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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How do we understand these words? | John 6:63 | Aixen7z4 | 122128 | ||
The single sentence in John 6:63 may be exceptional in the number of thoughts it brings together. How can we possibly understand it or properly respond to it? It seems ironic that Jesus is saying it is only through the Holy Spirit that we can understand it. And yet, the people who were hearing him were not understanding. Many of his disciples, when they had heard (his preceding statements), had said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60). I am not sure that Jesus made it any easier when he said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). It seems that the people became exasperated. They walked away (v. 66). The translators are wide apart on their renderings: NKJV It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. NIV The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. (GW) Life is spiritual. Your physical existence doesn't contribute to that life. (LITV) It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh does not profit, nothing! (YLT) the spirit it is that is giving life; the flesh doth not profit anything; (MSG) The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. (WEB) It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. (NASB) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; . (AMP) The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. They all have “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life”, but what does that mean? (NLT) It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Once again I find myself appreciating the NLT as I see how it uses context to bring out meaning. Thank God for it. But the question remains: What was the Spirit doing in this case? On this occasion, He seems to be keeping the people from understanding (as in Romans 11:25). Later, on the day of Pentecost, He would help people to hear words spoken in another language as if it had been spoken in their own language (Acts 2:8), and they would understand and believe and be saved. I wonder what happens here, today, when people do not understand, and turn away. What role is the Spirit playing? One’s attention is riveted every time that God or Jesus asks the question “Why …?”, And in John 8:43 he asks, “Why do ye not understand my speech?” Amazingly, this seems to have resulted in a stalemate. He said they were of the devil, and they said he had a devil. That time, they did not simply walk away. They took up stones to stone him. They had not understood his words. Jesus was full of the Spirit, but the Spirit was not in them to resonate and give meaning to his words. Today, we have the Holy Spirit. But do we understand those words? |
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2 | How do we understand these words? | John 6:63 | kalos | 122148 | ||
Aixen7z4: Is Your "Question", ID# 122128, truly a Question or is it a speech? WHAT is your question? |
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3 | How do we understand these words? | John 6:63 | Hank | 122152 | ||
kalos: WHAT'S on second. [WHO'S on first.] --Hank [I think]. | ||||||