Joh 6,44-47; Andre pinsedag, 12. mai 2008:
Esek 11,19-20; Apg 2,42-47

  41 Jødene murret mot ham fordi han sa: «Jeg er brødet som er kommet ned fra himmelen.» 42 Og de spurte: «Er ikke dette Jesus, Josefs sønn? Vi kjenner jo både faren og moren hans. Hvordan kan han da si at han er kommet ned fra himmelen?» 43 Jesus svarte: «Hold opp med denne murringen! 44 Ingen kan komme til meg uten at Far som har sendt meg, drar ham, og jeg skal reise ham opp på den siste dag. 45 Det står skrevet hos profetene: Alle skal være opplært av Gud. Den som hører på Far og lærer av ham, kommer til meg. 46 Men ingen har sett Far. Bare han som er fra Gud, har sett Far.
    47 Sannelig, sannelig, jeg sier dere: Den som tror, har evig liv. 48 Jeg er livets brød. 49 Fedrene deres spiste manna i ørkenen, men de døde. 50 Det brødet som kommer ned fra himmelen, er slik at den som spiser av det, ikke dør. 51 Jeg er det levende brød som er kommet ned fra himmelen. Den som spiser av dette brødet, skal leve til evig tid. Og det brødet jeg vil gi, er min kropp, som jeg gir til liv for verden.»

6:30–59 Jesus as the New Manna

This passage is a regular Jewish midrash, or homily, on Exodus 16:15 and Psalm 78:24, which Jesus quotes in John 6:31. Jesus paraphrases, explains and expounds in a manner characteristic of ancient Jewish teachers, yet his hearers fail to understand him. Ancient teachers sometimes made their lectures hard to understand to sort out genuine followers from the masses.

6:30–31.  The crowd still wants him to act as the new Moses they expect—on an earthly, political level. Many Jewish people expected manna to be restored in the world to come. Like other ancient writers, John was free to paraphrase his material in his own words; here the crowd cites Scripture as if they are rabbis in a debate (Ex 16:4, 15; cf. Ps. 78:24; John seems to know and use both Hebrew and Greek versions of these texts).

6:32–33.  One method of Jewish exposition was “Do not read this text as saying x, but rather y." Jesus says, “Not Moses, but God really gave this bread.” His hearers would have to agree; that was technically how Moses had put it (Ex 16:4, 15; cf. Deut 8:3). Like many other interpreters of his day (see, e.g., the Dead Sea Scrolls), Jesus is concerned to apply the biblical text to their present situation.

6:34.  They hear him on a different level from the meaning he intends (cf. 4:15), so he explains further. The ignorance of opponents or minor characters was often used as a foil to further a main argument throughout ancient literature (Plato, rabbis, novels, etc.).

6:35–40.  Jewish expositors had already often used manna as a symbol for spiritual food, God’s law, or Torah/Wisdom/Word. The dead would be raised to eternal life “on the last day,” the day of the Lord, when God would transform the world and inaugurate his eternal kingdom.

6:41–43.  They continue to hear him on the wrong level, even though he clearly refers to eternal life and not literal bread. Their “grumbling” alludes to the grumbling of Israel in the wilderness against the first Moses.

6:44–46.  Most Jewish people believed in both human choice and God’s sovereignty. The argument here stresses that those in relationship with the Father will recognize Jesus; those who do not recognize him do not know the Father either.

Esek 11:  14 Herrens ord kom til meg, og det lød så: 15 Menneske! Dine brødre, de menn som er bortført sammen med deg, hele denne ætten av Israel, om dem sier innbyggerne i Jerusalem: «De er langt borte fra Herren. Vi har fått landet til eiendom.» 16 Derfor skal du si: Så sier Herren Gud: Da jeg førte dem langt bort, blant folkeslagene, og spredte dem i landene, ble jeg bare i liten monn en helligdom for dem i landene de kom til. 17 Derfor skal du si: Så sier Herren Gud: Jeg vil samle dere ute blant folkene, føre dere sammen fra de landene dere er spredt i, og gi dere Israels land. 18 Når de kommer dit, skal de ta bort fra byen alle de avskyelige gudebildene og all den styggedom som fins der. 19 Da vil jeg gi dem et nytt hjerte, og la dem få en ny ånd. Jeg vil ta steinhjertet ut av kroppen deres og gi dem et kjøtthjerte isteden. 20 Så skal de følge mine forskrifter og ta vare på mine lover og leve etter dem. De skal være mitt folk, og jeg vil være deres Gud. 21 Men de som i hjertet følger sine avskyelige guder og all den andre styggedommen, dem gir jeg igjen for det de har gjort, lyder ordet fra Herren Gud.

Apg

42 De holdt seg trofast til apostlenes lære og fellesskapet, til brødsbrytelsen og bønnene. 43 Hver og en ble grepet av ærefrykt, og mange under og tegn ble gjort av apostlene. 44 Alle de troende holdt sammen og hadde alt felles. 45 De solgte eiendommene sine og det de ellers eide, og delte ut til alle etter som hver enkelt trengte det. 46 Hver dag holdt de trofast sammen på tempelplassen, og i hjemmene brøt de brødet og spiste sammen med oppriktig og hjertelig glede. 47 De sang og lovpriste Gud og var godt likt i hele folket. Og hver dag la Herren til nye som lot seg frelse.

2:41–47 The Power of Pentecost

2:41.  Considering Josephus’s estimate of six thousand Pharisees in all Palestine, three thousand conversions to the new Jesus movement in Jerusalem is no small start! The temple mount had many immersion pools that worshipers used to purify themselves ritually; mass baptisms could thus be conducted quickly.

2:42.  Most special groups in antiquity ate together (mystery cults, Pharisaic fellowships, burial associations, etc.). Many Greek associations met for communal meals only once a month, however (contrast 2:46). This earliest Christian practice of daily meals (later reduced to weekly) is thus noteworthy.

Table fellowship denoted intimacy, and discussions or even lectures at meals were common. Given the topic of discussion recommended by Jewish pietists and what this text says about teaching and prayer (possibly including participation in the temple prayers—3:1), early Christian fellowship undoubtedly centered more on intimate worship, sharing and learning the Scriptures than its modern Western counterpart tends to do.

2:43–45.  The Greek language Luke uses here is language that Pythagoreans and others used for the ideal, utopian community. Those who have argued that the early church made a mistake in 2:44–45 are thus reading their own views into the Bible, not hearing Luke’s message, because Luke portrays this radical lifestyle as the result of the outpouring of the Spirit.

Some Jewish groups, like the group that lived at Qumran, followed the Pythagorean model and turned all their possessions over to the leaders of the community so they could all withdraw from society. That is hardly the case here, although the economic sharing is no less radical. The early Christians acknowledge that Jesus owns both them and their property (cf. 4:32); they sell off property to meet needs as they arise (4:34–35) and open their homes as meeting places for fellow Christians (2:46). These actions do not reflect an ascetic ideal, as in some Greek and Jewish sects, but instead the practice of radically valuing people over possessions. Such behavior reportedly continued among Christians well into the second century, and it was long ridiculed by pagans until pagan values finally overwhelmed the church.

2:46–47.  Temples were among the best public places to gather, and people often congregated there. There were hours of public prayer at the morning and evening offerings