John 6 · Verse 28

John 6:28

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
John 6:28, King James Version

John 6:28 in other translations

BSBThen they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”
WEBThey said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?”
ASVThey said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?
YLTThey said therefore unto him, ‘What may we do that we may work the works of God?'
DARBYThey said therefore to him, What should we do that we may work the works of God?
BBEThen they said to him, How may we do the works of God?
WebsterThen said they to him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?

What does John 6:28 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 6:28-31
28-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 28. What shall we do, that we might work the world's of God? That is, such things as God will approve. This was the earnest inquiry of men who were seeking to be saved. They had crossed the Sea of Tiberias to seek him; they supposed him to be the Messiah, and they sincerely desired to be taught the way of life; yet it is observable that they expected to find that way as other sinners commonly do--by their works. The idea of doing something. to merit salvation is one of the last that the sinner ever surrenders.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 28 That we might work the works of God? - That is, Divine works, or such as God can approve.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 6:28-35
Constant exercise of faith in Christ, is the most important and difficult part of the obedience required from us, as sinners seeking salvation. When by his grace we are enabled to live a life of faith in the Son of God, holy tempers follow, and acceptable services may be done. God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, now gave them the true Bread for the salvation of their souls. Coming to Jesus, and believing on him, signify the same. Christ shows that he is the true Bread; he is to the soul what bread is to the body, nourishes and supports the spiritual life. He is the Bread of God. Bread which the Father gives, which he has made to be the food of our souls. Bread nourishes only by the powers of a living body; but Christ is himself living Bread, and nourishes by his own power. The doctrine of Christ crucified is now as strengthening and comforting to a believer as ever it was. He is the Bread which came down from heaven. It denotes the Divinity of Christ's person and his authority; also, the Divine origin of all the good which flows to us through him. May we with understanding and earnestness say, Lord, evermore give us this Bread.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 6:28 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἶπονeiponThey saidG2036
οὖνounthereforeG3767
πρὸςprostoG4314
αὐτόν·autonHim;G846
τίtiWhatG5101
ποιῶμενpoiōmenshall we doG4160
ἵναinathatG2443
ἐργαζώμεθαergazōmethawe may be doingG2038
τὰtatheG3588
ἔργαergaworksG2041
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦ;¶theouof God?G2316

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 6:28

  • Acts 16:30

    And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

  • Acts 9:6

    And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

  • Luke 10:25

    And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

  • Matthew 19:16

    And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

  • Deuteronomy 5:27

    Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

  • Acts 2:37

    Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

  • Micah 6:7-8

    Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

  • Jeremiah 42:3-6

    That the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you. Then they said to Jeremiah, The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.

  • Jeremiah 42:20

    For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What.
De 5:27; Jer 42:3-6,20; Mic 6:7,8; Mt 19:16; Lu 10:25; Ac 2:37; 9:6
Ac 16:30

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 6:27

    Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

  • John 6:28

    Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

  • John 6:29

    Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Read all of John 6

John 6:28 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dijéronle: ¿Qué haremos para que obremos las obras de Dios?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ils lui dirent donc: Que ferons-nous pour faire les œuvres de Dieu?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprachen sie zu ihm: Was sollen wir tun, auf daß wir die Werke Gottes wirken?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixerunt ergo ad eum: Quid faciemus ut operemur opera Dei?