Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Parallel translations
- WEB They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?”
- BSB Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”
- NKJV Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
- NASB Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?”
- NLT They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The crowd asks what works they must do to do the works of God. Their question reveals a works-based mindset that Jesus will correct.
Overview
Hearing Jesus speak of laboring, the people assume there is a set of deeds to perform to earn God's favor. Their question is sincere but rooted in self-effort. Jesus's answer will redefine 'the work of God' as faith, pointing toward the gospel of grace received by believing.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Acts 16:30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
- Luke 10:25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
- Acts 9:6And 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.
- Matt 19:16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
- Deut 5:27Go 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 2:37Now 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?
- Mic 6:7–8Will 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?
- Jer 42:3–6That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
- Jer 42:20For 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.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 6:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.