John 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH; THE FLESH PROFITETH NOTHING. Much of His discourse had been about "flesh;" but flesh as such, mere flesh, and all religious notions which originate in the flesh, could profit nothing, much less impart that life which the Holy Spirit atone communicates to the soul. THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU - rather, 'have spoken' [for lelaleeka (G2980) is the preferable reading]. THEY ARE SPIRIT, AND THEY ARE LIFE - the whole burden of this discourse was "spirit," not mere flesh, and "life" in its highest, not its lower sense; and the words I employed were to be interpreted solely in that sense....

63._It is the Spirit that quickeneth. _By these words Christ shows the reason why the Jews did not profit by his doctrine to be, that, being spiritual and _quickening_, it does not find ears well prepared. But as this passage has been variously expounded, it will be of importance first to ascertain the natural meaning of the words; from which it will be easy to perceive Christ’s intention. When he affirms that_the flesh profiteth nothing, _Chrysostom improperly, in my opinion, refers it to the Jews, who were _carnal _I readily acknowledge that in heavenly mysteries the whole power of the human mind is utterly unavailing; but the words of Christ do not bear that meaning, if they be not violently tortured. Equally forced would be that opinion, as applied to the apposite clause; namely, it is the illumination of _the Spirit that quickeneth. _Nor do I approve of the views of those who say, t...

60-65 The human nature of Christ had not before been in heaven, but being God and man, that wondrous Person was truly said to have come down from heaven. The Messiah's kingdom was not of this world; and they were to understand by faith, what he had said of a spiritual living upon him, and his fulness. As without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spirit of God all forms of religion are dead and worthless. He who made this provision for our souls, alone can teach us these things, and draw us unto Christ, that we may live by faith in him. Let us apply to Christ, thankful that it is declared that every one who is willing to come unto him shall be made welcome....

Verse 63. _IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH_] It is the spiritual sense only of my words that is to be attended to, and through which life is to be attained, 2 Corinthians 3:6. Such only as _eat_ and _drink_ what I have mentioned, in a _spiritual_ sense, are to expect eternal life. _THE FLESH PROFITETH NOTHING_] If ye could even eat my flesh and drink my blood, this would not avail for your salvation. These words contain a caution that the hearers should not understand his words in the strict _literal_ sense, as if his body were really BREAD, and as if his flesh and blood were really to be _eaten_ and _drank_. The words that I speak Or, _I have spoken_. Instead of λαλω, _I_ _speak_, I read λελαληκα, _I have spoken_, on the authority of BCDKLT, thirteen others; the _Syriac_, all

IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH - These words have been understood in different ways. The word “Spirit,” here, evidently does not refer to the Holy Spirit, for he adds, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit.” He refers here, probably, to the doctrine which he had been teaching in opposition to their notions and desires. “My doctrine is spiritual; it is fitted to quicken and nourish the soul. It is from heaven. Your doctrine or your views are earthly, and may be called flesh, or fleshly, as pertaining only to the support of the body. You place a great value on the doctrine that Moses fed the body; yet that did not permanently profit, for your fathers are dead. You seek also food from me, but your views and desires are gross and earthly.” QUICKENETH - Gives life. See the notes at John 5:21....

EXPOSITION JOHN 6:1 2. _Christ declares himself to be the Sustainer and Protector of the life of which he is the Source_. JOHN 6:1 (1) _The supply of human wants illustrated by a well known _"_sign_" _of power_. Chronological difficulties beset our treatment of this miraculous narrative with its varied consequences and results. Many curious and even violent measures have been resorted to with a view to solve them. Some have supposed that John 5:1. and 6. have been inverted in order, and that thus the presence of our Lord in Galilee, mentioned in...

IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH,.... It is the spirit of man that quickens him; or which being breathed into him, he becomes a living soul; for the body, without the spirit, is dead; it is a lifeless lump: and it is the Spirit of God that quickens dead sinners, by entering into them as the spirit of life, and causing them to live: and it is spiritual eating, or eating the flesh, and drinking the blood of Christ in a spiritual sense, which quickens, refreshes, and comforts the minds of believers; it is that by, and on which they live, and by which their spiritual strength is renewed: unless, by spirit, is meant the divine nature of Christ, by which he was quickened and raised from the dead, and ascended up into heaven, and was declared to be the Son of God with power: THE FLESH PROFITETH NOTHING; the human nature of Christ, though profitable, as in union with the Son of God, to be given...

John 6:41. _The Jews then murmured at him,_ That is, at the Christ, John 6:41. _Because he said, I am the bread which came down from 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 down from heaven?_ They did know his mother; but they made a mistake, which may have seemed a very slight one to them, when they said that they knew his father. Yet that is how nearly all great errors spring from some slight and apparently trivial addition to the truth. They did know Mary, but they did not know that Jehovah was the Father of the Christ. John 6:43. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not a

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The Feeding of the Five Thousand Men. (John 6:1 .)_ 2. The Attempt to Make Him King, (John 6:15 .) 3. The Stormy Sea. “It is I, be not afraid.” (John 6:16 .) 4. The Discourse on the Bread of Life. The Food of the Believer. (John 6:22 .) 5. The Falling Away of Disciples. (John 6:60) 6. Peter's Confession. (John 6:67 .) The events which are recorded in this chapter happened at the Sea of Galilee, the sea of Tiberias. John exclusively uses t

FURTHER JEWISH OBJECTIONS. Further advance is made by the use for the first time of the phrase, to eat the flesh. To their question How? Jesus answers that the gift of life can be obtained only by such means. The reference to the sacrificial death is made clearer by the addition and drink His blood. The true life can be gained only by the assimilation of the Body and the Blood, the life set free by death for wider purposes. Those who partake of this true food gain abiding union with Christ. The expressions used here are intelligible only in the light of Christian Eucharistie experience. John 6:60 ff. is historically important as describing the crisis in Galilee, when many even of the best disposed took offence and fell away. In place of their material expectations He offered them a spiritual conception of the kingdom. It proved a stumbling-block. What would their feelings be when He left...