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They said therefore to him, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?"
Verse Takeaways
1
The 'What Must I Do?' Trap
Commentators highlight that the crowd's question, "What must we do?", reveals a common human instinct: trying to earn salvation through our own efforts. They believed they were capable of performing the "works of God" if they just knew the right formula. This mindset, focused on human action rather than divine grace, is one of the last things a person surrenders when seeking God.
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John
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13
18th Century
Presbyterian
What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? That is, such things as God will approve.
This was the earnest inquiry of me…
What must we do? (Τ ποιωμεν; ). Present active deliberative subjunctive of ποιεω, "What are we to do as a habit?" For the aorist s…
19th Century
Anglican
This verse confirms the meaning given to the preceding words. They understand them in that sense. There are works for them to do that are appointed…
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Baptist
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
"We want to do the best works, the noblest works, th…
The second question implies both desire and a sense of self-sufficiency. The people seemed sure that if they wished to do so, they were capable of …
16th Century
Protestant
What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? The multitude understood well enough that Christ had exhorted them to aim at somethin…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Then said they to him Understanding by what he said, that they must labour and work, though not for perishing food, yet f…
Constant exercise of faith in Christ is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required of us as sinners seeking salvation. When by…
13th Century
Catholic
After describing how the disciples searched for Christ, the Evangelist now shows the people looking for him.
First, he states thei…
