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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_6:52-59
52Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" 53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." 59These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Joh_6:52
NASB "argue"
NKJV "quarreled"
NRSV "disputed"
TEV "an angry argument"
NJB "arguing"
The imperfect tense meant the beginning of something or the continuing of something in past time. This is a strong Greek term for fighting (cf. Act_7:26; 2Ti_2:23-24; Tit_3:9) and used metaphorically in 2Co_7:5 and Jas_4:1-2.
▣ "How can this man give us His flesh to eat" In John Jesus speaks in metaphoric language that is regularly misunderstood in a literal sense: (1) Nicodemus, Joh_3:4; (2) Samaritan woman, Joh_4:11; (3) Jewish crowd, Joh_6:52; and (4) disciples, Joh_11:11.
Joh_6:53-57 The verbals in Joh_6:53-54 are very interesting. In Joh_6:53, "eat" and "drink" are aorist active subjunctives which speak of a volitionally potential initiating act. The verbals in Joh_6:54, "eats" and "drinks," are Present active participles which emphasize continuing action (cf. Joh_6:56-58). It seems that this confirms the fact that one must initially respond to Jesus and continue to respond (cf. Joh_6:44).
It must be remembered that to take this passage literally is to misunderstand the Jewish horror at drinking blood (cf. Lev_17:10-14). To take Jesus' obvious allusions to the manna in the wilderness (cf. Joh_6:58), and use them as literal phrases connected with the Eucharist is a manipulation of the historical setting and literary context for liturgical purposes.
Joh_6:54 "flesh. . .blood" This is a Jewish metaphorical way of referring to the whole person, like "heart."
Joh_6:55 "true food. . .true drink" This is John's characteristic use of the term true/truth (see special topic below). John, writing later than the other NT writers, had seen the development of several heresies (overemphasis on John the Baptist, overemphasis on sacramentalism, overemphasis on human knowledge-Gnosticism).
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Joh_6:56 "abides in Me and I in him" This same truth is stated in Joh_15:4-7; 1Jn_2:6; 1Jn_2:27-28; 1Jn_3:6; 1Jn_3:24, see Special Topic: Abiding at 1Jn_2:10. This is the ongoing NT emphasis on the perseverance of saints (cf. Gal_6:9; Rev_2:7; Rev_2:11; Rev_2:17; Rev_2:26; Rev_3:5; Rev_3:12; Rev_3:21, see Special Topic at Joh_8:31). True response is validated by a continuing response. This emphasis on perseverance is the missing element in American evangelicalism. One must not only start in faith, but finish in faith (Hebrews 11). Jonathan Edwards said, "Sure proof of election is that one hold out to the end." W. T. Conner said, "The salvation of a man elected to salvation is from eternity to eternity certain in the mind and purpose of God, yet it is conditioned upon faith, and a faith that perseveres and conquers."
Joh_6:57 "the living Father" This phrase is unique, but the concept is used often in the Bible. There are several different ways to interpret the origin of this title for God.
1. the basic name of the Covenant God (cf. Exo_3:12; Exo_3:14-16; Exo_6:2-3, see Special Topic at Joh_6:20)
2. oaths by God, "as I live" or in God's name, "as the Lord lives" (cf. Num_14:21; Num_14:28; Isa_49:18; Jer_4:2)
3. as a description of God (cf. Psa_42:2; Psa_84:2; Jos_3:10; Jer_10:10; Dan_6:20; Dan_6:26; Hos_1:10; Mat_16:16; Mat_26:63; Act_14:15; Rom_9:26; 2Co_3:3; 2Co_6:16; 1Th_1:9; 1Ti_3:15; 1Ti_4:10; Heb_3:12; Heb_9:14; Heb_10:31; Heb_12:22; Rev_7:2)
4. the statements in Joh_5:26 that the Father has life in Himself and has given it to the Son and Joh_5:21 where the Father raises the dead as does the Son.
Joh_6:58 This is a comparison of the Old Testament and the New, Moses and Jesus. (See the book of Hebrews, esp. chapters 3, 4).
▣ "the fathers ate and died" This may also have served the theological function of denying salvation through lineage (cf. Joh_8:33-39) or through the Mosaic Law (Torah).
▣ "forever" See Special Topic below.
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