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Jun 27, 20215 min read

Post 31 - Taught by the Father: Election in the Gospel of John - Part 4

Recap: Last week's post included a reminder that, prior to the cross, the familiar Christian path to enter the kingdom of heaven had not yet been forged. Prior to the cross, there was no gospel message to provide "the power of salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom 1:16). Prior to the cross, there was no familiar "born-again" experience for Christians (John 3:3). Prior to the cross, there was no ubiquitous presence of the Holy Spirit in the world (Joel 2:28). In short, prior to the cross, there was no ordo salutis - order of salvation as we know it.


So how did the apostles become "Christians" before a pathway to Christianity existed? How did the apostles come to believe and to be with Jesus without the power of the cross and the counsel of the Holy Spirit? In short, how did the apostles become apostles - those chosen to come after Jesus and to lay the foundation for the Church?


Today we'll begin to see the first of a three-part strategy by God to establish the "foundation" of the Church - the recruitment and placement of the apostles (Eph 2:20): taught by the Father, drawn by the Father, given to Jesus by the Father.



John 6:45

It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me-- (John 6:45 ESV)


Context

Jesus had just performed an amazing miracle for a large crowd of people who wanted to make him king, not because of who he was, but because of how they could benefit from him (John 6:15, 26). We get the feeling that Jesus sensed the potential for trouble. This was not the plan, so he diffused the situation by withdrawing from the crowd (John 6:15).

We see throughout the Gospels the Father's determination to control access to Jesus and to control the revelation of Jesus' identity so that his gracious plan of redemption - the cross - is not thwarted. The next day, Jesus explained to the crowd that only those who have been taught, drawn, and given to him by the Father, can "come to him" (John 6:37-65).



Calvinism: When this verse is combined with John 6:37, 44, and 65 - it seems to provide support for the Calvinistic doctrines of unconditional election, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints (See Post 29). The "teaching", they say, is a spiritual enlightenment which is only given to the elect. Calvinists believe these passages describe God's sovereign control over who can and cannot become a Christian. Those who are not taught, drawn, and given to Jesus by the Father are not able - by God's decree - to come to faith in Jesus and therefore, will not be saved.



Non-Calvinism: The traditional non-Calvinist would argue that John 6:45 indicates a spiritual teaching by God that is available to everyone. The gospel message goes out, and although the message is heard, only those who hear and learn will "come to Jesus" and so be saved (Elect in the Son, Robert Shank, 177). Those who hear but don't learn will be lost. Human pride, callousness, and hardness of heart, they say - not the sovereign (pre)-determination of God - are among the reasons that not all will receive Jesus.



For Your Consideration

In the verse above (John 6:45), Jesus quotes a passage from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 54:13), but he makes four significant clarifications to explain Isaiah's cryptic prophesy.


First, Jesus defines what it means to be "taught" by God. In contrast to the non-Calvinists' interpretation, Jesus says that being "taught" by God means "hearing and learning" - a clear implication that the teaching in view is always successful.


Second, where Isaiah's statement was predictive (future tense - "will be taught"), Jesus refers to the teaching as something that has already happened - "Everyone who has heard and learned - (literally - who, having heard and having learned) - comes to me." While the "coming to Jesus" was still on-going, the teaching referenced had likely already been conducted.


Third, Jesus describes a consequence of the teaching. The teaching is a precursor to coming to Jesus. Every one of those taught by the Father comes to Jesus. This clarification by Jesus supports the Calvinistic notion of an irresistible summons.


Finally, Jesus clarifies that the Father - the first person of the Trinity - was the teacher. This, I believe, was a unique, pre-cross ministry by the Father. In the future, after the cross, the Holy Spirit assumes the teaching role - Luke 12:12, John 14:26.



Taught by the Father

There is no better example of what it looked like to be "taught by the Father" than Nathanael-Bartholomew's remarkable encounter with Jesus.


(Before continuing, I recommend that you read John's account of the gathering of the first apostles. Read John 1:35-51.)


In one of the most extraordinary displays of divine providence, Jesus tells a very skeptical Nathanael that he (Jesus) saw him sometime earlier while Nathanael was sitting under a tree (John 1:43-51). This perplexing statement from Jesus seemed to strike at the very soul of Nathanael, causing him to suddenly blurt out, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel" (John 1:49). What would cause such a surprising reaction and change of attitude from a man who, moments earlier, was grumbling to Philip that nothing good can come out of Nazareth (John 1:46)?

Nathanael’s reaction was a New Testament fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy on display. “And they will all be taught by God.” (Isaiah 54:13). Jesus tells his followers, “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me” (John 6:45). Nathanael had obviously experienced something supernatural while sitting under that tree - a teaching from the Father, perhaps a vision. While we’re not told the exact nature of what Nathanael experienced, when Jesus tells him that he saw him, it’s as if Nathanael, upon meeting Jesus in person, suddenly realized that what he experienced that day under the tree was the very presence of God, and the cryptic message he received from the Father was now clear – this man, Jesus, is the Messiah.



Divine Revelation

There are many credible, personal testimonies from people who have heard God's voice or had a divine vision or dream from God. I believe that these are still methods God occasionally uses to reveal the truth of the gospel, but there is nothing normative about what Nathanael encountered. I propose that Nathanael experienced a uniquely apostolic event, a teaching from the Father that identified Jesus as the Messiah. As further support, in Matthew 16 Jesus directs his gaze at Peter and asks,


"But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has

not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 16:15-17).


Note that Jesus reveals that it was the Father who taught Peter that he is the Christ. It bears repeating that there is no reference to anyone being "taught by the Father" in any of the post-Gospel writings.



Final Thought

In my opinion, both the Calvinists and the traditional non-Calvinists make the mistake of proposing that this section of Scripture describes a normative process of how people become Christians, rather than a unique, pre-cross process of apostolic recruitment and selection. In my opinion, this verse explains the distinctive manner in which the apostles came to know that Jesus was the Messiah (supernaturally taught by the Father), and how they came to be with him (drawn to Jesus by the Father).



To learn more, please consider picking up my book - God's Elect: The Chosen Generation

(also available on Kindle)


(Also available at Barnes & Noble & Christianbook.com)



Next Post: Taught by the Father; drawn by the Father; given to Jesus by the Father. We'll continue to look at the election of the apostles by understanding what it meant to be "drawn" to Jesus by the Father - John 6:44.






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