This post is part of the
project which Jeremy likes to call Jesus? Reasoning.
Jesus ends this great debate with professing disciples with
an anacephalaeosis, a restating of the facts.
First Jesus points out that the Spirit is the one who gives
life and that the flesh profits nothing (6:63)?this summarizes the whole
problem these repeated offenders were guilty of. Throughout the entire passage
they keep returning to the matters of the physical flesh and physical works and
their physical bellies ignoring the amazing sign they had seen less than a day
before?indeed the signs they had already scene through the book of John.
Jesus concludes that his words are spirit and life,
recapitulating the point that eternal life is found in Him by listening to the
attractive (in the classical sense) word of God. In light of all this, he
points out that there are still some of them who do not believe and now at this
point could not believe. The Father had closed access to those self-hardening
repeat offenders and he states that they now could only have access by way of
His Father granting it. As they withdrew, no longer walking with Him (6:65) we
see that their professed belief was a ruse all along?Jesus? summary is sound. I
guess you can also say that this last statement is a proecthesis and if not,
I?m sure someone wiser than me will correct me.
-r-
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