João 6

¹ After these things Jesus wentNot that he cut across the lake of Tiberias, but by sailing across the large creeks he made his journey shorter: therefore he is said to have gone over the sea, when in reality he passed over from one side of the creek to the other.over the sea of Galilee, which is [the sea] of Tiberias.

² And a great multitude followed him, because they sawe his miracles, which hee did on them that were diseased.

³ Then Iesus went vp into a mountaine, and there he sate with his disciples.

⁴ Now the Passeouer, a feast of the Iewes, was neere.

⁵ They that follow Christ sometimes hunger, but they are never without help.When Jesus then lifted up [his] eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

⁶ (And this he sayde to prooue him: for hee himselfe knewe what he would doe.)

⁷ Philippe answered him, Two hundreth penie worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that euery one of them may take a litle.

⁸ Then saide vnto him one of his disciples, Andrewe, Simon Peters brother,

⁹ There is a little boy heere, which hath fiue barlie loaues, and two fishes: but what are they among so many?

¹⁰ And Iesus saide, Make ye people sit downe. (Nowe there was much grasse in that place.) Then the men sate downe in nomber, about fiue thousande.

¹¹ And Iesus tooke the bread, & gaue thanks, & gaue to the disciples, and the disciples, to them that were set downe: and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

¹² And when they were satisfied, he said vnto his disciples, Gather vp the broken meat which remaineth, that nothing be lost.

¹³ Then they gathered it together, and filled twelue baskets with the broken meat of the fiue barly loaues, which remained vnto them that had eaten.

¹⁴ Then the men, when they had seene the miracle that Iesus did, saide, This is of a trueth that Prophet that should come into the world.

¹⁵ Not only is Christ not delighted by a preposterous worship, but he is greatly offended by it.When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

¹⁶ The godly are often in peril and danger, but Christ comes to them in time, even in the midst of the tempests, and brings them to the haven.And when even was [now] come, his disciples went down unto the sea,

¹⁷ And entered into a ship, and went over the seaIn (Mar_6:45) they are told to go ahead to Bethsaida, for Bethsaida was along the way to Capernaum.toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

¹⁸ And the Sea arose with a great winde that blewe.

¹⁹ And when they had rowed about fiue and twentie, or thirtie furlongs, they sawe Iesus walking on the sea, and drawing neere vnto the ship: so they were afraide.

²⁰ But he said vnto them, It is I: be not afraid.

²¹ Then theyThey were afraid at first, but when they recognized his voice they became new men and took him willingly into the ship, the very one whom they had shunned and fled from before.willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

²² The day following, the people which stoode on the other side of the sea, saw that there was none other ship there, saue that one, whereinto his disciples were entred, and that Iesus went not with his disciples in the ship, but that his disciples were gone alone,

²³ And that there came other ships from Tiberias neere vnto the place where they ate the bread, after the Lord had giuen thankes.

²⁴ Nowe when the people sawe that Iesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also tooke shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Iesus.

²⁵ And when they had founde him on the other side of the sea, they sayde vnto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

²⁶ They that seek the kingdom of heaven lack nothing: nevertheless, the gospel is not the food of the stomach but rather of the mind.Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

²⁷ Bestow your labour and pain.Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the FatherThat is, whom God the Father had distinguished from all other men by planting his own power in him, as though he had sealed him with his seal, so that he might be a vivid example and representation of him: and furthermore he installed him to this office, to reconcile us men to God, and bring us to everlasting life, which office belongs only to Christ.sealed.

²⁸ Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work theWhich please God: for they think that everlasting life depends upon the condition of fulfilling the law: therefore Christ calls them back to faith.works of God?

²⁹ Men torment themselves in vain when they try to please God without faith.Jesus answered and said unto them,That is, this is the work that God requires, that you believe in me, and therefore he calls them back to faith.This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

³⁰ The spiritual virtue of Christ is condemned by those that desire earthly miracles.They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

³¹ Our fathers did eate Manna in the desart, as it is written, Hee gaue them bread from heauen to eate.

³² Christ, who is the true and only author and giver of eternal life, was represented unto those in the Old Testament by the manna.Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you notHe denies that manna was the true heavenly bread, and says that he himself is the true bread, because he feeds the true and everlasting life. And as for (1Co_10:1-5), where Paul calls manna spiritual food, it does not contradict what is said here, for Paul joins the thing signified with the sign: but in this whole disputation, Christ deals with the Jews after their own opinion and conceit of the matter, who thought of the manna only in terms of physical food.that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

³³ For the breade of God is hee which commeth downe from heauen, and giueth life vnto the world.

³⁴ Then they said vnto him, Lorde, euermore giue vs this bread.

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

³⁶ But I said vnto you, that ye also haue seene me, and beleeue not.

³⁷ The gift of faith proceeds from the free election of the Father in Christ, after which everlasting life necessarily follows: therefore faith in Christ Jesus is a sure witness of our election, and therefore of our glorification, which is to come.All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

³⁸ For I came down from heaven, not to do mineSee above in (Joh_5:22).own will, but the will of him that sent me.

³⁹ And this is the Fathers will which hath sent mee, that of all which hee hath giuen mee, I should lose nothing, but shoulde raise it vp againe at the last day.

⁴⁰ And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one whichSeeing and believing are joined together: for there is another type of seeing which is general, which the demons have, for they see: but here he speaks about that type of seeing which properly belongs to the elect.seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

⁴¹ Flesh cannot perceive spiritual things, and therefore the beginning of our salvation comes from God, who changes our nature, so that we, being inspired by him, may remain to be instructed and saved by Christ.The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

⁴² And they said, Is not this Iesus that sonne of Ioseph, whose father and mother wee knowe? Howe then sayth he, I came downe from heauen?

⁴³ Iesus then answered, and saide vnto them, Murmure not among your selues.

⁴⁴ No man can come to mee, except the Father, which hath sent mee, drawe him: and I will raise him vp at the last day.

⁴⁵ It is written in theIn the book of the prophets, for the Old Testament was divided by them into three general parts: into the law, the prophets, and the holy writings.prophets, And they shall be allThat is, they will be children of the Church, for so the prophet Isaiah expounds it in (Isa_54:13); that is to say, ordained to life, {{See Act_13:48}}, and therefore the knowledge of the heavenly truth is the gift and work of God, and does not rest in any power of man.taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

⁴⁶ Not that any man hath seen the Father,If only the Son has seen the Father, then it is only he that can truly teach us and instruct us.save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

⁴⁷ Verely, verely I say vnto you, hee that beleeueth in me, hath euerlasting life.

⁴⁸ The true use of sacraments is to ascend from them to the thing itself, that is, to Christ: and by the partaking of him alone we get everlasting life.I am that bread of life.

⁴⁹ Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse, and are dead.

⁵⁰ He refers to himself when he speaks these words.This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

⁵¹ Christ being sent from the Father is the selfsame unto us for the getting and keeping of everlasting life, as bread and flesh, yea, meat and drink, are to the use of this transitory life.I am theWhich gives life to the world.living bread which came down from heaven: if any manThat is to say, whoever is truly a partaker of Christ, who is our food.eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

⁵² Flesh cannot make a difference between fleshly eating, which is done by the help of the teeth, and spiritual eating, which consists in faith: and therefore it condemns that which it does not understand: yet nonetheless, the truth must be preached and taught.The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?

⁵³ Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye haveIf Christ is present, life is present, but when Christ is absent, then death is present.no life in you.

⁵⁴ Whosoeuer eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternall life, and I will raise him vp at the last day.

⁵⁵ For my flesh is meat in deede, & my blood is drinke in deede.

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

⁵⁷ AsIn that Christ is man, he receives that power which quickens and gives life to those that are his, from his Father: and he adds this word «the» to make a distinction between his Father and all other fathers.the living Father hath sent me, and I live by theChrist means that although he is man, yet his flesh can give life, not by its own nature, but because his flesh lives by the Father, that is to say, sucks and draws out of the Father that power which it has to give life.Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

⁵⁸ This is that bread which came downe from heauen: not as your fathers haue eaten Manna, and are deade. Hee that eateth of this bread, shall liue for euer.

⁵⁹ These things spake he in the Synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

⁶⁰ The reason of man cannot comprehend the uniting of Christ and his members: therefore let it worship and revere that which is better than itself.Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

⁶¹ But Iesus knowing in himselfe, that his disciples murmured at this, saide vnto them, Doeth this offend you?

⁶² What then if yee should see that Sonne of man ascend vp where he was before?

⁶³ The flesh of Christ therefore quickens us, because he that is man is God: and this mystery is only comprehended by faith, which is the gift of God, found only in the elect.It is theSpirit, that is, that power which flows from the Godhead causes the flesh of Christ (which is otherwise nothing but flesh) both to live in itself and to give life to us.spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

⁶⁴ But there are some of you that beleeue not: for Iesus knewe from the beginning, which they were that beleeued not, & who shoulde betray him.

⁶⁵ And hee saide, Therefore saide I vnto you, that no man can come vnto mee, except it be giuen vnto him of my Father.

⁶⁶ Such is the malice of men, that they bring about their own destruction, even in hearing the very doctrine of salvation, but there are a few who believe through the singular gift of God.From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

⁶⁷ Then sayde Iesus to the twelue, Will yee also goe away?

⁶⁸ Then Simon Peter answered him, Master, to whome shall we goe? thou hast the wordes of eternall life:

⁶⁹ And we beleeue and knowe that thou art that Christ that Sonne of the liuing God.

⁷⁰ The number of the professors of Christ is very small, and among them also there are some hypocrites, and those worse than all others.Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

⁷¹ Now he spake it of Iudas Iscariot the sonne of Simon: for hee it was that shoulde betraie him, though he was one of the twelue.