JOHN CHAPTER 6 1 THESSALONIANS 6:1 Christ feedeth five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes. 1 THESSALONIANS 6:15 He withdraweth himself from the people, who would have made him a king, and walketh on the sea. 1 THESSALONIANS 6:22 The multitude flocking to him, he reproveth their carnal view... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour (as appeareth by MARK 6:31) only spake to his apostles to withdraw into a desert place, and to rest a while; but, MARK 6:33, though our Saviour went by ship, yet the people _ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him._ That which induced them was th... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 3,4. That is, the third passover after our Saviour had entered upon his public ministry; by which we may observe, that John omitted many things spoken and done by our Saviour in the year immediately following the second passover, for he giveth us no further account than what we have in the form... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:3... [ Continue Reading ]
This is apparently the same history which we have met with in all the former three evangelists. MATTHEW 14:15 MARK 6:35 LUKE 9:10. See the differing circumstances considered in our annotations on those Chapter s. The other evangelists observe, that Christ had first been preaching to them, until it w... [ Continue Reading ]
Now this he said to try what Philip would say, for he was himself resolved what to do.... [ Continue Reading ]
This discourse between our Saviour and Philip is reported by none of the other evangelists, and probably was after that which they report of the other disciples motion to Christ to dismiss the people, because it was now towards evening. The number (as we shall find afterward) was five thousand, besi... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 8-13. The story is the same, in all substantial parts, with the relations of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, in the before mentioned places. See the annotations on those Chapter s.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:8... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:8... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:8... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:8... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:8... [ Continue Reading ]
When they had seen the miracle of Christ's multiplying five loaves and two fishes, to the feeding of five thousand persons, besides women and children; a miracle of that nature, that never any such was wrought either by Moses or any prophet, and to the working of which a creating power was necessary... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; This motion of Christ into a mountain alone, after he had sent away the multitude, (thus miraculously fed), and after that his disciples had taken ship again, is mentioned by two other of the evangelists; by MATTHEW 14:23 by MARK 6:45,46. But this occasion of it is expressed by neither of th... [ Continue Reading ]
This piece of history is related much more fully by the other evangelists, MATTHEW 14:23 MARK 6:46. SEE POOLE ON "MATTHEW 14:23", and following verses to MATTHEW 14:33. SEE POOLE ON "MARK 6:46", and following verses to MARK 6:52.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 17-22. By _the sea_ is here meant the sea of Galilee, or lake of Tiberias, or of Gennesaret. There our Saviour and his disciples had left the multitude; the disciples having taken a boat, and passing over on the other side, and Christ having followed them, the multitude, probably having gone in... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:17... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:17... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:17... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:17... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:17... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 23,24. They also took shipping, made use of some other boats that were come over the water, and went over to seek Jesus; not out of any love to his person or doctrine, (as we shall anon hear), but out of a curiosity to see some further miracles wrought by him. Our Lord disappoints them, but pre... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:23... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 25,26. They asked him, WHEN CAMEST THOU HITHER? A curious and impertinent question, to which he doth not think fit to give an apposite answer, but at first letteth them know, that he knew their hearts, and what designs they had in following him; which was not to see the miraculous effects of th... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:25... [ Continue Reading ]
By the bread WHICH PERISHETH, is not strictly to be understood bread, but whatsoever is necessary or accommodating to us in this life; all things of this nature are perishing, and perish with the using: nor is all labour as to them forbidden us; for we are to the contrary commanded, In the sweat of... [ Continue Reading ]
They easily understood that our Saviour did not speak of any worldly food, by his opposing the labour he mentions, and persuadeth for, to a labour for the world; but still they did not understand what labour he spake of, but dreamed of the works of the law; knowing of no other work which God command... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Lord calleth them to a work they never thought of, the owning and acknowledgment of him to be the true Messiah; the embracing and receiving him as such, and trusting him with all the concerns of their souls; which was necessary, notwithstanding all their acts of obedience to the law, though most... [ Continue Reading ]
They thought it reasonable, that he who brought forth a new doctrine into the world (such as faith in him was, they having never heard any such thing from their doctors the Pharisees) should confirm his mission by some miraculous operation. But this was a strange stupidity, considering the sign he h... [ Continue Reading ]
Here they magnify Moses; he did not bring them a law only, but confirmed it by signs from heaven to be the will of God, by obtaining for them bread to be mined from heaven to satisfy their hunger, EXODUS 16:15 NUMBERS 11:7; which is also confirmed by the psalmist, PSALMS 78:25. This Moses did for th... [ Continue Reading ]
You are mistaken in your opinion of that manna, which indeed was bread from heaven, _spiritual meat, _ (as the apostle calleth it, 1 CORINTHIANS 10:3), but it was not given you by any power or virtue in or from Moses. Moses said otherwise; when it was first rained down, he told them, _This is the br... [ Continue Reading ]
Moses gave you spiritual, heavenly bread; but that was only spiritual as it was typical and prefigured me; heavenly, as it came from the lower heavens, was mined down from thence, not made upon the earth by the art of man; and was therefore called _the bread of angels; _ but I am the true _bread of... [ Continue Reading ]
Most interpreters agree that they spake this seriously, that is, that they were willing enough to have such bread (if any such were to be had); but yet not conceiving aright the nature and excellency of the bread our Saviour mentioned; and this occasioned his clear explication of it in the following... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; the bread that giveth spiritual and eternal life, and the bread that upholdeth and maintains spiritual life; the Messiah, whom God hath sent into the world, to quicken those that are _dead in trespasses and sins,_ EPHESIANS 2:1; and to give eternal life to as many as the Fath... [ Continue Reading ]
You have seen me in the flesh, you have heard my doctrine, you have seen the miracles which I have wrought, confirming that doctrine, and me to be the true Messias; for I have done amongst you those works which never any man did: but you are of the generation of those of whom it was prophesied: That... [ Continue Reading ]
Here ariseth a great question amongst interpreters of various persuasions, what giving of the Father is here meant; whether an eternal designation of persons to eternal life, in order to the obtaining of which the persons so predestinated are given to Christ, as he who was to be the Messiah, Saviour... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Lord confirmeth what he had before said concerning his gracious reception of believers, and preserving them by his grace in their state of grace, so that they shall not be cast out with reprobates in the day of judgment, from this, that he came not to execute any particular will of his own, but... [ Continue Reading ]
For this he revealeth to be his Father's will, that of all his Father had given him, he should lose none; where by the Father's giving must be meant, either his eternal act (having chosen some to eternal life) in giving them to his Son, for the work of their redemption; or, which is but the effect a... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Lord having asserted the will of God, as to the final issue and happiness of believers, goes on to assert the means by which, in this life using, they must obtain this life: those are, seeing the Son, and believing in him; seeing him, not with the eyes of their bodies, or seeing his miraculous o... [ Continue Reading ]
The Jews were exceedingly prone to this sin of murmuring, which is a complaining either through indignation, or impatience of what men hear spoken, or see done: the thing which offended, seemeth not to be his calling himself the true bread, and the bread of life; but because he said, that he came do... [ Continue Reading ]
For Capernaum, where our Saviour now was, was not far from Nazareth, where he had been educated, and lived near thirty years with Joseph his reputed father. Understanding therefore nothing of our Saviour's miraculous conception by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the virgin, they w... [ Continue Reading ]
By this our Saviour gives them another proof of his Divine nature, viz. in his knowing of their hearts and thoughts; for though they were inwardly angry, and in a rage, yet we read not of any words spoken by them; but our Saviour needed not their words to tell him what was in the secret of their hea... [ Continue Reading ]
That by drawing here is not to be understood any coaction, or force upon the will, is a thing on all hands out of question; but whether by it be only to be understood a rational drawing by arguments, (used in the ministry of the gospel), or a further powerful influence upon the soul, inclining it to... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS WRITTEN IN THE PROPHETS; either in ISAIAH 54:13, or in the book of the prophets; for though the words be to be found only in Isaiah, yet words of the same import are also to be found in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, and Micah. All they whom the Lord hath chosen shall be taught of God. Therefore (sa... [ Continue Reading ]
None must dream that the Father should visibly appear in the world to teach men; for the essence of God is invisible, none hath seen it at any time, saving he alone who is the only begotten Son of the Father; he hath seen the essence of the Father, he knoweth his will, and most secret counsels.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 47,48. SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 3:18". SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 3:36". SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:35".... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:48... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR FATHERS by nature, or in respect of unbelief, DID EAT MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS, AND they ARE naturally DEAD; (manna would not always preserve their natural life); and those of them who were unbelievers, are also dead eternally; their eating of manna, which was a type of me, without believing in... [ Continue Reading ]
But I am that bread of life, who came out of the highest heavens, from the bosom of my Father; that bread, which if a man eateth thereof, he shall never die eternally. Eating Christ in this text signifieth no more than believing in him, so often before mentioned under the notion of coming to him, be... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE LIVING BREAD WHICH CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN: SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:33". SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:35". Our Saviour's so often inculcating this, and what follows, lets us see both how necessary this is to be known, and also how difficult the work of believing is. Those words, HE... [ Continue Reading ]
They will still understand spiritual things in a carnal sense; yet it is hard to conceive how they could imagine that Christ spake of giving them his flesh to eat, as men eat the flesh of oxen or sheep; but which way soever they did understand it indeed, their captious temper inclined them to concea... [ Continue Reading ]
The short and true sense of these words is, that without a true believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, as he who died for our sins, no man hath any thing in him of true spiritual life, nor shall ever come to eternal life. Here are two questions arise from this verse and what follows. 1. Whether the fl... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH ETERNAL LIFE; he hath it in a sure and just right title, and he shall have it in a certain actual possession: and in order to it, he shall have a joyful resurrection unto it at the last day. This is no more than what our Saviour had often said, particularly 1 THESSALONIANS 3:18,36, admitting wh... [ Continue Reading ]
I, as a Christ crucified, not merely considered as to my Divine nature, but as to both natures united in one person, and particularly with respect to my death and suffering, am indeed the food of souls; not a typical food, as manna was, but a true and real food, which nourisheth them to eternal life... [ Continue Reading ]
He that acknowledgeth and receiveth me, though he seeth me as a man, consisting of flesh and blood, and that particularly applies himself to me as dying for the sins of the world, and committeth his soul in all its concerns for life and salvation to me, is united to me, and I to him: he is united to... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; God is often in holy writ called _the living God, _ not only because he hath life in himself, but because he is the fountain of life to all his creatures. Christ here declareth his Father to be _the living Father_ upon the latter account, as he is the author and fountain of all life. AND I L... [ Continue Reading ]
There is no more said in this verse than 1 THESSALONIANS 6:49: SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:49", and following verses to 1 THESSALONIANS 6:51. From this whole discourse it is as evident as the light, that the justification of the soul depends upon believing; and the spiritual life of the soul flo... [ Continue Reading ]
Though the state of the Jewish church at this time was corrupt enough, both as to matters of doctrine, worship, and discipline; yet it being constituted by his Father, he did not decline their assemblies either in the temple at Jerusalem, or in the places of the public worship, which were called syn... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS DISCIPLES; his followers, not those that were his disciples indeed, but in name; for many followed him that did not believe in him; and many (in a sense) believed, to whom he did not commit himself, 1 THESSALONIANS 2:23,24. Now, many of these disciples, having heard these sayings, and being no w... [ Continue Reading ]
Christ, though clothed with our flesh, yet being also the eternal Son of God, knew by virtue of his Divine nature, personally united to the human nature, what was in the heart of man; hence is this phrase, KNEW IN HIMSELF; which is opposed to a knowledge from the hearing of his own ears, as man hear... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour by these words may seem rather to increase than to abate their offence. That which stumbled them was, his calling himself the bread of life; his affirming that he came down from heaven; that he gave life to the world; that the way to obtain this life was eating his flesh and drinking his... [ Continue Reading ]
As it is not the bread or flesh that a man eateth for the sustenance of his animal or natural life, that doth the main work, but the soul of a man within him, which putteth forth its virtues and powers in causing the digestion, concoction, and alteration of it, without which it nourisheth not the bo... [ Continue Reading ]
I may say what I will to you; the Spirit quickeneth, but it doth not quicken all; it only quickeneth whomsoever it pleaseth. You understand not these things, but have most gross conceptions of sublime spiritual things; the reason is, because you believe not: though some of them, questionless, did tr... [ Continue Reading ]
He said this in 1 THESSALONIANS 6:44, SEE POOLE ON "1 THESSALONIANS 6:44".... [ Continue Reading ]
His disciples at large, so called because they followed him, partly to hear what he would say, partly to see his miracles, followed him no more. Many professors and seeming disciples of Christ may draw back and fall from their profession, though none that truly receive Christ shall fall away, but be... [ Continue Reading ]
It is probable that some stayed besides the twelve, for it is said only that many of his disciples turned back. Nor was our Saviour (who knew the hearts of all) ignorant what they would do; but he had a mind both to try them by this question, and also to convince them that there was a false brother... [ Continue Reading ]
Peter, who is observed in the whole history of the gospel to have discovered the hottest and quickest spirit, and to have been first in answering questions propounded to the twelve, as MATTHEW 16:16, &c., replies, LORD, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? &c., thereby teaching us under temptations to apostasy, fir... [ Continue Reading ]
WE BELIEVE (saith Peter) _and are sure, _ both from what we have heard from time, and from the miracles which we have seen wrought by thee, THAT THOU ART THAT CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. The very words by which St. Matthew _\MATTHEW 16:16\_ expresses that noble confession of his, which our Sa... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; CHOSEN, not to eternal life, but to the great office of an apostle. I chose but twelve amongst you, MATTHEW 10:1, and of those twelve one is diabolov, an accuser, or informer; a name by which the devil (who is the grand accuser of the brethren) is ordinarily expressed in holy writ.... [ Continue Reading ]
This HE SPAKE OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, (so called, as most think, from the name of the city where he lived), and to distinguish him from the other Judas, the brother of James, who wrote the Epistle that goeth by his name, and is a part of holy writ: for he BEING ONE OF THE TWELVE, chosen and sent out with... [ Continue Reading ]