Ephesians 4:25-5:2 (New International Version)

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 5

1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.


35Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
Ephesus had been part of the Roman Empire for over a century.
It was a city second only to Rome in size, almost 500,000 inhabitants.
The large temple of Artemis generated jobs for local statue makers and Paul caused some controversy among them Acts 19:23-41)
There is no report of a dispute between Paul and the church of the Ephesians.
By whom." The verb is aorist passive. The Holy Spirit is the agent.

The Holy Spirit is a seal which has been impressed upon us, to reassure us that we belong to God, and preserves us for our destination, unto the day of redemption.

."Malice" has it own form of "all." It means "Every kind and every vestige of."

"Bitterness" is bitter feelings.
"Rage" means losing one's cool, bursting forth.
"Anger" is the slow burn that can so easily become a grudge. Thus far we have the inner sins.

Now follow two which express themselves in voice and words.
"Brawling" is angry shouting.
"Slander" is the vile, destructive, scolding language which goes with brawling.

The Greek word for "live a life" is something like "walk the walk," a metaphor for the Christian's way of life. This reminds us of the words of a hymn: "Let us ever walk with Jesus.








John 6:41-51


41At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
43"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'[a] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
'I am' -- To those who seek Him, He offers Himself immediately.


But John 6:31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

They back up their statement with Scripture. What are they saying?

1. That Moses did a greater work than did Jesus; and,

2. That the gift of manna was greater than the feeding of the 5,000.

John 6:32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

Here is another "In very truth I tell you." Jesus uses it to correct them. The Father, not Moses, gave them manna.


'The bread of life' like 'the water of life' in chapter four is Biblical allegory which unites the figure 'bread' with the reality 'life' and thus always interprets itself.



Jesus plainly tells His hearers that He has been fully revealed to them but they are rejecting Him. The one who comes to Christ does so only because he is a gift of the Father to Jesus. Such a one will never be driven away by Christ. But His hearers are resisting the Father Who wants to draw them. The will of the Father and the Son are identical. That identical will is that Jesus will not lose anyone whom the Father gives to Jesus. What's more, Jesus will raise that person on the last day. Much of verse 40 is repetition because Jesus is yearning for the people who are listening to Him. Everyone who believes in the Son has life eternal and furthermore, Jesus will raise that person on the last day. Notice how the gift of life eternal and of resurrection on the last day are a constant refrain in this sermon.


The Gospel of John uses the term "the Jews" in pejorative sense, meaning Jesus' enemies, those who hated Him.

Though they grumble at Him, He does not abandon them but keeps on offering Himself to them. The cause of their grumbling is stated at the end of verse 41 and explained further in verse 42. Verses 41-51 center in the person of Christ.
John 6:42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" (Buls: And so they went on to say: "Isn't this man Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know? How then does He say: 'I came down from heaven?'")

The question in the first part of the verse expects an affirmative answer. The second question amounts to doubting what Jesus said of Himself. They are plainly denying His divinity.

Out of heaven have I come down.' That, indeed, is the vital point in all that Jesus said to them. It has ever been the stumbling block and rock of offense for unbelief.

John 6:43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered.

John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day

It is the true human nature of Jesus, the Bearer of eternal life, which faith must appropriate in order to partake of the life . . . . His human nature, or, in other words, Himself, as the One made man, is food, indeed which satisfies the inmost needs of humanity and apart from Him, this food may not be found . . . . It is ever correct to say that Jesus uses the term 'flesh' and 'blood' because He would choose a clear and adequate expression to designate His human nature, as of flesh and blood. . . . To eat is, then, in this passage, to believe. He that believes also eats and drinks Christ . . . If He were merely 'flesh', a human being only, then the eating and drinking of Him would not avail unto eternal life, it would have no beneficial effect whatsoever. But He is also 'spirit', that is, God in essence and in truth, and it is this 'spirit' which permeates and animates His true humanity which makes Him the true Bread from heaven.