John 6:29

The work of God. Jesus met the Jews on their own ground and framed His answer in terms of their own question. Thus He sought to lead their minds from a mistaken concept of religion into an understanding of what it means truly to please God.

Ye believe. Textual evidence attests (cf. p. 146) the reading pisteuete, which implies a continuing habit of belief, instead of pisteusete, which would indicate a specific act of belief at a point of time. The former appears more meaningful in this context.

The words of Jesus here present the basic faith of salvation by faith. To believe (or have faith; the Greek word pisteud may be translated either way) is the primary act of the Christian life; no other act can truly be a “work of God,” a deed desired by God and therefore pleasing to Him, unless faith precedes it, because only by faith does a man come into true relationship to God (see Hebrews 11:6). Jesus’ words here are paralleled by Paul and Silas’ admonition to the Philippian jailer. The jailer cried, “What must I do to be saved?” The apostles answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30, 31). See 1 John 3:23.