This site examines Christ's words in the ancient Greek. It discusses any shades of meaning lost in translation and provides alternative translations.
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Jhn 6:48 I am that bread of life.
I exist [as] the bread of existence.
As I encountered this verse, I didn't initially realize that I had translated it very recently in Jhn 6:35, where it was part of a larger statement saying that those who come to Christ will never hunger or thirst.
Christ repeats it here leading to a repetition of the same ideas, putting them in a larger context, contrasting the bread of his flesh with the manna in the desert.
This seems to be a good opportunity to expound on Christ's concept of "bread." The second time Christ speaks in the Gospels (Mat 4:4) he equates bread with the divine word. We live not just by what we eat physically, but by what we consume in terms of information and ideas.
In the physical realm, we are fed by physical bread, but this bread is only a shadow of the real bread, the awareness that we receive from God.
ἐγώ "I" is from ego, which is the first person singular pronoun meaning "I". It also means "I at least," "for my part," "indeed," and for myself.
εἰμι (1st sg pres ind act) "Am" is from eimi (eimi), which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible." (The future form is esomai. The 3rd person present indicative is "esti.")
ὁ ἄρτος "The bread" is from artos (artos), which means specifically a "cake of whole wheat bread," and generally "loaf," and "bread."
τῆς ζωῆς: "Of life" is from zôê (zoe), which means "living," "substance," "property," "existence," and, incidentally, "the scum on milk." It has the sense of how we say "make a living" to mean property. Homer used it more to mean the opposite of death.
Christ's Words Posts in Verse Order
- Gospel of John: Most recent posts in current format, but starting at last supper speeches
- Gospel of Mark: Almost entire gospel with later posts in current format.
- Gospel of Matthew: Complete gospel but very primitive posts by today's standards.
Most Recent Verses
I exist [as] the bread of existence.
I am teaching you the real truth. The believer [already] holds perpetual life.
This is because no one has seen the Father except by this being from God. In this way, he has seen the Father.
It is what has been written by the prophets: "And they will be all instructed by God."
All hearing from the Father and understanding [Him] move toward me.
No one has the power to have started toward me if not [for] the Father, the sender, having attracted him, and I might rouse him to action on the worst day.
Since this is the pleasure of my Father: every one contemplating the Son [as an oracle] and believing in him holds perpetual life and I should raise him up [from the dead] on the last day.
This, however, is the pleasure of the one sending me. In order that I will not to destroy all that he has given me from himself, rather I should raise it all [from the dead] on the last day.
This is because I stepped down out of the universe not in order to satisfy my pleasures but the pleasure of the one sending me away.
Everyone who the Father gives me will return to me, and I will not ever toss away the one moving towards me to the outside.
Still, I promised you since you have just observed but do not trust.
I am the bread of existence. The one moving toward me might never ever start to crave and trusting in me might never ever start to yearn at any time.
This is because the divine loaf is the one stepping down out of the universe and he granting substance to the world order.
I am teaching you the real truth. Moses didn't give you the bread from the sky but my Father. He is [now] really giving you bread from the sky.
This here is the work of God that you might rely on whoever that Person [God] has sent.
Don't earn the demolishing meat but rather the strengthening meat of perpetual life, which the son of humanity will give you as the Father God has authorized him.
or
Don't earn a self-destroying living but rather the strengthening living of perpetual life, which the son of humanity will give your as the Father has authorized him.
