⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(A) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[a](B) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;^(C) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(D) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(E) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(F) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(G) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(H) that came down from heaven.^(I) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(J)

⁵² Then the Jews^(K) began to argue sharply among themselves,^(L) “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh^(M) of the Son of Man^(N) and drink his blood,^(O) you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.^{(P) 55} For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.^{(Q) 57} Just as the living Father sent me^(R) and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”^{(S) 59} He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ On hearing it, many of his disciples^(T) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”^(U)

⁶¹ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?^{(V) 62} Then what if you see the Son of Man^(W) ascend to where he was before!^{(X) 63} The Spirit gives life;^(Y) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[b] and life. ⁶⁴ Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known^(Z) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.^{(AA) 65} He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”^(AB)

⁴³ Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil,^(A) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^(B) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^{(C) 45} Yet because I tell the truth,^(D) you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^(E) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.^(A)

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness^(A) to those who are perishing,^(B) but to us who are being saved^(C) it is the power of God.^(D)

Request for Prayer

3 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,^(A) pray for us^(B) that the message of the Lord^(C) may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.^{(D) 2} And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,^(E) for not everyone has faith.

³⁰ I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,^(A) to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.^{(B) 31} Pray that I may be kept safe^(C) from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution^(D) I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people^(E) there,