John Calvin Commentary John 6:27

"Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed." — John 6:27 (ASV)

Labour for food, not that which perisheth. He shows to what object our desires ought to be directed: namely, to eternal life. But because, to the extent that our understanding is dull, we are always devoted to earthly things, for this reason He corrects that disease which is natural to us, before He points out what we ought to do.

The simple doctrine would have been, “Labour to have the incorruptible food.” But, knowing that people’s senses are held bound by earthly cares, He first urges them to be loosened and freed from those bonds, so that they may rise to heaven. This does not mean He forbids His followers to labor to procure daily food. Rather, He shows that the heavenly life ought to be preferred to this earthly life, because the godly have no other reason for living here than that, being sojourners in the world, they may travel quickly toward their heavenly country.

Next, we ought to see what the present question is. For, since the power of Christ is debased by those who are devoted to the belly and to earthly things, He argues what we ought to seek in Him, and why we ought to seek it. He employs metaphors adapted to the circumstances in which His sermon was delivered.

If food had not been mentioned, He would have said, without a figure of speech, “You ought to lay aside anxiety about the world, and strive to obtain the heavenly life.” But as those people were running to their fodder like cattle, without looking for anything better, Christ presents His sermon in a metaphorical form. He gives the name of food to everything that belongs to newness of life.

We know that our souls are fed by the doctrine of the gospel when it is efficacious in us by the power of the Spirit. Therefore, as faith is the life of the soul, all that nourishes and promotes faith is compared to food.

Which endureth to eternal life. This kind of food He calls incorruptible, and says that it endureth to eternal life, in order to inform us that our souls are not fed for a day, but are nourished in the expectation of a blessed immortality. This is because the Lord commences the work of our salvation, that He may perform it until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6).

For this reason we must receive the gifts of the Spirit, so that they may be earnests and pledges of eternal life.

For, though the reprobate, after having tasted this food, frequently reject it, so that it is not permanent in them, yet believing souls feel that enduring power. This occurs when they are made partakers of the power of the Holy Spirit in His gifts, which is not of short duration but, on the contrary, never fails.

It is a frivolous exercise of ingenuity to infer, as some do, from the word labor or work, that we merit eternal life by our works.

For Christ metaphorically exhorts people, as we have said, to apply their minds earnestly to meditation on the heavenly life, instead of clinging to the world, as they are accustomed to do. And Christ Himself removes every doubt when He declares that it is He who gives the food; for what we obtain by His gift no one procures by his own industry.

There is undoubtedly some appearance of contradiction in these words. But we may easily reconcile these two statements: that the spiritual food of the soul is the free gift of Christ, and that we must strive with all the affections of our heart to become partakers of so great a blessing.

For him hath God the Father sealed. He confirms the preceding statement by saying that He was appointed to us for that purpose by the Father. The ancient writers have misinterpreted and tortured this passage by maintaining that Christ is said to be sealed because He is the stamp and living image of the Father.

For He does not here enter into abstruse discussions about His eternal essence, but explains what He has been commissioned and instructed to do, what His office is in relation to us, and what we ought to seek and expect from Him. By an appropriate metaphor, He alludes to an ancient custom; for they sealed with signets what they intended to sanction by their authority.

Thus Christ—so that it may not appear as if He claimed anything of Himself, or by private authority—declares that this office was entrusted to Him by the Father, and that this decree of the Father was manifested, as if a seal had been engraved on Him.

It may be summed up thus: Since it is not every person who has the ability or the right to feed souls with incorruptible food, Christ appears in public. While He promises that He will be the Author of so great a blessing, He likewise adds that He is approved by God, and that He has been sent to people with this mark, which is, as it were, God’s seal or signet.

Hence it follows that the desire of those who present their souls to Christ, to be fed by Him, will not be disappointed. Let us know, therefore, that life is offered to us in Christ, so that each of us may aspire to it, not at random, but with certainty of success.

We are, at the same time, taught that all who attribute this honor to any other than Christ are guilty of falsehood before God. Hence it is evident that the Papists, in every part of their doctrine, are altogether liars. For as often as they invent any means of salvation in place of Christ, so often do they—by erasing, as it were, the impression which has been made—spoil and deface, with wicked presumption and base treachery, this seal of God, which alone is authentic.

So that we may not fall into so dreadful a condemnation, let us learn to keep pure and entire for Christ all that the Father has given to Him.