The Words of Eternal Life (John 6:60–71)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of St. John, Homily 47 (on John 6:60–71) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.xlix.html

On what "This is a hard saying" means:

What then means "hard"? It means, "difficult to be received," "transcending their infirmity," "having much terror." For they thought that He uttered words too high for His real character, and such as were above Himself. Therefore they said, "Who can hear it?"

On "the flesh profiteth nothing," spoken of the carnal hearer and not of His own flesh:

"What then, is not His flesh, flesh?" Most certainly. "How then saith He, that the flesh profiteth nothing?" He speaketh not of His own flesh, (God forbid!) but of those who received His words in a carnal manner.

On "Will ye also go away?" and the question that used no compulsion:

And observe with what prudence He spake. He said not, "Depart ye," (this would have been to thrust them from Him,) but asked them a question, "Will ye also go away?" the expression of one who would remove all force or compulsion, and who wished not that they should be attached to Him through any sense of shame, but with a sense of favor.

On Peter's confession here, and how it differs from the confession at Caesarea Philippi:

He neither praised nor expressed admiration of Peter, though He had elsewhere done so ... In the other place Peter made no mention of the disciples; but when Christ said, "Whom say ye that I am?" he replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" ... but here, since he said, "We believe," Christ with reason admitteth not Judas into that band.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of St. John, Book 4 (on John 6:60–71) Source: trans. P. E. Pusey, Library of the Fathers, 1874. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_04_book4.htm

On why "the flesh profiteth nothing" holds of all flesh but not of Christ's:

Although then the nature of the flesh be in itself powerless to give life, yet will it inwork this, when it has the Life-working Word, and is replete with His whole operation. For it is the Body of that which is by Nature Life, not of any earthly being, as to whom that might rightly hold, The flesh profiteth nothing. ... as to Christ alone it holdeth not, by reason that Life, that is the Only-Begotten, dwelt therein.

On "Would ye also go away?" and the few who hold the right faith:

Our Lord Jesus Christ doth not exhort the holy Apostles to leave Him, nor doth He offer them free and unfettered liberty of doing so ... For it is not at all the number of worshippers that is precious in the sight of God, but the excellent in the right faith, though they be few.

On "to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life":

To whom therefore shall we go away (he says) instead of, who shall instruct us in like wise? or, to whom shall we go, and find what is better? Thou hast the words of eternal life: not hard words, as those say, but words which bring us up to the chiefest of all, to unceasing, endless life, and removed from all decay.

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Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On who the murmuring "disciples" were:

When you hear, however, of His disciples murmuring, understand not those really such, but rather some who, as far as their air and behavior went, seemed to be receiving instruction from Him. For among His disciples were some of the people, who were called such, because they stayed some time with His disciples.

On "the Son of man ascend up where He was before," against the heretics:

Do not suppose from this that the body of Christ came down from heaven, as the heretics Marcion and Apollinarius say; but only that the Son of God and the Son of man are one and the same.

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Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 27 (on John 6:60–71) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.xxviii.html

On the carnal manner in which they understood the flesh:

Then what means "the flesh profiteth nothing"? It profiteth nothing, but only in the manner in which they understood it. They indeed understood the flesh, just as when cut to pieces in a carcass, or sold in the shambles; not as when it is quickened by the Spirit.

On the flesh that profiteth much when the Spirit is joined to it:

So also here, "the flesh profiteth nothing," only when alone. Let the Spirit be added to the flesh, as charity is added to knowledge, and it profiteth very much. For if the flesh profited nothing, the Word would not be made flesh to dwell among us.

On Peter's "we have believed and have known," and believing in order to know:

Peter answered in behalf of all, one for many, unity for the collective whole ... "And we have believed and have known." Not have known and believed, but "believed and known." For we believed in order to know; for if we wanted to know first, and then to believe, we should not be able either to know or to believe.

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St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On why the Lord questioned the Twelve, to prove their faith:

Our Lord knew well the intentions of the other disciples which stayed, as to staying or going; but yet He put the question to them, in order to prove their faith, and hold it up to imitation

On the election of the eleven, and of the twelfth who should betray Him:

Or we must say, that He elected the eleven for one purpose, the twelfth for another: the eleven to fill the place of Apostles, and persevere in it to the end; the twelfth to the service of betraying Him, which was the means of saving the human race.