John 6:37–40

Context

Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John opens with the feeding of the five thousand in Galilee. The next day the crowd comes to Capernaum looking for Jesus, and he delivers a long discourse that begins, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). This passage belongs to that discourse and is addressed to a crowd that had seen his signs and yet did not believe (John 6:36). Jesus says that he came down from heaven not to do his own will but "the will of him that sent me." That will is presented in two parts: first, that he should lose none of those whom the Father has given him; and second, that everyone who believes in the Son should have everlasting life. The promise to raise them up "at the last day" is repeated four times in this chapter (6:39, 40, 44, 54). After the discourse ends, many disciples leave, and Peter, speaking for the remaining Twelve, confesses his faith (6:66–69).

Interpretation

• Calvinist and Reformed reading: The Calvinist tradition reads "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me" to mean that those whom God has chosen beforehand will certainly come to Christ. This interpretation serves as a basis for the doctrine of predestination and for the teaching that God's call effectually brings people to faith. The words "I should lose nothing" are cited in support of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which holds that true believers are preserved to the end.
• Arminian and Wesleyan reading: Arminianism and Wesleyan theology place emphasis on the words "every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him" in verse 40. In this tradition salvation is open to all, and faith is the condition by which a person responds. Those whom the Father "giveth" are understood as those who have heard and learned from the Father, that is, those who respond in faith (cf. 6:45). "I will in no wise cast out" is taken to speak of Christ's faithfulness without ruling out the possibility that a person may depart of his own accord. The departure of many disciples in the same chapter (6:66) is also cited in support of this reading.
• Readings shared across denominations: Many denominations read this passage as a word of comfort, assuring believers that Christ receives those who come to him. It is also treated as a key text of Johannine eschatology, which views eternal life as a life enjoyed in the present and brought to completion in the resurrection at the last day.

Debates and Issues

The central issue is how to hold together two emphases: the sovereignty of God and human faith. This question forms part of the broader debate over predestination and free will.

The Greek text also merits attention. In verses 37 and 39, "all that the Father giveth" is expressed in the neuter singular (literally "everything that he gives"), which is interpreted as referring to a group as a whole. By contrast, "every one which ... believeth" in verse 40 is masculine and refers to each individual person. Some scholars explain this contrast as setting God's will for the community as a whole alongside the faith of the individual.

The phrase "in no wise" in verse 37 renders an emphatic double negative in the original.

Related Passages

• John 6:44
• John 10:27–29
• John 5:24–25
• 1 John 2:19
• Philippians 1:6