John 6:35ff used to be my favourite proof text that God irresistibly draws, enables and gives to the Son only those whom he had elected before the foundation of the world to receive salvation. But, recently, as I studied this verse over and over, the more my Calvinistic hermeneutic, which I had superimposed onto the text, faded away. The whole passage in John 6 concerns God's salvific work in the person of the Lord Jesus, as well as man's responsibility to believe in Christ. Here were my observations:
· Jesus' main point is that he is the bread of life; whoever "feeds" (believes) on him will receive eternal life (vv. 27-29). Jesus is the life of the whole world (v. 33). Notice the world, not an elect few. · "Coming" and "believing" are closely related (v. 35). · Although the Jews had seen Jesus, they still did not believe him (v. 36). · The will of the Father is that all those whom he gives to the Son will be "raised up" i.e. given new life and glorified at the last day (vv. 37-39). · Who does the Father give to the Son? Those whom he unconditionally elected to salvation without any responsibility on their part? No. Those whom the Father gives are identified as the "everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him" (v. 40). Notice the condition: everyone who looks and believes. Contrast this with verse 36. So, those whom the Father does not give to the Son, are those who see Jesus, and yet do not believe in him (cf. v. 36). There is absolutely no indication in this passage that they are denied eternal life because they were not predestined to believe. · Jesus says that no one can come to him unless the Father draws him and enables him (vv. 44, 65). Jesus speaks of "drawing" elsewhere, in 12:32: "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself". Truly, Jesus is the life of the whole world (v. 33)! · Everyone who listens and learns from the Father will come to Christ (v. 45).
As stated above, I found no hint of an unconditional elective decree or irresistible will in which God chose before eternity certain individuals whom he would enable to respond to the gospel and believe in his Son, whilst unconditionally choosing to withhold his enabling grace from the majority of humankind and leaving them to be damned to hell forever. No hint of this dreaded and dark eternal decree doctrine is found in John 6. Instead, after reviewing my observations, I was able to place in chronological order God's salvific work in Christ and the responsibility of man to receive God's grace:
1. The Father draws and enables all men to come unto Christ. 2. Everyone who listens and learns from the Father & looks and believes in the Son will come unto Christ. 3. All of these ones will the Father give to the Son. 4. All of these ones will come unto Christ and receive eternal life. 5. All of these ones will be raised up at the last day.
