6:63a
The Spirit gives life: There are two ways to interpret this expression:
(1) The phrase The Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit gives true life, spiritual life. For example:
What gives life is God’s Spirit (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
(2) The phrase The Spirit refers to the human spirit. Without the spirit, there is no natural human life. For example:
It is the spirit that gives life. (New Jerusalem Bible)
(King James Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Revised English Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English translations. In the Scriptures God’s Spirit is often mentioned as the source of life (for example, John 3:5–8).
6:63b
the flesh profits nothing: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the flesh profits nothing indicates that a person using his own strength cannot achieve what the Spirit achieves. A human being, and anything a human achieves, cannot give him true, or spiritual, life.
Here are other ways to translate this clause:
the flesh has nothing to offer (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
the flesh can achieve nothing (Revised English Bible)
-or-
The flesh will not help you (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
the flesh: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flesh can refer to the physical human body. However, in this context in John it refers to human strength or effort. It is what a person can do without God’s help or strength. Jesus was saying that humans cannot understand what he said without the Spirit. Jesus was not referring to his own flesh or body, which he had already said was life-giving (6:51c). If using the same word that you used in 6:51c would have this wrong meaning, you should use a different word or phrase. For example:
human strength (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Human effort (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
human power (Good News Translation)
General Comment on 6:63a–b
The statements that “the Spirit…gives life” (New Jerusalem Bible) and “the flesh is useless” contrast God’s Holy Spirit and humanity. In your translation, make sure that there is a clear contrast. For example:
What gives life is God’s Spirit; human power is of no use at all. (Good News Translation)
-or-
It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh doesn’t give life. (New Century Version)
-or-
The one who gives life is God’s Spirit, not human strength. Human strength cannot help you with that at all.
6:63c
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life: As in 6:63a, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spirit can be interpreted in two ways:
(1) It refers to the human spirit.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. (New Jerusalem Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible Bible, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version (1984), King James Version, Revised English Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
(2) It refers to God’s Holy Spirit.
The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. (New International Version (2011))
(New International Version (2011), Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation)
Here it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as most English translations do. Because it is the Holy Spirit that gives life (6:63a), the words that Jesus spoke are for a person’s spirit.
The Greek text emphasizes the word I. That emphasis indicates that Jesus’ words were different from what others said. Those who believed what he said would receive life. However, those who depended on their flesh could not accept what he said and did not receive life.
are spirit and they are life: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as are spirit and they are life can be interpreted in two ways:
(1) It refers to two separate ideas: (a) Jesus’ words are spirit, meaning that they are spiritual words or for the spirit, and (b) Jesus’ words give life. For example:
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. (New International Version (1984))
(Berean Standard Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible Bible, New Century Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004))
(2) It refers to one idea: Jesus’ words are from the life-giving Spirit, or bring spiritual life. For example:
The words I have spoken to you bring God’s life-giving Spirit. (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English translations. In the Greek text the verb, translated are, is repeated, suggesting two separate ideas (“the words…are spirit and are life”). However, the two ideas are related, and it is not necessary to repeat the verb if it is not natural in your language.
are life: Jesus’ words are life in the sense that they give life to those who believe. In some languages it may be natural to translate life as a verb and say:
cause/enable people to live
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