BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: JOHN CHAPTER 6

JOHN CHAPTER 6

OBSERVATION STAGE

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand in accordance with the framework in which it was written: a framework which is defined by the normative rules of language, context and logic. Rules which do not impose undue, unintended meanings to the text , and which largely limit the observer to the content offered by the Gospel of John. In order for any passage from elsewhere to be considered, it must have a relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or a specific cross reference in the passage at hand by the author. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

I) [Jn 6:1-6]:

(Jn 6:1 NKJV) "After these things Jesus went [away] over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

(Jn 6:2 YLT) and there was following Him a great [crowd], because they were seeing His signs that He was doing on the ailing.

(Jn 6:3 ASV) And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat [lit., was sitting] with His disciples.

(Jn 6:4 JNKV) Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.

(Jn 6:5 YLT) Jesus then having lifted up [his] eyes and having seen that a great [crowd] [was coming, (lit., comes)] to him, saith unto Philip, '[Where] shall we buy loaves, that these [people] may eat ?'

(Jn 6:6 YLT) and this he said, trying [lit., testing] him, for he himself had known what he was about to do."

A) THE HISTORICAL NARRATIVE FROM CHAPTER FIVE CONTINUES INTO CHAPTER SIX: AFTER A POTENTIALLY DEADLY CONFRONTATION WITH JEWISH AUTHORITIES FOR CLAIMING EQUALITY WITH GOD AND ALLEGEDLY VIOLATING THE SABBATH; JESUS, EVIDENTLY IN CONTROL OF HIS DESTINY, WENT AWAY UNHARMED ACROSS THE SEA OF GALILEE

(Jn 6:1 NKJV) "After these things Jesus went [away] over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias." =

Notice that there is a continuation of a literal, historical narrative with the phrase "after these things." The phrase refers to the events at the end of chapter 5 which includes a potentially deadly confrontation with Jewish authorities who were pursuing Jesus in order to kill Him for claiming equality with God and allegedly violating the Sabbath. After this confrontation, He went away unscathed. Note that this was one of numerous times when Jesus, always in total control of His destiny, was able to escape harm from His persecutors.

*** EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 5 ***

..........OR SKIP TO NEXT SECTION

JESUS SAID TO THE JEWS WHO WERE SEEKING TO KILL HIM THAT IF HE BORE WITNESS OF HIMSELF, (ALTHOUGH ACCURATE), IT WOULD NOT BE TRUE IN THE SENSE OF IT BEING VALID TESTIMONY.

HE THEN SAID THAT ANOTHER BORE WITNESS OF HIM WHOSE WITNESS HE HAD KNOWN WAS TRUE: JOHN THE BAPTIST, TO WHOM THE JEWS WERE SENT TO INVESTIGATE.

BUT JESUS SAID HE RECEIVED TESTIMONY FROM NO MAN, FOR ONLY HIS FATHER'S TESTIMONY WILL DO. HE SAID THESE THINGS BECAUSE THERE WAS GREATER TESTIMONY FROM THE FATHER WHICH THE JEWS MIGHT CHOOSE TO BELIEVE AND BE SAVED; FOR JOHN WAS THE BURNING AND SHINING LAMP OF TRUTH; BUT THE JEWS WERE ONLY WILLING FOR A WHILE TO REJOICE IN HIS LIGHT UNTIL THEY FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS NOT THE CHRIST, OR THE PROPHET WHO WAS TO COME. SO THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS' AND JOHN'S TESTIMONY.

HENCE JESUS DECLARED THAT HE HAD GREATER TESTIMONY THAN JOHN'S - THE FATHER'S:

THE WORKS THAT HE DID WHICH THE FATHER HAD GIVEN HIM TO FINISH BORE WITNESS OF WHO HE WAS - THAT THE FATHER HAD SENT HIM;

AND JESUS SAID THAT THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM TESTIFIED OF HIM.

SINCE THE JEWS NEITHER BELIEVED THAT THE WORKS HE PERFORMED WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE FATHER TO DO, NOR BELIEVED THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHOM GOD SENT SO THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE; JESUS CONCLUDED THAT THE JEWS HAD NEITHER HEARD THE FATHER'S VOICE NOR SEEN HIS FORM, NOR HAD THEY HIS WORD ABIDING IN THEM IN THE SENSE OF IT OPERATING IN THEIR LIVES.

HE SAID THAT THEY SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES THINKING THAT IT WOULD BRING THEM ETERNAL LIFE - SCRIPTURES WHICH TESTIFIED ABOUT JESUS WHOM THEY WERE UNWILLING TO COME TO SO THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

JESUS SAID THAT HE WAS NOT MOTIVATED TO SEEK GLORY FROM MAN BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT THE CHARACTER OF MAN WAS NOT TRUSTWORTHY. HE DECLARED THAT THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES DID NOT HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD IN THEM. HE RECEIVED GLORY FROM GOD AND HE CAME IN HIS FATHER'S NAME AND YET THEY DID NOT RECEIVE HIM. BUT IF ANOTHER CAME IN HIS OWN NAME, THE JEWS WOULD RECEIVE HIM. HE DECLARED IN A RHETORICAL QUESTION, 'HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE WHEN YOU RECEIVE GLORY FROM ONE ANOTHER AND DO NOT SEEK THE GLORY THAT IS FROM THE ONE AND ONLY GOD?'

IN CONCLUSION, JESUS SAID FOR THEM NOT TO THINK THAT HE WOULD ACCUSE THEM BEFORE THE FATHER, FOR THE ONE WHO ACCUSES THEM IS MOSES, IN WHOM THEY HAVE SET THEIR HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. IF THEY HAD BELIEVED IN MOSES, THEY WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IN JESUS, BECAUSE MOSES WROTE CONCERNING JESUS. AND SINCE THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE WRITINGS OF MOSES, HOW WOULD THEY BELIEVE IN JESUS' WORDS? =

(Jn 5:17 NKJV) But Jesus answered them [the Jews, (Jn 5:16), 'My Father has been working [lit., works, present tense] until and now and I have been working [lit., work, present tense]. (Jn 5:18 NAS) For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. (Jn 5:19 NKJV) Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (Jn 5:20 NKJV) For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. (Jn 5:21 NKJV) For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. (Jn 5:22 NKJV) For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, (Jn 5:23 NKJV) that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him. (Jn 5:24 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him Who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (Jn 5:25 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. (Jn 5:26 NAS) For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself. (Jn 5:27 NAS) and He gav e Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. (Jn 5:28 NAS) Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, (Jn 5:29 NAS) and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (Jn 5:30 YLT) I am not able of Myself to do anything; according as I hear I judge, and My judgment is righteous, because I seek not My own will, but the will of the Father Who sent Me. (Jn 5:31 NKJV) If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. (Jn 5:32 NKJV) There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know [lit., have known] that the witness which he witnesses of Me is true. (Jn 5:33 NKJV) You have sent [Jewish authorities] to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. (Jn 5:34 NKJV) Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. (Jn 5:35 NKJV) He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. (Jn 5:36 NKJV) But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish - the very works that I do - bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. (Jn 5:37 NAS ) And the Father Who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. (Jn 5:38 NAS) You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him Whom He sent. (Jn 5:39 NAS) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; (Jn 5:40 NAS) and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. (Jn 5:41 YLT) Glory from man I do not receive, (Jn 5:42 YLT) but I have known you, that the love of God ye have not in yourselves. (Jn 5:43 YLT) I have come in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me; if another may come in his own name, him you will receive; (Jn 5:44 NAS) How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? (Jn 5:45 NAS) Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope; (Jn 5:46 YLT) for if [you] were believing Moses, [you] would have been believing Me, for he wrote concerning Me; (Jn 5:47 NAS) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" =

Jesus said to the Jews that if He bore witness to Himself it would not be true; not in the sense that what He was saying was false, but in the sense that it would be insufficient evidence to be taken by men as valid. The implication is that a man cannot testify to his own credibility, for that would be not be sufficient for a single witness was not acceptable according to the Mosaic Law, (Num 35:30; Dt 17:6); nor to the Jewish authorities, (Jn 5:31). Note that Jesus had already testified to the Jews of Who He was, and they had not only rejected that truthful testimony, but sought all the more to kill Him, (Jn 5:17-30).

On the other hand, Jesus mentioned another testimony who bore witness of Him whose testimony He had known was true: that of John the Baptist to whom the Jews had sent authorities to investigate, (cf. Jn 1:19-27). Jesus again declared that John the Baptist's testimony about Him was true, (Jn 5:32-33); but He told them that He received testimony from no man - even John the Baptist, implying that only the Father's testimony will do.

1) [Compare Jn 3:31-32]:

(Jn 3:31 NKJV) "He Who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He Who comes from heaven is above all.

(Jn 3:32 NKJV) And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony."

When Jesus said He received testimony from no man, for only the Father's testimony will do, the Jews having rejected Jesus' and John's testimony; He indicated that he said these things because there was greater testimony from the Father which the Jews might choose to believe and be saved. For John was the burning and shining lamp of truth; but the Jews were only willing for a while to rejoice in his light until they found out that he was not the Christ, or the Prophet Who was to come, (Jn 1:19-27). Hence He declared that He had greater testimony than John's: the works that He did which the Father had given Him to finish which bore witness of Who He was - that the Father had sent Him, (Jn 5:33-36). Previously, Jesus indicated that the works of the Father defined Who He was and what He, Jesus, did.

2) [Compare Jn 5:19 NKJV]:

"Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner."

Note that Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews acknowledged that Jesus had come from God... for no one was able to do the works He did if God were not with Him:

3) [Compare Jn 3:1 YLT]:

(Jn 3:1 YLT) "And there was [a] man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, [a] ruler of the Jews,

(Jn 3:2 YLT) this one [Nicodemus, (v. 1)] came unto Him by night, and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we have known that from God [you have] come - a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that [which you do] if God [is] not... with Him.' "

And Jesus said that the Father Who sent Him testified of Him. The Greek verb "memarturEken" rendered "has testified" in Jn 5:37 is in the perfect tense which refers to God's ongoing revelation about His Son, Jesus, to men and through the Scriptures of their time, i.e., Moses and the Prophets, which stipulated the works that Jesus would do. So Jesus said to the Jews that the Father Who sent Him had testified of Him. The point is implied that if you observed what Jesus did and compared it to Who the Father was and what He testified to in Scripture, it would verify Who Jesus was and in Him you would see the Father. But since the Jews neither believed that the works Jesus performed were those given to Him by the Father to do, nor believed that He was the One Whom God sent so that they might have eternal life; Jesus concluded that the Jews had neither heard the Father's voice nor seen His form, nor did they have His word abiding in them in the sense of it knowing it and having it operate in their lives, (Jn 5:37-38). Jesus went on to say, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life," in the sense that they believed that the act of searching the Scriptures in the subjective false manner that they did, twisting them to serve their own purposes, yet unwilling to believe in the testimony they provided about Jesus, would give them eternal life. Jesus said, ironically, that the Scriptures testified about Him implying that their futile self-serving search of the Scriptures resulted in them being unwilling to accept the message in Scripture that one may come to Him by faith so that they might have eternal life, (Jn 5:39-40). He concluded that He was not motivated to seek glory from man because He knew that the character of man was not trustworthy.

4) [Compare Jn 2:23-25 ]:

(Jn 2:23 NAS) Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.

(Jn 2:24 YLT) and Jesus himself was not trusting himself to them, because of his knowing all [men],

(Jn 2:25 NKJV) and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man."

And for this reason He declared that the Jewish authorities did not have the love of God in them.

When Jesus said that He did not receive glory from man, He implied that He received glory from His Father, not the least of which was conveyed through His miracles and works which were prophesied in Scripture as coming from God, (cf. Jn 3:1-2). Jesus said that He came in His Father's name but the Jews did not receive Him; yet if another came in his own name, they would receive him, (Jn 5:41-43). He declared in a rhetorical question, "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another [from fellow men] and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" In conclusion, Jesus said for them not to think that He would accuse them before the Father, for the one who accused them was Moses, in whom they had set their hope of eternal life. He implied that they had actually not been believing in what Moses wrote, because He said that Moses wrote concerning Him giving evidence that they did not believe in Moses, so He asked them rhetorically how then would they believe in His words, (Jn 5:44-47).

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 5 ******

So after an unspecified amount of time which allows for other unrecorded events, Jesus went from where He was, eastward, across the Sea of Galilee, because His return trip across the Sea was westward to Capernaum, (Jn 6:17-21). The Sea of Galilee was also known as the Sea of Tiberias. Tiberias was a prominent Roman-built city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Sometimes referred to as a lake, the Sea of Galilee was a fresh water sea with abundant fish. It was 6 to 7 miles wide by 12 to 13 miles long and provided fish and pleasure for multitudes. Later on in chapter 6, it is indicated that Jesus went west across the sea to Capernaum, where He evidently resided at that time. This was evidenced by (1) The crowd's persuing Him where they thought He most likely would be, (Jn 6:24); (2) He and His family spending time there together, (Jn 2:12), (3) He and His family being present at a wedding of a friend in nearby Cana - where He healed a Nobleman's son who was from Capernaum who had known He would be there, (Jn 4:46); (4) Jesus and His disciples separately heading toward Capernaum after He fed the crowd, (Jn 6:14-17).

B) A GREAT CROWD WAS FOLLOWING JESUS BECAUSE OF SEEING THE MIRACLES HE WAS PERFORMING ON THE SICK. WHEN JESUS WENT UP TO A MOUNTAINSIDE - NEAR THE TIME OF THE PASSOVER - AND AS HE WAS SITTING WITH THE DISCIPLES, HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES AND HAVING SEEN A GREAT CROWD COMING, ASKED PHILIP "WHERE SHALL WE BUY BREAD FOR THESE PEOPLE TO EAT?" WHICH AUTHOR JOHN INTERJECTS THAT HE (JESUS) ASKED THIS TO TEST PHILIP (AND INDIRECTLY ALL THE DISCIPLES); FOR JESUS HAD KNOWN WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO. THIS IMPLIES THAT JESUS KNEW THAT THE PEOPLE WERE HUNGRY AND WITHOUT FOOD AND INTENDED TO FEED THEM MIRACULOUSLY

So after an unspecified amount of time which allows for other unrecorded events as well as His potentially deadly confrontation with the Jewish authorities at the Temple in Jerusalem, (Jn chapter 5); Jesus went away, from where He was at the time of Jn 6:1, across the Sea of Galilee to the eastern side of the Sea. Since Jesus' return trip was described as across the Sea to Capernaum where He joined the disciples, (Jn 6:17); then it can be concluded that He came from Capernaum.

A great crowd of people was following Jesus because they were seeing [Greek "heOrOn," imperfect tense signifying linear action in the past] the miracles He was performing [Greek "epolei," imperfect tense] on the sick, implying that they had observed multiple miracles over a period of time, (Jn 6:2). So the crowd that followed Him evidently was able to observe, over a period of time, Jesus performing a number of miracles of healing the sick. Author John interjected that this was the motivation for the crowd following Him.

1) [Compare Jn 6:2 Greek]:

(Jn 6:2 Greek) "kai .Ekolouthei ....................................auto

.........................."and were following [imperfect tense] Him

ochlos .....polus hoti .........heOrOn .............................................autou

[a] crowd great .because .they were seeing [imperfect tense] .of Him

ta ...sEmeia .ha ......epolei

the .signs ....which .He was performing [imperfect tense]

epi tOn ..asthenountOn

upon the [ones] being sick

When He crossed the Sea, Jesus moved up into a mountain - to a mountain side - where He was sitting with His disciples when the crowd that was following Him came into view (Jn 6:3-5).

The Greek phrase "anElthen de ..eis .....to ..oros .........iEsous"

............................... "went up ..and into ...the .mountain Jesus"

in Jn 6:3 which is rendered "And Jesus went up into the mountain" in the ASV indicates that Jesus went up and into a mountain, i.e., to a mountainside located across the Sea of Galilee from Jerusalem. Author John interjects that at this time the Passover Feast of the Jews was near. Since Jesus was in Jerusalem at a Passover time before He departed to the mountainside across the Sea of Galilee, (cf. Jn 2:13, 23; 4:45); and since another Passover was near at the time that Jesus fed the crowd, (Jn 6:4); then it had been a number of months from the time Jesus left Jerusalem to the time He was on the mountainside.

While He was sitting with His disciples on the mountainside, Jesus having lifted up His eyes and having seen that a great crowd of people was coming to Him, said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?' Author John inserts a comment that Jesus asked this only to test Philip, (and indirectly all the disciples) for He already had in mind what He was going to do, (Jn 6:5-6).

So the Lord's question to Philip was to test Philip's and indirectly all the other disciples' faith in the Lord’s leadership and capacity to resolve mankind's problems and train them to be attentive to the temporal as well as the spiritual and eternal needs of people. Author John's interjection pointed to a key focus of the Lord: the training of His disciples. Jesus' question also implied that the crowd who followed Him was hungry and did not possess sufficient food to satisify that hunger and that He intended to feed them. Future verses will convey that people had a habit of following Jesus around for days - often staying overnight - without taking the time to get food, (Jn 6:22). Jesus later rebuked the crowd for constantly expecting Him to provide food for them, (Jn 6:26). The feeding of the crowd will be paralleled with the Lord's complete provision of eternal life through a moment of faith alone in Himself alone - to the exclusion of any other provision but the moment of faith. So the Lord took it upon Himself to provide food for everyone in the crowd. His provision of food would be portrayed as a miraculous feeding from God with no indication that anyone provided their own food as some maintain, (cf. Jn 6:26-29).

II) [Jn 6:7-13]:

(Jn 6:7 YLT) Philip answered Him, 'Two hundred denaries' [approximately eight month's wages] worth of loaves are not sufficient to them, that each of them may receive some little;'

(Jn 6:8 YLT) one of His disciples - Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter - saith [says] to Him,

(Jn 6:9 NKJV) 'There is a lad [lit., 'little boy'] here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?'

(Jn 6:10 KJV) And Jesus said, 'Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand'

(Jn 6:11 YLT) and Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those reclining, in like manner, also of the little fishes as much as they wished.

(Jn 6:12 NAS) When they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.'

(Jn 6:13 YLT) They gathered together, therefore, and filled twelve hand-baskets with broken pieces, from the five barley loaves that were over to those having eaten."

A) PHILIP'S ANSWER TO JESUS' QUESTION, 'WHERE SHOULD WE BUY LOAVES THAT THESE PEOPLE MAY EAT' IMPLIED THAT THEY WERE FAR SHORT OF THE MONEY NEEDED. ANDREW, BROTHER OF SIMON PETER, INDICATED THAT THERE WAS AN UTTERLY INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF FOOD - HE ONLY FOUND ONE LITTLE BOY WHO HAD FIVE BARLEY LOAVES AND TWO SMALL FISH. JESUS HAD THE CROWD OF MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND SIT DOWN; THEN HE HAD THE LOAVES AND FISHES DISTRIBUTED TO THEM IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT RESULTED IN EVERYONE HAVING AS MUCH TO EAT AS THEY WISHED, IMPLYING A MIRACLE. WHEREUPON HE HAD THE LEFTOVER FRAGMENTS OF BREAD GATHERED INTO TWELVE HAND-BASKETS SO THAT NOTHING WOULD BE LOST

(Jn 6:1 NKJV) "After these things Jesus went [away] over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. (Jn 6:2 YLT) and there was following Him a great [crowd], because they were seeing His signs that He was doing on the ailing. (Jn 6:3 ASV) And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat [lit., was sitting] with His disciples. (Jn 6:4 NKJV) Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. (Jn 6:5 YLT) Jesus then having lifted up [his] eyes and having seen that a great [crowd] [was coming, (lit., comes)] to him, saith unto Philip, '[Where] shall we buy loaves, that these [people] may eat ?' (Jn 6:6 YLT) and this he said, trying [lit., testing] him, for he himself had known what he was about to do. (Jn 6:7 YLT) Philip answered Him, 'Two hundred denaries' [approximately eight month's wages] worth of loaves are not sufficient to them, that each of them may receive some little;' (Jn 6:8 YLT) one of His disciples - Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter - saith [says] to Him, (Jn 6:9 NKJV) 'There is a lad [lit., 'little boy'] here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?' (Jn 6:10 KJV) And Jesus said, 'Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand' (Jn 6:11 YLT) and Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those reclining, in like manner, also of the little fishes as much as they wished. (Jn 6:12 NAS) When they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.' (Jn 6:13 YLT) They gathered together, therefore, and filled twelve hand-baskets with broken pieces, from the five barley loaves that were over to those having eaten." =

When Jesus, already knowing what He would do, asked Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat," He was referring to a great crowd of people which was without sufficient food to eat and was evidently expecting to be fed, (Jn 6:1-6). This He intended to do supernaturally, (Jn 6:14). Philip answered that two hundred denaries' [approximately eight month's wages] were not sufficient to provide even a small amount of food for every one. When Philip said this, he was implying that the disciples had far less money than that. Furthermore, the region surrounding the mountainside at the Sea of Galilee was unable to provide sufficient food for such a huge number of people on such short notice. So resources were impossibly insufficient to adequately feed such a large number of people, (Jn 6:7). This also implies that the crowd itself had hardly any food to eat. Andrew, another disciple, the brother of Simon Peter, said to Jesus, "There is a lad [lit., a 'little boy'] here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" Andrew was evidently paying close attention to what Jesus was saying to Philip. It was worded by Andrew as an answer to the Lord's question to Philip of how they were going to feed everyone in the crowd. From this we can conclude that Andrew's observation implied that the boy's food was all that the crowd had and it was utterly insufficient. No where else in the passage is it stipulated or implied that anyone else had food at that time that they could be persuaded to share, as some maintain. So the point is made by two disciples that everyone in the crowd needed food to eat and the available food and the disciples' capacity to feed them fell short by an insurmountable margin. So far the disciples had not evidenced looking to Jesus' capacity to provide a supernatural solution to the problem of feeding everyone in the crowd despite His miracles of the past alluded to in verse 6:2. On the other hand, it is not illogical to search for a natural solution first before resorting to Jesus' miraculous intervention, (Jn 6:8-9). Whereupon Jesus, already having known what He was going to do, (Jn 6:6), said to His disciples: "Make the men sit down." As we saw earlier in verse 6, Jesus already had a plan in mind to solve the crowds' need to have something to eat. Jn 6:10 indicates that Jesus began to put His plan into action by telling His disciples to have the men sit down; and author John interjected, "There was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand." The verse indicates that everyone obeyed the instructions given to them by the disciples. It is evident that Jesus intended for the people to be served a meal while they were seated as opposed to having them come to a central place to get the food - evidently a lesson for the disciples to be servants and a practical means to avoid such a large crowd rushing forward to grab the food. Women and children are not mentioned in author John's observation; but this does not exclude their presence there, especially considering the little boy mentioned in verse 9 who was part of the crowd, (Jn 6:10) - which would increase the total number of the crowd from 5,000 men. So Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, distributed them to the disciples to give to the crowd; and the two small fish were distributed in like manner - through the disciples to the crowd. Some manuscripts do not mention that the disciples participated in the distribution of the food, but key manuscripts and sources, 01Aleph-org, 02A, 03B, 019L, 041, 33, bo.Lach, Treg, Alf, Tisc, We/Ho, Weis, Sod, and UBS and the testimony of Mark 6:41 point to their participation in the distribution of the food. This makes logical and logistical sense due to the size of the crowd. The crowd was evidently reclining on the grass on the mountainside. Thousands who were seated all received as much bread and fish as they wanted, for author John declared that they were filled, i.e. their appetites were satisfied. The context indicates that all of this food came from the original supply of the boy's five small barley loaves and two small fish. Jesus demonstrated His capacity and readiness to meet the needs of a large crowd supernaturally relative to hunger. The passage indicates later that the crowd was declaring "This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world," according to Scripture, (Jn 6:14). Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost" in the sense of anything being wasted. He implied that He had some further use in mind for the left over food. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of bread pieces, which it is specifically stated came from the crowd after they had had their fill - which food ultimately came from the five barley loaves. So a miracle is again implied in verse 13 that thousands were fed from the five small barley loaves with twelve baskets of pieces left over from those who had eaten. So no other source of the food can be interpreted except those original 5 loaves and 2 small fish, (Jn 6:11-13).

III) [Jn 6:14-21]:

(Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world;'

(Jn 6:15 YLT) Jesus, therefore, having known that they [were] about to come, and to [seize] Him that they may make Him King, [withdrew] again to the mountain Himself alone.

(Jn 6:16 YLT) And when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,

(Jn 6:17 YLT) and having entered into the [ship], they were going [across] the sea to Capernaum, and darkness had already come, and Jesus had not come [to] them,

(Jn 6:18 YLT) the sea also - [by] a great wind blowing -- was being [stirred up],

(Jn 6:19 YLT) having [rowed], therefore, about twenty-five or thirty [lit., stadia] [approx. 5 or 6 km], they [see] Jesus walking on the sea, and coming [near] to the [ship], and they were [frightened];

(Jn 6:20 YLT) and [He says] to them, [Greek, EgO eimi literally]: 'I Am, be not afraid,' [cf. Ex 3:14 Hebrew and Septuagint, "I Am that I Am - a declaration of Diety];

(Jn 6:21 ASV) They were willing therefore to receive Him into the boat: and [immediately] the sailing vessel was at the land [to which] they were going."

A) THE CROWD THAT WAS FOLLOWING JESUS, HAVING SEEN YET ANOTHER OF THE MIRACULOUS SIGNS THAT JESUS DID WHEN HE MIRACULOUSLY FED THEM BY MULTIPLYING 5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH, WERE DECLARING, "THIS IS TRULY THE PROPHET, THE [ONE WHO IS] THE COMING [ONE] [INTO] THE WORLD"

(Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world' " =

Author John stipulated that the crowd saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, implying His miraculous feeding of the crowd. He had reported that people in the crowd, seeing the miraculous signs, were prompted to follow Jesus, (cf. Jn 6:1-2). Now after this miraculous feeding they were declaring, [imperfect tense = a linear action in the past], "This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world." Notice that this is confirmation that our Lord did miraculously feed the crowd on the mountain side. For if nothing miraculous occurred then there would be little reason to remark that Jesus was the expected Prophet.

**** EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER ONE RE: THE PROPHET WHO IS TO COME ***

OR MOVE TO NEXT SECTION

THE JEWISH INTERROGATORS PERSISTED WITH JOHN THE BAPTIST. THEY ASKED, "ARE YOU THE PROPHET," THEIR THIRD CHOICE OF WHOM THEY THOUGHT JOHN THE BAPTIST MIGHT BE. THEY WERE REFERRING TO SCRIPTURE TO THE ONE WHOM MOSES FORETOLD WOULD BE A PROPHET LIKE HIMSELF - THE KEY PROPHET OF ISRAEL - WHO WOULD LEAD THEM IN A FINAL EXODUS FROM THEIR ENEMIES AND FROM SIN INTO THE PROMISED ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD

(Jn 1:21 NKJV) "And they asked him [John the Baptist], "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' And he answered, 'No.' " =

Since the priests and Levites asked John the Baptist if he was the prophet, then "the Prophet" they were referring to had not come into the world up to that time. The words, "the prophet" with the definite article imply a specific Prophet. Although John the Baptist was the greatest prophet of his age, who spoke of the coming Messiah like no one else, he answered 'No,' for he was not the prophet they spoke of. Note that John's answer, 'No,' is the shortest yet, indicating the kind of interrogation he is receiving and his resistance to it. Scripture teaches that "the Prophet" is to be an Israelite Who will be the key prophet of Israel - the One Who, after the manner of Moses, will speak directly with God and to Israel for God. He will lead them in a final exodus from their enemies and from sin into the promised eternal kingdom of God as Moses delivered the Israelites from bondage to Egypt giving them the opportunity to live in freedom and righteousness under God's direct rule in the Promised Land.

Just as Moses spoke directly to God and spoke for Him to the Israelites - speaking of Who God is and what He expected of His chosen people, and foretelling great events in their history; so the Prophet will be God's representative to Israel and to mankind on the earth. Just as Moses delivered his people from bondage to her enemies and brought her to the Promised Land where they could live under the direct rulership of God Almighty Himself, so will the Prophet bring in and rule the eternal kingdom. Note that the Jewish interrogators have evidently missed that "the Christ" is "the Prophet," for it is the Prophet Who as Moses did, will intercede for Israel with God as Prophet and Ruler of Israel in the eternal kingdom. The Prophet will inherit rulership of the nations of the word to the ends of the earth from God.

[Compare Dt 18:15-19]:

(Dt 18:15 NKJV) "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me [Moses] from your midst, from your brethren [Israelites]. Him you shall hear

[Note that the Prophet will be like Moses. He will also be from Israel, and it is He Whom the Israelites will hear as the representative voice of the LORD]:

(Dt 18:16 NKJV) according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.'

[So the Prophet will be just like Moses, Who will intercede between God and Israel, just as Moses did in the past]

(Dt 18:17 NAS) The LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well.

(Dt 18:18 NKJV) I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.

[God will raise up for Israel a Prophet like Moses from among their brethren, i.e., to be an Israelite. And God will put His words in the mouth of the Prophet to speak for Him to the Israelites]

(Dt 18:19 NKJV) And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.' "

The LORD will hold all men accountable to His commands including those who "will not hear [His] words", i.e., who will turn a deaf ear to them.

**** END OF EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER ONE RE: THE PROPHET WHO IS TO COME ***

B) THE CROWD DECLARES JESUS TO BE THE PROPHET TO COME. JESUS HAVING KNOWN THE MOMENT THEY WOULD TRY TO FORCE HIM TO BE KING WITHDREW TO THE MOUNTAIN BY HIMSELF. THAT EVENING THE DISCIPLES DISEMBARKED FOR CAPERNAUM WITHOUT FINDING JESUS. ABOUT 3 OR 3 1/2 MILES OUT, IN ROUGH SEAS, THEY WERE FRIGHTENED BY JESUS APPROACHING THEM, WALKING ON THE SEA. WHEN JESUS SAID, "I AM, BE NOT AFRAID," THEY RECEIVED HIM INTO THE SHIP AND AT THAT INSTANT THEY MIRACULOUSLY WERE AT THEIR DESTINATION NEAR CAPURNAUM - MILES FROM WHERE JESUS ENTERED THE SHIP

Author John revealed that Jesus withdrew again to the mountain. The previous time, the crowd followed Him with the disciples and He ended up miraculously feeding them. This time the crowd would find Him until after He crossed the Sea to Capernaum, (Jn 6:25).

The precise knowledge of the crowd's intent to force Him to be King and the exact moment they would act testifies to Jesus' omniscience, an attribute reserved for God. The crowd itself concluded by what Jesus said and the miracles that He did that He was this Prophet that they spoke of and that He had come into the world in their time as Jesus Christ. They evidently viewed this Prophet as the One Who would take over a worldly kingdom when He came, Who would overwhelm the Roman Empire in order to be King under His own authority. So they intended to try to seize Him and force Him to become King - force Him to declare Himself King. On the other hand, OT Scripture portrays a Prophet Who was to come and be sacrificed for sins and then come of His own power to be King without any help from others . So the crowd demonstrated an unbiblical point of view about Jesus as the Prophet, Messiah and King. They had not objectively and honestly read the Scriptures. So when Jesus withdrew Himself from the crowd once more to the mountain by Himself, He was maintaining control over His own destiny. From this account we may conclude that Jesus was not expecting to be King over an earthly kingdom at this time. Author John, most likely present with Jesus at the time, was evidently made aware of Jesus' motivation for withdrawing from the crowd, (Jn 6:14-15). When evening came, evidently the evening of that day, Jesus' disciples went down to the sea where they got into a [ship] and set off westward across the sea for Capernaum. There was an expectation that Jesus would join them; but it was now dark and Jesus had not joined them. So they went without Him, (Jn 6:16-17).

A strong wind was blowing that night on the Sea which caused the waters to be extremely rough. When the disciples, having departed without Jesus, had rowed out approximately 5 to 6 km, (3 to 3 1/2 miles), in the rough seas at night; they saw something on the water approaching them that terrified them. What they saw they did not immediately recognize. It was Jesus walking on the water toward them. He said, 'I Am, be not afraid', which verifies that they at first did not know what it was that made them so frightened.

Notice that the original Greek phrase "peripatouva epi tes thalasses," rendered "walking upon the sea," as opposed to walking in the sea in Jn 6:19 in the YLT implies a supernatural event. This is corroborated by the frightened reaction of the disciples. For someone wading in shallow water, as some maintain the verse indicates, would hardly be a reason for their frightened reaction. The conclusion that the waters were shallow so that Jesus could wade to the sailing vessel is unwarranted for a number of reasons: (1) The Greek word "epi" in Jn 6:19 rendered "upon" in the YLT, literally means 'upon' or 'on,' not in. The Greek words, "eis" or "en" mean "in," or "into" which neither appears in that verse. (2) The draft of the sea going sailing vessel which contained the disciples required much deeper than wading depth water - especially with a sea-going keel to steady the sailing vessel in rough seas. (3) Extremely rough seas would prevent one from walking to and entering a sailing vessel - shallow water or not. (4) The sailing vessel was declared to be 5 to 6 km, (3 to 3 1/2 miles), out in the middle of the sea of Galilee where shallow water would not be likely. (5) Shallow water due to a sand bar in the middle of the sea must be ruled out because Jesus would have to have swum miles out in rough seas to it so that He could wait for the sailing vessel to come by. The ship would then have to inadvertantly beach itself in shallow waters enabling Jesus to walk on the sand bar to the vessel. (6) If Jesus could miraculously change water to wine, heal the sick, feed thousands; certainly He could walk on water - and did. Note that His walking on the water, was viewed only by the disciples.

Jesus said to the frightened disciples, Greek, "EgO eimi," literally, "I am, be not afraid." Note that the Greek "Ego eimi" in Jn 6:20 is identical to the Greek OT Septuagint translation of Exodus 3:14 when the LORD declared to Moses Who He was, rendered from the Hebrew, which is translated "I Am that I Am," a declaration of Diety. When Jesus spoke these words to them, the disciples recognized Jesus and were willing to take Him into the sailing vessel. Immediately after that the sailing vessel reached the shore where they were heading. The word "immediately" appears at the beginning of the phrase in verse 21b for emphasis which indicates a supernatural end to their trip the moment Jesus entered the sailing vessel rather than a normal amount of time to get to the shore, (Jn 6:18-21).

IV) [Jn 6:22-29]:

(Jn 6:22 YLT) "On the [next day], the [crowd] [the ones having stood] on the other side of the sea, [saw] that there was no other [sailing vessel] there except one - that into which His disciples entered - and [saw] that Jesus went not in with His disciples into the [sailing vessel], but His disciples went away alone,

(Jn 6:22 Greek) "TE.......epaurion .ho .ochios ho. hestEkOs ......................peran ...............tEs .....

............................"On the next day .the crowd the [one] having stood [on] the other side .of the .

thalassEs ...................eidon .............hoti ploiarion ..........allo ..ouk En .ekei ...ei .......mE hen .ekeino .. ......

sea ...........[the ones] .saw ...............that .sailing vessel..other no ..was there [since] not .one that .

eis ..ho .....enebEsan hoi mathEtai autou ..kai .hoti .ou .suneisElthen .tois mathEtais autou

into.which entered ...the disciples .His .....and .that .not went with ......the .disciples ...His ........

ho IEsous eis ...to ..ploiarion .........alla monoi toi mathEtai ..autou apElthon,"

.....Jesus ...into .the sailing vessel .but .alone .the disciples .His ....went away,"

(Jn 6:23 YLT) (and other [sailing vessels] [alt., ships] came from Tiberias, [near to] the place

(Jn 6:23 Greek) alla ..Elthen ploiaria ............ek ...Tiberiados .eggus .tou

...........................other came ..sailing vessels from Tiberias .....near ...to the .

topou hopou ephagon .ton arton ..eucharistEsantos .......tou kuriou"

place .where they ate .the bread, .having given thanks ..the Lord"

(Jn 6:24 YLT) when therefore the [crowd] saw that Jesus [was] not there, nor His disciples, they also themselves did enter into the [sailing vessels], and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus;

(Jn 6:25 YLT) and having found Him [on] the other side of the sea they said to Him, 'Rabbis, when have you come here?'

(Jn 6:26 NAS) Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

(Jn 6:27 Greek) Ergazesthe mE .........tEn brOsin .tEn apollumenEn .......all ..........tEn brOsin

............................Work .........not [for] the .food .....the .perishing [kind], .but [for] .the food

tEn menousan ........eis ...zOEn aiOnion hEn ..ho .huios tou .anthrOpou humin dOsei

the enduring [kind] unto life ....eternal, which the Son ..........of Man .....to you will give

touton gar ho ..patEr ...esphragisen ho Theos."

this .....for the .Father .sealed ...............God."

(Jn 6:28 NKJV) Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?'

(Jn 6:29 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He sent." =

(Jn 6:29 Greek) "ApekrithE ho IEsous.kai eipen autois ..touto estin to ..ergon tou Theou

............................"Answered .....Jesus ...and said .to them this....is .....the .work........of God

hina pisteusEte (*pisteusEte) ..............eis hon .....apesteilen ekeinos"

that you should believe ........................on .Whom sent ...........that [One]"

A) ON THE NEXT DAY, THOSE OF THE CROWD WHO STAYED ON THE SEASIDE WHERE JESUS FED THEM, SAW THAT NO VESSEL WAS THERE EXCEPT THE ONE THAT THE DISCIPLES HAD DEPARTED IN, WITHOUT JESUS, THE NIGHT BEFORE; AND KNOWING THAT JESUS WAS NOT IN THE REGION, THEY TOOK VESSELS WHICH HAD ARRIVED FROM TIBERIAS TO CAPERNAUM IN SEARCH OF JESUS

The day after the huge crowd was miraculously fed by Jesus, those of the crowd who remained "on the other side of the Sea," i.e., on the eastern shore of the Sea, are in view in Jn 6:22. The phrase rendered "on the other side of the Sea" refers to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee across the Sea from where the crowd came from. Evidently the rest of the crowd had left that night after Jesus had fed them:

1) [Jn 6:22a YLT]:

"On the [next day], the [crowd] [the ones having stood] on the other side of the sea."

2) [Jn 6:22 Greek]:

"TE........epaurion .ho .ochios ho. hestEkOs ......................peran ...............tEs .....thalassEs"..

."On the next day .the crowd the [one] having stood [on] the other side .of the ..sea".

Those that remained saw that there was no vessel on the beach the next day. The only vessel that had been on the beach was the one in which the disciples had departed in the night before:

3) [Jn 6:22b YLT]:

"[They] [saw] that there was no other [sailing vessel] there except one - that into which His disciples entered."

4) [Jn 6:22b Greek]:

"Eidon........................hoti ploiarion ..........allo ..ouk En .ekei ...ei .......mE hen .ekeino .. ......

"[They] saw ..............that .sailing vessel..other no ..was there [since] not .one that .

eis ..ho .....enebEsan hoi mathEtai autou."

into.which entered ...the disciples .His.".

Those that remained also saw that Jesus did not go with the disciples the night before. The disciples had gone away alone.

5) [Jn 6:22c YLT]:

"And [saw] that Jesus went not in with His disciples into the [sailing vessel], but His disciples went away alone"

6) [Jn 6:22c Greek]:

"Kai ..hoti .ou .suneisElthen .tois mathEtais autou

"And .that .not went with ......the .disciples ...His ........

ho IEsous eis ...to ..ploiarion .........alla monoi toi mathEtai ..autou apElthon,"

.....Jesus ...into .the sailing vessel .but .alone .the disciples .His ....went away,"

Evidently the disciples departed without Jesus with an understanding that He would meet with them later.

Note that manuscript evidence [017K, 036, (037), 1, 13, byz. Gries, Word] has the Greek word "idon," nominative aorist particple, literally, [the ones] having seen; and other manuscripts [p75, 02A, 03B, (019), 032W, 038, sa.bo.Lach, Treg, Alf, Tisc, WE/Ho, Weis, Sod, UBS] have the Greek word "eidon," aorist tense, literally "saw." The latter rendering fits the context best as it completes the point of the verse in the best manner: that those remaining on that side of the Sea saw that there were no other ships on the beach the next day since the disciples had departed in the one ship on the beach the night before - but without Jesus Who had not been found that day. This provides the best scenario for the impending miracle of Jesus walking on the water to go across the Sea to Capernaum and walk to the disciples to bring them miraculously to Capernaum from mid-Sea. It excludes the possibility that two ships are in view, one the disciples took and one they left on the beach - unoccupied the next day. This would have raised the question of why the disciples would leave one of their ships behind?

So the next day after Jesus had fed the crowd there were no ships on the sea shore. The only ship that was on the beach from the beginning was the one that the disciples had taken that night. The crowd that remained there knew that Jesus was not in the area. They knew that He had not gone with the disciples. When other ships came to their location from Tiberias, the crowd got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Notice that all of this indicates how closely the crowd followed Jesus and His disciples: their movements, where the ship was, where He might be going, etc.

At times the vessels that the disciples used were referred to as "ploiaria," in the Greek bible, lit. sailing vessels and at other times as "ploia," lit., ships, as the vessels that arrived from Tiberia were referred to. The vessels portrayed in the passage could be sailed or rowed. They could be managed by one person, or carry all the disciples. The Greek word "ploiaria" can also mean "small boats" as opposed to large boats such as "ploia," but this available meaning does not fit the context because the same boats cannot be both large boats and small boats. Nor can a small boat safely carry all the disciples across rough seas, (Jn 6:22-24).

B) JESUS TOLD THOSE THAT FOLLOWED HIM THAT THEY SOUGHT HIM, NOT BECAUSE THEY SAW MIRACULOUS SIGNS, WHICH SHOULD HAVE CONVINCED THEM THAT HE WAS THE SON OF MAN / THE MESSIAH / SAVIOR WHO WAS TO COME INTO THE WORLD TO OFFER ETERNAL LIFE - THE ONE UPON WHOM THE FATHER GAVE HIS SEAL OF APPROVAL; BUT THEY PURSUED HIM BECAUSE THEIR STOMACHS WERE FILLED - A SHALLOW MOTIVE TO SATISFY TEMPORAL NEEDS WHICH FILLING HAS TO BE REPEATED. HENCE THEY NEGLECTED THE ONE TIME FULFILLMENT OF THEIR NEED FOR ETERNAL LIFE. RECALL THEIR INTENTION TO FORCE JESUS TO BE KING TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES OF THE TEMPORAL OPPRESSION OF ROME

When the remaining crowd got to the other side of the sea to Capernaum in the ships that came from Tiberias, they found Jesus and immediately asked Him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' Notice the word 'Rabbi' which means Teacher of the Scriptures - a highly respected authority in Jewish society.

Jesus' response did not specifically answer their question. Instead, He rebuked them for seeking Him for the wrong reason:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw [miraculous] signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled."

Jesus told them that they sought Him, not because they saw miraculous signs, which He implied should have convinced them that He was the Son of Man / the Messiah / Savior / the Prophet Who was to come into the world to offer eternal life - the One upon whom the Father had His seal of approval; but they pursued Him because their physical hunger was satisfied - a shallow motive of satisfying temporal needs which filling has to constantly be attended to - neglecting the one time fulfillment of their need for eternal life. Recall their intention to force Jesus to be King to relieve themselves of the temporal oppression of Rome, (Jn 6:14-15). In His response Jesus implied that He performed miraculous signs. These signs were performed by Jesus to corroborate that He was the authority and the source of eternal life - implying Diety. When Jesus stipulated that the Son of Man will give eternal life, He was referring to Himself making provision for and granting eternal life as a free gift. He declared that God the Father had placed His seal of approval on Him.

C) WHEN JESUS TOLD THE REMAINING CROWD THAT THEY WERE TO WORK NOT FOR FOOD THAT PERISHES, BUT FOR FOOD THAT ENDURES TO ETERNAL LIFE; HE WAS COMPARING THE TEMPORAL NATURE OF EATING PHYSICAL FOOD WHICH ONLY SATISFIES FOR A SHORT WHILE AND WHICH CONSUMPTION HAS TO BE REPEATED, TO THE ONE TIME MOMENT OF "WORKING" FOR THE FOOD THAT, ONCE RECEIVED, ENDURES TO ETERNAL LIFE - RECEPTION OF WHICH DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPEATED

(Jn 6:27 Greek) "Ergazesthe mE.........tEn brOsin ...tEn ..........apollumenEn .......all

............................"Work .........not [for] the .food .......the ...........perishing [kind], .but

tEn ........brOsin tEn menousan ........eis ..zOEn aiOnion hEn ..ho .huios tou .anthrOpou humin dOsei

[for] the food ....the enduring [kind] unto life ....eternal, which the Son ..........of Man .....to you will give

touton gar ho ..patEr ...esphragisen ho Theos."

this .....for the .Father .sealed ...............God."

Notice from the interlinear of Jn 6:27 above, that the Greek phrase, "tEn menousan" literally rendered "the enduring kind" is not describing enduringly or continuously working for the Food of eternal life, as some maintain. For the phrase rendered "the enduring kind" is a participle for noun - accusative, singular and feminine - serving as an adjective modifying the word "tEn brOsin" rendered "the Food" which is accusative, singular and feminine. The phrase "tEn menousan" would have to be an adverb and plural to modify the verb "Ergazesthe" rendered "work" which is plural.

So when Jesus told the remaining crowd that they were to work not for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life; He was comparing the temporal nature of eating physical food which only satisfies for a short while and which consumption has to be repeated, to the one time moment of "working" for the food that, once received, endures to eternal life - reception of which does not need to be repeated, (Jn 6:25-27). So continually working for eternal life is.not in view in Jn 6:27; but the 'Food' once received in a moment's time is that which endures in the believer unto eternal life, i.e., Jesus Christ.

D) JESUS' DECLARATION THAT "THE SON OF MAN WILL GIVE TO YOU FOOD THAT IS THE ENDURING KIND TO LIFE ETERNAL" PORTRAYS THE SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE SON OF MAN - THE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL HUMANITY. JESUS REFERRED TO "THE SON OF MAN" IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT POINTED TO HIMSELF. BY THIS HE CORROBORATED HIS MISSION TO MAKE PROVISION FOR ETERNAL LIFE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD AS A FREE GIFT. HIS DECLARATION IMPLIED THAT HE HAD THE AUTHORITY AND POWER TO GIVE ETERNAL LIFE, WHICH IN TURN IMPLIED THAT HE HIMSELF WAS ETERNAL, INDICATING DIETY. FINALLY, JESUS PROCLAIMED THAT HE, THE SON OF MAN, HAD THE SEAL - THE ABSOLUTE APPROVAL OF GOD THE FATHER - FOR ALL THAT HE WAS AND DID.

(Jn1:51 NKJV) "And He said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man'... (Jn 3:13 NKJV) No one has ascended to heaven but He Who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man Who is in heaven.. (Jn 3:13 NKJV) No one has ascended to heaven but He Who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man Who is in heaven. (Jn 3:14 NIV) [And] just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, (Jn 3:15 NKJV) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but [should] have eternal life... (Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world;' (Jn 6:15 YLT) Jesus, therefore, having known that they [were] are about to come, and to [seize] Him that they may make Him King, [withdrew] again to the mountain Himself alone... (Jn 6:26 NAS) Jesus answered them and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. (Jn 6:27 YLT) Work not for the food that is [the] perishing [kind], but for the food that is [the] [enduring] [kind] to life [eternal] which the Son of Man will give to you, from Him did the Father seal - [even] God.' " =

Author John previously referred to Jesus as the Son of Man in chapters one and three

Jesus' declaration that the "the Son of Man will give to you Food that is the enduring kind to life eternal" portrays the specific and unique Son of Man - the Representative of all humanity. Jesus referred to "the Son of Man" in such a way that it pointed to Himself. By this He corroborated His mission to make provision for eternal life for the whole world as a free gift. His declaration implied that He had the authority and power to give eternal life, which in turn implied that He Himself was eternal, indicating Diety. Finally, Jesus proclaimed that He, the Son of Man, had the seal - the absolute approval of God the Father - for all that He was and did.

Notice that Jesus refers to Himself in the third person as One with the unique title of 'The Son of Man.' To refer to oneself in the third person with a unique title is within the normative rules of language, and used frequently. Just as the Presidents of the United States have often referred to themselves in the third person singular as they functioned as "The President" in modern American English, so it is with Jesus referring to Himself in the third Person as functioning as "the Son of Man." The context and later verses clearly indicate that Jesus is the Son of Man Who gives eternal life and only God can do that, so Jesus Christ is God.

E) AFTER JESUS TOLD THE REMAINING CROWD TO WORK NOT FOR TEMPORAL THINGS BUT FOR ETERNAL LIFE WHICH HE, THE SON OF MAN, WILL "GIVE THEM;" THE CROWD ASKED JESUS, "WHAT SHALL WE DO, THAT WE MAY WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?" THEIR FOCUS WAS ON A LIST OF THINGS THEY HAD TO DO TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE - THEY MISSED WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT GIVING THEM ETERNAL LIFE AS A FREE GIFT

After Jesus told the remaining crowd to work not for temporal things but for eternal life which He, the Son of Man, will "give them;" the crowd asked Jesus, "what shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Their focus was on a list of things they had to do to receive eternal life - they missed what Jesus said about giving them eternal life as a free gift. It is clear that the crowd was focused on His authority to declare what a man must do to have eternal life. This was especially corroborated by their recognition of His performance of miracles. They recognized that His authority came from God, potentially the Prophet that they spoke of when they intended to force Him to be King, (Jn 6:14-15).

F) JESUS TOLD THE REMAINING CROWD THAT THE WORK OF GOD TO RECEIVE THE FOOD WHICH ENDURES TO ETERNAL LIFE IS TO BELIEVE IN THE ONE WHOM GOD HAS SENT - A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF MAN, ALONE TO GIVE ONE ETERNAL LIFE AS A FREE GIFT. SINCE THE VERB TO BELIEVE - A MENTAL ASSENT TO THE TRUTH OF WHAT IS CONVEYED - IS NOT A PROACTIVE ACTION HENCE IT IS NOT MERITORIOUS; AND SINCE A WORK IS SOMETHING ONE DOES DO PROACTIVELY TO MERIT A RESULT; THEN THE ACT OF BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST TO PROVIDE ETERNAL LIFE, WHICH CANNOT BE MERITORIOUS, CANNOT BE A LITERAL WORK. SO JN 6:27-29 NEITHER PORTRAYS BELIEVING AS MERITORIOUS NOR PARTICIPATORY TOWARD THE RECEPTION OF ETERNAL LIFE. THE SECOND "WORK" IN JN 6:27-29 IS A FIGURE OF SPEECH - A CATACHRESIS, I.E., THAT WHICH CONTRASTS SOMETHING RADICALLY OPPOSITE TO ITS LITERAL MEANING AS A PLAY ON WORDS. IT PICTURES THE CONTRAST OF THE LITERAL WORK ONE MUST DO TO RECEIVE PHYSICAL FOOD - FOOD WHICH SPOILS AND WHICH WORK HAS TO BE REPEATED OVER AND OVER TO SUSTAIN PHYSICAL LIFE WITH THE SECOND "WORK" FOR THE FOOD THAT ENDURES TO ETERNAL LIFE VIA A MOMENT OF BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST WHICH NEEDS NO REPETITION AND IS NO WORK AT ALL FOR THE BELIEVER. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS GOD THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS DONE ALL THE WORK.

(Jn 6:29 Greek) "ApekrithE ho IEsous.kai eipen autois ..touto estin to ..ergon tou Theou

............................"Answered .....Jesus ...and said .to them this....is .....the .work........of God

hina pisteusEte (*pisteusEte) ..............eis hon .....apesteilen ekeinos"

that you should believe ........................on .Whom sent ...........that [One]"

Jesus told the remaining crowd that the work of God to receive the Food which endures to eternal life is to believe in the One Whom God has sent - a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, alone to give one eternal life as a free gift, (Jn 6:27-29). Since the verb to believe - a mental assent to the truth of what is conveyed - is not a proactive action, hence it is not meritorious; and since a work is something one does do proactively to merit a result; then the act of believing in Jesus Christ to provide eternal life, which cannot be meritorious, cannot be a literal work. So Jn 6:27-29 neither portrays believing as meritorious nor participatory toward the reception of eternal life. The second "work" in Jn 6:27-29 is a catachresis - figure of speech which contrasts something radically opposite to its literal meaning as a play on words. It pictures the contrast of the literal work one must do to receive physical food - food which spoils and which work has to be repeated over and over to sustain physical life with the second "work" for the food that endures to eternal life via a moment of believing in Jesus Christ which needs no repetition and is no work at all for the believer. On the other hand, it is God through His Son, Jesus Christ, Who has done all the work.

G) JN 6:27 CONVEYED TWO KINDS OF FOOD WHICH BY DEFINITION WERE RECEIVED INTERNALLY BY AN INDIVIDUAL. THE SECOND KIND OF FOOD WAS STIPULATED TO BE GIVEN AS A FREE GIFT BY THE SON OF MAN IN A MOMENT OF TIME WHICH JESUS STIPULATED FIGURATIVELY AS "WORK." HE ALSO SAID THAT, UNLIKE PHYSICAL FOOD, THE SECOND KIND OF FOOD DID NOT PERISH, HENCE RECEPTION OF IT NEVER HAD TO BE REPEATED; YET IT ENDURED WITHIN ONE TO ETERNAL LIFE. THE SECOND KIND OF FOOD WAS NOT A PHYSICAL FOOD WHICH HAD TO BE REPEATEDLY CONSUMED. IT WAS AN ETERNAL, SPIRITUAL FOOD. IN JN 6:29, JESUS SAID THAT THE "WORK" BY WHICH ONE INTERNALLY RECEIVED THE FOOD THAT ENDURED TO ETERNAL LIFE WAS DEFINED AS A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN THE SON OF MAN ALONE - THE ONE GOD HAS SENT - JESUS HIMSELF. THE FOOD WHICH ENDURED TO ETERNAL LIFE WHEN RECEIVED WITHIN ONE WAS THE PERMANENT SPIRITUAL INDWELLING OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF MAN, WHO ENDURED IN ONE FOREVER UNTO ETERNAL LIFE AS A ONCE FOR ALL TIME RECEPTION AT THE MOMENT ONE BELIEVED IN HIM. DOING OTHER THINGS AND FURTHER MOMENTS OF BELIEVING WERE NOT STIPULATED, NEVERTHELESS ETERNAL LIFE WAS FOREVER RECEIVED

Jn 6:27 conveys two kinds of food which by definition are received internally by an individual. The second kind of food is stipulated as given as a free gift by the Son of Man in a moment of time which Jesus stipulated as "work." He also said that unlike physical food, the second kind of food does not perish, hence never has to be repeated again; and it endures within one unto eternal life. So this second kind of food is not a physical food which has to be repeatedly consumed. It is evidently a spiritual and eternal kind of food. Then in Jn 6:29, Jesus says that that moment of work by which one internally receives the Food that endures to eternal life is defined as a moment of faith alone in the One God has sent alone, the Son of Man; which Jesus implied was Himself, (Jn 5:19-27). So the Food which endures to eternal life when received within one is the permanent spiritual indwelling of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, Who endures in one forever unto eternal life, (cf. Jn 6:35) - as a once for all time reception at the moment when one believes. Note that doing other things and further moments of believing are not stipulated, nevertheless eternal life is forever received.

Jn 6:27 conveyed two kinds of food which by definition were received internally by an individual. the second kind of food was stipulated to be given as a free gift by the Son of Man in a moment of time which Jesus stipulated figuratively as "work." He also said that, unlike physical food, the second kind of food did not perish, hence reception of it never had to be repeated; yet it endured within one to eternal life. The second kind of food was not a physical food which had to be repeatedly consumed. It was an eternal, spiritual food. In Jn 6:29, Jesus said that the "work" by which one internally received the food that endured to eternal life was defined as a moment of faith alone in the Son of Man alone - the one God has sent - Jesus Himself. The food which endured to eternal life when received within one was the permanent spiritual indwelling of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, Who endured in one forever unto eternal life as a once for all time reception at the moment one believed in Him. Doing other things and further moments of believing were not stipulated, nevertheless eternal life was forever received.

H) THE PHRASE RENDERED, "THAT YOU SHOULD BELIEVE" IN JN 6:29 NKJV STIPULATES THE SOLE CONDITION REQUIRED OF MAN TO SECURE ETERNAL LIFE: A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE. THIS RULES OUT CONTINUOUS FAITH, WATER BAPTISM, CONFESSION, FAITHFUL WORKS - ANY SUBSEQUENT ACTION. ONCE ONE EXPRESSES A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE, ETERNAL LIFE IS INSTANTLY RECEIVED FOREVER BECAUSE IT ITESLF IS ETERNALLY CONTINUOUS AND UNINTERRUPTIBLE BY DEFINITION AND NATURE. THERE IS NEITHER TIME AFTER THAT MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE, NOR REQUIREMENT BY GOD TO DO ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE ETERNAL LIFE IS RECEIVED AND FOREVER SECURED BY GOD

The Greek verb form "pisteuEte," rendered 'believe' in the NKJV, is in the aoristic present tense in the subjunctive mood without qualifiers, (such as 'continuously believing'). On the other hand, alternative manuscript evidence* provides the aorist Greek verb form, "pisteusEte" which is also rendered that you should believe. The difference between these two verb forms is insignificant, since the aoristic present tense and the aorist tense both convey, in this context, a single completed action - a moment of faith alone in Christ alone.

Recall the contrast that Jesus makes in verse 27 between continually working for physical food that does not endure which only satisfies physical hunger for the moment and has to be received over & over again, as opposed to the once for all time reception of eternal Food received as a result of a single moment of receiving, i.e., believing in Jesus, (as opposed to continual believing), which results in receiving the 'Food' which endures within one to eternal life, (Jn 6:29).

In any case the verb rendered "believe" in Jn 6:29 is in the subjunctive mood - a mood of the objective possibility that if one expresses a moment of belief then one will have eternal life forever, otherwise not.

So the phrase rendered, "that you should believe" in Jn 6:29 NKJV stipulates the sole condition required of man to secure eternal life: a moment of faith alone in Christ alone. This rules out water baptism, confession, faithful works - any subsequent action. Once one expresses a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, eternal life is instantly received forever because it is eternally continuous and uninterruptible by definition and nature. There is neither time after the moment of faith alone, nor requirement by God to do anything else before eternal life is received and forever secured by God.

I) CONTINUAL FAITH OR FAITHFULNESS, ALTHOUGH COMMENDABLE, IS NOT IN VIEW AS A REQUIREMENT TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE AS SOME MAINTAIN THE PRESENT TENSE "BELIEVE" IN JN 6:29 MUST CONVEY. NEW TESTAMENT GREEK REQUIRES SPECIAL CONTEXT AND / OR ADDITIONAL QUALIFYING WORDS TO MAKE PRESENT TENSE PORTRAY AN ENDURING OR CONTINUOUS ACTION. NONE ARE PRESENT HERE. FURTHERMORE A CONTINUOUS STATE OF BELIEVING / FAITHFULNESS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH FLAWED MAN AND JN 6:27 RULES IT OUT. FINALLY, ETERNAL LIFE COULD NOT BE OFFERED ON THE BASIS OF CONTINUAL FAITH OR FAITHFULNESS BECAUSE IF ONE COULD LOSE ETERNAL LIFE DUE TO A LAPSE OF FAITH OR AN ACT OF UNFAITHFULNESS, THEN IT COULD NOT BE ETERNAL. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHAT IS ENDURING IS THE FOOD WHICH PROVIDES ETERNAL LIFE WHICH ONE RECEIVES FROM GOD AT THE MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE - THE PERMANENT SPIRITUAL INDWELLING OF JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.

(Jn 6:27 Greek) "Ergazesthe mE.........tEn brOsin ...tEn ..........apollumenEn .......all

............................"Work .........not [for] the .food .......the ...........perishing [kind], .but

tEn ........brOsin tEn menousan ........eis ..zOEn aiOnion hEn ..ho .huios tou .anthrOpou humin dOsei

[for] the food ....the enduring [kind] unto life ....eternal, which the Son ..........of Man .....to you will give

touton gar ho ..patEr ...esphragisen ho Theos."

this .....for the .Father .sealed ...............God."

So when Jesus told the remaining crowd that they were to work not for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life; He was comparing the temporal nature of eating physical food which only satisfies for a short while and which consumption has to be repeated, to the one time moment of "working" for the food that, once received, endures to eternal life - reception of which does not need to be repeated, (Jn 6:25-27). So continually working for eternal life is not in view in Jn 6:27; but the 'Food' once received in a moment's time is that which endures in the believer unto eternal life, i.e., Jesus Christ.

When the remaining crowd asked Jesus, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' (Jn 6:28); Jesus answered, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He sent,' (Jn 6:29). The verb form "pisteusEte" rendered "believe" in the phrase, "that you believe in Him Whom He sent," in Jn 6:29 NKJV indicates all that one must do to receive the "Food" that endures to eternal life. It is in the present tense portraying a moment of faith alone in the One God has sent due to the context set up in verse 27 of the one time moment of "working" for the Food, that, once received, endures to eternal life - reception of which does not need to be repeated.

Continual faith or faithfulness, although commendable, is not in view as a requirement to receive eternal life as some maintain the present tense "believe" in Jn 6:29 must convey. New Testament Greek requires special context and / or additional qualifying words to make present tense portray an enduring or continuous action. None are present here. Furthermore, since no major or minor translation of the bible in English conveys continuous believing, then we can conclude from translations alone that the original Greek text does not convey continuous believing in Jn 6:29 in order to have eternal life. Note that if water baptism were what was being conveyed in the present tense as the "work" that Jesus stipulated one must do to receive eternal life in Jn 6:29, it could not convey continuous action either because that would also be unattainable: a continuously wet immersion experience throughout ones life. Furthermore a continuous state of believing / faithfulness has been ruled out by Jn 6:27 and it is not possible with flawed man; for any sin, even lack of focus on Christ that a believer commits reflects a degree of unbelief. Since no one can claim to be without sin, then no one can maintain a perfect state of continuous faith / faithfulness. Finally, eternal life could not be offered on the basis of continual faith / faithfulness because if one could lose eternal life due to a lapse of faith or an act of unfaithfulness, then it could not be eternal.

On the other hand, what is enduring is the food which provides eternal life which one receives from God at the moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone - the permanent spiritual indwelling of Jesus Christ Himself.

J) NO OTHER PASSAGE NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE MORE REQUIREMENTS OR CORRECTIONS OF WHAT JOHN 6:29 STIPULATES AS A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE FOREVER

There are those who maintain that one cannot determine from one verse, such as Jn 6:29, what it takes to be saved unto eternal life - that other passages - even the whole bible - must be taken into consideration. But if this were the case, then if anything else besides a moment of faith alone in Christ alone is stipulated in other verses as necessary in order to gain eternal life, then John 6:29 is in error - an error of omission, as well as hundreds of other verses. And if a verse could be found that adds more than a moment of faith alone in Christ alone in order to receive eternal life - and it cannot, then Jn 6:29 and hundreds of other verses throughout the bible which convey the same message of a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, still could not be edited to include anything more than the moment of faith alone in Christ alone as necessary to gain eternal life forever, because that's what the context of these many verses limit themselves to. Furthermore, Jesus, the Son of God, would be wrong in what He said by leaving something out. But when scripture is properly used to interpret scripture, nothing will be found to contradict any of these verses.

It is interesting to note that if many key verses or even the whole bible must be considered to determine what a particular verse is saying, such as Jn 6:29, as some maintain; then no one could be saved unto eternal life who lived before all the books of the bible were available. Furthermore, no one could determine what a verse was saying because it would depend upon mastering what every other key verse in the bible is saying beforehand - an impossibility with flawed mankind and an insurmountable problem of circular reasoning.

K) SAVING FAITH DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY DEMONSTRATION OF THAT FAITH IN ONES LIFE IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE TRUE AND EFFECTIVE IN THE RECEPTION OF ETERNAL LIFE. ASSURANCE OF HAVING ETERNAL LIFE COMES FROM RECALLING IN WHOM ONE BELIEVED IN TO RECEIVE IT: JESUS CHRIST

The New Testament epistles which are for the most part exhortations toward leading a faithful Christian life, are addressed to true believers, not unbelievers, nor false professors, nor to those who could lose their salvation for some reason, if that were possible, (and it is not: at the point of faith one receives possession of eternal life which is eternal by definition, cf. John 6:29). Exhortations in the bible to true believers to lead faithful lives indicate by their existence and context that there is no guarantee that true believers will lead lives faithful to their beliefs. The very existence of these letters in the New Testament indicates that there is no guarantee that true believers who are truly saved and truly secure in their salvation will truly lead faithful lives. Hence not being faithful to any degree is not a true indicator that one is not truly saved. So fruit inspection to determine if one is saved or not is fruitless.

The nature of believing is defined as a moment of mental acceptance of that which is presented to one as true. According to the usage of language, the words faith, trust, receive, know, accept, assent are all synonymous with believe in statements in Scripture which convey what one must do to receive eternal life.

Three important aspects of the nature of believing are key to understanding the nature of true saving faith:

a) Truly believing in something can be contradicted by ones behavior. For example, one can believe that exercise is good for ones health but not exercise for any number of reasons, not the least of which is having conflicting priorities, being lazy, or having current health problems. In the same way, the believer may have conflicting priorities, is lazy or has a current spiritual sickness which obstructs his faithfulness.

b) Faithfulness is not part of the makeup of saving faith, nor a reliable indicator that one expressed saving faith. Faithfulness to a mature Christian might be somewhat of an indicator that one is a believer; but an outward sign can often be misconstrued or counterfeited. Furthermore, a lack of faithfulness which all true believers are guilty of every day, (1 Jn 1:8, 10), does not compute that one never expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ alone to be saved forever to eternal life. No where in Scripture is ones faithful behavior in view in order to confirm whether or not one, at some time, expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life. Saving faith is a moment of accepting that Jesus Christ died for ones sins resulting immediately in the reception of eternal life forever, (Jn 5:24; 6:29). Absent in every statement in Scripture which conveys what one must do to receive eternal life is any reference to human behavior.

c) Since only a moment of faith alone in Christ alone provides eternal life forever, then after that moment neither faith nor faithfulness, although commendable, needs to be expressed to attain or maintain eternal life.

d) Scripture repeatedly says that salvation is all about Jesus Christ and His faithfulness and not about us and what we do. Even works done for Him and through Him are not what we are to look to for assurance of our salvation. After we have believed in the One God has sent, (Jn 6:29), we are to look to Him alone Who endures in us unto eternal life without any further response by us, (Jn 6:27-29).

V) [Jn 6:30-36]:

(Jn 6:30 YLT) "They said therefore to Him, 'What sign, then, [do You do], that we may see and may believe [You]? what [do You do?]'

(Jn 6:31 YLT) our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, 'Bread out of the heaven He [Moses] gave them to eat.'

(Jn 6:32 NAS) Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

(Jn 6:33 YLT) For the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.'

(Jn 6:34 NAS) Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread.

(Jn 6:35 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]."

(Jn 6:35 Greek) .Eipen .de . autois ho iEsous egO eimi ho .artos tEs ......zOEs

.............................Said ..and to them ..Jesus ..I .....am ..the Bread of the life

ho ..erchomenos .........pros eme ou ..mE peinasE ........kai ho .pisteuOn ................eis eme

the .[ones who] come .to ....Me .not .not may hunger, and the [on es who] believe .in..Me

ou .mE .dipsEsE ....pOpote.

not not .may thirst at any time.

(Jn 6:36 YLT) But I said to you, that [you] also have seen Me, and [you] believe not;"

A) AFTER OBSERVING JESUS' MIRACULOUS SIGNS, HEARING HIS TESTIMONY, AND CONCLUDING THAT HE WAS THE PROPHET TO COME, THE CROWD STILL WANTED PROOF IN ORDER TO BELIEVE IN HIM. THEY BARGAINED WITH HIM TO PRODUCE A GREATER MIRACLE THAN THE MANNA IN THE DESERT IN ORDER TO BELIEVE IN HIM UNTO ETERNAL LIFE. JESUS INDICATED THAT THE MANNA BREAD WAS GIVEN BY GOD THROUGH MOSES WHICH WAS PERISHABLE AND ONLY SUSTAINED THE PHYSICAL LIVES OF THE ANCIENT ISRAELITES; BUT SO MUCH THE MORE, JESUS WAS THE TRUE BREAD OF GOD FROM HEAVEN WHO HAD COME DOWN TO GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO ALL WHO BELIEVED - A FAR GREATER MIRACLE WHOM THEY HAD SEEN BUT IN WHOM THEY DID NOT BELIEVE.

(Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world;' (Jn 6:15 YLT) Jesus, therefore, having known that they [were] are about to come, and to [seize] Him that they may make Him King, [withdrew] again to the mountain Himself alone... (Jn 6:26 NAS) Jesus answered them and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. (Jn 6:27 YLT) Work not for the food that is [the] perishing [kind], but for the food that is [the] [enduring] [kind] to life [eternal] which the Son of Man will give to you, from Him did the Father seal - [even] God.' (Jn 6:28 NKJV) Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' (Jn 6:29 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He sent.' (Jn 6:30 YLT) They said therefore to Him, 'What sign, then, [do You do], that we may see and may believe [You]? what [do You do?]' (Jn 6:31 YLT) our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, 'Bread out of the heaven He [Moses] gave them to eat.' (Jn 6:32 NAS) Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread out of heaven.' (Jn 6:33 YLT) For the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.' (Jn 6:34 NAS) Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread. (Jn 6:35 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]. (Jn 6:36 YLT) But I said to you, that [you] also have seen Me, and [you] believe not;" =

After observing Jesus' miraculous signs, hearing His testimony and concluding that He was the Prophet to come, (Jn 6:14); and after He told them to work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life which He, the Son of Man, will give to them, (Jn 6:27); the remaining crowd asked Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God [for eternal life]?" (Jn 6:27-28). Jesus then answered "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He sent," (Jn 6:29); whereupon they said to Him, "What [miraculous] sign, then, [do You do], that we may see and may believe [You]? what [do You do?]," (Jn 6:30). So the crowd still wanted further proof in order to believe in Him that He was the Prophet - the One God had sent. They told Him, "Our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, 'Bread out of the heaven He [Moses] gave them to eat, (Jn 6:31).' " So they bargained with Him that they would believe in Him if He produced a greater miracle than the manna which was provided by God through Moses daily to feed millions of ancient Israelites as they wandered in the desert. Notice by the phrase "that we may see it and believe" corroborates that the crowd understood that Jesus was saying that to have eternal life all one had to do was to believe in Him as the One God had sent to save them. They just did not believe in His capacity to provide eternal life. Note that the phrase "our forefathers," which refers to ancient Israel, points to the crowd being predominately Jewish.

Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the True Bread out of heaven' " (Jn 6:32). He implied by this that the manna from Moses was given to their fathers, the ancient Israelites, by God. Furthermore, the manna bread was perishable and only sustained the physical lives of the ancient Israelites which perished and needed to be received every day. But Jesus indicated that so much the more it was not Moses but His Father Who had given them and the world His Son, the True Bread out of heaven which never perished but provided eternal life to all those who expressed a one time moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone Who endured in them to eternal life, (Jn 6:27-29, 33). After all this, the crowd still did not comprehend, for they told Jesus, "Lord, always give us this bread," as if they needed a constant supply of physical food to ingest to keep on having eternal life, (Jn 6:34). Although they addressed Him as Lord, they still did not believe in Him.

Nevertheless, Jesus persisted with the crowd despite their obtuseness to the unbelief. He declared, "I am the Bread of life - the Bread of Eternal Life. The one who comes to Me shall never hunger, and the one who believes in Me shall never thirst at any time," (Jn 6:35). "Never" in the Greek = "ou me," is a double negative, signifying an emphatic, "absolutely never." Once one expressed a belief in Jesus one would absolutely never be hungry, or thirsty. This does not must refer to a temporal condition of physical hunger or thirst but to an absolute condition of eternal life, never to be lost. In Jn 6:35, the phrase "He who comes to me will never be hungry" parallels the next phrase "he who believes in Me will never be thirsty" - both meaning he who believes in Jesus, the Bread of Eternal life from heaven, will have eternal life - a state in which one indeed will never be hungry or thirsty.

The word rendered "but" in Jn 6:36 is in opposition to Jesus' testimony and demonstration to them by a miraculous sign which is followed by His statement of the crowd's lack of acceptance of Him: They had seen and heard Him and still they did not believe in Him to provide eternal life. The verb rendered "have seen" in the YLT is in the perfect tense - a completed action with ongoing results which conveys the idea that the crowd had an ongoing knowledge of Jesus through their continual observation of Him with the result that they continued not to believe in Him. The context portrays a deliberate refusal to believe for which each individual will be held accountable, (Jn 3:36).

Jesus claims to have come from heaven where only angels and God reside and to be the Provider of eternal life to the world through a moment of faith alone in Him alone - a power reserved for God alone. This surpasses the miraculous sign of the manna from Moses. It is interesting to note that Jesus' claims to diety and godly powers were not questioned by the crowd at this time, although they constituted outright blasphemy if Jesus were not God.

B) NO MAN HAD AS YET BEEN IN HEAVEN WHEN JESUS REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS THE TRUE BREAD OF GOD FROM HEAVEN - THE BREAD OF ETERNAL LIFE. THIS IS A REFERENCE TO HIS ETERNAL AND HEAVENLY EXISTENCE AS THE SON OF GOD - AS DIETY. THIS IS CORROBORATED BY HIS CALLING GOD HIS FATHER, IMPLYING AN INTIMATE AND ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS THE SON OF GOD

(Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world;' (Jn 6:15 YLT) Jesus, therefore, having known that they [were] are about to come, and to [seize] Him that they may make Him King, [withdrew] again to the mountain Himself alone... (Jn 6:26 NAS) Jesus answered them and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. (Jn 6:27 YLT) Work not for the food that is [the] perishing [kind], but for the food that is [the] [enduring] [kind] to life [eternal] which the Son of Man will give to you, from Him did the Father seal - [even] God.' (Jn 6:28 NKJV) Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' (Jn 6:29 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He sent.' (Jn 6:30 YLT) They said therefore to Him, 'What sign, then, [do You do], that we may see and may believe [You]? what [do You do?]' (Jn 6:31 YLT) our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, 'Bread out of the heaven He [Moses] gave them to eat.' (Jn 6:32 NAS) Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread out of heaven.' (Jn 6:33 YLT) For the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.' (Jn 6:34 NAS) Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread. (Jn 6:35 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]." =

No man had as yet been in heaven when Jesus referred to Himself as the True Bread of God from heaven - the Bread of Eternal Life, (Jn 6:32-35). This is a reference to His eternal and heavenly existence as the Son of God - as Diety. This is corroborated by His calling God His Father, implying an intimate and eternal relationship with God as the Son of God.

******* EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER 3 ********

AT THE TIME OF JESUS' CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS, NO ONE HAD ASCENDED TO HEAVEN BUT THE SON OF MAN, JESUS HIMSELF, WHO CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, WHO YET WAS IN HEAVEN - A REFERENCE TO HIS ETERNAL OMNIPRESENCE IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH - AN ATTRIBUTE OF GOD ALONE

(Jn 1:12 YLT) '''But as many [individuals of His own creation, (Jn 1:11a)] as did receive Him to them He gave authority to become sons [lit., children] of God - to those believing in His name: (Jn 1:13 YLT) who - not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but - of God were begotten [born]... (Jn 2:23 NAS) Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. (Jn 2:24 YLT) and Jesus Himself was not trusting himself to them, because of His knowing all [men], (Jn 2:25 NKJV) and had no need that anyone should testify [to Him] of man, for He knew what was in man. ( Jn 3:1 YLT) And there was [a] man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, [a] ruler of the Jews. (Jn 3:2 YLT) this one [Nicodemus, (v. 1)] came unto Him by night, and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we have known that from God [you have] come - a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that [which you do] if God [is] not... with Him.' (Jn 3:3 YLT) Jesus answered and said to him, '[Truly, truly] I say to [you], if any one [is] not ...born [again] from above, he is not able to see the [Kingdom] of God. (Jn 3:4 YLT) Nicodemus [says to] Him, 'How is a man able to be born [again], being old? Is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter and to be born?' (Jn 3:5 YLT) Jesus answered, '[Truly, truly] I say to [you], if any one [is] not ...born [out] of water [figurative for being given a newborn spirit and cleansed from sins, (Ez 36:24-27)], and spirit [i.e., out of the spiritual realm] he is not able to enter into the [Kingdom] of God. (Jn 3:6 YLT) that which [has] been born [out] of the flesh [i.e., out of the fleshly realm] is flesh [i.e., fleshly in character], and that which [has] been born [out] of the [spiritual realm] is spirit [i.e., spiritual in character].'(Jn 3:7 NKJV) Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again [from above].' (Jn 3:8 NAS) The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the [spiritual realm]. (Jn 3:9 NKJV) Nicodemus answered and said to Him, 'How can these things be?' (Jn 3:10 YLT) Jesus answered and said to him, '[You are] the teacher of Israel - and these things [you do] not know! (Jn 3:11 YLT) [Truly, truly], I say to [you, (singular)], what we have known we speak [of to you] and what we have seen we testify, [to you of] and our testimony [you, (plural)] do not receive; (Jn 3:12 YLT) if the earthly things I said to you [plural], and [you, (plural)] do not believe, how, if I shall say to you [plural] the heavenly things, will [you, (plural)] believe?'(Jn 3:13 NKJV) No one has ascended to heaven but He Who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man Who is in heaven." ''' =

In Jn 3:13, Jesus provides a further point to answer Nicodemus' declaration / question of Jn 3:2, "Rabbi, we have known that from God [you have] come - a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that [which you do] if God [is] not... with Him." His point this time is a heavenly analogy so that Nicodemus might identify, understand and believe in Who Jesus is unto a born again from above eternal life familial relationship with God in the Kingdom of God, (Ref. Jn 1:12-13, 3:3-12): Jesus said, "No one has ascended to heaven but He Who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man Who is in heaven," referring to Himself. Since this statement was made by Jesus before His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world which had not yet occurred at the time Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, we can conclude that no believer / saint up to this time occupied heaven after he died; for the sins of mankind had not yet been atoned for. Hence Old Testament saints, including Elijah and Enoch who were translated before they died, did not gain entrance into heaven. They were evidently placed in the Paradise compartment of Hades until Jesus made atonement their sins and for the sins of the whole world,

Jesus indicates in Jn 3:13b that there was one exception to His point that "No one has ascended to heaven: but He Who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man Who is in heaven," referring to Himself. Note that the verb in the Greek phrase rendered "No one has ascended to heaven" does not demand that the Son of Man make an actual journey from elsewhere to heaven, for the end of the verse stipulates that the Son of Man is present in heaven and while present in heaven has also come down from heaven to His people, Israel; and to the whole world to atone for and save people from their sins and to reign forever in the eternal Kingdom of God. . Note that this implies an eternal presence in heaven and omnipresence, characteristics of God alone, (cf Jn 1:1).

[Compare Jn 1:48-51]:

(Jn 1:48 NKJV) Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

(Jn 1:49 NKJV) Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

(Jn 1:50 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."

(Jn 1:51 NKJV) And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." ''' =

Our Lord portrays Himself as the Son of Man Who has authority over the angels in heaven, implying diety.

***** END OF EXCERPT FROM JOHN CHAPTER 3 *****

VI) [Jn 6:37-40]:

(Jn 6:37 NIV) "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out'].

(Jn 6:38 NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me, [lit., the One having sent Me]

(Jn 6:39 YLT) And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day.

(Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

A) GOD THE FATHER GAVE TO HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, AS A GIFT ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL EVER CHOOSE TO COME TO JESUS IN THE SENSE OF BELIEVING IN HIM FOR ETERNAL LIFE. AND ALL WHO COME BY FAITH TO HIM, HE WILL NEVER CAST OUT IN THE SENSE OF NEVER DENYING THEM ETERNAL LIFE

(Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world;' (Jn 6:15 YLT) Jesus, therefore, having known that they [were] are about to come, and to [seize] Him that they may make Him King, [withdrew] again to the mountain Himself alone... (Jn 6:26 NAS) Jesus answered them and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. (Jn 6:27 YLT) Work not for the food that is [the] perishing [kind], but for the food that is [the] [enduring] [kind] to life [eternal] which the Son of Man will give to you, from Him did the Father seal - [even] God.' (Jn 6:28 NKJV) Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' (Jn 6:29 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He sent.' (Jn 6:30 YLT) They said therefore to Him, 'What sign, then, [do You do], that we may see and may believe [You]? what [do You do?]' (Jn 6:31 YLT) our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, 'Bread out of the heaven He [Moses] gave them to eat.' (Jn 6:32 NAS) Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread out of heaven.' (Jn 6:33 YLT) For the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.' (Jn 6:34 NAS) Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread. (Jn 6:35 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]. (Jn 6:36 YLT) But I said to you, that [you] also have seen Me, and [you] believe not. (Jn 6:37 NIV) All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']." =

The phrase rendered "comes to Me" in Jn 6:37 continues the figure of speech for a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone resulting in eternal life established in verse 35 . By this Jesus continues His train of thought on who will secure eternal life by stipulating "all that the Father gives Me will come to Me" in Jn 6:37 implying God's sovereign choosing of certain individuals who will then choose to come to faith in Jesus unto eternal life.

The word "gift" is implied by the verb rendered "gives" in the phrase rendered, "All that the Father gives Me." It implies that God has evidently made provision for a number of chosen individuals to come to His Son by faith unto eternal life. Jn 6:44 and 65 will indicate that God has indeed made provision for certain individuals such that they are drawn by Him, (Jn 6:44) and enabled by Him, (Jn 6:65) to choose to come to Jesus, His Son, by faith such that these individuals are stipulated as God's gift to His Son. Thus to make this a true gift, there cannot be anyone outside of this elect group of individuals who might come to Jesus by faith on their own without God - and none will. Otherwise individuals could claim to come to Jesus without God's help. But Scripture says that all who come to faith in Jesus are part of God's gift to His Son giving God all the glory.

So the phrase "all that the Father gives Me will come to Me [by faith]" has the entire population of those who believe throughout history in view. The second half of the verse says: "And whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']"

= Gk: "ou ...mE ..ekbalw .exO" =

..........."not .not ...cast .....out"

The words "ou me" in the phrase "ou me ekbalO," lit., "I will never cast out" are an emphatic double negative in the Greek. They picture the eternally secure position a believer has with Jesus relative to eternal life - He will never cast the believer out of Himself nor Himself out of the believer.

On the other hand, some maintain that a believer could choose to cast himself out of eternal life by unfaithfulness of some kind; but Jn 6:37 makes it clear that the only One Who has the capacity to grant or deny eternal life is God Himself, Jesus Christ the Son of God. Man is not stipulated in Scripture as having the capacity to grant or cancel his own eternal life; but all men do have the capacity to choose to believe of their own volition in God's Son for eternal life. Compare Jn 3:15-16 which support this point, especially since these verses contain the phrase rendered, "For God so loved the world," implying that all mankind has the Son's payment for sins specifically made for all men of all ages since the beginning and the phrase rendered "so that whoever believes [lit., whoever is the believing one] should never perish but have everlasting life ."

Notice that Jesus is claiming to have the authority and power of God over every individual's eternal destiny - a capacity exclusive to God which He claimed in His testimony to the crowd.

B) JESUS ONCE MORE DECLARED TO THE JEWS THAT HE HAD COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN NOT TO DO HIS OWN WILL BUT TO DO THE WILL OF HIS FATHER WHO SENT HIM: TO SEE TO IT THAT ALL THAT THE FATHER HAD GIVEN TO HIM - ALL WHO WILL "SEE" HIM IN THE SENSE OF BEING PRESENTED WITH THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM - WHO CHOOSE TO EXPRESS A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN HIM ALONE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, HE WILL NOT LOSE BUT RAISE THEM ALL UPON THE LAST DAY TO EVERLASTING LIFE

Jesus once more declared to the Jews that He had come down from heaven not to do His own will but to do the will of His Father Who sent Him: to see to it that all that the Father had given to Him - all who will "see" Him in the sense of being presented with the truth about Him - who choose to express a moment of faith alone in Him alone unto eternal life, He will not lose but raise them all up on the last day to everlasting life.

In Jn 6:38, Jesus explained once again to the crowd what so far had been unfathomable to them: "I have come down from heaven not to do [My] will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me." Recall at this time, that only angels and God Himself resided in heaven . So His coming down from heaven to do the will of His Father Who sent Him implied that He had a face to face, personal relationship with God as His Father in heaven, which implied His Diety as the Son of God, (Jn 1:1, 14 ). Furthermore, since no man can truly claim to exclusively do the will of the Father and not his own will unless he is perfect as God is perfect, then Jesus must be the Son of God, further implying Diety, (Jn 6:38).

Jesus then indicated in Jn 6:39 that it was His Father's will that, on the last day, He Himself will raise up from the dead to have eternal life all those whom God had given to Him. He will lose none of them, i.e., no one will lose their salvation. Thus all those whom God has given to His Son as a gift - all those who choose to believe in Jesus to receive the Food once for all time that endures to eternal life, (cf. Jn 6:27-29), are eternally secure.

On the other hand, some maintain that there are others who are not part of God's gift to His Son who may come to the Son through faith, who could lose their salvation hence not be raised up on the last day. If this were true, and it is not, then God's gift to His Son of those who come to Jesus would be valueless. According to Scripture, no one will come to Jesus unless they are chosen by the Father to give to the Son; and all who choose to believe must be drawn, (cf. Jn 6:44), and enabled by the Father, (cf. Jn 6:65), to do so. Scripture does not attribute credit to anyone who receives eternal life except God, (Jn 6:39).

Jn 6:40 begins with the phrase, "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son [in the sense being presented with the truth about Him] and believes in Him may have everlasting life."

The Greek words "Pas ho... pisteuOn eis auton," lit, "everyone [who is] the... believing one in Him" in Jn 6:40a contains a nominative participle, i.e., a noun. So in view is a single present moment of believing to become the believing one - the believer - with nothing else stipulated resulting in the present tense possession of eternal life forever because it is eternal. This is corroborated in Jn 6:40b with a future tense promise of.all who believe being raised up from the dead at the last day, (Jn 6:40).

So the theme of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life as a free gift is made in John chapter 6 for the ninth time in verse 40. Absent is any declaration of any action on the part of man other than a moment of faith alone in Christ alone to receive eternal life.

VII) [Jn 6:41-51]:

(Jn 6:41 NAS) "Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, 'I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven.'

(Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?'

(Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, 'Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves.

(Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day;

(Jn 6:45 NKJV) It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' [Isa 54:13] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

(Jn 6:46 NKJV) Not that anyone has seen the Father, except [save] He Who is from God; He has seen the Father.

(Jn 6:47 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

(Jn 6:48 NKJV) I am the Bread of Life.

(Jn 6:49 NAS) Your Fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

(Jn 6:50 YLT) this is the Bread that out of heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die.

(Jn 6:51 NKJV) I am the Living Bread Which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.' "

A) THE JEWS WERE GRUMBLING BECAUSE JESUS DECLARED, 'I AM THE BREAD THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN' - THE BREAD OF ETERNAL LIFE. THEY REJECTED HIS CLAIM OF BEING THE SUPERNATURAL SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE FROM HEAVEN. THEY SAID, "IS NOT THIS JESUS, THE SON OF JOSEPH WHOSE FATHER AND MOTHER WE KNOW? HOW DOES HE NOW SAY, 'I HAVE COME DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN?' " DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS CLAIM WAS CORROBORATED BY HIS MIRACLES WHICH WERE ACKNOWLEDGED BY THEM; THEY LIMITED THEIR FAITH TO WHAT WOULD BEST SUIT THEIR OWN INTERESTS

(Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world' ... (Jn 6:32 NAS) Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the true bread out of heaven.' (Jn 6:33 YLT) For the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.' (Jn 6:34 NAS) Then they said to Him, 'Lord, always give us this bread. (Jn 6:35 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]. (Jn 6:36 YLT) But I said to you, that [you] also have seen Me, and [you] believe not; (Jn 6:37 NIV) All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']. (Jn 6:38 NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me, [lit., the One having sent Me] (Jn 6:39 YLT) And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day. (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jn 6:41 NAS) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, 'I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven.' (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " =

The Jews were grumbling because Jesus said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven' - The Bread of Eternal Life, (Jn 6:35, 38-40). They rejected His claim of being the supernatural source of eternal life from heaven. They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " The Jews had even declared Him to be the Prophet Who was to come, (Jn 6:14). Despite the fact that His claim was corroborated by His miracles which were acknowledged by them; they limited their faith to what would best serve their own interests as evidenced throughout the Gospel of John, (Jn 6:41-42).

B) THE JEWS WERE GRUMBLING IN DISBELIEF ABOUT JESUS CLAIMING TO BE THE BREAD OF ETERNAL LIFE FROM HEAVEN - THEY REMARKED THAT THEY KNEW HIS HUMAN FATHER AND MOTHER. THEY LIMITED THEIR FAITH TO WHAT WOULD BEST SERVE THEIR OWN INTERESTS. JESUS TOLD THE JEWS NOT TO GRUMBLE AMONG THEMSELVES ABOUT HIM, FOR NO ONE WAS ABLE TO COME BY FAITH TO HIM IF THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM DID NOT DRAW HIM. HE TOLD THEM THAT, ON THE LAST DAY, THOSE WHO DID BELIEVE, HE WILL RAISE UP TO EVERLASTING LIFE. ALTHOUGH BELIEVING IS VOLITIONAL AND ANYONE MAY CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN HIM, ONLY THOSE WHO ARE DRAWN BY THE FATHER WILL CHOOSE TO COME TO JESUS BY FAITH TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE

(Jn 6:41 NAS) "Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, 'I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven.' (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' (Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, 'Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves. (Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day." =

Author John stipulated that the Jews were grumbling in disbelief about Jesus because He said, "I am the Bread [of life] that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven," - the Bread of Eternal Life (Jn 6:41). Jn 6:42 corroborated their state of unbelief when they said, "'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " Jesus answered them, "'Murmur not among yourselves about Him. No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day." Jesus acknowledged that their not coming to Him by faith was due to the Father not drawing them, (Jn 6:43-44). Since not all will choose to believe in Jesus to receive eternal life, (Jn 6:37-44); and since all who believe must be drawn by the Father, then some are not going to be drawn by the Father. Although believing is volitional by definition, and anyone may choose to believe in Jesus for eternal life; only those who are drawn by the Father will choose of their own volition to come to Jesus by faith in Him as the true Bread from heaven to receive eternal life.

Note that in Jn 6:44, it is implied that not all of humanity is drawn by the Father, as some contend they will be, citing Jn 12:32 as a prooftext. But the statements in Jn 6:37-44, "No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day" and Jn 6:65, "No one is able to come unto Me, if it may not have been given him from My Father," imply that being drawn and given by the Father are essential and inevitably effective in bringing an individual to be able to and actually choose of his own volition to exercise a moment of saving faith in God's Son. The passage in John chapter 6 and passages throughout Scripture indicate that not all will choose to believe and be saved unto eternal life: "but there are [some] of you who do not believe," (Jn 6:64). So not all of humanity will be drawn by the Father in the context of Jn 6:44. Jesus' statement in Jn 6:44, "No one is able to come to Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him" is nonsensical if all men are drawn by the Father, because not all men will come to Jesus, so why make this statement to those who do not believe, when it makes no difference - they won't come anyway?

Since every version has the second phrase of Jn 6:44, namely, "and I will raise him up at the last day," with resurrection to eternal life in view, considering the ongoing context of Jn chapter 6, especially 6:35-44; then only those who are drawn by the Father will receive eternal life; especially considering that Jesus is explaining to those who do not believe in Him, (vv. 36, 64-65), that their unbelief in Him, hence their destiny of not being eternal life, is due to the Father not giving them to Him in vv. 36-37, and due to the Father not drawing them in v. 44. So the contention that Jn 6:44 is a universal drawing of all men by the Father is not in view, because Jesus is addressing those who have not believed in vv. 34-36 telling them that they have not believed and explaining in verse 37 that "All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." So those who choose not to believe in Jesus, do not choose to believe because they have not been given to the Son. But those that have been given to Jesus by the Father, Jesus said that He will "certainly not cast out," in the sense of declaring that they will have eternal life.

In conclusion, other statements elsewhere in Scripture such as all men being drawn to Christ when He is lifted up on the cross and similar statements are neither the same drawing of the Father, nor the same context / result as the drawing of the Father in Jn 6:37-44 which the latter results in all those drawn to be raised up on the last day, (cf. Jn 12:32 ).

So in the light of verses 37-44, it can be concluded that all who come to faith in Jesus were previously drawn by the Father, (Jn 6:44); and thus all who come to faith were, previous to that faith, given by the Father to the Son, (Jn 6:37); and Jesus "shall lose none of all that He [the Father] has given [Him], but raise them [all] at the last day," (Jn 6:39). Finally, it is the Father's will that "everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day," (Jn 6:39-40, 44b).

C) THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER IS BASED SOLELY UPON THE PROMISE AND CAPACITY OF GOD AND HIS SON TO RAISE ALL BELIEVERS UP AT THE LAST DAY

Since "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out'], (Jn 6:37 NIV); and since "This is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day," (Jn 6:39 YLT); and since "No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day," (Jn 6:44 YLT); then the eternal security of the believer is based solely upon the promise and capacity of God and His Son to raise all believers up at the last day.

D) SINCE THE INHERENT NATURE OF BELIEVING BY DEFINITION IS FREE WILL, THEN THE FATHER'S DRAWING OF AN INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT IMPOSE HIS WILL UPON THAT INDIVIDUAL, NOR FORCE THAT INDIVIDUAL TO BELIEVE, NOR OVERRIDE MAN'S CAPACITY TO BELIEVE; RATHER THE FATHER'S DRAWING ENABLES THE INDIVIDUAL, PERSUADES HIM TO CHOOSE OF HIS OWN VOLITION, TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST FOR ETERNAL LIFE

(Jn 3:15 NKJV) '''That whoever believes in Him should not perish but [should] have eternal life. (Jn 3:16 NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but [should] have eternal life. (Jn 3:17 NKJV) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (Jn 3:18 NKJV) He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the [one and only] Son of God )... (Jn 6:35 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]. (Jn 6:36 YLT) But I said to you, that [you] also have seen Me, and [you] believe not; (Jn 6:37 NIV) All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']. (Jn 6:38 NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me, [lit., the One having sent Me] (Jn 6:39 YLT) And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day. (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jn 6:41 NAS) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven." (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " (Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, "Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves. (Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day." ''' =

For one to come to Christ in the context of Jn 6:44 is to believe in Him to provide eternal life for one, (cf. Jn 6:35-36, 40). And to believe is defined as to accept, regard, receive as true that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life Who will provide eternal life in a moment of faith alone in Him alone to do that. Hence the word believe requires that the individual have complete capacity and freedom to exercise his will to believe or not .

Since the nature of faith is volitional by definition, i.e., by the will of man; and since Scripture requires all individuals of accountable age to believe in the Son for eternal life, then coming to faith in the Son is within the capacity of man to exercise. But according to Jn 6:44, for one to exercise ones will and believe in Jesus Christ unto salvation, the Father must draw one to be able to exercise one's will unto saving faith within one's capacity to believe. Evidently what is in view is that man of accountable age does have the capacity to believe in Jesus Christ unto eternal life, but he will not evidently exercise that capacity until after the Father draws him.

The meaning of the word rendered "draw" in Jn 6:44 is to compel, persuade ones volition to choose to consider and believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life. In the case of God's drawing one to choose to believe in His Son unto eternal life in Jn 6:44, it is evidently irresistable, because the result of everyone who is drawn by the Father is inevitably to choose to believe in His Son unto eternal life.

Since all individuals who reach the point of accountability by definition have the capability of choosing to believe in whatever they choose to believe in; then Jesus' statement that "No one is able to come to me unless the Father draws him" cannot have in view God's overriding of an individual's will such that He overpowers the exercising of what that individual chooses to believe. It must refer to an individual's own will which blocks his decision to choose to believe in Jesus for eternal life.

History is filled with examples of those with the insane mindset: "I don't care, I will not accept surrender [defeat, my having done wrong, loss of face, infidelity, etc.] despite overwhelming evidence which proves the case against one's point of view. It doesn't matter what the facts are to the willful rebellious individual. He cannot accept the facts because he will not. His mindset is controlled by his self indulgent emotions which will never admit to the truth. The individual has become so emotionally attached to his point of view, that regardless of the facts, he cannot let it go - even to a point of self and eternal destruction. This is the case with every man relative to believing in Jesus Christ unto eternal life unless God draws him .

E) AN INDIVIDUAL'S CHOICE TO BE TAUGHT BY THE LORD - TO CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO AND TO LEARN FROM THE FATHER - IS A FUNCTION OF GOD'S DRAWING OF HIM, WHICH DRAWING INEVITABLY RESULTS IN THE INDIVIDUAL CHOOSING TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE TO COME TO A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE TO BECOME AN ETERNAL CHILD OF GOD IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, IN THE PATTERN OF THE CHILDREN OF ANCIENT ISRAEL WHO WILL ENTER THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD BY THAT SAME FAITH

(Jn 6:37 NIV) '''All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']. (Jn 6:38 NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me, [lit., the One having sent Me] (Jn 6:39 YLT) And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day. (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jn 6:41 NAS) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven." (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " (Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, "Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves. (Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day;. (Jn 6:45 NKJV) It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' [Isa 54:13] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.''' =

Jesus explained the phrase, "No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him," in Jn 6:44a with this quotation from Isa 54:13 in the Old Testament in Jn 6:45a: "And they shall all be taught by God;" which is followed by Jesus' words in Jn 6:45b, "Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." So an individual's choice to be taught by the LORD - to choose to listen to and to learn from the Father are functions of God's drawing of him, which drawing inevitably results in the individual choosing to come to a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ for eternal life, in the pattern of the children of ancient Israel who will enter the eternal Kingdom of God which passage from Isaiah is quoted and commented upon by Jesus as recorded in Jn 6:45:

1) [Compare Jn 6:44-45 with Isa 54:13]:

(Jn 6:44 YLT) [Jesus said] "No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day;

(Jn 6:45 NKJV) "It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' [Isa 54:13]. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.' "

(Isa 54:13 NKJV) "All your children shall be taught by the LORD. And great shall be the peace of your children."

Isaiah declared that the children, (the descendants), of the ancient Israelites who enter the eternal Kingdom of God when the LORD rules His Kingdom from the earth - will be taught by the LORD in the sense of being faithful to His instructions. Isaiah concluded, "And great shall be the peace of your children," implying an eternal godly lifestyle in the Kingdom of God.

These words of Isaiah are further implied by Jesus Christ in Jn 6:45 to signify that everyone who is drawn by God will inevitably choose to be taught by the LORD, i.e., will choose to listen to and to learn from the Father. And all of these will inevitably come to Jesus Christ by a moment of faith alone in Him alone unto eternal life, and dwell in the Eternal Kingdom of God forever. And the key source of learning from the Father is the Word of God - the Bible.

F) THE FATHER DRAWS CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHEREUPON THEY CHOOSE TO BE TAUGHT BY HIM, TO LISTEN AND LEARN FROM HIM; WHEREUPON IT IS EXCLUSIVELY THESE WHO CHOOSE TO COME TO A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ANYONE HAS SEEN THE FATHER EXCEPT HE WHO IS FROM GOD - MEANING HIMSELF. THIS IMPLIES DIETY AND AN ETERNAL FACE TO FACE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER AS THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD

(Jn 1:1 YLT) '''In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (Jn 1:2 YLT) He [lit., This One] was in [the] beginning with God... (Jn 3:13 NKJV) No one has ascended to heaven but He Who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man Who is in heaven... (Jn 6:37 NIV) '''All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']. (Jn 6:38 NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me, [lit., the One having sent Me] (Jn 6:39 YLT) And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day. (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jn 6:41 NAS) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven." (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " (Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, "Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves. (Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day; (Jn 6:45 NKJV) It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' [Isa 54:13] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (Jn 6:46 NKJV) Not that anyone has seen the Father, except [save] He Who is from God; He has seen the Father.''' =

The Father draws certain individuals whereupon they choose to be taught by Him, to listen and learn from Him; whereupon it is exclusively these who choose to come to a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone unto eternal life. This is not to say that anyone has seen the Father except He Who is from God - meaning Himself. This implies Diety and an eternal face to face relationship with the Father as the eternal Son of God, (Jn 6:45; cf. Jn 6:33; 35; 38; 41; 46; 1:1-2; 3:13).

G) FOR THE EIGHTH TIME IN CHAPTER SIX, JESUS INDICATED THAT A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE IMMEDIATELY RESULTED IN ETERNAL LIFE FOREVER. WHEREUPON, JESUS REITERATED, 'I AM THE BREAD OF [ETERNAL] LIFE.' HE THEN COMPARED THE LITERAL / PHYSICAL MANNA-BREAD WHICH ONLY SUSTAINED THE TEMPORAL LIVES OF THE ANCIENT ISRAELITES WITH REPEATED INGESTION - HENCE THEY ALL DIED AS ALL MEN DIE - TO THE FIGURATIVE / SPIRITUAL BREAD OF ETERNAL LIFE THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN - HIMSELF - WHO ONLY NEEDED TO BE RECEIVED ONE TIME BY A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN HIM ALONE TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE. NOTE THAT A LITERAL PHYSICAL EATING OF THE FLESH OF JESUS CHRIST IS NOT IN VIEW

(Jn 6:37 NIV) '''All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']. (Jn 6:38 NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me, [lit., the One having sent Me] (Jn 6:39 YLT) And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day. (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jn 6:41 NAS) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven." (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " (Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, "Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves. (Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day; (Jn 6:45 NKJV) It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' [Isa 54:13] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (Jn 6:46 NKJV) Not that anyone has seen the Father, except [save] He Who is from God; He has seen the Father. (Jn 6:47 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. (Jn 6:48 NKJV) I am the Bread of Life. (Jn 6:49 NAS) Your Fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (Jn 6:50 YLT) This is the Bread that out of heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die.''' =

For the eighth time in John chapter 6, Jesus indicated that in a present tense moment of faith alone in Him alone, the individual becomes the believer, ("ho pisteuon" = lit., the believing one), whereupon he receives a present tense possession of eternal life which once begun is forever by definition, (Jn 6:27, 29, 35, 37, 40, 44, 45, 47).

And once more Jesus said, 'I am the Bread of [eternal] life,' (Jn 6:48; cf. Jn 6:41). Since the context does not support Jesus referring to Himself as literal / physical bread; He was being figurative. He then compared the literal / physical manna-bread which was perishable and which was provided by God through Moses in the desert to sustain the temporal lives of the ancient Israelites with repeated ingestion - hence they all died as all men die - to the figurative / spiritual Bread of Eternal Life from heaven - Himself - Who provided eternal life through a one time moment of faith alone in Him alone, (Jn 6:48-50).

1) [Compare Jn 6:36]:

a) Jesus Indicated That The Manna Bread Was Given By God Through Moses Which Was Perishable And Only Sustained The Physical Lives Of The Ancient Israelites; But So Much The More, Jesus Was The True Bread Of God From Heaven Who Had Come Down To Give Eternal Life To All Life To All Who Believed - A Far Greater Miracle Whom They Had Seen But In Whom They Did Not Believe

Jesus then said to them [the Jews], 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father Who gives you the True Bread out of heaven' " (Jn 6:32). He implied by this that the manna from Moses was given to their fathers, the ancient Israelites, by God. Furthermore, the manna bread was perishable and only sustained the physical lives of the ancient Israelites which perished and needed to be received every day. But Jesus indicated that so much the more it was not Moses but His Father Who had given them and the world His Son, the True Bread out of heaven which never perished but provided eternal life to all those who expressed a one time moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone Who endured in them to eternal life, (Jn 6:27-29, 33).

There is never in view a literal, physical eating of the flesh of Jesus Christ. The meaning in Jn 6:50 corroborates seven previous statements in John chapter 6 of what one must do to have eternal life: a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, the Bread of life that came down from heaven, (Jn 6:48-50).

H) MOST OF THE CROWD REFUSED TO BELIEVE IN WHAT JESUS SAID DESPITE HIS SCRIPTURAL TESTIMONY, MIRACLES AND FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY. WHEN HE SAID "IF ANYONE EATS OF THIS BREAD, HE WILL LIVE FOREVER AND THE BREAD THAT I SHALL GIVE IS MY FLESH, WHICH I SHALL GIVE FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD," THEY MAINTAINED THAT JESUS' MESSAGE WAS LITERAL - IMPLYING CANNABALISM. BUT THE RULES OF LANGUAGE, CONTEXT AND LOGIC DO NOT PERMIT THIS, THEY RESTRICT HIS MESSAGE TO BEING FIGURATIVE FOR A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE

(Jn 6:27 YLT) Work not for the food that is [the] perishing [kind], but for the food that is [the] [enduring] [kind] to life [eternal] which the Son of Man will give to you, from Him did the Father seal - [even] God.' (Jn 6:28 NKJV) Then they said to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' (Jn 6:29 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He [God] sent.' (Jn 6:35 NKJV) And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]. (Jn 6:37 NIV) All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me [lit., the coming ones to Me] I will never drive away, [lit., 'never cast out']. (Jn 6:38 NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him Who sent Me, [lit., the One having sent Me] (Jn 6:39 YLT) And this is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that all that He [has] given to Me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day. (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (Jn 6:41 NAS) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven." (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' " (Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, "Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves. (Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day; (Jn 6:45 NKJV) It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' [Isa 54:13] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (Jn 6:46 NKJV) Not that anyone has seen the Father, except [save] He Who is from God; He has seen the Father. (Jn 6:47 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. (Jn 6:48 NKJV) I am the Bread of Life. (Jn 6:49 NAS) Your Fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (Jn 6:50 YLT) this is the Bread that out of heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die. (Jn 6:51 NKJV) I am the Living Bread Which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.' "' =

From the beginning, most of the crowd that followed Jesus, refused to believe in what He said, despite His Scriptural testimony, corroborating miracles and fulfillment of Prophecy. Nevertheless, He continued to confront the unbelieving crowd. After reiterating that He was the Living Bread Which came down from heaven, (Jn 6:51a; cf. Jn 6:35, 38, 48, 50); He said, "If anyone eats of this bread, [i.e., believe in Him; cf. Jn 6:27, 29, 35, 40, 44, 45, 47]; he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life [i.e., eternal life] of the world," (Jn 6:51). His message was deliberately misinterpreted by most of the crowd to be literal which gave them "cause" to reject Him. They would neither accept Him as mankind's exlusive source of eternal life despite His testimony, miracles and fulfillment of prophecy nor would they continue to follow Him as disciples, (Jn 6:66).

Although most maintained that Jesus' message was to be taken literally, (even today); the normative rules of language, context and logic do not permit it. The context had already been established that Jesus said He was the True Bread from heaven in a figurative and spiritual sense. He was not referring to Himself as a literal loaf of bread to be physically consumed, (Jn 6:35). The reception of the Living Bread of Eternal Life from Heaven in previous verses was stipulated to be via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone; not by physical ingestion, whereupon one would receive eternal life, (Jn 6:27, 29, 35, 37, 40, 44, 45, 47).

Furthermore, a literal interpretation of physically eating the actual bodily flesh of Jesus violated God's commandment against cannibalism, (Lev 17:12, 15-16).

Finally, Jesus said, "This Bread is My flesh, which I will give for the [eternal] life of the world" depicting a future, one time sacrifice of His physical body for the sins of the whole world as an atoning sacrifice, (cf. Jn 1:29; 3:15-18); ruling out an offer to the crowd to consume His physical body.

Since there was no actual bread indicated in this passage that was supernaturally transformed into the flesh of Jesus and offered to the crowd to physically ingest as is falsely maintained to be incorporated in the celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass;

and since cannibalism is forbidden, (Lev 17:12; 15-16);

and since Jesus at the time of this passage had not yet given of His physical body in an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world;

then the concept of a literal, physical ingestion of the flesh of Jesus in any format or form is not in view, neither at the time of this passage nor at any time.

The context must therefore remain figurative and spiritual for a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone to receive eternal life and not literal and physical. This is specifically corroborated in later verses, (cf. Jn 6:63).

VIII) [Jn 6:52-59]:

(Jn 6:52 YLT) "The Jews, therefore, were [arguing] with one another, saying, 'How is this One able to give us [His] flesh to eat?'

(Jn 6:53 YLT) Jesus, therefore, said to them, '[Truly, truly], I say to you, If [you do] not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and [you do] not drink His blood, [you] have no life in yourselves;

(Jn 6:54 NIV) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day;

(Jn 6:55 YLT) for My flesh truly is food, and My blood truly is drink;

(Jn 6:56 NAS) He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

(Jn 6:57 NKJV) As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

(Jn 6:58 NAS) This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.

(Jn 6:59 YLT) These things He said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum."

A) THE JEWS REFUSED TO ACCEPT JESUS' TESTIMONY. THEY DEMONSTRATED THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO BELIEVE IN HIM AS MANKIND'S EXLUSIVE SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE BY DELIBERATELY MISINTERPRETING HIM. THEY ARGUED THAT HE WAS IMPLYING THAT ONE WOULD HAVE TO PHYSICALLY EAT HIS FLESH AND DRINK HIS BLOOD. THEIR SELF-IMPOSED IRRATIONAL BLINDNESS BLOCKED OUT JESUS' IMPLICATION OF A FUTURE ATONING SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD WHICH HE HAD REPEATEDLY STIPULATED WAS TO BE RECEIVED BY A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN HIM ALONE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE

(Jn 6:14 YLT) "The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, [were declaring] - 'This is truly the Prophet, the [One Who is] the Coming [One] [into] the world... (Jn 6:41 NAS) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, 'I am the Bread that came down [lit., having come down] out of heaven... (Jn 6:42 NAS) [And] they were saying, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?' (Jn 6:43 KJV) Jesus therefore answered and said [to] them, "Murmur [lit., grumble] not among yourselves. (Jn 6:44 YLT) No one is able to come [to] Me, if the Father Who sent Me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day; (Jn 6:45 NKJV) It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' [Isa 54:13] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (Jn 6:46 NKJV) Not that anyone has seen the Father, except [save] He Who is from God; He has seen the Father. (Jn 6:47 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. (Jn 6:48 NKJV) I am the Bread of Life. (Jn 6:49 NAS) Your Fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (Jn 6:50 YLT) This is the Bread that out of heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die. (Jn 6:51 NKJV) I am the Living Bread Which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.' (Jn 6:52 YLT) The Jews, therefore, were [arguing] with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us [His] flesh to eat?' " =

The Jews repeatedly rejected the truth of what Jesus said because of their willful unbelief - their self-imposed, irrational blindness. They chose to misinterpret Him and take His statement, "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" literally. They were maintaining that He said that one would have to physically eat His flesh, ignoring the fact that His Words implied a future atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world which He repeatedly stipulated was to be received by a moment of faith alone in Him alone unto eternal life, (Jn 6:27, 29, 35, 37, 40, 44, 45, 47). Their deliberate misinterpretation pointed to their unwillingness to believe that He was mankind's exclusive source of eternal life even to the point of accusing Him of advocating cannibalism and the drinking of blood, (cf. Jn 6:41-42).

B) THE MEANING OF JN 6:53-56 HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY JN 6:35, 40 AND 51

(Jn 6:35 NKJV) "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]... (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day... (Jn 6:51 NKJV) I am the Living Bread Which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.' (Jn 6:52 YLT) The Jews, therefore, were [arguing] with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us [His] flesh to eat?' (Jn 6:53 YLT) Jesus, therefore, said to them, '[Truly, truly], I say to you, If [you do] not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and [you do] not drink His blood, [you] have no life in yourselves; (Jn 6:54 NIV) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; (Jn 6:55 YLT) for My flesh truly is food, and My blood truly is drink; (Jn 6:56 NAS) He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.' " =

1) [Compare Jn 6:53-56 with Jn 6:35, 40, 51]:

The meaning of Jn 6:53-56 was established by Jn 6:35, 40 and 51:

(Jn 6:53 YLT) Jesus, therefore, said to them, '[Truly, truly], I say to you, If [you do] not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and [you do] not drink His blood, [you] have no life in yourselves;

(Jn 6:54 NIV) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day;

(Jn 6:55 YLT) for My flesh truly is food, and My blood truly is drink;

(Jn 6:56 NAS) He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him."

2) [Jn 6:53-56 compared with Jn 6:35, 40, 51]:

(Jn 6:35 NKJV) "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time].

Notice that a moment of faith alone in Christ alone causes one to have eternal life and to be raised up at the last day. This is paralleled in Jn 6:51 to 'eating and drinking Jesus' flesh and blood', the latter being a figurative explanation of the former.

C) JESUS SAID THAT WHOEVER ATE HIS FLESH AND DRANK HIS BLOOD, IN THE FIGURATIVE SENSE OF A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN HIM ALONE, HAD ETERNAL LIFE AND ABIDED IN JESUS AND JESUS IN HIM IN A MUTUAL, PERSONAL, INTIMATE, ETERNAL FELLOWSHIP - BECOMING ONE WITH ANOTHER - HENCE JESUS SAID HE WOULD RAISE HIM UP ON THE LAST DAY. SO JESUS AFFIRMED THAT HIS FLESH TRULY WAS FOOD AND HIS BLOOD TRULY WAS DRINK, SUCH THAT IF AN INDIVIDUAL DID NOT EAT HIS FLESH OR DRINK HIS BLOOD IN THE FIGURATIVE SENSE, THEN HE DID NOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. JESUS SPOKE THESE THINGS TEACHING IN A SYNAGOGUE IN CAPERNAUM

(Jn 6:35 NKJV) '''And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]... (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day... (Jn 6:51 NKJV) I am the Living Bread Which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.' (Jn 6:52 YLT) The Jews, therefore, were [arguing] with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us [His] flesh to eat?' (Jn 6:53 YLT) Jesus, therefore, said to them, '[Truly, truly], I say to you, If [you do] not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and [you do] not drink His blood, [you] have no life in yourselves; (Jn 6:54 NIV) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; (Jn 6:55 YLT) for My flesh truly is food, and My blood truly is drink; (Jn 6:56 NAS) He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. (Jn 6:57 NKJV) As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. (Jn 6:58 NAS) This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever. (Jn 6:59 YLT) These things He said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum." =

The Jews who followed Jesus argued with one another about how He was able to give them His flesh to eat, (Jn 6:52). He said with great emphasis, that if you did not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, (referring to Himself, cf. Jn 6:54); and if you did not drink His blood, then you had no life in yourselves - in the sense of eternal life, (Jn 6:53-54). On the other hand, Jesus stated that whoever ate His flesh and drank His blood had eternal life, and He would raise him up on the last day, (Jn 6:54). For this reason, Jesus emphatically declared that His flesh truly was food and His blood truly was drink, in the figurative sense, (Jn 6:55, cf. 6:63).

[The Complete Biblical Library, New Testament, John, World Library Press, Springfield, Missouri, Ralph W. Harris, Exec. Editor, 1991, p. 179]

"6:55, 56... The meaning of verse 55 depends on whether one prefers the reading of "alEthOs" (an adverb meaning 'truly' or 'really') or "alEthEs" (an adjective meaning 'true' or 'real'). The adjectival reading (true or real) stresses the actual act of eating and drinking (i.e., one eats and drinks real flesh and real drink). This translation is unlikely because John regularly uses alEthinos to mean true or real (cf. 4:37; 8:16; 19:35). The adverbial reading stresses the reality (or better, reliability) of Jesus' bread and drink. They are the only valid way to attain life (cf. 14:6)."

When Jesus explained that those who ate His flesh and drank His blood, in the figurative sense of believing in Him, abided in Him, and Jesus in them, He was implying a literal spiritual indwelling resulting in a mutual, personal, intimate, eternal fellowship - becoming one with another. This could not have been achieved by literally eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus Christ; for one does not eat a piece of chicken to become one with it, (Jn 6:56, cf. Jn 6:27-29).

Furthermore, Jesus stipulated that as the living Father sent Him, that He lived because of the Father - referring to His eternal Humanity when the Son of God became flesh, (Jn 1:11-14); so he who fed on Jesus in the sense of a moment of faith alone in Jesus Christ alone unto eternal life, will live, i.e., will have a personal intimate eternal fellowship with Him, (Jn 6:57). He closed His message to the Jews by repeating His point about being the [eternal] Bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died - which was only temporal, but that he who ate this Bread, meaning Himself, in the sense of a moment of faith in Him, will live forever, (Jn 6:58; cf. Jn 6:32-33, 35, 41, 48, 50-51).

All of these things, Jesus said to them in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum, (Jn 6:59).

D) ALTHOUGH JESUS WAS AWARE OF WHAT THE JEWS WERE ARGUING ABOUT AMONGST THEMSELVES, HE DID NOT BACK OFF - CONTRARY TO THOSE WHO MAINTAIN THAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT PRESS SUCH AN ARGUMENT. JESUS PERSISTED EMPHATICALLY WITH "[TRULY, TRULY], I SAY TO YOU, IF [YOU DO] NOT EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN, AND [YOU DO] NOT DRINK HIS BLOOD, [YOU] HAVE NO LIFE IN YOURSELVES; WHOEVER EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD HAS ETERNAL LIFE, AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY." SO THE GIVING AND CONSUMING OF HIS BODY AND BLOOD FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD IN THE SENSE OF A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN HIM ALONE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ETERNAL LIFE IN A FUTURE ATONING SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD IS IN VIEW, NOT CANNIBALISM

(Jn 6:35 NKJV) "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. [The {one who} comes] to Me shall never hunger, and [the {one who} believes in Me shall never thirst [at any time]... (Jn 6:40 NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent Me, [alt. "of My Father"] that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day... (Jn 6:51 NKJV) I am the Living Bread Which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.' (Jn 6:52 YLT) The Jews, therefore, were [arguing] with one another, saying, 'How is this one able to give us [His] flesh to eat?' (Jn 6:53 YLT) Jesus, therefore, said to them, '[Truly, truly], I say to you, If [you do] not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and [you do] not drink His blood, [you] have no life in yourselves; (Jn 6:54 NIV) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." =

Since Jesus had already been portrayed in Jn 6:15 as being supernaturally aware of what the crowd was thinking; and since it is not stipulated in Jn 6:53 that He was informed in some manner what the Jews were saying; (and Jn 6:61 stipulated that Jesus had known "within Himself" what the disciples were grumbling about), then it is implied in Jn 6:53-58 that He was supernaturally aware of what they were arguing about, (Jn 6:52).

Objectors to Christians being argumentative, dogmatic, confrontational and divisive should take notice that Jesus did not back off because of the Jews' negative reaction to Him. Instead He pressed His argument with them with, "[Truly, truly], I say to you, If [you do] not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and [you do] not drink His blood, [you] have no life in yourselves; Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day, (Jn 6:53-54)." This was largely a repetition of what Jesus had said before, with one addition, the phrase "drinks My blood." In the absence of words to the contrary, this is also figurative for believing in Jesus - the sole requirement stipulated throughout this passage and Scripture to receive eternal life. Furthermore, the giving of Jesus' flesh and blood has been portrayed in Jn chapter six as a.future event in which His body of flesh will be caused to perish and His blood will be shed in an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world so that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.

IX) [Jn 6:60-66]:

(Jn 6:60 YLT) Many, therefore, of His disciples having heard, said, 'This word is hard; who is able to hear it?'

(Jn 6:61 YLT) And Jesus having known in Himself that His disciples are murmuring [lit., grumbling] about this, said to them, '[Does] this [offend you causing you to stumble]?'

(Jn 6:62 NKJV) What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?

(Jn 6:63 YLT) The Spirit it is [Who is the life giving One]; the flesh [does] not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life;

(Jn 6:64 YLT) but there are [some] of you who do not believe;' for Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who are not believing, and who is he [Judas, (cf. Jn 6:71)] who will deliver Him up,

(Jn 6:65 YLT) and he said, 'Because of this I have said to you - No one is able to come unto Me, if it may not have been given him from My Father.'

(Jn 6:66 NKJV) From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more."

A) KNOWING WITHIN HIMSELF (SUPERNATURALLY) THAT MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES WERE GRUMBLING ABOUT HIM AND WOULD NEVER CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN HIM, JESUS PERSISTED EVEN WITH THOSE WHO WERE NOT CHOSEN - AFFIRMING THE DOCTRINE OF UNLIMITED ATONEMENT. HE ADDRESSED THEIR BEING ESPECIALLY OFFENDED WHEN HE SPOKE OF HIMSELF AS THE SON OF MAN COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN - THAT ONE WHO ATE HIS FLESH AND DRANK HIS BLOOD, (IN THE FIGURATIVE SENSE OF BELIEVING IN HIM), WOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. HE LAMENTED THEIR WILLFUL REFUSAL TO BELIEVE IN HIM AS MANKIND'S EXCLUSIVE SOURCE OF ETERNAL LIFE BY SAYING HOW MUCH THE MORE THEY WOULD REJECT HIM WERE THEY TO SEE HIM, THE SON OF MAN, ASCEND TO HEAVEN FROM WHENCE HE CAME - EVIDENTLY FORETELLING OF HIS FUTURE ASCENSION. HE EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT IT WAS THE SPIRIT - NOT ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE PHYSICAL REALM - WHO GAVE ETERNAL LIFE. HENCE HE TOLD THEM THAT HIS WORDS WERE SPIRIT, I.E., FIGURATIVE FOR THE SPIRITUAL REALM AND IN THAT SENSE HIS WORDS GAVE ETERNAL LIFE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED THEM. JESUS FURTHER REVEALED TO THEM THAT HE HAD KNOWN WITHIN HIMSELF FROM THE BEGINNING, (SUPERNATURALLY) WHO WOULD NOT CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND WHO IT WAS WHO WOULD BETRAY HIM, (REFERRING TO JUDAS ISCARIOT). JESUS CONCLUDED THAT NO ONE WAS ABLE TO BELIEVE IN HIM IF IT WERE NOT GIVEN HIM TO DO SO FROM HIS FATHER. FROM THIS TIME ON ALL OF HIS DISCIPLES WHO REFUSED TO BELIEVE IN HIM UNTO ETERNAL LIFE - WHICH LEFT ONLY THE TWELVE WHO BELIEVED IN HIM - FOLLOWED HIM NO MORE

(Jn 6:42 NAS) "[And] they were saying, 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? [alt. Therefore] How does He now say, 'I have come down out of heaven?'(Jn 6:52 YLT) The Jews, therefore, were [arguing] with one another, saying, 'How is this One able to give us [His] flesh to eat?' (Jn 6:53 YLT) Jesus, therefore, said to them, '[Truly, truly], I say to you, If [you do] not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and [you do] not drink His blood, [you] have no life in yourselves; (Jn 6:54 NIV) Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; (Jn 6:55 YLT) for My flesh truly is food, and My blood truly is drink; (Jn 6:56 NAS) He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. (Jn 6:57 NKJV) As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. (Jn 6:58 NAS) This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever. (Jn 6:59 YLT) These things He said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum. (Jn 6:60 YLT) "Many, therefore, of His disciples having heard, said, 'This word is hard; who is able to hear it?' (Jn 6:61 YLT) And Jesus having known in Himself that His disciples are murmuring [lit., grumbling] about this, said to them, '[Does] this [offend you causing you to stumble]?' (Jn 6:62 NKJV) What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? (Jn 6:63 YLT) The Spirit it is [Who is the life giving One]; the flesh [does] not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life; (Jn 6:64 YLT) but there are [some] of you who do not believe;' for Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who are not believing, and who is he [Judas, (cf. Jn 6:71)] who will deliver Him up, (Jn 6:65 YLT) and he said, 'Because of this I have said to you - No one is able to come unto Me, if it may not have been given him from My Father.' (Jn 6:66 NKJV) From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more." =

Most of those that followed Jesus - which included all of His disciples except the Twelve, followed Him for the wrong reasons. They willfully refused to believe in Him to be mankind's exclusive Source of Eternal life, (cf. Jn 6:42-52). This led them to reject His statements that eternal life was exclusively a matter of a moment of faith alone in Him alone. Then when He spoke of Himself as the Son of Man come down from heaven and that one who ate His flesh and drank His blood, (in the figurative sense of believing in Him), would have eternal life; they deliberately misconstrued Him to say that He was telling them to practice cannibalism and the drinking of His blood, (Jn 6:51-52). Their claim deteriorated further into the absurdity of live cannibalism and the drinking of His blood while it pulsed in His veins because Jesus spoke these words while He was alive - before He had provided Himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world to make His claim to be the Provider of eternal life valid and effective for all mankind. If Jesus had been conveying that His physical body was to be literally eaten, and He was not, there was not enough of Him to provide a morsal for the thousands who were following Him. Yet their willful unbelief led them into spiritual insanity. Today there are millions who espouse the belief that they are physically ingesting the actual physical body and blood of Jesus Christ to gain eternal life despite what He meant, (Jn 6:52-59, 63).

When many of His disciples grumbled amongst themselves, "This word is hard, who is able to hear it?" (Jn 6:60); Jesus, knowing within Himself (supernaturally) that they were grumbling about Him and would never choose to believe in Him; nevertheless He persisted with those who were not chosen by God, informing them that if they believed in Him they would have eternal life, affirming the doctrine of unlimited atonement. He asked them in a rhetorical sense, "Does this offend and cause you to stumble" in the sense of falling into a mindset of willfully blocking themselves from believing in Him. The Greek verb "skandalizei" literally, "offend" in Jn 6:61 meant being offended to the point of causing one to stumble, i.e., lose ones willingness to believe in Jesus which leads to deliberately misinterpreting Him, (Jn 6:61).

Note that Jesus' question, "[Does] this [offend you causing you to stumble]?" did not imply that He meant that people must be eaters of His flesh, i.e., cannibals and drinkers of His blood as some maintain; for Jn 6:63 stipulated that His words were "spiritual," i.e., figurative and not literal:

1) [Jn 6:63 YLT]:

"The Spirit it is [Who is the life giving One]; the flesh [does] not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."

Jesus addressed their rejection of Him especially when He spoke of coming down from heaven and of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, in the figurative sense of believing in Him in order to have eternal life. He stated how much the more would they be offended to disbelief were they to see the Son of Man, Himself, ascending to heaven from whence He came - foretelling His future ascension to heaven, (Jn 6:62).

He stipulated that His words were spirit, i.e., figurative for the spiritual and in that sense His words gave eternal life to those who believed them, (Jn 6:63-64). This corroborated the context conveyed throughout His ministry. He explained that it was the Spirit Who gave eternal life in the spiritual realm, (cf. Jn 3:5-6). So nothing in the physical realm gave eternal life, neither man, nor physical bread, nor physical eating, nor literal drinking, but God through the Holy Spirit as a result of a moment of faith alone in His Son alone.

Jesus proclaimed that it was the Father, the Son and the Spirit Who provided eternal life in such a manner that implied that they were One, (Jn 6:27; 32, 35, 40, 44, 48-51, 54, 63).

Jesus further revealed to them that He had known within Himself from the beginning, (supernaturally) who would not choose to believe in Him and who it was who would betray Him, (referring to Judas Iscariot, Jn 6:64; cf. 6:71).

Notice that the only operative word for man in order to receive eternal life throughout Scripture is "believe." And Jesus persisted in telling Who He was and how to have eternal life despite knowing that many, including most of His disciples, would never believe, and depart from Him, (Jn 6:64).

Whereupon Jesus said, "Because of this I have said to you - No one is able to come unto Me, if it may not have been given him from My Father," evidently implying that He said this more than once. The phrase, "No one is able to come unto Me, if it may not have been given him from My Father" in Jn 6:65 reiterates that although believing is volitional by definition, and anyone may choose to believe in Jesus for eternal life; only those to whom it has been given , (Jn 6:65), i.e., only those who are given to His Son, (Jn 6:37); drawn, (Jn 6:44); instructed, (Jn 6:45); and enabled by the Father, (Jn 6:65), will choose of their own volition to come to Jesus by faith in Him as the true Bread from heaven to receive eternal life.

Consider that our Lord knew from the beginning who would believe and who would not - a supernatural proclamation which attests to His diety. Yet He persisted even with those who would never choose to believe. The conclusion is that although one will not come to faith in Jesus, God's purpose is to make the information available for all to choose or to not choose. In either case it is apparent that provision was to be made for all mankind, (unlimited atonement), and that God's sovereignty will prevail without fail, (Jn 6:65).

****** EXCERPT FROM JN 6:44 ******

SINCE THE INHERENT NATURE OF BELIEVING IS FREE WILL, GOD'S DRAWING OF AN INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT FORCE MAN AGAINST HIS WILL TO BELIEVE. SINCE MAN'S CHOOSING TO BELIEVE IS IN VIEW WHICH BY DEFINITION IS VOLITIONAL, THEN MAN'S CAPACITY TO COME TO JESUS BY FAITH IS IMPLIED. YET THIS CANNOT OCCUR BECAUSE MAN CANNOT BELIEVE BECAUSE HIS WILL IS EVIDENTLY IRRATIONALLY SET AGAINST IT UNLESS THE FATHER DRAWS HIM TO BELIEVE

To come to Christ in the context of Jn 6:44 is to believe in Him to provide eternal life for one, (cf. Jn 6:35). And to believe is defined as to accept, regard, receive as true that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life Who will provide eternal life in a moment of faith alone in Him alone to do that. Hence the word believe requires that the individual have complete capacity and freedom to exercise his will to believe or not.

Therefore, since the nature of faith is volitional by definition, then coming to Jesus Christ by a moment of faith alone in Him alone to receive eternal life is implied to be within the capacity of every man as an exercise of his free will. Yet for one to exercise his free will to believe in Jesus Christ unto salvation, Jesus stipulated that the Father must draw one to exercise that saving faith. Although all men have the capacity to believe in Jesus Christ unto eternal life, no one will choose to exercise that capacity unless the Father draws him. The meaning of the word rendered "draw" in Jn 6:44 in the case of persons is to compel. In the case of God's drawing one to choose to believe in His Son unto eternal life, it is evidently irresistable, because the result of everyone who is drawn by the Father is inevitably to choose to believe.

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM JN 6:44 ******

The result of Jesus' persistently and unwaiveringly proclaiming the truth without softening the message or the rhetoric resulted in many who departed from following Him, all of His disciples except the Twelve. This applies today when one persistently and uncompromisingly proclaims the doctrines of the faith, causing people to depart in unbelief and join congregations which tickle their ears with what they want to hear, (Jn 6:66).

X) Jn 6:67-71]:

(Jn 6:67 YLT) "Jesus, therefore, said to the twelve, 'Do [you] also wish to go away?'

(Jn 6:68 NKJV) But Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;

(Jn 6:69 YLT) and we have believed, and we have known, that [You are] the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

(Jn 6:70 NKJV) Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?'

(Jn 6:71 YLT) And he [spoke] of Judas, [son of Simon Iscariot], for he was about to deliver him up, being one of the twelve."

A) ALL OF JESUS' DISCIPLES WHO REFUSED TO BELIEVE IN HIM UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, WHICH LEFT ONLY THE TWELVE WHO BELIEVED, WENT AWAY. JESUS ASKED THE TWELVE IF THEY WISHED TO GO TOO. SIMON PETER ANSWERED, REFLECTING THAT HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT BY GOD, "LORD TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE AND WE HAVE BELIEVED, AND WE HAVE KNOWN THAT YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD." JESUS ANSWERED, "DID I NOT CHOOSE YOU, THE TWELVE, AND ONE OF YOU IS A DEVIL?" AUTHOR JOHN EXPLAINED THAT JESUS WAS SPEAKING OF JUDAS SON OF SIMON ISCARIOT WHO WOULD SOON BETRAY JESUS

(Jn 6:15 YLT) "Jesus, therefore, having known that they [were] about to come, and to [seize] Him that they may make Him King, [withdrew] again to the mountain Himself alone... (Jn 6:60 YLT) Many, therefore, of His disciples having heard, said, 'This word is hard; who is able to hear it?' (Jn 6:61 YLT) And Jesus having known in Himself that His disciples are murmuring [lit., grumbling] about this, said to them, '[Does] this [offend you causing you to stumble]?' (Jn 6:62 NKJV) What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? (Jn 6:63 YLT) The Spirit it is [Who is the life giving One]; the flesh [does] not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life; (Jn 6:64 YLT) but there are [some] of you who do not believe;' for Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who are not believing, and who is he [Judas, (cf. Jn 6:71)] who will deliver Him up, (Jn 6:65 YLT) and he said, 'Because of this I have said to you - No one is able to come unto Me, if it may not have been given him from My Father.' (Jn 6:66 NKJV) From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. (Jn 6:67 YLT) Jesus, therefore, said to the twelve, 'Do [you] also wish to go away?' (Jn 6:68 NKJV) But Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (Jn 6:69 YLT) and we have believed, and we have known, that [You are] the Christ, the Son of the living God.' (Jn 6:70 NKJV) Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?' (Jn 6:71 YLT) And he [spoke] of Judas, [son of Simon Iscariot], for he was about to deliver him up, being one of the twelve." =

After Jesus fed more than 5,000, crossed the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum and there, spoke again of Himself as the Son of Man come down from heaven so that all who ate His flesh and drank His blood, i.e., believed in Him, received eternal life; all of His disciples who refused to believe in Him unto eternal life, which left only the Twelve who believed, went back home and walked with Him no more, (Jn 6:1-66). Whereupon, He asked the Twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" His question did not imply that He did not know the answer; for this He had known from the beginning - an attribute of His godly omniscience, (Jn 6:64; cf. Jn 6:15, 61). So we can infer that Jesus was seeking for the disciples to openly testify of their faith in Him, demonstrating God's glory and sovereignty in the lives of the Twelve. So when Simon Peter answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and we have known, that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Jn 6:68-69); he was reflecting a godly wisdom that was beyond His natural capacity, evidently having been taught by God, (Jn 6:45). Simon Peter, evidently speaking for the Twelve, reflected their intimate fellowship with Jesus based on their faith in Him for providing eternal life. Jesus implied in His response to Simon Peter, that He knew that they would not leave Him: "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve," (Jn 6:70a). So the Twelve had affirmed their faith in Who Jesus was especially relative to His provision of eternal life for them. This implied that from the beginning Jesus chose all who would choose to believe in Him; and He chose all who would choose to become faithful disciples; and He chose the one who would follow Him as one of the Twelve yet was a devil who would never believe in Him and would soon betray Him. So first comes the sovereignty of God in what He chooses to do and then comes man's free will which inevitably chooses to fulfill what God has chosen for man to freely choose. So when an individual of his own free will comes to Jesus by faith, it is as a result of God's choice for him to do so, (Jn 6:70); God's drawing of that individual to Him, (Jn 6:44); God's instruction of that individual, (Jn 6:46), and God's enablement of that individual to believe, (Jn 6:65).

Note that Jesus unwaiveringly proclaimed the truth without softening His message. This resulted in all of His disciples departing from following Him except the Twelve. This occurs today when one persistently and uncompromisingly proclaims the doctrines of the faith causing people to depart in unbelief. They often move on to congregations which tickle their ears with what they want to hear.

Finally, Jesus spoke of one of the Twelve disciples whom He chose whom He declared to be a devil, (Jn 6:70). Author John declared that Jesus was speaking of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot whom He stated would never believe in Him and would soon betray Him, (Jn 6:71).

CONTINUE TO CHAPTER 7