We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Parallel Translations
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We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
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and we beleve and knowe that thou arte Christ the sonne of the lyvinge God.
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And we beleeue and knowe that thou art that Christ that Sonne of the liuing God.
Cross-references (15)
Passages linked to John 6:69 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Luke 9:20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
- John 11:27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
- Mark 8:29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
- 1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him.
- 1 John 5:20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
- John 1:45-49 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”
- John 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
- Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
- Mark 1:24 saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”
- John 1:29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- John 1:41 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ).
- John 20:31 but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
- Romans 1:3 concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh,
- Mark 1:1 The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
- Acts 8:36 As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 69. And we have believed and known. The verbs…
69. And we have believed and known. The verbs are in the past tense, but they may be changed into the present tense, we believe and know, but it makes little difference in the meaning. In these words Peter gives a brief summary of faith. But the confession appears to have nothing to do with the matter in hand, for the question had been raised about eating the flesh of Christ. I reply, although the twelve did not at once comprehend all that Christ had taught, yet it is enough that, according to the capacity of their faith, they acknowledge him to be the Author of salvation, and submit themselves to him in all things. The word believe is put first, because the obedience of faith is the commencement of right understanding, or rather, because faith itself is truly the eye of the understanding. But immediately afterwards knowledge is added, which distinguishes faith from erroneous and false opinions; for Mahometans and Jews and Papists believe, but they neither know nor understand any thing. Knowledge is connected with faith, because we are certain and fully convinced of the truth of God, not in the same manner as human sciences are learned, but when the Spirit seals it on our hearts.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 69 And we believe and are sure that thou…
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Ver. 69. We believe and have known] In matters of divinity we must first believe, and then know; not know, and then believe. In human sciences it is otherwise. Men are brought to assent and believe by experience, knowledge, and sense; as to believe that fire is hot, &c. But here, belief and assent go before experimental knowledge, sense, and use.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain We believe (saith Peter) and are sure, both from…
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 (Mat 16:16) expresses that noble confession of his, which our Saviour calleth the rock, upon which he would build his church. But notwithstanding this acknowledgment, which speaks the seeds of this faith now sown in the heart of Peter, and the hearts of the rest; yet whoso considereth the passages of the other evangelists after this, will see reason to believe, that their persuasion as to this was but faint, till Christ by his resurrection declared himself the Son of God with power.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon,....…
He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon,.... These are the words of the evangelist, pointing out the person Christ intended, lest any other should be suspected:
for he it was that should betray him: as it was determined and foretold, and which Christ knew full well, and therefore said the above words:
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being one of the twelve; apostles, whom Christ had chosen, and which was an aggravation of his crime.
Next: John Chapter 7
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain And we - Who have been with thee from…
And we - Who have been with thee from the beginning, whatever others do, have known - Are absolutely assured, that thou art the Christ.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 69. We believe] On the authority of thy…
Verse 69. We believe] On the authority of thy word; and are sure-have known, εγνωκαμεν, by the evidence of thy miracles, that thou art the Christ, the promised Messiah. [-Anglo-Saxon-] And we belyfath and witen that thu eart Crist Godes Son. Anglo-Saxon. How near is the mother to the daughter tongue!
Instead of Christ the Son of the living God, some excellent MSS., BCDL, and others, read ὁ αγιος του Θεου, the holy one of God; and this reading Griesbach has received into the text, leaving out του ζωντος, the living. χριστος, and αγιος convey nearly the same meaning; but the AEthiopic, as usual, retains both. του ζωντες is omitted by BCDL, H, the Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, later Persic, Vulgate, all the Itala but one, and by the Anglo-Saxon; which last Griesbach has not noticed.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain We are sure ... - See a similar confession…
We are sure ... - See a similar confession of Peter in Mat 16:16, and the notes at that place. Peter says we are sure, in the name of the whole of the apostles. Jesus immediately cautions him, as he did on other occasions, not to be too confident, for one of them actually had no such feelings, but was a traitor.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Simon Peter, the chief or head of them, said…
Simon Peter, the chief or head of them, said in the name of the rest: Lord, to whom shall we go? It is only from thee that we hope for salvation. Thou hast the words of eternal life: we have believed, and known, and remain in this belief, that thou art the Christ, the Son of God. (Witham)
Concluding reflections on this chapter.
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If we take into consideration all the circumstances of this chapter, it will be difficult to conceive how any person can bring their mind to think that there is no connexion between this chapter and the institution of the blessed sacrament. It must proceed, as Dr. Clever, the Protestant Bishop of Bangor, affirms, "from the fear of giving advantage to the doctrine of transubstantiation." He moreover adds: "whilst the institution is considered as a memorial only, nothing can well be further from being plain." See his Sermon on the Lord’s Supper. The holy Fathers have unanimously understood these repeated promises of Christ with a reference to the institution. St. Cyprian, of the third age [century] quoting the promises of Christ, the bread which I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world, deduces this conclusion: "Hence it is manifest, that they have this life, who touch his body, and receive the Eucharist." Qui corpus ejus attingunt. (De Orat. Dom. p. 147.) St. Hilary, of the fourth age [century] quoting Christ’s words, says: "there is no place left to doubt of the truth of Christ’s flesh and blood, de veritate carnis et sanguinis non relictus est ambigendi locus; for now, by the profession of the Lord himself, and according to our belief, it is truly flesh and truly blood." (De Trin. lib. viii. p. 954-6.) St. Basil, of the fourth century also, citing ver. 53 and 54 of this chapter, says: "about the things that God has spoken there should be no hesitation, nor doubt, but a firm persuasion that all is true and possible, though nature be against it: Greek: Kan e phusis machetai. Herein lies the struggle of faith." (Reg. viii. Moral. t. 2, p. 240.) Again the same saint says: "it is very profitable every day, to partake of the body and blood of Christ, Greek: phagein to soma kai piein to aima tou kuriou emon, for he that eateth my flesh. &c. (John vi. 55.) --- "We communicate four times in the week; on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and on the other days, if there be a commemoration of any saint." (Ep. xcii. t. 3, p. 186.) --- St. Ambrose, of the same age, says: "the manna in the desert was given in figure. You have known things more excellent. For light is preferable to the shadow; truth to the figure; the body of Christ to the manna of heaven. But you may say: I see somewhat else: how do you assert that I shall receive the body of Christ?" He gives this answer: "How much more powerful is the virtue of the divine blessing, than that of nature; because by the former, nature itself is changed? ... If the blessing of men (he here instances Moses changing a rod into a serpent, and many other miraculous changes) was powerful enough to change nature, what must we not say of the divine consecration, when the very words of the Lord operate? For that sacrament which we receive, is accomplished by the word of Christ. If the word of Elias could call down fire from heaven, shall not the word of Christ be able to change the outward elements? ... The word of Christ could draw out of nothing what was not, shall it not be able to change the things that are into that which they were not? ... Was the order of nature followed when Jesus was born of a Virgin? Certainly not. Then why is that order to be looked for here? It was the true flesh of Christ, which was crucified, which was buried; and this is truly the sacrament of his flesh ... Our Lord himself proclaims, This is my body." --- If Jesus Christ, during his public ministry, performed so many visible and palpable miracles as we read of in the gospels, was it not to induce us to believe without doubting the truths that escape our senses, and surpass our reason? If we believe the water was changed into wine at the marriage feast of Cana; if we believe that the bread in the hands of Christ and his apostles was not diminished, by being broken and divided among five thousand, why cannot we believe the miracle of the Eucharist on the authority of Christ’s word, "the bread that I will give you, is my flesh? This is my body," &c. Not one of all the ancient Fathers has ever denied the real presence; not one of them all has ever said, that the body of Jesus Christ is received in figure only.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain And we believe,--(See on Mat 16:16). Peter seems to…
And we believe,--(See on Mat 16:16). Peter seems to have added this not merely--probably not so much--as an assurance to his Lord of his heart's belief in Him, as for the purpose of fortifying himself and his faithful brethren against that recoil from his Lord's harsh statements which he was probably struggling against with difficulty at that moment. Note.--There are seasons when one's faith is tried to the utmost, particularly by speculative difficulties; the spiritual eye then swims, and all truth seems ready to depart from us. At such seasons, a clear perception that to abandon the faith of Christ is to face black desolation, ruin and death; and on recoiling from this, to be able to fall back, not merely on first principles and immovable foundations, but on personal experience of a Living Lord in whom all truth is wrapt up and made flesh for our very benefit--this is a relief unspeakable. Under that blessed Wing taking shelter, until we are again fit to grapple with the questions that have staggered us, we at length either find our way through them, or attain to a calm satisfaction in the discovery that they lie beyond the limits of present apprehension.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 69. We believe—A generous confiding we; proof of a…
69. We believe—A generous confiding we; proof of a good heart but of a fallible head. Here, as ever. there is a slight collapse after Peter’s magnanimous assumptions.
Christ, the Son of the living God—The words of this confession are given very differently in different ancient manuscripts. Alford decides for the reading, thou art the holy one of God. And this is fully as strong as the words in our English version. It, then, means that he is God’s sole holy one. He is, then, all he ever claims himself to be. Had the Jews, (Joh_6:41,) or the disciples of Joh_6:60 and Joh_6:66, had this simple faith in the very self of Jesus, they would not have been disturbed by the mystery of his discourse about himself. (Joh_6:51-58.) Thou art first of all— the holy one of God; then, what thy works or thy words, however mysterious, proclaim thee to be, that thou art; and that I believe so far as I understand, and trust so far as I understand not.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 69. we believe] Rather, we have believed: the perfect…
69. we believe] Rather, we have believed: the perfect tense implies that the faith and knowledge which they possess have been theirs for some time past. ‘Are sure’ means literally ‘have come to know.’
thou art that Christ, &c.] These words seem to have been imported hither from S. Peter’s Confession, Mat_16:16. The true reading here is; Thou art the Holy One of God. This is altogether a different occasion from Mat_16:16, and probably previous to it. The Confessions are worth comparing. 1. ‘Thou art the Son of God’ (Mat_14:33); in this the other Apostles joined. 2. ‘Thou art the Holy One of God’ (Joh_6:69). 3. ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Mat_16:16). They increase in fulness, as we might expect.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (69) And we believe and are sure.—Better, We have…
(69) And we believe and are sure.—Better, We have believed and are sure. (Comp. Joh_1:41-42.) Go away? The faith which first burned in their hearts has passed into the calm certainty of settled knowledge.
Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God, has found its way into this place from the confession of Mat_16:16. The almost certain reading here is, Thou art the Holy One of God. They had heard this title ascribed to Him by beings from the spirit world (comp. Note on Mar_1:24), and it has been, perhaps, suggested by the present discourse (Joh_6:32; Joh_6:46). Like the title Messiah, or Christ, it marks out the consecration to His work. (Comp. Joh_10:30; 1Jn_2:20; Rev_3:7.) The true reading brings out the successive confessions, which are certainly twice, and probably three times, spoken by Peter. This is the second, coming between that of Mat_14:33 and that of Mat_16:16. (See Notes at these places.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain We believe and are sure that Thou art the…
Joh_6:69
We believe and are sure that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God
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The Christ of God
Faith without knowledge is mere fancy.
For the want of knowledge the faith of the ancient Jews gave way in the wilderness. So here the nominal disciples went away because they did not know who He was from whom they went. To the apostles this knowledge gave stability to their faith and they remained.
I. THE TESTIMONY. That Christ was the Messiah.
1. The provision that is by this Christ could not be by any other.
(1) His sacrifice is of eternal worth.
(2) It eternally satisfies the soul.
(3) It is the ground upon which all things work together for good.
(4) We should labour by faith and prayer for this meat.
2. By partaking of this provision we shall never come to want. Away then with anxieties and fears.
3. To accept this provision is the counsel of God to man.
II. THE SONSHIP. Christ is the Son of God in a way no other can be.
1. Because He was born as no other was ever born.
2. Because He was a complex person--God and man.
3. Because of His infallible purity.
4. Because He embodies blessings which no other person ever did.
5. Because He included in His sonship millions of others.
III. THE NOTE OF DISTINCTION. Living in contrast to idols and false religions (Isa_26:1-21.). Because God never dies His people can never die.
IV. THE ASSURANCE OF FAITH. (James Wells.)
The threefold Christ
I. THE CHRIST OF PROPHECY.
1. Christ was the Desire of all nations, the Saviour for which all nations yearned.
2. His coming was in accordance with the plan of God from the first. Hence then were preparations not only among the Jews but in general history for His coming.
3. But the Christ who was blindly felt after by sage and seer was the Christ of an assured prophecy in Judaea. Abraham had seen His day. Even earlier to Adam and Noah the promise had gone forth. You know the tenor of Isaiah, Daniel and the minor prophets.
II. THE CHRIST OF HISTORY corresponds in every particular to the Christ of prophecy. Eight different writers record His life, but they all agree in saying that Christ was what many more before He came said He was to be.
III. THE CHRIST OF EXPERIENCE.
1. Christs promise was that He would manifest Himself to and live in His people. The Apostles point out this as the central Christian privilege. It therefore becomes our duty, that as there is an indwelling Christ in every true believer, to bring out in ourselves the Christ should be our end and aim.
2. The Christ of prophecy was needed as the initiation of the Divine plan for our salvation. But the benefits of the Christ of prophecy to us are simply that they confirm our faith and raise in us a more exalted idea of His excellence.
3. The Christ of history, too, has passed away, but the Christ of experience is based upon and modelled after and by the Christ of history. (A. B. Livermore.)
A simple confession
I. AN ANTECEDENT FAITH. The disciples commenced their investigations into the theme of Christs personality.
1. Not by practising unlimited credulity as opposed to sober inquiry.
2. Not by superstitiously committing themselves to extravagant conceptions as to His rank.
3. By accepting honestly and trustfully the evidence placed before them in the character and works of Jews without partiality or prejudice, and then forming their conclusion.
II. A CONSEQUENT KNOWLEDGE. The result was that they arrived at a clear and intelligent judgment as to who Christ was. The glory of the Incarnate Son having shined into their souls they were enabled to realize the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain we believe
we believe
Or, we have believed and come to understand that thou art the Holy One of God.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.