chessman
Good Morning Chessman,
I did some research and this is what I came up with:
John 6:27, 28, 29
What got me thinking was that in John 6:28 the word "works" is used. That they might work the WORKS of God. So it could seem that they could have meant to do the miracles that Jesus did,,,,as you said. And I told you I had never heard this before.
First I pulled out about 6 bibles, including two Italian ones and it didn't help me too much. So, I did what I do in case of emergencies (!), I went to commentaries.
First I'd like to say that of my own opinion and understanding the people of that time were rather poor and humble persons...not all of course. If they were asking what you understand, they'd be asking to be like Jesus,,,they'd be asking to do miracles as He did miracles. This is possible, but I doubt it would be likely because of the great respect and fear they had of God....would they be asking to be able to do whta God does?? I don't think so.
I checked out the commentaries and it does seem to me that they agree that verses mean that the people wanted to know how they could do works so as to please God. I know it sounds bad in the English and also in Italian,,,but minds brighter than ours have studied this, and it IS the way I've always understood this,
so here are some commentaries. You could also look these up yourself in biblehub commentaries and the verse. They all agree:
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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(28) This verse confirms the meaning given to the preceding words. They understand them in that sense. There are works for them to do which are appointed of God. What shall they do that they may work these works? They had seen Him doing mighty works, which clearly showed the power of God. Are there for them works of a like kind? What steps must they take that they too may work them?
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MacLaren's Expositions
They put to Him this question of my text, so strangely blending as it does right and wrong, ‘You have bid us work; tell us how to work? What must we do that we may work the works of God?’ Christ answers, in words that illuminate their confusions and clear the whole matter, ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.’
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Meyer's NT Commentary
John 6:28-29. The people perceive that a moralrequirement is signified by τὴν βρῶσιν τ. μένουσαν, etc.; they do not understand what, but they think that Jesus means works, which God requires to be done (ἔργα τ. θεοῦ, comp.
Matthew 6:33;
Revelation 2:26;
Bar 2:9;
Jeremiah 48:10). Therefore the question, “What are we to do, to work the works required by God?” (which thou seemest to mean). Ἐργάζεσθαι ἔργα, “to perform works,” very common in all Greek (see on
John 3:21): ἐργάζ. here, therefore, is not to be taken as in
John 6:27.
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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
28. Then said they] They said therefore.
What shall we do, that we might work] Better, what must we do that we may work. They see that His words have a moral meaning; they are to do works pleasing to God. But how to set about this?
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Bengel's Gnomen
John 6:28. Τὶ ποιῶμεν) What are we to do; what work do you desire us to work?
John 6:27, “Labour—for the meat which endureth to everlasting life.”—τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ, the works of God) The works approved by God, and which unite us to God.
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