John 6:40 (New American Standard Bible)
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:40 (New American Bible)
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
In the translations above you can see two ways of translating the same verse in the Bible. The second verse translation is used by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The two differences between the translations are “beholds the Son” vs “sees the Son” and “will have” vs “may have”.
If you ask me there is a big difference between will & may, one is definite and one is not. Also behold and see can have the same meaning but see probably speaks better to our world today but an arguement can be made that behold is a better translation.
So how can someone who lives after the death of Christ actually see Christ? I think most people assume not to take a literal meaning in this instance but rather go with seeing Christ in nature or in those around us, but I think we need look at it literally.
A Protestant Christian might ask “How can someone in our day see Christ literally if you don’t mean seeing Christ in nature or those around us, after all Christ is risen.” He can be seen in the flesh at a Catholic Mass. He is made physically present at the consecration of the Eucharist. We actually see Christ in the flesh whether you believe it or not he is made physically present and if we believe in him we may have eternal life and he will raise us on the last day.
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