Understanding John 6:44 and 12:32 - A Calvinist View

The other night, I began a small group study devoted to exploring a predestinarian charismatic theology and how Word and Power might be wedded together as God intended.  The turnout was low, as it was only me, my wife, my dad, and my son (who couldn't really participate seeing that he is only six months old; my daughter was being babysat).  We had a good time though and I got some good feedback.  The really interesting thing about it is that my dad is not Calvinistic.  He is not exactly an Arminian, he just has a general free-will theology when it comes to election.  For the record, by dad is a wonderful Christian and one of the greatest spiritual influences in my life, which is good because that's what Christian dads are supposed to be.  He is loosely charismatic, but not in any way Calvinistic. 

The reader can imagine then how nervous I felt as I began sharing that aspect of being Calvinistic and charismatic.  I briefly touched on all five points and some of the Scriptural support for them.  I couldn't go really in-depth because time was limited, but I really do think that I faithfully represented the Calvinistic view of election and predestination and how such are taught in Scripture.  Dad listened attentively and I noticed him taking notes (He had a copy of the presentation that I had made). 


One thing that became apparent was how heavily I relied on John 6:44.  Indeed, I referenced it as a proof-text for four of the five points (the exception being Limited Atonement, but that doctrine is put forth elsewhere in Scripture).  John 6:44 says this:

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.  NASB

I noted that Jesus clearly says that the only way a person can come to Him is if that person is drawn by the Father.  Every one of those who are drawn by the Father come to Jesus and are "raised up on the last day", which is clearly a reference to final salvation from sin.  Since it is clear that not all persons everywhere at every time will be raised up on the last day, it is also clear that not all are drawn by the Father.  Thus the drawing by the Father is particular and sovereign since it takes this drawing to come to Jesus.  Human beings lack the capacity to come to Jesus on their own.

At the end, my dad asked me how I, as a Calvinist, reconcile my understanding of John 6:44 with what Christ says later in John's Gospel in 12:32:

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.  NASB

It is evident here that all men will be drawn to Jesus in this text, and not only a particular group as 6:44 claims, says dad.  How do I reconcile my Calvinistic convictions in the light of this text?  What follows is a summary of how I answered my dad's question and what I understand Jesus to say in John 12:32 and how it happily accords with what He earlier said in 6:44.

In a nutshell, I noted two things about both texts by way of contrast.  Firstly, In 6:44 it is God the Father doing the drawing.  In 12:32, it is God the Son - Jesus Christ who does the drawing.  Now it is possible that I am overstating this difference, but I do not think so because of my next point.  In the context of 12:32, we find that Jesus has entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and after He had entered, we are introduced to some Greeks, presumably God-fearers who had come to worship at the Passover feast.   The text of John 12 picks up the story:

Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;  these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.  And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.”  Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.  Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”  


John 12:20-32 NASB

Christ is answering the request of the Greeks to Philip and Andrew to see Jesus.  Jesus reveals that His hour has come when He is to die.  By His death, like a grain of wheat, He will reap a bountiful harvest of souls for His Kingdom.  However, like elsewhere in John's Gospel, Jesus is not going to die for the people of Israel alone, but also for the gentiles, including Greeks, so as to gather them together into one (see also John 11:49-52).  I conclude then that when Jesus says He will draw all men to Himself, that He means that He, by His death, will draw men, women, and children from all nations to Himself.  This perfectly accords with Jesus' earlier statement that only those drawn by the Father can come to Him, and thus be finally saved and raised up on the last day.

Joy Inexpressible and Full of Glory

Have you ever had those experiences in the Holy Spirit when it seems like the curtain of heaven is pulled back just a little bit and you are filled to overflowing with joy, peace, and the unswerving assurance that God is with you and that you are His?  I have just recently.  In fact, I can distinctly remember prior occasions when this has happened.  I remember being filled with the Holy Spirit and the full knowledge and assurance of my salvation in college.  Another time, I was reading Romans and when I came to 3:21-26, the full impact of being justified "freely" hit me like a ton of bricks and I was, as it were, lifted up to heaven itself - or so it felt like.  Yet another time, I was filled with the same assurance while unloading a truck on the overnight shift at Wal-Mart (it's probably a good thing I didn't immediately begin to speak in tongues, at least on that occasion).  These are just three examples.




What I am trying to say is that it seems like we get a small glimpse of the joys of heaven when this happens.  As a younger man, I can remember once meditating on these experiences and wondering at the two sides of my Christian life.  On the one hand, I thought a lot about doctrine and the meanings of biblical passages.  I loved to plumb the depths, as it were, of substantial theology and how it applied to life.  I was and am very intellectual.  On the other hand, there was an intense personal side to my life with God.  I didn't just know about God, I knew God Himself.  I loved God through Christ.  I still do.  As time has gone on, I began to understand how the Scriptures could say:

In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 Psalm 16:11b NKJV



...Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out, and when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  Yet they will be no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.  John 10:1-5

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God...  Romans 8:15,16

For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  Romans 14:17

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh...  Philippians 3:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,   who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

It just made sense to me, and still does, that there is an experiential side to Christian faith.  God relates to me personally and through His covenant.  He knows me and I know Him.  At the same time, it just made sense to me, and still does, that there is objective, abstract truth about God that God desires us to know.  Doctrine for me is not just some dry, arid exercise of trying to gain intellectual superiority (though I have been accused of that before).  Doctrine is truth about the God I love and wish to make known. 

The funny thing about this is that as a younger man, it never occurred to me that the intellectual side and the experiential side were at odds with each other.  I knew intuitively that they were two different sides of my Christian life, but I never questioned that these two sides belonged together.  I thought every Christian felt as I did.  I didn't know that some were afraid of experiences and others afraid of doctrinal precision until I went to Bible college.  That doesn't make me better than anyone, it just was my experience of it.


God loves His people and desires to fill them with the unwavering knowledge of His love.  He showed definitively that love by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross to atone for their sins.  God desires for His Church to be filled with joy and peace in believing (Romans 15:13), not only for their own good and happiness, but also because it is a powerful testimony to the reality of God before the unbelieving and hostile world.  Joy in the Holy Spirit is supernatural and can only be brought about by Him, as He points us to Jesus (John 16:13-15).  For someone like me, who is more melancholic in temperament and fights depression, it absolutely is a miracle.  I hope that you, the reader, will similarly be driven to Jesus to find Him waiting to shower you with His love by the Holy Spirit.





What is the Gift of Prophecy?

About 40-50 years ago, when the charismatic movement was still young, there was no phenomenon more controversial than the gift of tongues.  Sadly, churches and denominations split over the issue.  Today however, the battlefield has shifted.  No longer is the gift of tongues the focal point of the debate over spiritual gifts; but rather it is the gift of prophecy.  In light of this, I thought it would be beneficial to post some brief thoughts on what exactly the gift of prophecy is.


The gift of prophecy is a spiritual gift in which one receives a revelation from the Holy Spirit to speak to those usually within the Church for the their up building and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:1-5).
Please don't be put off by the word "revelation".  All that means is that something is given to the believer by the Holy Spirit, but not necessarily to be canonized into Scripture.  For example, nature and creation are often (rightly) called by theologians "general revelation", but obviously it is not the same as Scripture.  In fact, comparatively very little prophetic revelation, even in biblical times made it into canon.  Many times in Scripture, we are told that so-and-so prophesied, but we are not told the specifics of the prophecies uttered.  For example:


-The seventy elders, Eldad, and Medad (Numbers 11:25-26)
-Saul and the group of prophets that met him (1 Samuel 10:10-11)
-Asaph and Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 25:2-3)
-Philip's daughters (Acts 21:9)


This is but a small sampling.  To summarize then, all Scripture is prophecy, but not all prophecy is Scripture.  The idea that all possible prophetic utterances must be inspired Scripture or on an equal plane is obviously folly.
Two other points bear mentioning.  The first is the clear distinction between prophets under the OT and those of the NT.  I do not believe the gift itself is all that essentially different, but rather the function of the prophet him/herself has changed.  Two Scriptures bear this out clearly:


Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. (Matthew 11:11-13 NASB; emphasis mine)


God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.  (Hebrews 1:1,2 NASB)


According to Christ in the Matthew passage, John the Baptist is the terminal OT prophet.  There can be no more prophets of the OT variety after him because all that the prophets had pointed to was finally here in the person of Jesus Christ.  The second Scripture from Hebrews also points to the termination of the OT prophets because, again, the Son of God Himself has come, rendering it obsolete.  God did speak to His people through the prophets, but now has spoken through His Son.


Interestingly however, despite the termination of the prophets of the Old Testament, the New Testament teaches that a prophetic gifting has been given to the Church to build her up and equip the saints to do the work of the ministry, which fulfills the promise of Joel begun on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-21; 1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 4:11-16).  Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that while the gift of prophecy itself is much the same, a distinction exists between the OT prophets (who have ceased), and the NT prophets who serve a different function, namely that of edifying the church.


The second issue is that of the fallibility of prophecy.  This is easily the main point of the cessationist polemic against continuing prophecy.  Usually, it is argued that if a prophet is not 100% correct, than he/she must be false and not from God.  Deuteronomy 13 and 18 are usually cited to support this point. 

In response, I can only say that it is important to understand how a prophetic word comes to someone and how it is delivered.  Charismatic pastor Jack Deere is especially helpful in this regard.  After relating the story of how he clumsily delivered an unhelpful prophecy, Deere writes these words:

The mistake in my method was this: I had failed to distinguish between revelation (what is said), interpretation (what it means), and application (what we do about it).  These three factors are involved every time God speaks to us.
The revelation is the message of God.  The message may come through the Bible, a dream, an impression, or in other ways.  If the revelation is from God, then it must be true because God cannot lie (see Heb. 6:18).  However, we can have a true revelation and give it a wrong interpretation.  Furthermore, we can have a true revelation, a true interpretation, and a wrong application.  We have to be right at all three stages if the message from the Lord is going to benefit someone.
(Jack Deere; The Beginner's Guide to the Gift of Prophecy, copyright 2001 by Vine Books, page 83)


In other words, when God gives a believer a prophetic message, the first element will always be true because it is from God.  However, the second and third elements can be gotten wrong by fallible human beings.  Perhaps the one giving the message misunderstood what it meant or what the application should be.  This is why experience, maturity, and a proven track record usually within the context of a given local church matter so much.  So it is not so much that prophecy itself is fallible, but those of us who give the prophecies are fallible.  In this regard, it isn't all that different from the gift of teaching, which all believe is still relevant today.  In preaching and teaching the Bible, we have the inspired text (which is true all the time), the interpretation of the text, and how it should be applied.  Any preacher/teacher can get the second and third elements wrong, so why not the prophet?


Only in the actual writing of the inspired Bible did God intervene to make sure the transmission of His revelation was just as perfect as the revelation itself.  Once we are able to understand these things, and the Scriptural admonitions to test and weigh what is said prophetically (1 Corinthians 14:29-33; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 John 4:1-6), we can begin to leave behind prophetic immaturity and craziness, and begin to experience the great blessing that can and should be ours when we embrace this blessed gift of the Holy Spirit.