John 6:44 and ability to come to Christ

Jn. 6:44 No man can [dunatai] come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.


Two points!

1. The word "can" translates "dunatai" and speaks to ability/power not permission or authority and the words "no man" translates "oudeis" which is a combination of three Greek terms "ou" = not and "de" =indeed and "eis" = one and thus "indeed not one"

2. The phrase "come to me" by context means to come to Christ by faith.

The contextual proof that "come to me" is synonomous with "believe in me" is found in John 6:36-40

36 But I said unto you, That ye also haveseen me, and believe not.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Note that those in verse 36 saw him but did not believe in him but all the Father gives to him both "seeth the Son, AND beleiveth on him" - v. 40

In verses 37-39 the difference between seeing and believing versus seeing and not believing is that "ALL" the Father gives "cometh to me" or both sees and believes in him. This ABILITY is not inherent in any man but must be given in order for any man to come in faith to Christ.

Just as the failure not to believe in Christ in verse 36 is attributed to the not being "given" to Christ [thus equal to being drawn] by the Father so unbelief in verse 64 is attributed to "it" not being given by the Father in verse 65



A. You may explain drawing however you wish but this is an explicit denial that men are born with natural ability to come to Christ by faith.

B. Coming to Christ is equal/synonymous with believing in Christ.

 

That is not what the text is speaking about. Drawing has to do with coming to Christ. Drawing is the ENABLING CAUSE for coming to Christ.

Regeneration is the source of righteous acts. Drawing is the enabling cause of coming to Christ by faith.

 

Billy Graham and most other evangelists use the expression "come to Jesus" to mean believe on him. This is how it is used in the New Testament and that is obvious when you examine how Christ uses it by contrast in John 6:36 to John 6:40.

The crowd in verse 36 saw Christ and did not believe whereas the reverse is seen in verse 40 that they saw and believed in Him. The explanation between the two is found in verses 37-39. The Father must give a person to Christ for that person to "come" to Christ. This is seen in verse 44 where the Father must "draw" a person in order for that person to come to Christ.

The overall context between John 6:29-65 is believing in Christ and many metaphors are used by Christ (eating, drinking = partaking by faith; cometh to me,).

Hence, this is iron clad Biblical proof that faith which justifies is not resident in all humans by nature (2 Thes. 3:2) but must be "given" by God and thus a gift of God's grace (Rom. 4:16; Eph. 2:8).

 

Did the text say God "tries" to draw all men? No! Why not be honest with the text? Does John 6:37-39 say "SOME" that are given by the Father to Son come and then only "SOME" that come are not cast out or lost? No! Why not be honest with the Scripture text?

I will tell you why you are not honest with the Scripture text because you are more interested in making the scriptures say and mean what you want them to say and me (2 Cor. 4:1).

 

Did the text say God "tries" to draw all men? No! Why not be honest with the text? Does John 6:37-39 say "SOME" that are given by the Father to Son come and then only "SOME" that come are not cast out or lost? No! Why not be honest with the Scripture text?

I will tell you why you are not honest with the Scripture text because you are more interested in making the scriptures say and mean what you want them to say and mean (2 Cor. 4:1).

Take note the three time repeated rebuke by Christ to your assumption of 'try"

"I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. - v. 39 - NO TRY HERE

"and I will raise him up at the last day." - v. 40 - NO TRY HERE

"and I will raise him up at the last day." - v. 44 - NO TRY HERE

 

Better go look up the term in a Biblical lexicon and then note how it is used. The term "draw" translates a term that does mean FORCIBLY drawn.

Also, take note of the three repeated phrases which demand that every single solitary person that is given does come and every single solitary one drawn by God does come and Christ raises them to life in the resurrection. No "try" implied, inferred, but totaly denied!

The Greek term translated "draw" does not mean entice or tempt or influence but to forcibly draw something as when fisherman draw in a net with fish.

 

Did you read John 6:44??? Apparently not! Try reading it as you will see that phrase ends that verse.

Furthermore, John 6:44 by that conclusion is topically tied to verses 6:37-43 where the same phrase is repeated twice?

Did you note that coming to Christ is the same subject of John 6:37-39 as it is in John 6:44 and the same closing phrase characterizes both passages? Apparently not! Try reading it before you comment.

 

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Note that "ALL" the Father gives "shall come" but NONE can come except the Father draws him but the one drawn will be raised up.

Note that "ALL" that come NONE shall be cast out and so NONE that the Father gives shall be lost but every one given shall be raised up at the last day.


That is not an "ATTEMPT" but that is 100% success in each and every one that is given and drawn.

 

You are confused because you don't even read the scripture you are trying to comment about!

You are confused because you don't even look up the terms you are trying to define and see what they actually mean!

You are confused because you are attempting to comment on a text you know nothing about.

Try reading it first.

Try looking up the term and finding what it means and how it is used in the Bible.

Then try to comment.

 

Look, I am not changing the subject of this thread to follow your rabbit trail. If you want to discuss the relationship between regeneration and faith or God's overall purpose of salvation to faith do so on another thread not this one.

 

Well, I didn't agree with some aspects of your comment but I am not going to turn this thread into addressing those aspects of your comment that I did not agree with.

John 6:44 proves that faith is not a work of man but a work of God because no man can "come to Christ" (synonymn for believe in Christ) except God draw him. When God draws what is being drawn comes and thus ability to believe is being drawn by God and thus a work of God not of man.