All the Father Gives Me will come to Me! John 6:37 (Why I am not a Calvinist, Part 7)

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (John 6:37)

So, Calvinism must be true because God elects some to be saved, right?

Actually, no. While at first this statement may seem confusing, it is actually rather simple.

The word "all" is collective--it describes a group. "All" [the group] that the Father gives me will come to Me." The whole group will come (which means to arrive).

In the next part of the verse, "the one" is the individual. Every individual in the group that comes to Jesus will arrive safely to Him. We could read the verse this way:

All [the group] that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one [the individual] who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (John 6:37)

I like to compare this to a group of immigrants boarding a ship to the United States. The U.S. ambassador arrives at the dock and informs them that the whole group on the shop will be allowed into America without question, and none of the individuals will be turned away.

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[ForTheLoveOfHomes]

Thank you for this in depth look at this scripture!

[andrewnichols]

I'm not a calvinist either I'm a born again Christian seeking God because God sought me.

[larrybedouin]

Thank you. Calvinism is an anti-gospel.

[ChumX]

It is important to understand this verse within its temporal context. Remember that at this point Jesus has not yet fulfilled his justification mission. He is taking about a very narrow group of people drawn by the Father that were to come to Him while he was still on earth. Applying this verse to people during the church age is in my opinion, taking the verse out of context. Later in John 12:32 Jesus does refer to people in the church age saying that He himself will draw all men to Him, once he is lifted from earth.

[RevReads]

Good video, thanks for putting it together

[jazzmankey]

What does it mean to be given to the Son? Because Jesus said the ones who are given to the Son will come to Jesus. So being given to the Son is the first step. Coming to Jesus is the result of being given to Jesus by the Father.

[junang]

the issue is not Jesus rejecting those who come to Him but man's ability to come to Him! your problem is you have a high view of yourself, specifically your ability to seek God and man's deserving to be saved, and a low view of God - you think God owes man salvation. man, by nature is sinful - he will not choose God - and dead. no amount of greek gymnastics or ship illustration will make it right.

[mountainman]

First off, you’re saying “what you think.” What you think doesn’t matter. What Jesus said is what matters.
Next… you are correct. All of a certain group do come to Him. That group is called the sheep. John 10:15. Question, when Jesus said “I am THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life”, is He saying He really is the only Way to God, and if so, how do you know by that verse? Could it be His use of the word “the”? If the word “the” in John 14:6 is the definite article and it points to something very specific, then it’s the same definite article used in John 10:15 and it’s just as specific there. He gives His life for the sheep. Now consider Matthew 25: 31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
Did Jesus die for everyone or did He say He gives His life for a select group He calls sheep? Notice in John 10: 26But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, [e]as I said to you. 27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
In John 10:15 Jesus tells the Pharisees He’s giving His life for the sheep and in verse 26 Jesus tells them they are not His sheep. Here we have to connect the dots but it’s not rocket science. Everyone starts out dead in trespasses and sin. Dead people can do what? Nothing. No thing. Why not? Because they are dead. We’re not talking about physical death here but spiritual death. Is there a scripture to prove that? John 6:44, No one can come to Me unless the FATHER who sent me draws Him. Who can raise themselves from the dead? No one but God. So God raises some from the dead and some He doesn’t. Remember “i will have mercy on whoever I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion? I understand you not liking the doctrine but just say you don’t like it instead of “you think.” We we think doesn’t matter

[RadRelics]

It isn't that some can't come its the fact that if God didn't call some no one would be saved because no one wants God.

[djohnson]

Just a quick comment...
We have to keep in mind that Jesus is the one speaking in this passage.
Seeing Him, witnessing His miracles, being present to hear His teachings, etc were the only way one could believe.
At this point in time, there was no gospel unto salvation in affect. Only the promise of....
Jesus hadn't been lifted up yet. He hadn't been crucified, dead and buried which means He hadn't risen so the price hadn't been paid.
Christ hadn't ascended and the Helper (Holy Spirit) hadn't come to convict the world of sin.
Think about what Jesus told Thomas. "Because you have seen Me, you believe. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe". (John 20:29)
Jesus says later in John 12:32 that when He is lifted up He will draw ALL men to Himself.
(Of course this in no way insists that ALL will heed to the drawing).

How does He do this?
By so many different ways....
First and foremost, we have the written word of God which the majority didn't have access to in the time of Christ.
We have the gospel of Christ and every single believer to take that gospel to the world.
We have teachers and preachers and authors. Parents and grandparents.
I could go on and on with the ways that God has provided the world to be drawn.

Things changed after Christ's death and resurrection.
The debt had now been paid.
We now have the Spirit to convict, guide, teach and lead us.

Just my take on this.
Blessings

[jeffrohm]

Great video, Ben. Good take and walk through. It's one of those that I can also see where it's plausable to say well this could imply that if someone thinks well maybe I'm not elect so then why come? (not that an unbeliever would be thinking in those terms in that time)...we don't know in the here and now so we still come to Jesus regardless -- and so some would say he was drawing you all along and thus were "elect" in the end. Interesting.

[jeffneub]

The word ALL in this verse is from the Greek 'pas' which means all/whoever, whosoever.... so those that will read what they want into the Bible, need to learn that you need to read the Bible and let the truth come out of it. The Bible defends itself, let it reveal its own truth. Exegesis vs Isogesis.

[hondotheology]

there are four phrases and two clauses.
clause one
phrase one: All that the Father gives me -- God's choice
phrase two: will come to me -- the result of God's choice. God guarantees that all he chooses will come to Christ. see also John 6.44 and ask why did the Pharisees not believe in Christ in this chapter: because God did not choose them.
clause two
phrase three: the one who comes to me --- repeat the result of God's choice
phrase four: I will not cast out --- the guarantee by Christ of those chosen by God

you do not exegete scripture by completely ignoring what words mean. how does anyone "arrive"? being part of the group (your admission) given to Christ by God. how are you a part of this group? by God's gracious choice. and no, it doesn't mean that people who want to be saved won't be saved. the only way you want to be saved or want to come to Christ, is if God chose you. stop misleading people. learn how to study the Bible

[TheBereanVoice]

Of course, He was saying if you come to me you will not be truned away. The issue is whether that is all Hw was saying. It wasn't.

[Bombaycompany]

The "whosoever believes" in John 3:16 are the elect.

[jolookstothestars]

Ben do you have, or can you make a video on Pauls conversion? I have some young new calvinists that say Pauls conversion is what hooked them in.

[jkpt]

The entire group on the boat will arrive at the dock, and those who who arrive at the dock will be allowed to enter. Ok. Now let's use the same subject, verb, and verb tenses as Scripture: The entire group that God puts on the boat will arrive at the dock, and to those who arrive at the dock I will not deny entry. Your explanation removes God as the actor in the sentence. OR, you must posit a separate group of people who somehow arrive at the dock without ever being on the ship, a group who come to Christ without being given by God.

[harveybarham]

I can appreciate this interpretation, but it seems to require more work to get to a “corporate”conclusion, whereas a plainer reading suggests the reformed interpretation.

The same goes for Ephesians 1 and the “In Christ” interpretation. Seems like there’s a lot more hermeneutical gymnastics necessary to get the corporate view vs the reformed view.

When I was a non-believer, I assumed the reformed interpretation because the plainer reading of those verses suggest it.

[allisonmcinnis]

What If you think you've comited the unforgivable sin? I had blasphemous thoughts

[abjoseck]

Hi Ben, I am a Calvinist, can I join in the discussion?