Subject: God is in control of every single atom? |
Bible Note: Dear Tim, This is not a negative reflection on you, but I have been wrestling with your post for 2 hours trying to make heads and tails out of it. I have written and deleted a dozen times prior to this writting. Part of the problem is my last class on english grammer was in 1966. Tell me, why have the translators at nasb and every other translation I have looked at failed to indicate that their translations do not take into account those nuances of greek and hebrew of which you speak? I'm not saying that you are incorrect in your evaluation of the grammer, but, it would seem to me, that for such a stumbling block to go unmentioned or corrected is just not plausible. The way I read it Jesus (who is God) has been teaching the crowd. They reject him for two reasons. First because they see him as a mere man and second they doubt His truthfulness. Jesus hearing them rebukes them and then informs the grumblers why it is that they do not believe: No one (no one at all) can (is able) to come to me (be born again) unless the Father who sent me draws (drags) him. At this point, Jesus tells them that every "him" drawn by The Father is raised up on the last day. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." This is in direct conflict with your contention that Jesus is speaking of the universal call of the Gospel. If you you say that it still does'nt address man's free will ability to choose to believe or reject Christ, I would point out John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." I hope you don't mind if I include a brief commentary by a man considered even by Arminius as a great exegete. Unless the Father draw him. To come to Christ being here used metaphorically for believing, the Evangelist, in order to carry out the metaphor in the apposite clause, says that those persons are drawn whose understandings God enlightens, and whose hearts he bends and forms to the obedience of Christ. The statement amounts to this, that we ought not to wonder if many refuse to embrace the Gospel; because no man will ever of himself be able to come to Christ, but God must first approach him by his Spirit; and hence it follows that all are not drawn, but that God bestows this grace on those whom he has elected. True, indeed, as to the kind of drawing, it is not violent, so as to compel men by external force; but still it is a powerful impulse of the Holy Spirit, which makes men willing who formerly were unwilling and reluctant. It is a false and profane assertion, therefore, that none are drawn but those who are willing to be drawn, 5 as if man made himself obedient to God by his own efforts; for the willingness with which men follow God is what they already have from himself, who has formed their hearts to obey him.(John Calvin) Your Friend, John |