Having informed His Jewish audience, "But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe" (John 6:36 NASB, and henceforth), yet not admitting defeat in His mission as Savior, He added, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37).
Without doubt, coming to and believing in Christ refer to one and the same theme -- the latter defining the former -- for Jesus also said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst" (John 6:35). A. W. Pink rightly notes:
Christ then added, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me" (John 6:37a). Frédéric Louis Godet comments, "By the words: All that which the Father gives me, Jesus strongly contrasts the believers of all times with these men to whom He had just said: You do not believe!"2 The widespread unbelief of the Jewish people would not hinder Christ's mission "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Indeed, the first-century missionaries declared to the unbelieving Jewish people: "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46; 18:6; 19:9; 22:21; 26:20; 28:26-28).
The unbelieving Jewish people did not threaten Christ's mission, for He boldly declared that the Father would be giving Him a people (John 6:37). Again, Godet comments: "The neuter [pan o], all that which, indicates a definite whole in which will appear complete at the end of the work. The extent of this [pan], all, depends on an act of the Father designated here by the term give, and later by teach and draw ([John 6:44-45])."3 J. H. Bernard comments that the "collective use of the neuter singular [pan, all] is not unknown in classical Greek. John has it several times (John 17:2, 24; 1 John 5:4, as well as at John 6:39 and here [John 6:37]), and always of the sum of those who have been 'begotten of God' and 'given' by the Father to the Son."4 Thus this group ("All that the Father gives Me") comprises believers -- i.e., those who have been "begotten of God" (cf. John 1:12-13). This is the only biblical sense of which to make of this group since the Father could not give unregenerate sinners to His Son, the Savior of mankind.
From Christ's own words we understand that those who come to Him also believe in Him (John 6:35). Hence the Father gives believers to the Son, making belief in Christ the actual condition to the Father's gift or giving. Jesus did not take this opportunity to teach the Jewish people soteriology (the doctrine of salvation, or how one becomes a "saved" individual). He merely made the bare and factual declaration that all the Father gives Him come to, i.e., believe in, Him.
In what is known as Christ's High Priestly prayer, we again encounter the theme of the Father's giving to the Son certain believers: "even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life" (John 17:2); "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do" (John 17:4); "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me" (John 17:6), referring to the Disciples; "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You" (John 17:7); "for the words which You gave Me I have given to them" (John 17:8); "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours" (John 17:9); "Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me" (John 17:11, 12); "I have given them Your word" (John 17:14); "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them" (John 17:22); "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me" (John 17:24).
Note here one mention of the future active indicative may give (John 17:2; lit. will give), four times the aorist active indicative gave (John 17:2, 6, 8), and twelve times the perfect active indicative5 have given (John 17:2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 22, 24), contrasted with the present active indicative6 gives at John 6:37. Robert H. Mounce accurately comments:
What we derive from our passage (John 6:37) is that the Father is presently giving and will keep on giving believers to the Son. The Father has not given all believers to the Son from eternity past but is actively involved in giving believers to the Son as they come to and believe in Him (John 6:35, 37). Again, Godet comments:
Finally, what is the nature of being given to Christ -- meaning, to what purpose? Being given to Christ by the Father is to be in Christ, or in union with Christ. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ [i.e., in union with Christ], he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Cor. 5:17, emphasis added). Our salvation is in Christ, as is our election by God in Christ: "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him" (Eph. 1:4, emphasis added).
Christ Jesus is the elect one of God (Isa. 42:1). Therefore, if anyone is in Him, he or she is elect (Eph. 1:4), saved (Eph. 2:8), regenerated (2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5), sanctified (Acts 26:18), indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and baptized into the body of Christ and in the Spirit Himself (1 Cor. 12:13). All spiritual realities find their epicenter in Christ Jesus. He is the Fountain of our spiritual identity; and believers are the Father's gift to the Son, for His redeeming work on the cross and subsequent resurrection, ascension, intercessory office, and future returning and conquering as Lord of lords and King of kings.
__________
1 A. W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, Volume One, John 1 to 7 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan1945), 327-28.
2 Frédéric Louis Godet, Commentary on the Gospel of John with an Historical and Critical Introduction (New York: Funk & Wagnalls Publishers, 1886), 25.
3 Ibid.
4 J. H. Bernard, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. John, Volume 1 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1953), 199-200.
5 David Alan Black writes: "Because the New Testament often draws a sharp distinction between the perfect and the other tenses, mastery of the Greek perfect is essential for accurate exegesis." The perfect active indicative, in this case the words have given, denotes action that is already completed; it also refers to "a state resulting from a completed action." In Jesus' prayer in John 17, the "giving" (of those whom the Father has given to Christ) was an action already completed, contrary to John 6:37, where the action is continual, on-going. See David Alan Black, Learn to Read New Testament Greek, third edition (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009), 73-75. Note also the aorist tense, gave: "The statement that Christ 'gave himself' for all people or for our sins appears as a creedal formula in Gal. 1:4; 1 Tim. 2:6." See The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, abridged edition, ed. Verlyn D. Vergrugge (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 157. This action was completed in the past, contrary to John 6:37, where the action is continual.
6 The present active indicative, in the case of John 6:37 is our word gives, refers to "contemporaneous action, as opposed to action in the past or the future. It normally refers to continuous or repeated action." See Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: Key Insights into God's Word, NASB, eds. Spiros Zodhiates, Warren Baker, Joel Kletzing (Chattanooga: AMG International, Inc., 2008), 1706.
7 Robert H. Mounce, "John," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Luke-Acts Volume 10, revised edition, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 598.
8 Godet, 25. Adam Clarke agrees: "All that are drawn by the Father, ver. 44, i.e. all those who are influenced by his Spirit, and yield to those influences: for as many as are led (not driven or dragged) by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God, Rom. 8:14. God sent his prophets to proclaim his salvation to this people; and he accompanied their preaching with the influence of his Spirit. Those who yielded were saved: those who did not yield to these drawings were lost. . . .
"Those who come at the call of God he is represented here as giving to Christ, because it is through his blood alone that they can be saved. God, by his Spirit, convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment [John 16:8-11]; those who acknowledge their iniquity, and their need of salvation, he gives to Christ, i.e. points out unto them the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world [John 1:29]." See Adam Clarke, The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Volume I. -- Matthew to the Acts (New York: The Methodist Book Concern, 1883), 561.
Without doubt, coming to and believing in Christ refer to one and the same theme -- the latter defining the former -- for Jesus also said, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst" (John 6:35). A. W. Pink rightly notes:
There is, no doubt, a shade of difference between "believing on" Christ, and "coming to" Him. To "believe on" Christ is to receive God's testimony concerning His Son, and to rest on Him alone for salvation. To "come to" Him -- which is really the effect of the former -- is for the heart to go out to Him in loving confidence.1Pink then references a passage from the author of Hebrews: "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6, emphases added). But the Jewish audience to whom Jesus referred were neither coming to nor believing in Him.
Christ then added, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me" (John 6:37a). Frédéric Louis Godet comments, "By the words: All that which the Father gives me, Jesus strongly contrasts the believers of all times with these men to whom He had just said: You do not believe!"2 The widespread unbelief of the Jewish people would not hinder Christ's mission "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Indeed, the first-century missionaries declared to the unbelieving Jewish people: "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46; 18:6; 19:9; 22:21; 26:20; 28:26-28).
The unbelieving Jewish people did not threaten Christ's mission, for He boldly declared that the Father would be giving Him a people (John 6:37). Again, Godet comments: "The neuter [pan o], all that which, indicates a definite whole in which will appear complete at the end of the work. The extent of this [pan], all, depends on an act of the Father designated here by the term give, and later by teach and draw ([John 6:44-45])."3 J. H. Bernard comments that the "collective use of the neuter singular [pan, all] is not unknown in classical Greek. John has it several times (John 17:2, 24; 1 John 5:4, as well as at John 6:39 and here [John 6:37]), and always of the sum of those who have been 'begotten of God' and 'given' by the Father to the Son."4 Thus this group ("All that the Father gives Me") comprises believers -- i.e., those who have been "begotten of God" (cf. John 1:12-13). This is the only biblical sense of which to make of this group since the Father could not give unregenerate sinners to His Son, the Savior of mankind.
From Christ's own words we understand that those who come to Him also believe in Him (John 6:35). Hence the Father gives believers to the Son, making belief in Christ the actual condition to the Father's gift or giving. Jesus did not take this opportunity to teach the Jewish people soteriology (the doctrine of salvation, or how one becomes a "saved" individual). He merely made the bare and factual declaration that all the Father gives Him come to, i.e., believe in, Him.
In what is known as Christ's High Priestly prayer, we again encounter the theme of the Father's giving to the Son certain believers: "even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life" (John 17:2); "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do" (John 17:4); "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me" (John 17:6), referring to the Disciples; "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You" (John 17:7); "for the words which You gave Me I have given to them" (John 17:8); "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours" (John 17:9); "Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me" (John 17:11, 12); "I have given them Your word" (John 17:14); "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them" (John 17:22); "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me" (John 17:24).
Note here one mention of the future active indicative may give (John 17:2; lit. will give), four times the aorist active indicative gave (John 17:2, 6, 8), and twelve times the perfect active indicative5 have given (John 17:2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 22, 24), contrasted with the present active indicative6 gives at John 6:37. Robert H. Mounce accurately comments:
The verb "to give" (didomi, GK 1443) is found seventeen times in this single prayer (seventy-six times in the gospel). Morris, 718 n. 6, cites Edwin Abbott's remark that "what 'grace' is in the Pauline Epistles, 'giving' is in the Fourth Gospel." It is the nature of God to give, because giving is the primary expression of love.7Jesus Himself admitted, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). God has made the ultimate sacrifice and demonstration of genuine love: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16; cf. 1 John 3:16, emphasis added). This gift (giving) continues to this day. The Father keeps on demonstrating His love for sinners by giving Christ to them, and then in turn keeps on giving believers to His Son.
What we derive from our passage (John 6:37) is that the Father is presently giving and will keep on giving believers to the Son. The Father has not given all believers to the Son from eternity past but is actively involved in giving believers to the Son as they come to and believe in Him (John 6:35, 37). Again, Godet comments:
The first of these three terms [i.e., all that which (the Father gives)] does not . . . refer to the eternal decree of election; there would rather be, in that case, the perfect has given. Jesus speaks of a divine action exerted in the heart of believers at the moment when they give themselves to Him.Note how Jesus had hand-selected His disciples (cf. John 1:41-49), and yet considered them as a gift from the Father (cf. John 17:6). The same truth continues to this day. Those who come to and believe in Christ (John 6:35; cf. Matt. 11:28) -- an action which is the responsibility of each individual -- the Father "gives" them to Him (John 6:37). Christ would never reject or cast such ones away from Himself, for His mission is to seek and to save that which was lost.
This action is opposed not to human freedom, but to a purely carnal attraction, to the gross Messianic aspirations, which had, on this very morning, drawn these crowds to Jesus ([John 6:26]). It is that hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matt. 5:6) which the preparatory action of the Father produces in sincere souls. Every time that Jesus sees such a soul coming to Him, He receives it as a gift of God, and His success with it is certain.8
Finally, what is the nature of being given to Christ -- meaning, to what purpose? Being given to Christ by the Father is to be in Christ, or in union with Christ. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ [i.e., in union with Christ], he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Cor. 5:17, emphasis added). Our salvation is in Christ, as is our election by God in Christ: "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him" (Eph. 1:4, emphasis added).
Christ Jesus is the elect one of God (Isa. 42:1). Therefore, if anyone is in Him, he or she is elect (Eph. 1:4), saved (Eph. 2:8), regenerated (2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5), sanctified (Acts 26:18), indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and baptized into the body of Christ and in the Spirit Himself (1 Cor. 12:13). All spiritual realities find their epicenter in Christ Jesus. He is the Fountain of our spiritual identity; and believers are the Father's gift to the Son, for His redeeming work on the cross and subsequent resurrection, ascension, intercessory office, and future returning and conquering as Lord of lords and King of kings.
__________
1 A. W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, Volume One, John 1 to 7 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan1945), 327-28.
2 Frédéric Louis Godet, Commentary on the Gospel of John with an Historical and Critical Introduction (New York: Funk & Wagnalls Publishers, 1886), 25.
3 Ibid.
4 J. H. Bernard, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. John, Volume 1 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1953), 199-200.
5 David Alan Black writes: "Because the New Testament often draws a sharp distinction between the perfect and the other tenses, mastery of the Greek perfect is essential for accurate exegesis." The perfect active indicative, in this case the words have given, denotes action that is already completed; it also refers to "a state resulting from a completed action." In Jesus' prayer in John 17, the "giving" (of those whom the Father has given to Christ) was an action already completed, contrary to John 6:37, where the action is continual, on-going. See David Alan Black, Learn to Read New Testament Greek, third edition (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009), 73-75. Note also the aorist tense, gave: "The statement that Christ 'gave himself' for all people or for our sins appears as a creedal formula in Gal. 1:4; 1 Tim. 2:6." See The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, abridged edition, ed. Verlyn D. Vergrugge (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 157. This action was completed in the past, contrary to John 6:37, where the action is continual.
6 The present active indicative, in the case of John 6:37 is our word gives, refers to "contemporaneous action, as opposed to action in the past or the future. It normally refers to continuous or repeated action." See Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: Key Insights into God's Word, NASB, eds. Spiros Zodhiates, Warren Baker, Joel Kletzing (Chattanooga: AMG International, Inc., 2008), 1706.
7 Robert H. Mounce, "John," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Luke-Acts Volume 10, revised edition, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 598.
8 Godet, 25. Adam Clarke agrees: "All that are drawn by the Father, ver. 44, i.e. all those who are influenced by his Spirit, and yield to those influences: for as many as are led (not driven or dragged) by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God, Rom. 8:14. God sent his prophets to proclaim his salvation to this people; and he accompanied their preaching with the influence of his Spirit. Those who yielded were saved: those who did not yield to these drawings were lost. . . .
"Those who come at the call of God he is represented here as giving to Christ, because it is through his blood alone that they can be saved. God, by his Spirit, convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment [John 16:8-11]; those who acknowledge their iniquity, and their need of salvation, he gives to Christ, i.e. points out unto them the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world [John 1:29]." See Adam Clarke, The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Volume I. -- Matthew to the Acts (New York: The Methodist Book Concern, 1883), 561.
Very good Biblical research. Coming to Christ requires much more than exegetical alignment.
ReplyDeletehttp://judahslion.blogspot.com/2012/01/jesus-practicing-socialist-church.html
Rick,
ReplyDeleteI especially appreciated this: Jesus commands us to teach believers to observe - or DO - what He has commanded us to do. That is profoundly different than saying, Teach the great doctrines of the faith. The words “observe” and “command” indicate something much greater than just learning truths. They indicate a doing and an obedience to the commands of Jesus, not just a learning of what He said and what He taught. If knowing all the core doctrines of the faith is the indispensable element of being a disciple, then there were not many disciples until recently, since millions of believers were illiterate and perhaps millions still are today. And none of His commands had anything to do with enhancing and elevating our own lives.
The fault I've detected with much of the Social Justice movement among evangelicals is their view that doing those things entails spreading the gospel. I think that is utterly wrong. But actually telling others the gospel as we do those things is the complete picture, IMO.
Yet, others think that merely telling others that they're going to hell (their version of the gospel) is tantamount to obeying the commands of Christ. Oy! We often struggle to completely obey Christ. Thanks for that post!
You and I are fully aware at how the Social Justice Movement ignores the redemptive exclusivity of the gospel.
ReplyDelete"But actually telling others the gospel as we do those things is the complete picture, IMO."
That, my friend, is the complete New Testament picture and what I was striving to state.
WBB - This has been a great series. I appreciate the hard work that you put into these :-)
ReplyDeleteDr. W.,
ReplyDeleteThank you, brother. The work is both difficult and rewarding -- more so the latter than the former : )
Truly enjoyed that William, especially the piece de resistance which was that stellar last paragraph.
ReplyDeleteSLW,
ReplyDeleteThanks, man!