isa. 54: 13), plainly shows that the drawing of the Father is by the teaching of the Word. 46. This verse, like the latter clause of chap. 5:37, is inserted to show that the drawing of God is not direct, but mediate.

47. The hearer and learner of God's written Word "comes" (verse 45) and "believes." To him Christ becomes the bread of life.

51. My flesh. It is as the Son of man dying for sinners that Christ is the breed of life. Hence, afterwards (verse 53), our Lord speaks of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, which shows that the giving of the flesh

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Many disciples depart from Christ.

another, saying, How can this man give 53 us his flesh to eat? Jesus therefore 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 not life in 54 yourselves. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and 55 I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is 56 2 drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and 57 I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers did eat, and died: he that eateth this 59 bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

58

60

61

Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, Doth this cause 62 you to stumble? What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where 63 he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you 64 are spirit, and are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him. And he said, For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father.

65

1 Gr. true meat. 2 Gr. true drink. 3 Or, a synagogue. • Or, him.

is the giving it as a torn and rent flesh, a suffering manhood. Men are to eat it; that is, to feed spiritually by faith on a crucified Saviour.

53. See preceding note. The eating and drinking (i.e., faith) connects the soul with Christ's life (compare chap. 6:27-29).

54. And I will raise him up at the last day. The eternal life obtained by a faith-union with Christ includes the body's redemption (see Rom. 8:11, 23).

55. Meat indeed —drink indeed. A sustenance infinitely more real, because more enduring, than any thing to which we are wont to give the name of food, even in figure.

56. The reason why Christ is meat and drink to the believer is here given. There is a mutual indwelling; so that Christ's life is the believer's life, and the believer's weakness is assumed and cancelled by Christ.

57. The action of Christ's life upon the believer is analogous to the action of the Father's life on Christ as the Sent of the Father.

60. Who can hear it? Who can hear it with approval? The doctrine that Christ and the believer must be identified was too hard for them. It has been ever since a hard doctrine to multitudes, who wish to imitate, or even to obey, Christ, but not to be united to him in his cross and resurrection.

62. If this doctrine of identification with Christ (eating and drinking his flesh and blood) cause you to draw back when I am here in the flesh with you, how much more will you draw back from it when you see me on my way to my primal glory with the Father! You will see then that the eating and drinking is not simply the eating and drinking a man, but the eating and drinking God; and that will stagger you more than ever.

The "ascending" of the Son of man cannot refer to his physical ascension, for only his apostles saw that. It must refer to his removal from the earthly scene. We may, however, take his "disciples" in verse 61 for the twelve apostles; and then the ascension may be his physical ascension, which they all (but Judas) witnessed. In this case, we must suppose even the apostles to be dissatisfied with this doctrine of eating and drinking the Messiah, as a spiritual doctrine at the farthest remove from the general idea of allegiance to the Messiah.

63. It is the spirit that quickeneth, or giveth life. The whole idea of the Messianic sway and life was spiritual, while the Jews counted it as outward and visible. The flesh profiteth nothing. Christ had spoken of eating his flesh; but by flesh he meant nothing earthly, but his own life as lived in the flesh, which was a spiritual life. That life of Jesus (including its great characteristic of suffering) was that which gave life to all believers; but it was not a fleshly life, but a spiritual life in the flesh. The words, etc. So Christ's words and teachings were a spiritual power to turn the heart unto God, and join it to him.

65. For this cause.

64. Who it was that should betray him. Our Lord therefore chose Judas as one of the twelve, knowing that he would prove a traitor. Because there are some of the disciples who are not believers. Except it be given unto him by the Father. Unless the divine drawing is felt. The mere human drawing of curiosity, or personal attachment, or partisan feeling, amounts to nothing.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal, life.

69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

goeth into Galilee.

66 Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, 68 Would ye also go away? Simon Peter

answered him, Lord, to whom shall we 69 And we have believed and know that thou go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 70 art the Holy One of God. Jesus answered them, Did not I choose you the twelve, 71 and one of you is a devil? Now he spake of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

1 Or, hast words.

69. Thou art the Holy One of God. This reading (or this with "the Christ" inserted before "the Holy One") is amply supported. "Living " is undoubtedly wrong; and “ Son" has not the Sinaitic, Vatican, Ephraem, Beza, or Parisian (L.) for it. The form in the Old Version is taken from Matt. 16:16, a form which Peter gave a year later. "The Holy One of God" represented the Messiah as God's agent; but the "Son of the living God" represented him as of the divine essence, where the force is not in the word Son," or in the word "living," but in the two combined. Nathanael could say to Christ, "Thou art the Son of God" (chap. 1:49), and only mean the Messiah; but to say "Son of the living God," meant the Son in whom God's life was, the divine Son. "Son of God" by itself is a title given to men of faith (1 John 3:2 compared with John 1:12. See also Job 38:7 for its reference to created beings other than men). The phrase in Hos. 1:10, Bene el-chai, "Sons of the living God," being plural, has not the distinctive character of the singular phrase; and yet that is a very strong, and probably Messianic, epithet.

70. One of you is a devil. Rather, "one of you is devil." That is, one of this little company acts as devil among the sons of God (see Job 2:1). There is only one devil. The literal translation of daßoλos as "slanderous," or "a slanderer," is not in accordance with New-Testament usage. The three cases in the pastoral epistles (1 Tim. 3:11; 2 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 3:3) even, appear to be "devils" (figuratively) rather than "slanderers."

71. Both father and son had the name Iscariot (see Matt. 10:4).

CHAPTER VII.

1. Jesus reproveth the ambition and boldness of his kinsmen: 10. goeth up from Galilee to the feast of tabernacles: 14. teacheth in the temple. 40. Divers opinions of him among the people. 45. The Pharisees are angry that their officers took him not, and chide with Nicodemus for taking his part.

1 AFTER these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

1

AND after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa,

2 because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of taberna3 cles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may behold 4 thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth any thing in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the 5 world. For even his brethren did not be6 lieve on him. Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your

1 Some ancient authorities read and seeketh it to be known openly.

1. He would not walk in Judæa. Hence the third Passover of his ministry he did not keep by going up to Jerusalem. The first Passover is mentioned in chap. 2:23; the second, in chap. 5:1; the third, in chap. 6:4.

2. The feast of tabernacles was at hand. John passes over the Galilæan life. The events recorded in the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth chapters of Matthew, and in the seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters of Mark, belong to this period. The Feast of Tabernacles began on the fifteenth of Tisri (about the 8th of October), and lasted eight days, if we include the appended sabbath (the "eighth day"), during the first seven of which the people lived in tabernacles (tents), or booths, in commemoration of the booth-living of their ancestors when they left Egypt (see Lev. 23:33-43, and compare Exod. 12:37, where Succoth means "booths;" also see Neh. 8:14-18). This feast occurred, therefore, six months after the Passover.

3. His brethren. His unbelieving relatives according to the flesh. Thy disciples. This seems to indicate that Jesus had many disciples in Judæa, made such at his visits to Jerusalem at the times of the feasts and at the beginning of his ministry.

6. My time is not yet come. My time for full manifestation and for full acceptance, such as they unbelievingly urged. Your time is always ready for your works, whatever they may be; but my works are done in the face of a hostile world, and so my time must be carefully chosen.