41 The Jews then disputed about him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from 42 heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came 43 down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Dispute not among your44 selves. No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him and I 45 will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore who hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me.* 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, but he who is from God, he hath seen the Father.t 47 Verily, verily I say unto you, He who believ48 eth on me, hath everlasting life. I am the bread 49 of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the 50 wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man 51 may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which 52 I will give for the life of the world. Then the Jews contended amongst themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto him, Verily, verily I say

* See Isaiah liv. 13. It refers to the gospel, by which God teaches mankind, Gentiles as well as Jews. And this is also the means, which he uses to draw men to Christ, to induce them to believe and obey him.

He is intimately acquainted with the perfections and purposes of God.

unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in 54 you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise 55 him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.* 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my 57 blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father so he that eateth me, even he shall 58 live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth of 59 this bread, shall live for ever.

These things he spake in the synagogue, as he taught in 60 Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard 61 saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you ? 62 What and if ye should see the Son of man 63 ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you, they 64 are spirit, and they are life. But there are

The 54th and 55th verses contain strong figurative expressions. See 63d verse.

The meaning of Christ here, no doubt, is that the doctrines of his gospel were necessary to our spiritual life and improvement.

That is, a difficult doctrine: who can understand it? The pre-existence of Christ in heaven is here explicitly declared. See chap. iii. 13.

Then the expressions in this chapter are spiritual or figurative.

some of you who believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were who would 65 not believe, and who would betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

66 From that time many of his disciples went 67 back, and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said unto the twelve, Will ye also go 68 away? Simon Peter answered him, Lord,

to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of 69 eternal life. And we believe, and are sure, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.* 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you 71 twelve, and one of you is a devil?† He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

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CHAP. VII.

AFTER these thing Jesus journeyed about Galilee for he would not abide in Judea, 2 because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the 3 Jews' feast of tabernacles was near. His breth

ren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see 4 the works that thou doest. For no man doeth any thing in private, while he seeketh to be

* Christ means Anointed, Messiah, Gr Messenger. Griesbach's text is, 'that shou art the holy one of God.'

† An adversary or accuser,

E known publicly.*, Since thou dost these things, 5 shew thyself to the world. (For his brethren 6 even did not believe in him.) Then Jesus

said unto them, My time is not yet come: 7 but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you but me it does hate, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I will not go up yet unto this feast for my time is not yet fully 9 come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

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But when his brethren were gone up, then he went up also unto the feast, not openly, but 11 as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12 And there was much disputing among the people concerning him for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he de13 ceiveth the people. However no man spake openly of him, for fear of the Jews.

:

14 Now about the midst of the feast, Jesus went 15 up into the temple and taught. And the Jews were astonished, saying, How knoweth this man 16 letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but 17 his who sent me. If any man will do his will,

he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of 18 God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory who sent him, the

While he is desirous of being publicly known. † A desire to know and obey divine truths is favorable to the perception of evidence on religious subjects.

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same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.* 19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why do ye conspire 20 my death? The people answered and said, Thou

hast a devil † who goeth about to kill thee? 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have 22 done one work, and ye all wonder. Now Moses gave you circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers) and ye on 23 the sabbath-day circumcise a man. on the sabbath-day receive circumcision, that If a man the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me because I have made a man 24 entirely whole on the sabbath-day? Judge not

according to the appearance, but judge righ25 teous judgment. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he whom they seek to 26 kill? But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say

nothing unto him. Do the rulers know in27 deed that this is the very Christ? Now we

know this man whence he is: but when Christ 28 cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Then Jesus spake aloud in the temple, as he taught, saying, Do ye indeed know me, and whence I am? I am not come of myself; but he who sent

There is no deceit in him.

† Art possessed; thou art insane, or an impostor. Sce chap viii. 48, 52.

Circumcision was practised by Abraham and his descendants, long before Moses.

Rise superior to prejudice, and let your judgment be more rational and just.

Are the rulers in any measure eonvinced that this is the Messiah? Or, the rulers do not in fact know that this min is the Christ.